Performance Issue Fortnite

Fortnite Frame Rate Degradation Over Time - Complete Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 2 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Perform a clean installation of NVIDIA graphics driver version 537.58 or 545.84, then disable Windows 11's built-in GPU scheduling and hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling in Fortnite.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

Frame rate degradation over time is a performance issue where Fortnite's frames per second (FPS) progressively decrease during a gameplay session. This problem manifests specifically on the Windows platform, with increased prevalence following updates to Windows 11. The error occurs across multiple Fortnite seasons and builds, particularly following major game engine or operating system updates. This is a common performance regression. The severity is game-breaking, as FPS can drop below 30, rendering competitive play impossible. The issue is characterized by the absence of a specific error code; the primary symptom is a measurable decline in performance metrics without a corresponding crash.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application initiates with expected frame rates, typically between 70-80 FPS on hardware like the GTX 1650. Performance decays linearly during a match, often declining to 30 FPS or lower within 15-30 minutes. The degradation correlates directly with session duration, not with specific in-game actions or locations. A full application restart temporarily restores baseline performance, confirming the issue is a memory or resource leak. System monitoring software reports normal CPU and GPU thermals, ruling out thermal throttling as the primary cause. The problem persists across multiple game modes and persists after standard troubleshooting like file verification.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Windows 11's native GPU scheduling feature conflicts with NVIDIA's driver-level scheduling and Fortnite's internal render queue management. This creates a memory leak within the DirectX 12 runtime, where video memory allocation fails to purge correctly between frames. Why this causes the problem: The accumulating un-purged allocations consume available VRAM and system RAM over time, forcing increased reliance on slower page files and causing frame time spikes. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: An incorrect or corrupted NVIDIA Control Panel 3D application profile for Fortnite (fortniteclient-win64-shipping.exe) overrides in-game settings with conflicting parameters. Why this causes the problem: Conflicting settings between the global driver profile, the Fortnite-specific profile, and the in-game menu cause the rendering pipeline to re-initialize assets repeatedly, creating a cumulative performance overhead. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated or corrupted NVIDIA Display Container LS service interacts incorrectly with the Epic Games Launcher service, causing a gradual handle leak. Why this causes the problem: Each service maintains open handles to game processes; a leak consumes non-paged kernel pool memory, starving the game of essential system resources for draw calls. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: Fortnite's DirectX 12 shader compilation caching system has a known fault where it fails to flush the cache after compiling new assets mid-match. Why this causes the problem: The shader cache grows unbounded during gameplay, consuming GPU memory and introducing compilation stutter that compounds into sustained low FPS. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: System RAM or VRAM develops correctable soft errors (ECC) under sustained load, not detected by standard diagnostics. The Windows Memory Compression feature exacerbates this by attempting to compress faulty memory pages. Why this causes the problem: Error correction and compression cycles introduce significant latency, increasing frame render times progressively as more memory sectors require management.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Clean Installation of Specific NVIDIA Display Driver

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection for driver download. Steps:

Download NVIDIA Display Driver version 537.58 or 545.84 from the official NVIDIA driver archive.
Download the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) utility from www.wagnardsoft.com.
Disconnect from the internet to prevent Windows Update from automatically installing a driver.
Boot Windows 11 into Safe Mode. Access this by navigating to Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now. Then select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. Press 4 or F4 to enable Safe Mode.
Execute DDU. Select "GPU" and "NVIDIA" from the dropdown menus. Click "Clean and restart."
After the system reboots into normal mode, install the previously downloaded NVIDIA driver. During installation, select "Custom (Advanced)" and then check "Perform a clean installation."
Reconnect to the internet.

Technical Explanation: This procedure eliminates corrupted driver files and registry entries that cause memory management conflicts with Windows 11's newer power and scheduling frameworks. Versions 537.58 and 545.84 contain specific stability patches for Pascal and Turing architecture GPUs under DX12. Verification: Launch Fortnite and monitor FPS over a 30-minute session using the in-game performance overlay (Alt+R). The frame rate should remain within 15% of its initial value, with no downward trend.

Solution 2: Disable Windows 11 and In-Game GPU Scheduling

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None. Steps:

Open Windows 11 Settings (Win + I). Navigate to System > Display > Graphics.
Click "Change default graphics settings."
Toggle "Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling" to Off.
Restart the computer.
Launch Fortnite. Navigate to the in-game Settings menu.
Select the Video Settings tab. Scroll to the "Advanced Graphics" section.
Set "Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling" to Off.
Apply the settings and restart the game.

Technical Explanation: This prevents a layered scheduling conflict. With both the OS and the application attempting to manage GPU work queues, tasks can be duplicated or stranded, leading to a gradual accumulation of unprocessed frames and memory leaks within the driver's submission queue. Verification: The setting change is confirmed in both locations. Post-restart, use Windows Task Manager (Performance tab > GPU) to observe that "Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling" is listed as inactive.

Solution 3: Configure Fortnite-Specific NVIDIA Control Panel Settings

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Clean NVIDIA driver installation from Solution 1. Steps:

Right-click the desktop and open "NVIDIA Control Panel."
Navigate to "Manage 3D settings" in the left pane.
Select the "Program Settings" tab. Click "Add" and browse to add the Fortnite executable: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe.
Configure the following settings for this program specifically:

* Power management mode: Prefer maximum performance * Texture filtering - Quality: High performance * Threaded optimization: On * Vertical sync: Off * Low Latency Mode: Ultra

Click "Apply." Close the NVIDIA Control Panel.

Technical Explanation: This creates a high-priority, consistent performance profile that prevents the driver from dynamically downclocking the GPU during less demanding scenes, which can trigger instability when load increases. The "Ultra" Low Latency Mode caps the render queue to 1 frame, preventing backlog buildup. Verification: The settings are saved per-application. Monitor GPU clock speed using a tool like GPU-Z; it should remain at a sustained high clock during gameplay instead of fluctuating wildly.

Solution 4: Modify Fortnite User Engine Configuration File

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 7 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Fortnite must be closed. File explorer access. Steps:

Navigate to the following directory: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient.
Locate the file GameUserSettings.ini. Create a backup copy of this file on your desktop.
Right-click the original file, select "Open with," and choose Notepad.
Find the [SystemSettings] section. If it does not exist, add it on a new line at the end of the file.
Add or modify the following lines under [SystemSettings]:

` r.bForceCPUAccessToGPUSkinVerts=True r.TextureStreaming=False r.Streaming.PoolSize=0 r.Streaming.LimitPoolSizeToVRAM=False `

Save the file. Right-click the file, select "Properties," and check the "Read-only" attribute. Click Apply and OK.
Launch Fortnite. The game will regenerate some configs, but the Read-only attribute preserves these critical lines.

Technical Explanation: These commands force the CPU to handle vertex data for skinned meshes, reducing GPU memory bandwidth contention. Disabling texture streaming prevents the engine from constantly loading/unloading textures mid-match, a process that fragments VRAM over time and causes the observed performance decay. Verification: After launching the game, re-check the file. The added lines should remain. In-game, texture quality may appear lower initially, but FPS stability should improve dramatically over long sessions.

Solution 5: Disable Windows Memory Integrity and Virtual Machine Platform

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Administrator access, system restart required. Steps:

Open Windows Security by searching for "Core isolation" in the Start menu.
Click "Core isolation details."
Toggle "Memory integrity" to Off. Restart the computer if prompted.
Open Windows Features by searching "Turn Windows features on or off."
In the list, uncheck "Virtual Machine Platform." Also uncheck "Windows Hypervisor Platform" if present.
Click OK and restart the computer when prompted.

Technical Explanation: Memory Integrity (Hypervisor-protected code integrity) and the Virtual Machine Platform enforce strict memory isolation that can interfere with low-level GPU memory mapping performed by anti-cheat software and game drivers. This interference causes gradual performance erosion as memory translation buffers fill. Verification: After restart, confirm Memory Integrity is off in Windows Security. Launch Fortnite and observe if the initial performance drop after the first match is mitigated.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a fixed, stable NVIDIA driver version confirmed to work; avoid updating immediately to new Game Ready Drivers. Schedule a monthly cleanup of the DirectX shader cache located at C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame. Monitor VRAM usage using the in-game performance overlay; if usage consistently exceeds 90% of your GPU's capacity (e.g., 3.6GB on a 4GB GTX 1650), lower the "Textures" setting one tier. Perform a full system restart weekly to clear kernel memory pools. Before each major Fortnite season update, use DDU to clean the current driver and install the new recommended version for that season.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support only after confirming all solutions in Section 4 have been implemented without success and the problem is isolated to Fortnite. Provide the full diagnostic log from C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs. Include a detailed performance report from the in-game feedback tool, captured during an active match experiencing the FPS drop. Also provide the exact model of your laptop (Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57) and a screenshot of the Fortnite "Video Settings" page. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help page at fortnite.com/help.