CS2

Before changing anything, find out what’s in your PC. It takes about a minute.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click Performance on the left.
3. Look for GPU 0 and GPU 1. Each one shows the name of a graphics chip.

Also note your processor’s name. It’s shown under CPU on the same Performance page. You’ll need it in section 3.

A graphics card’s name tells you its brand, generation and tier. In most names, the first number or two is the generation (newer is higher), and the last two numbers are the tier (higher is faster). For example, an RTX 4060 is 40-series generation, 60 tier.

Video memory (VRAM)

VRAM is the graphics card’s own memory. Games, browsers, video and every monitor all share it. 8 GB is fine for CS2 at 1080p, but it can run short with several monitors, browsers and videos open. 12–16 GB gives plenty of headroom. This is one more reason to move browsers to onboard graphics (section 3).

Sync technology

Anti-cheat warning for AMD: only use Anti-Lag if CS2 shows it in its own video settings. Do not force it from the AMD driver. In 2023, forcing the old Anti-Lag+ from the driver got CS2 players VAC banned.

Most processors have a small graphics chip built in, called “onboard”, “integrated” or “iGPU”. When you install a graphics card, many people never use it again, but it can do real work for you.

Why it helps

• Frees video memory. Every open video, browser tab and monitor uses some of the graphics card’s memory. Moving them off the card leaves more for the game.
• Fewer stutters. A video starting on a second monitor no longer has to share time on the graphics card with your game.
• Built for video. Intel’s Quick Sync and AMD’s video engine decode video very efficiently. Watching streams barely uses the processor.
• It’s free. You already paid for it.

Laptops already do this automatically. That’s why they switch between “Intel” and “NVIDIA” graphics. Desktops don’t, so you set it up yourself.

Does my processor have onboard graphics?

How to set it up

1. Turn it on in BIOS. See section 4 for the setting name on your motherboard brand.
2. Install its driver. Get the latest Intel Graphics driver or AMD Adrenalin driver from the manufacturer’s site. Windows Update often installs a basic version on its own.
3. Keep your main gaming monitor plugged into the graphics card. Extra monitors can go into the motherboard’s video ports or stay on the card. Both work.
4. Assign apps in Windows Graphics settings (section 5). Set browsers and video apps to Power Saving, which means onboard graphics, and games to High Performance, which means the graphics card.
5. Restart, then reopen your browsers so they switch over.

What NOT to move to onboard graphics

Restart and press Del (or F2) at the logo screen. Switch to Advanced Mode if your BIOS has one (usually F7).

Onboard graphics setting name by motherboard brand

Press F10 to save and restart. Menu names vary by BIOS version, so use your BIOS’s search feature if you have one.

Settings → System → Display → Graphics. Open Advanced graphics settings.

Assign each app to a graphics chip

1. On the same page, under Custom settings for applications, click Add desktop app.
2. Browse to the program, select it and click Add. If it’s already listed, just click it.
3. Open its GPU preference drop-down and choose:

“Power Saving” only shows the onboard chip if it’s turned on in BIOS. If both choices show the same graphics card, go back to section 4.

Monitor refresh rates

Settings → System → Display → Advanced display. Pick each monitor from the drop-down.

• Gaming monitor: set to its highest refresh rate (144, 165, 240, 360 Hz). Windows doesn’t always do this by itself.
• Extra monitors and TVs: use at least 60 Hz. A screen stuck at 30 Hz on the same graphics card can make games stutter.

Power

Settings → System → Power: set Power mode to Best performance, or use the High Performance power plan.

Keep your driver up to date first. Most stutter and crash fixes arrive in driver updates.

NVIDIANVIDIA App → Graphics

AMDAMD Software: Adrenalin → Gaming → Graphics

INTELIntel Graphics Software (Arc)

In CS2: gear icon → Video. Click Apply when done. Change these yourself in the game menu. Never use outside tools to change game settings or files.

Video tab: same for everyone

Frame pacing

No variable refresh monitor? Turn V-Sync off, and set Maximum FPS In Game to a number your PC can hold steady most of the time. A steady cap feels smoother than a number that jumps around.

Quality by card tier (1080p)

At 1440p, drop one column to the left. Your processor matters a lot in CS2 too, so if lowering settings doesn’t raise FPS, the processor is the limit, not the graphics card.

• Watching other players: FPS dips are normal because CS2 renders from their view. Variable refresh keeps it smooth.
• First matches after a driver update: a little hitching while shaders rebuild. This settles down after a game or two.
• Before a match: close apps you aren’t using. They all share memory.

If CS2 freezes: press Esc and wait a few seconds. If it’s still stuck, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select Counter-Strike 2, click End task, then start it again from Steam.

If CS2 crashes: take a photo of any error message before closing it. Then in Steam, right-click CS2 → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files.

If browsers show black or flickering video after moving them to onboard graphics: update the onboard graphics driver first. If it still happens, set that browser back to Let Windows decide.

Check your memory speed

Right-click Start → Terminal, then paste:

Get-CimInstance Win32_PhysicalMemory | Select-Object Manufacturer, PartNumber, Speed, ConfiguredClockSpeed | Format-Table -AutoSize

ConfiguredClockSpeed should match Speed. If it’s much lower, turn on XMP / EXPO in BIOS (section 4).

Check your graphics chips are both working

Paste this into Terminal:

Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController | Select-Object Name, DriverVersion, Status | Format-Table -AutoSize

You should see both your onboard graphics and your graphics card listed with Status: OK.