Fix: Path of Exile Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing constantly

Path of Exile is a popular and free-to-play action-packed role-playing game. Previously it was available only to Microsoft Windows, but after seeing the demand for console gamers, Grinding Gear Games launched the same for the consoles in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Now it is available for both Xbox One and PS4.

To run the game requires enough hardware configuration to run properly, especially for PC, because not everyone may have such configuration to run the game in full resolution and higher FPS. It’s quite common for most PC titles because they’re performance-hungry. Here we’ve provided steps to fix Path of Exile Stuttering and Lags issues.

Unfortunately, some Path of Exile PC players are experiencing multiple issues like stuttering, lags, crashes, frame drops, etc., while in the gameplay. Depending on the compatibility factor, it can be a severe issue on some PCs. So, it’s always better to fix the issue so that at least you can play the game with a respectable FPS count. There may be several reasons behind such an issue that can be resolved by following this guide.

OS: Windows 10
Processor: Quad-core 3.2GHz x64-compatible
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or ATI Radeon RX560
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 40 GB available space
Additional Notes: Solid-state storage is recommended

Fix: Path of Exile Stuttering and Lags Badly

Fixing in-game lags or frame drop issues isn’t easy because it depends on multiple factors such as PC hardware, the display resolution of the game, maximum FPS limit count, conflicting third-party apps, and more. So, we recommend you follow all the methods until the problem is fixed or reduced. Changing the in-game graphics-related settings or keeping them low can fix several problems in a jiffy.

It may include the Screen Resolution of the game, in-game Texture Resolution, Shadow Resolution, Maximum Frame rate, number of Characters Displayed, or other visual effects that require higher graphics or memory. So, you can follow the steps below to try reducing the lags or frame drops up to some extent depending on which resolution and quality you’re playing the game apart from FPS count.

1. Use Launch Options

Open your Steam client > Go to Library > Right-click on Path of Exile.
Select Properties > On the General tab, you’ll find Launch Options.
Enter the launch options -fullscreen = Forces the engine to start in fullscreen mode.

2. Update Graphics Drivers

Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list.
Now, double-click on the Display adapters category to expand the list.
Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name.
Select Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
An update will automatically download and install the latest version if available.
Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to change the effects.

3. Run the game as an administrator

Make sure to run the game exe file as an administrator to avoid user account control regarding privilege issues. It would be best if you also run the Steam client as an administrator on your PC. To do this:

Right-click on your PC’s Path of Exile exe shortcut file.
Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
Click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.

4. Set High Priority in Task Manager

Make your game priority in the higher segment via the Task Manager to tell your Windows system to run the game properly. To do this:

Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on the Path of Exile game task.
Select Set Priority to High.
Close Task Manager.
Finally, run the Path of Exile game to check for the issue.

5. Verify Integrity of Game Files

If there is an issue with the game files and somehow it gets corrupted or missing, then make sure to perform this method to easily check for the issue. To do so:

Verify Game Files on Steam:

Launch Steam > Click on Library.
Right-click on Path of Exile from the list of installed games.
Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
Once done, restart your computer.

Verify Game Files on Epic:

You can watch our video tutorial on verifying the game files on Epic Launcher.

6. Change GPU Settings

Make sure to change the graphics card settings on the PC by following the steps below to check if the problem has been fixed or not.

For Nvidia:

Open up Nvidia’s Control Panel > Right-click on the desktop screen.
Click on Nvidia Control Panel > Click on Manage 3D Settings.
Select Program Settings > Find ‘Path of Exile’ and manually add the game if it’s not in the list:
- Monitor Tech: G-Sync (If available)
- Maximum Pre-rendered frames: 2
- Threaded optimization: On
- Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
- Texture Filtering – Quality: Performance

For AMD:

Monitor Tech: G-Sync (If available)
Maximum Pre-rendered frames: 2
Threaded optimization: On
Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
Texture Filtering – Quality: Performance

7. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

Full-screen optimization and DPI settings are the default ones on Windows. It would help if you tried disabling it by following the steps below:

Locate the Path of Exile game directory.
Find and right-click on the cyberpunk2077.exe file.
Select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
Checkmark the ‘Disable Full-Screen Optimizations’ box.
Now, click on the ‘Change high DPI setting button.
Checkmark the ‘Override high DPI scaling behavior’ > Select ‘Application’ from the drop-down menu.
Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

8. Update Path of Exile

If, in case, you haven’t updated your Path of Exile game for a while, then follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). To do this:

Steam Users:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Path of Exile from the left pane.
It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
It may take some time to install the update > Once done, close the Steam client.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and launch the game again.

Epic Launcher Users:

Open the Epic Launcher client > Go to Library > Look for Path of Exile from the left pane.
On your Path of Exile application, you have to tap on the three-dot icon.
Make sure to check the auto-update to get a new update installation automatically.
It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try launching the game again

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide is useful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.