Re: FPS stuck at 20 on Low or Ultra Graphics Settings

I am having the exact same issue - i7 4770k clocked to 4.2 Ghz, running Nvidia 660 x2 in SLI.  16GB DDR3.  Game is running off a 5400 rpm 3tb western digital.

No solution that I have found - ended up abandoning the game.  Thought it might be an issue with NVIDIA adaptive VSync, but other games aren't having trouble.  No idea what is going on.  GPU usage hovers around 20-30% on ultra (20fps), and goes down to 5% on low (same FPS)

To this point I have tried several NVIDIA legacy drivers, disabling SLI, running in x86 mode, patching directX, virus scans, defragged hard drive, repairing game files, deleting user configs, using custom user configs with different fps caps.  Nothing has worked.  Very bummed.

I have also abandoned the game and I'm extremely unhappy about it.

The above answers did absolutely nothing to help my issue and feel like a very generic repsonse to any 'unknown' issues.

I'm very disapointed there has not been any more assistance on the issue.

Well other then thinking it could be a program doing it , I am out of ideas other then ruling out windows is helping to make the issue.... I will pass this topic to another person to see if they have any ideas as well... Edit ... have you guys tried to play in settings in Nvidia control panel ?

Test your windows for errors
This works in all windows O/S vista Win7, Win8 and Win8.1 windows system file checker :] Copy and past this to note pad and put it on your desktop. As open programs can give you errors when you run this.

...... sfc /scannow ..... ever hear of it if not your going to love this .... it will inspect all the important windows files as well as the windows DLL files. If windows system file checker finds any issues with the windows files and windows DLL files it will replace them. This little tool as well as the event viewer saved me and fully helped me fix my BF4 issues as well as saved my .... many a format since I found it. This is the best toy they ever put in windows :]

For win7 go to start left click in search type cmd and right click cmd pick run as admin

For win 8.1 right click start bottom left of screen and pick command prompt admin

1 - Open administrator command prompt and close web pages and programs like origin.

2 - Type or copy and paste in sfc /scannow and hit enter, This takes 5 min to 15 min SSD vs HD

3 - This can go one of a few ways ..... no errors ... it fixed some errors ..... could not fix all errors...... does not finish checking and errors out ....... and the last one could not fix errors at all :/

4 -After its done reboot and do it again even if you had no errors the first time or had errors, could not fix ... run sfc /scannow again and when its done a second time reboot. You need to do this a and get no errors 2 x in a row ...

5- So if you ran it 2x and no errors your safe you can stop now for now lol, If you had errors first time but not the second then run sfc /scannow again and when its done reboot. You need to get could not find any errors 2 x to be safe. If it still finds errors try and run it a few more times until it finds no errors 2x AND ALWAYS REBOOT BETWEEN RUNNING sfc /scannow

6 - If you get a message indicating that it can not be repaired and you ran sfc /scannow more then 3x in a row on win vista or 7 mm you need a format or try repair win 7 :/ But after format or repair and all updates are done run sfc /scannow to make sure your windows is stable same deal 2x error free reboot between them.

If your O/S is Win8 or Win 8,1 then you can run this next command / line in administrator command prompt. Sadly this does not work for win vista or 7 :/ It will restore the health of your PC and you dont lose anything and it will also fix errors in the registry :]

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth ------- ONLY works for windows 8 and 8.1

7 - When its done reboot

I am havin the same issue. This started happening like at the start of the month after the nvidia driver update so i think that that could cause it but im not sure.

Fps is alwasy stuck at 18 FPS no matter what settings i put it in (Low,Medium,High,Ultra)

Hi all,  I have been thinking on this topic and have a few ideas for you guys or gals to try if you want. First off just so you know it can be done I game on 3 monitors 5760 x 1080 and I have a gtx690 card and I pull a average of 120FPS in BF4.

Some program or settings is doing this low fps for you all its not the game. When I install my video card driver I do a few things to keep all the crap off my game rig so if you want try all this and lets try to fix your BF4 game.

This will be a big list as I will give you every step I do from Video driver install to every setting. So  I will say sorry now for the wall of text ,copy and past it all into note pad so it is on your desktop. With SLI you need to be careful with settings you may need to play about more as I don't run SLi. NOTE>>> Try this first as this alone may be what is doing it...  Geforce experience, be sure to turn off the streaming function that is enabled by default.

When I install my video card driver only ... Graphics Driver and PhysX System. Go in See steps below 

This is how you do a clean graphic driver clean install:
Start by downloading your graphic card drivers from here,

AMD; http://support.amd.com/en-us/download
NVidia; http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Download the one you have and save it on desktop, you are going to need it!
So after downloading and saved it follows these instructions to the letter,

1- press windows button,
2- right click my computer,
3- press property’s, you will get a new window here.
4- in the new window click device manger on your left side of the screen, you will get another new window here,
5- you will see in the latest window a list of devices you have in your computer, click on the arrow beside Display driver and a small fall down menu will show you what kind of graphic card you have.
6- left click on your (graphic card name) so it’s highlighted in blue,
7- right click (graphic card name) and press property’s, you will get a new small window here,
8- in the new small window click on Drivers, you will see the name between the tabs,
9- in the driver menu click on uninstall, you will now get a really small window that ask you if you’re really sure that you want to uninstall you’re graphic card drivers,
10- click ok,
11- after you have uninstall you’re drivers restart you’re computer,
12- after you have started up your computer, click on your graphic card install file,
13- follow the instructions of your graphic card installer,

Note .. During install pick ADVANCED / Custom install  uncheck EVERYTHING ONLY KEEP Graphics Driver and PhysX System. 

14- when you have Install your graphic card drivers, restart your computer,
15- you’re done this part. 

Part 2....After a PC reboot

Nvidia BF4 settings ....

First step open Nvidia Control panel under 3D settings go to Adjust image settings with preview

Pick use my preference and set it to performance and hit apply.

Next go to Manage 3D settings, Program settings tab and add BF4

Once BF4 is added in Program settings tab make sure all this is in place..

Ambient occlusion- not supported
Anisotropic filtering- use global settings off
Antialiasing - FXAA - not supported
Antialiasing- Gamma correction- use global settings on
Antialiasing-Mode - use global settings off
Antialiasing- setting - use global settings none
Antialiasing- Transparency - use global settings off
CUDA- GPU's - use global settings ALL
Maximum pre-rendered frames - Use the 3D application setting
Multi display /mixed GPU acceleration- set to what your display is
Power management mode- Prefer Maximum Performance
Shader Cache- use global settings on
Texture filtering - Anisotropic sample Opti.... - use global settings on
Texture filtering- Negative LOD bias - use global setting Allow
Texture filtering - Quality - use global setting Quality
Texture filtering - Trilinear optimization - use global settings on
Thread optimization - use global setting Auto
Triple buffering - use global settings off
Vetical Sync - use global settings off
Virtual Reality pre-rendered frames - use global settings 1

in game video settings right side set to custom and set everything to medium or low for now but last three turn them off ....

1-antialiasing deferred off
2-antialiasing post off
3-ambient occlusion off

on left side be sure vertical sync is off

To see FPS in game with out fraps etc:
1- open note pad
2-put this in the note pad..... perfoverlay.drawfps 1
3-when you make the user.cfg in notepad,change the file type from text to all. And name it user.cfg
4-Put in .....:\Program Files(x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 4
5-Also close Origin to put cfg in just to be safe :}
6-You will see your FPS in top right of screen when you start BF4

Origin and BF4....

Run the game as Administrator:
Go to the Origin games folder (C:\Program Files (x64)\Origin Games\Battlefield 4) and find Bf4.exe. Right click it and go to PROPERTIES, then COMPATIBILITY and check the box next to RUN THIS PROGRAM AS ADMINISTRATOR.
Do the same with BF4_x86.exe as well.

Run Origin as Administrator:
Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin and right click on Origin.exe and go to properties. Then go to compatibility tab and check the box next to RUN AS ADMIN.

Disable Origin in game:
In Origin - Application settings - Origin in Game - disable Origin in game

Origin Cloud Storage turn it off
Origin, settings, General

Make Sure BF4 is set to 64bit if your windows is 64bit
1- open origin and go to My Games
2-Right click BF4 and go to Game Properties
3-Under when launching this game set it to x64 and check off disable origin in game.
4- Hit apply REBOOT your PC and then test your BF4

Reboot PC test BF4

If you still have issues then read it all below for a possible fix......

Another thing that may be worth trying: run a Clean Boot: http://help.ea.com/en/article/how-to-clean-boot-your-pc/
This should ensure that no programs are interfering in the background.

Check your firewall to be sure it is open to the game and not blocking it.

Disable Mantle if you have it and try Direct X, Turn OFF Anti-Aliasing Deferred in video card settings in game. If you have page file turned off then turn it back on as this can make errors even with 32gigs ram.

Others have said if they uninstall MSI Afterburner issues / crashing is stopped. So if you have this installed remove program and test BF4. Also look at other programs as Razer synapse,Razer Cortex, Qualcomm Killer Service ,Fraps,EVGA Precision, Geforce experience, be sure to turn off the streaming function that is enabled by default ,Raptr, RivaTuner , ASRock eXtreme Tuner, Steam, Skype, aero ,Overwolf extra program in teamspeak and xfire are known to make issues as well. And I am sure more programs not in my list yet turn one off at a time and test BF4. Since last patch more programs now give issues :/

Uninstall the HD Audio Driver from the video card driver install add/remove programs. This silly thing makes issues in BF4 for some. Reboot then repair BF4 to be safe.


If all this fails to fix it then try this...

C:\Users\your PC Name\Documents\Battlefield 4

BF4 folder in my documents holds game configs and screen shots even if BF4 is installed on different drive. When you uninstall BF4 it does NOT remove this folder. So when you install the game again you can still have the same issues. Even if its not a new install it is still worth trying as the game cfg could be mucked up.

1- Go to my Documents and remove BF4 folder place it on your Desktop or trash.
2- Be warned you do have to set up your in game settings again.
3-Repair BF4
4- When done go test your game. If it fails reboot your PC and run repair game again and test BF4.