Some Path of Exile 2 players have reported issues such as stuttering, screen freezing, or FPS drops during gameplay, severely impacting their overall experience. This guide provides effective solutions to help eliminate lag and enjoy a smooth gaming session!
1. Check Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-7700 or AMD™ Ryzen 5 2500x
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 (3GB), Intel® Arc™ A380, or ATI Radeon™ RX 470
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 100 GB available space
Additional Notes: A GPU with at least 3GB of VRAM is required
2. Update Graphics Drivers
Outdated or corrupted drivers can lead to game instability and performance issues. Keeping your drivers up to date is an effective way to improve performance. It's recommend to use Driver Sentry to automatically detect and update your drivers—saving time and avoiding incorrect driver installations.
Click the download button to get the latest version of Driver Sentry. Install and launch the software, then click "Scan".
Once the scan is complete, it will list any missing or outdated drivers. Find your graphics driver and click "Upgrade".
After updating, restart your computer to ensure the new drivers are applied correctly.
3. Run the Game as Administrator
Locate the Path of Exile 2 shortcut on your desktop or in the Start Menu.
Right-click it, select "Properties", go to the "Compatibility" tab, and check "Run this program as an administrator".
Click "Apply" and "OK". Launch the game and see if the issue is resolved.
4. Verify Game File Integrity
Steam:
Right-click Path of Exile 2 in your Library, select "Properties" > "Local Files" > "Verify Integrity of Game Files".
Epic Games:
Go to your Library, click the three dots under Path of Exile 2, then click "Manage" > "Verify".
Wait for the verification process to complete. The client will automatically repair any corrupted or missing files. Restart the game afterward.
5. Adjust In-Game Settings
Launch Path of Exile 2, go to the Settings menu.
Under Video Settings, reduce resolution, texture quality, shadow quality, etc. Consider disabling features like anti-aliasing and motion blur.
Try disabling V-Sync, as it may cause performance issues for some users.
Set your FPS cap to match your monitor's refresh rate to avoid overloading your hardware.
Save changes and restart the game to see if performance improves.
6. Increase Virtual Memory
Press Win + R, type "sysdm.cpl", and press Enter.
Go to the "Advanced" tab, under Performance, click "Settings".
In the new window, switch to the "Advanced" tab, under "Virtual Memory", click "Change".
Uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives".
Select your system drive (usually C:), check "Custom size", and set the following:
Initial Size: 1.5 × physical RAM
Maximum Size: 3 × physical RAM
Example for 8GB RAM: Initial = 12288MB, Max = 24576MB
Click "Set", then "OK", and restart your PC.
7. Reinstall the Game
Go to "Control Panel" > "Programs and Features", find Path of Exile 2, right-click and choose "Uninstall".
After uninstalling, make sure to delete leftover files from the game directory (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Path of Exile 2 or your custom install path).
Reinstall the game using Steam or Epic Games and ensure you have the latest version.
Launch the game again to see if performance issues are resolved.
By following the methods in this guide, you should be able to effectively troubleshoot and resolve stuttering, freezing, and FPS drops in Path of Exile 2. Choose the optimization strategies that suit your system best and enjoy a smoother, more immersive gaming experience!
See also:
Solutions to Fix the Windows 11 Unidentified Network Issue
Solutions to Fix WiFi Connected but No Internet Issue
