FPS ↔ Frame Time Calculator

Understanding FPS and Frame Time

Frames per second (FPS) and frame time are two sides of the same coin. FPS tells you how many frames your GPU renders each second, while frame time tells you how long each individual frame takes to render. The relationship is simple: frame time in milliseconds equals 1000 divided by the FPS. For example, 60 FPS corresponds to a frame time of approximately 16.67 ms, and 144 FPS corresponds to roughly 6.94 ms.

Why Frame Time Matters More Than FPS

While FPS is the more popular metric, frame time is often a better indicator of how smooth a game actually feels. The FPS number is an average that can hide stutters and hitches. If your game runs at 60 FPS on average but individual frames occasionally spike to 50 ms or more, you will perceive noticeable stuttering even though the average FPS looks acceptable. Frame time graphs reveal these spikes instantly, which is why serious benchmarkers and digital foundries focus on frame time consistency rather than raw FPS averages.

1% Low and 0.1% Low Explained

The 1% low and 0.1% low metrics represent the worst-performing 1% and 0.1% of all frames in a benchmark run. These numbers capture the stutters and frame drops that average FPS hides. A game running at 120 FPS average with a 1% low of 40 FPS will feel far worse than a game running at 90 FPS average with a 1% low of 75 FPS. When evaluating GPU performance, pay close attention to the gap between your average FPS and 1% lows. A small gap indicates consistent frame delivery, while a large gap points to stuttering issues that may be caused by CPU bottlenecks, VRAM limitations, shader compilation, or asset streaming.

Monitor Refresh Rates and Frame Time Targets

Your monitor's refresh rate determines the maximum number of unique frames it can display per second. A 60 Hz monitor shows 60 frames per second (16.67 ms per frame), a 144 Hz monitor shows 144 frames per second (6.94 ms), and a 240 Hz panel shows 240 frames per second (4.17 ms). Running your game at a frame rate significantly higher than your monitor's refresh rate provides diminishing visual returns, though it can still reduce input latency in competitive games.

G-Sync and FreeSync: Adaptive Sync Technology

Traditional fixed-refresh-rate monitors introduce screen tearing when the GPU's frame rate does not match the monitor's refresh rate. V-Sync solves tearing but adds input latency and can cause stuttering when frame rates dip below the refresh rate. Adaptive sync technologies — NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync — solve both problems by dynamically matching the monitor's refresh rate to the GPU's output. Within the monitor's variable refresh rate range (typically 48–144 Hz or 48–240 Hz), adaptive sync eliminates tearing without the input latency penalty of V-Sync. This means maintaining a perfectly locked frame rate is less critical with adaptive sync, but you still want frame times as low and consistent as possible for the best experience.

Frame Time Targets for Different Activities

• Competitive esports (CS2, Valorant): Target sub-4 ms frame times (240+ FPS) with a high-refresh monitor for maximum input responsiveness.
• Fast-paced action games: 6.94 ms (144 FPS) is the sweet spot balancing visual smoothness and hardware requirements.
• Single-player / RPG gaming: 16.67 ms (60 FPS) remains the widely accepted baseline, though 90–120 FPS provides a noticeably smoother experience.
• VR headsets: 90 FPS (11.11 ms) is the minimum for comfortable VR. The Meta Quest 3 supports 120 Hz, and missed frames in VR cause motion sickness.
• Film and video production: 24 FPS (41.67 ms) for cinematic content, 30 FPS (33.33 ms) for broadcast TV, and 60 FPS for sports and action footage.

How to Reduce Frame Times

Lowering frame times requires either reducing the workload per frame or increasing GPU and CPU throughput. Start by lowering resolution or using upscaling technologies like DLSS, FSR, or XeSS, which can cut frame times by 30–50% with minimal visual impact. Next, reduce settings that heavily tax the GPU: ray tracing, volumetric effects, shadow quality, and draw distance are common culprits. If your 1% lows are significantly worse than your average, the bottleneck is likely the CPU or RAM — enable resizable BAR, update chipset drivers, and consider upgrading to faster memory with tight timings.