Modern Warfare 3 Stutter & Frame Drops, Poor Performance Fix

Updated: 54 Comments

Are you suffering from Modern Warfare 3 performance issues, like stutter, lagging, and frame drops? Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer is now live. However, gamers on all platforms are currently encountering issues. When it comes to PC gamers, aside from the 0x00001338 Error Code and the “Verify Phone Number” issue, they are also experiencing really bad performance issues. If your Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer experience on PC is being plagued by MW3 FPS drops, stuttering, and lag, here are a few possible fixes.

▼Article Continues Below ▼
Modern Warfare 2 Performance Fix (Stutter & Frame Drops)
Modern Warfare 3 PC FPS drops, Stuttering, and Lag Fix

How to fix Modern Warfare 3 Performance Issues? MW3 Stutter, Lagging & Frame Drops Solutions

Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer is now officially live for those who have pre-ordered the game. Unfortunately, but also somewhat expected, the first day of the Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer is marked by a myriad of issues. Among many other problems, players report abysmally bad Modern Warfare 3 performance on PC. Gamers on forums, social media and Reddit report huge frame drops, unplayable stutter, lag and screen tearing. The situation is equally terrible even for players with high-end PCs, which should have no such issues. Let’s see what you can do right now to alleviate these issues:

Check Modern Warfare 3 System Requirements

Before starting the game, you should check the game’s minimum and recommended system requirements. And, plan your expectations accordingly. If you don’t meet the requirements, set graphics settings so that your game works optimally.

Minimum system requirements:

  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-3570 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX 470

Recommended system requirements:

  • OS: Windows 10/11
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K or AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580

Update GPU drivers

Many of the performance issues in COD Modern Warfare 3 can be a result of outdated GPU drivers. Thus, make sure to have the latest version of your video card drivers before playing the game. You can search for the latest drivers either via your GPU software or you can download them from the links below:

Turn off 3rd-Party Apps and Overlays

When playing MW3 multiplayer, it is recommended to turn off any nonessential third-party apps that are running in the background. Many of them are known to cause problems and conflicts with video games. This is particularly the case for apps that have overlays in-game. This includes Discord overlay, Steam overlay, NVIDIA overlay, and other similar apps. A number of players report that AMD Adrenalin overlay causes “insane stuttering”. There are also reports that Steam Overlay is causing some strange glitches as well.

Verify Modern Warfare 3 files

Use the “Verify integrity of game files” option on Steam in order to make sure that there are no missing or corrupted files. Modern Warfare 3 early access had a big update at launch, and there might be some conflicts with old files if you have pre-loaded the game. Here’s how to do it on Steam:

  • Right-click on Modern Warfare 3 in your Steam library.
  • Select “Properties…”.
  • Select the “Local Files” tab.
  • Click on the ” Verify integrity of game files..”.
  • Let Steam do it’s work.
  • When complete, restart your PC.
  • Launch Steam, and start Modern Warfare 2.

If you are playing MW3 on Battle.net, then click on a small blue cog icon next to the “Play” button and select “Scan and repair”, and let it find any potential issues. If you are still having performance problems, try using the “Shader optimization” feature in Graphics settings, under “Details and Textures”. This can potentially fix many issues. Finally, absolutely make sure that the “Texture streaming” feature is turned off. For more info on how to maximize your FPS, check our “Modern Warfare 3 Best PC Graphics Settings” in-depth guide.

For now, that’s about all you can do in order to fix Modern Warfare 3 performance issues, such as stutter, lagging, and frame drops. If we stumble upon any other potential solutions, we will add them to our guide.

YOU MAY ALSO READ

CLICK TO POST A COMMENT OR READ 54 COMMENTS