Why 1% Lows Matters in Gaming?

1% lows determine how much yourgame stutters. You want your average FPS, 1%, and 0.1% lows in a similar range, or at least over 60.

If the lows deviate too much from the average FPS, the game stutters even if the average FPS is high.

By definition, a 1% low FPS is the average value of your worst 1% FPS. Another name for it is the99th percentile. This means that 99% of the time, your FPS remains above the 1% low FPS.

To understand more about the 1% lows, you must first know a little about theframe timeand theaverage FPS count.

Understanding Frametime and Average FPS Count

Your GPU generates frames at a variable rate. Some frames are constructed faster, while others take longer to render. The time taken to create each frame is aFrametimeand ismeasured in milliseconds.

The FPS counter application calculates the FPS using these obtained frame times. It calculates the frame time between two frames and converts it into FPS (1000ms/ obtained frame time). This FPS value is for the two frames.

It then calculates the average FPS using previously obtained FPS and then displays it to the user.

Average FPS: Why It Doesn’t Matter Much

Most users only look at the average FPS when they benchmark. Butthis can be a misleading statistic. Here’s why.

If the frame time is constant, the average FPS gives an accurate reading. The problem occurs when there aredrastic changes in frame time.

Say, the time between two random frames is aslow as 7ms (milliseconds), or as high as 250ms. Half of the frames generated in one second have a frame time of7ms (1000/7=142.8FPS). The other half has a frame time of250ms (1000/250=4 FPS).

Now, calculating the average FPS,we get73.4.

On paper, the game seems playable at 73 FPS. But in the actual playthrough, you’ll experienceframe drops,stutter, andlagging.

This is why the average FPS does not tell the entire story. The counter might display a high FPS, but you might still see stuttering issues. To determine frame drop and stuttering, most FPS counters include1% and 0.1% FPS.

1% & 0.1% Lows: Why Does It Matter in Gaming?

To understand the lows in FPS, let’s look at a FPS-Time graph.

99 percentile, or 1% lows, represents the FPS value above which 99% of the frame rate lies. So,a game with a 1% low of 40 means the total frame rate stays above 40 FPS 99% of the time.

Similarly, the 99.9 percentile, or 0.1% lows, represents the FPS value above which 99.9% of the frame rate lies. A 0.1% low of 35 means the remaining 99.9% of the time,the frame ratestays above 35 FPS.

In Layman’s terms,0.1% and 1% lows are the average of the lowest 0.1% and 1% FPS, respectively. So, you would want your lows to be as close to average FPS as possible. This shouldfix any stuttering issueswhen gaming.

Even when the FPS is around 20-30, thegame will feel smoothif the lows are in the same range.

But the frame drops are much more noticeable when the average FPS and 1% & 0.1% lows deviate too much. For example, anaverage FPS of 50 with a 1% low at 45 is much smoother than 80 FPS with a 1% low at 15.

This is why a video clip @ 24FPS feels smooth and does not stutter or lag. The frames display at a constant interval, meaning there is no deviation in the framerates.

Improving 1% and 0.1% Lows

Numerous factors like RAM capacity, speed, VRAM capacity, CPU, etc affect your 1% lows, 0.1% lows, and average FPS.

Among these, systemslow on physicalmemory or VRAM suffer from 1% lows the most. I once faced something similar a few years back.

I used to run GTA V on my 8GBlaptop on an integrated GPU, getting 30-40 FPS on average. 30-40 FPS is low in itself, but there was also constant stuttering to the point where the game was unplayable. Running a benchmark test, I saw that the 1% lows were 5-10 FPS.

Upgrading the RAMto 16GB fixed the stuttering issue. Although the FPS stayed below 40 FPS, the game was much smoother and playableafter the upgrade.

Besidesupgrading memory, here are a few things you may try to improve 1% lows.

I also recommend that youcheck the system’s bottlenecks. If you find any, you should upgrade the slower-performing components.

you may also trylimiting the FPSif the lows and average FPS are too far apart. Lowering your FPS, such that it matches the 1% low FPS, should give you a smooth gaming experience.