Smoothness: Frame Pacing Matters More Than FPS
A game can show high average FPS and still feel uneven. Smoothness is about consistency — frametimes that don’t spike or wobble.
Smoothness = Consistent Frametime
- Average FPS is a summary.
- Frametime is the experience.
- Spikes create the ‘hitch’ feeling even when FPS looks fine.
Common Smoothness Killers
- Shader compilation hitches.
- Streaming and IO stalls.
- CPU spikes from background tasks.
- Bad frame caps and inconsistent sync.
A Practical Way to Improve Smoothness
- Lock a stable cap that your system can hold.
- Reduce spikes before increasing settings.
- Validate with a repeatable scene and a simple frametime check.
If you’re fighting stutter, use the Fix Stutter playbook. It separates shader, streaming, and CPU causes.
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