Performance Issue Fortnite

Fortnite Freezing from 120fps to 2fps - Game Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 3 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Disable AMD Radeon Anti-Lag+ in the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition application, as this feature is a confirmed root cause of severe frame drops and stuttering in Fortnite.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

This error is defined as a severe, intermittent performance degradation event where Fortnite's frame rate drops from a stable high value to an unplayable single-digit rate. The problem manifests exclusively on the Windows platform, particularly on systems utilizing AMD Radeon RX 7000 series and Ryzen 7000 series or newer hardware. The issue occurs across multiple game versions, including Chapter 5, Season 3 builds. This is a common occurrence on affected hardware configurations. The severity is game-breaking, as the frame rate drop renders gameplay impossible for its duration. No specific error codes are generated; the failure mode is purely performance-based. The problem is isolated to Fortnite and does not replicate in other game titles, indicating a software conflict specific to this application's interaction with the system.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The primary symptom is an abrupt transition from a stable 120 frames per second to approximately 2 frames per second. This performance degradation occurs at random intervals during standard gameplay or in the game lobby. The application does not terminate; it remains responsive but with severely impaired visual updates. The frame time graph shows massive, sustained spikes. Input latency increases exponentially during these events. The system's overall performance outside the game window remains unaffected. The frame rate drop persists for several seconds to minutes before potentially recovering, or it may require a game restart.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: AMD Radeon Anti-Lag+ feature, enabled by default in recent AMD Adrenalin drivers, injects code at the engine level. This injection conflicts with Fortnite's kernel-level anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat or BattlEye), causing thread scheduling deadlocks and catastrophic frame processing delays. Why this causes the problem: The conflict forces the GPU command queue to stall, dropping render submission to near-zero. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Fortnite's in-game graphics API setting (DirectX 11, DirectX 12, or Performance Mode) is mismatched with the global or game-specific profile in the AMD Adrenalin software. This creates a state where driver optimizations are incorrectly applied. Why this causes the problem: The driver applies shader compilation or memory management policies for one API while the game uses another, causing compilation stutter and cache misses. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated or corrupted Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables or .NET Framework runtime components. Fortnite and its anti-cheat services depend on specific versions of these runtime libraries. Why this causes the problem: Missing function calls or corrupted library files cause the game process to wait for system-level responses that never complete, freezing the render thread. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: A memory leak or asset streaming bottleneck within Fortnite's engine, triggered by specific cosmetic items, map geometries, or audio effects present in a match. This is often related to the "Nanite" virtualized geometry or "Lumen" global illumination systems on DirectX 12. Why this causes the problem: The engine's asset streaming thread becomes blocked, causing the main render thread to wait indefinitely for resources, stalling the GPU. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Incorrect Power Supply Unit (PSU) configuration in Windows or the BIOS, such as a misapplied "Power Saver" plan or incorrect PCIe power settings, causing the CPU or GPU to rapidly downclock during gameplay. Why this causes the problem: The hardware reduces clock speeds due to perceived low load during a frame, but cannot upclock fast enough for the next frame, creating a cyclical performance collapse. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: Insufficient thermal headroom or a faulty thermal paste application on the Ryzen 7 9600X CPU, leading to rapid thermal throttling. Ryzen 7000/9000 series CPUs are particularly sensitive to instantaneous temperature spikes (Tjmax). Why this causes the problem: The CPU's boost algorithm (Precision Boost) reduces clock speeds within milliseconds to protect the processor, directly impacting the game's draw call submission rate.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Disable AMD Radeon Anti-Lag+

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 3 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: AMD Adrenalin Edition software installed. Steps:

Close Fortnite completely.
Right-click on the Windows desktop and select AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
Click on the Gaming tab at the top.
Select Fortnite from the list of games. If Fortnite is not listed, click Add Game and browse to C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe.
Within the Fortnite profile, locate the Graphics settings.
Find the Anti-Lag setting. If it shows Anti-Lag+, toggle it to Off. If it is a standard toggle, ensure it is Off.
Click Save in the top right corner to apply the profile.
Additionally, navigate to the Settings gear icon > Graphics tab > Advanced section. Ensure the global Anti-Lag setting is also Disabled.

Technical Explanation: Anti-Lag+ operates via driver-level frame pacing injection, which conflicts with Fortnite's protected memory space managed by its anti-cheat service. Disabling it removes the source of the thread deadlock. Verification: Launch Fortnite and monitor frame times using the in-game performance overlay (Alt+R). The severe, sustained frame time spikes exceeding 500ms will no longer occur.

Solution 2: Perform a Clean Reinstallation of GPU Drivers

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection. Steps:

Download the latest AMD driver package for the Radeon RX 7900 XT from AMD's official website.
Download the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) utility from www.guru3d.com.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. This is done via Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now. Then select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, and press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode.
Run DDU. Select AMD from the dropdown menu and click Clean and restart.
After the system restarts normally, install the previously downloaded AMD driver package. Select Factory Reset (or Clean Install) during the installation options.
After installation, do not enable Anti-Lag+, Anti-Aliasing, or any other "Enhancement" settings in the Adrenalin software for Fortnite initially.

Technical Explanation: This removes corrupted driver files, shader cache, and registry entries that can cause incorrect API communication between the game and the GPU hardware. Verification: Check the driver version in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition under Settings > System > Software. Confirm a clean version number. Test Fortnite for baseline stability before adjusting any game-specific settings.

Solution 3: Modify Fortnite Graphics API and In-Game Settings

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None. Steps:

Launch Fortnite and go to the Settings menu.
Navigate to the Video Settings tab.
Locate the Rendering Mode setting.
Change this setting. If it is on DirectX 12, switch to DirectX 11. If it is on DirectX 11, switch to Performance Mode - Alpha. Apply the changes and restart the game when prompted.
While in Video Settings, set the following:

* Window Mode: Fullscreen * VSync: Off * Frame Rate Limit: Set to 3-5 FPS above your monitor's refresh rate (e.g., 165 for a 144Hz monitor). * Rendering Resolution: 100% * NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency: Off (This is an NVIDIA technology; having it On with AMD hardware can cause issues).

Restart Fortnite to apply all changes.

Technical Explanation: DirectX 12 and Performance Mode have fundamentally different rendering paths and shader compilation behaviors. Switching APIs can bypass a specific engine bug or driver compatibility issue affecting one pipeline. Verification: The game will recompile shaders upon first launch with the new API. After this initial compilation, monitor for the random frame drops. The frequency should be reduced or eliminated.

Solution 4: Repair System Runtime Libraries

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 7 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection. Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter to open Programs and Features.
In the list, locate all instances of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable. Note the years (e.g., 2012, 2013, 2015-2022).
Uninstall each Visual C++ Redistributable package. Restart the PC if prompted.
Download the latest Visual C++ Redistributable installer from the official Microsoft website. The combined package for 2015-2022 is often found as VC_redist.x64.exe.
Run the installer as Administrator.
Next, open an Administrator Command Prompt. Type cmd in the Windows search bar, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
Execute the following commands to repair system files:

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth Wait for completion, then run: sfc /scannow

Restart the computer.

Technical Explanation: Fortnite and Easy Anti-Cheat rely on specific C++ runtime functions. Corrupted or missing libraries cause the process to hang while attempting to load required dependencies. Verification: The sfc /scannow command will output a message stating whether it found and repaired corruptions. Launch Fortnite and observe if the initial loading sequence completes more smoothly.

Solution 5: Configure High-Performance Power Plan and BIOS Settings

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 8 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Basic BIOS navigation knowledge. Steps:

In Windows, press Windows Key + R, type powercfg.cpl, and press Enter.
Select High performance. If it is not visible, click Create a power plan on the left, choose High performance, and name it "Fortnite Performance".
Click Change plan settings next to the High-Performance plan, then Change advanced power settings.
Expand Processor power management.

* Set Minimum processor state to 100%. * Set Maximum processor state to 100%.

Expand PCI Express > Link State Power Management. Set it to Off.
Save changes.
Restart the PC and enter the BIOS/UEFI (typically by pressing Del or F2 during boot).
Locate settings for CPU Configuration and PCIe Configuration. Ensure:

* Global C-state Control is Disabled. * Power Supply Idle Control is set to Typical Current Idle. * PCIe Speed is set to Gen4 (or Auto, not Gen3).

Save and exit BIOS.

Technical Explanation: Preventing the CPU and PCIe bus from entering low-power states eliminates latency spikes caused by the hardware waking from idle, ensuring consistent clock speeds for game thread processing. Verification: Use monitoring software like HWiNFO64 to log CPU clock speeds and GPU bus interface speed during a Fortnite session. The logs should show stable clock speeds without sudden, deep drops coinciding with the in-game FPS collapse.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a regular driver update schedule, but wait 48 hours after a new AMD driver release to confirm no widespread issues with Fortnite. Always create a restore point before driver updates. Use a dedicated game profile in AMD Adrenalin with all "Enhancement" features (Anti-Lag+, Boost, etc.) disabled for Fortnite. Keep the Windows power plan on High Performance during gaming sessions. Periodically clear the Fortnite shader cache located at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Dawn\Saved\ShaderCache after major game or driver updates. Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures using logging software to identify thermal throttling trends before they cause in-game failures.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all software and configuration solutions fail and the issue persists across multiple, completely clean Windows installations. Provide the full diagnostic report generated by the Epic Games Launcher (Settings > Help > Gather Logs). Include the specific DXDiag report (dxdiag /t dxdiag.txt) and the AMD Bug Report Tool output. Official support channels are located at https://www.epicgames.com/help. Escalation is warranted when the problem is isolated to a single hardware component through rigorous testing on a different, known-stable system.