Optimal Settings for Maximum Performance
Driver, in-game, and Windows settings for competitive play (240 Hz+ monitors)
Hardware Checklist (Before Tweaking Anything)
Before adjusting any driver or in-game settings, make sure your hardware isn't holding you back. These take minutes to check and can have a bigger impact than any software tweak.
RAM in correct slots: If you're using two sticks, they must be in the correct slots for dual-channel mode. This is usually slots 2 and 4 — check your motherboard manual. Wrong slots can halve your memory bandwidth.
Temperatures under control: If you can't hold a stable 250 FPS during fights, check your CPU and GPU temperatures under load. Modern hardware reduces clock speeds as temperature rises — even before hitting official throttle points. Free tools like HWiNFO or HWMonitor will show this. Improving cooling, replacing thermal paste, or improving case airflow can recover lost performance.
Disable integrated graphics: If you're using a dedicated GPU, disable the integrated graphics in your BIOS. This can improve stability on some systems, especially if you experience random crashes.
Which Preset Is Right For You?
Preset A: Lowest Latency
- Best for: Competitive play, maximum responsiveness
- VRR: Off, V-Sync: Off everywhere
- com_maxfps: 250 (or 200 for footsteps)
- Tearing: Accept tearing for lowest latency
Preset B: Tear-Free VRR
- Best for: Clean visuals without sacrificing much latency
- VRR: On, V-Sync: On in driver (backstop), Off in-game
- 240 Hz (VRR): Option 1 (simple):
com_maxfps 200(stays within VRR range) - 240 Hz (VRR): Option 2:
com_maxfps 250+ external cap 237–239 - 360/480 Hz:
com_maxfps 250(within VRR range) - VRR OFF? Ignore 237–239 caps — just use stable in-game cap (250)
Preset C: Simple VRR
- Best for: VRR users who want no external tools
- VRR: On, V-Sync: On in driver (backstop)
- com_maxfps: 200 (stable step, stays in most VRR ranges)
- Note: Many prefer stable engine steps (125/200/250)
Quick Comparison
| Setting | Preset A Lowest Latency | Preset B VRR Tear-Free | Preset C Simple VRR |
|---|---|---|---|
| VRR / G-Sync / FreeSync | Off | On | On |
| V-Sync (driver) | Off | On (backstop) | On (backstop) |
| V-Sync (in-game) | Off | Off | Off |
| com_maxfps | 250 | 250 | 200 |
| External cap (240 Hz) | None | 237-239 (RTSS/driver) | None |
| Screen tearing | Yes (accepted) | No | No |
| Latency | Lowest | Slightly higher | Slightly higher |
Understanding com_maxfps Stepping
Why "weird" FPS values don't work as expected in Quake engines
com_maxfps 202 will NOT give you 202 FPS — it may behave like the next step (often 250).
The engine calculates frame times as 1000ms / FPS, which means only certain "clean" values work predictably. Values between steps often snap/round to discrete effective FPS:
| Effective FPS | Frame Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 333 | 3ms | Max for older configs |
| 250 | 4ms | Standard competitive (recommended) |
| 200 | 5ms | Stronger footstep audio |
| 166 | 6ms | - |
| 142 | 7ms | Common "stuck" value |
| 125 | 8ms | Classic competitive value |
| 111 | 9ms | - |
| 100 | 10ms | - |
| 91 | 11ms | - |
| 83 | 12ms | - |
com_maxfps will NOT limit your FPS to that exact number. The engine may round up to the next step. For precise limiting below your monitor's refresh rate, use an external limiter (RTSS or driver cap).
NVIDIA Control Panel
Program Settings → quakelive.exe
Preset A (Lowest Latency)
| Monitor Technology | Fixed Refresh |
| Vertical sync | Off |
| Low Latency Mode | Ultra |
| Preferred refresh rate | Highest available |
| Power management mode | Prefer maximum performance |
| Max Frame Rate | Off (use in-game cap) |
| Threaded optimisation | Auto / On |
| Triple buffering | Off |
| Texture filtering - Quality | High performance |
| Texture filtering - Aniso sample / Trilinear | On / On |
| Texture filtering - Negative LOD bias | Allow |
| Image Scaling / DSR / DLDSR | Off |
| Vulkan/OpenGL present method | Native or DXGI (see note) |
Preset B (Tear-Free VRR)
| Monitor Technology | G-SYNC Compatible |
| Vertical sync | On (driver backstop) |
| Low Latency Mode | Ultra |
| Preferred refresh rate | Highest available |
| Power management mode | Prefer maximum performance |
| Max Frame Rate | Off (or 237 for 240 Hz VRR) |
| Threaded optimisation | Auto / On |
| Triple buffering | Off |
| Texture filtering - Quality | High performance |
| Texture filtering - Aniso sample / Trilinear | On / On |
| Texture filtering - Negative LOD bias | Allow |
| Image Scaling / DSR / DLDSR | Off |
| Vulkan/OpenGL present method | Native or DXGI (see note) |
AMD Radeon Software
Per-game profile for Quake Live
Preset A (Lowest Latency)
| FreeSync | Off |
| Wait for Vertical Refresh (V-Sync) | Always Off |
| Radeon Anti-Lag | Optional (may not engage on OpenGL) |
| Radeon Anti-Lag+ | Only if driver shows supported; disable if stutter |
| Enhanced Sync | Off |
| Frame Rate Target Control | Off (use in-game cap) |
| Texture Filtering Quality | Performance |
| Surface Format Optimization | On |
| OpenGL Triple Buffering | Off |
| GPU Scaling / Scaling Mode | Off (use display-side scaling) |
Preset B (Tear-Free VRR)
| FreeSync | On |
| Wait for Vertical Refresh (V-Sync) | Always On (driver backstop) |
| Radeon Anti-Lag | Optional (may not engage on OpenGL) |
| Radeon Anti-Lag+ | Only if driver shows supported; disable if stutter |
| Enhanced Sync | Off |
| Frame Rate Target Control | Off (or 237 for 240 Hz) |
| Texture Filtering Quality | Performance |
| Surface Format Optimization | On |
| OpenGL Triple Buffering | Off |
| GPU Scaling / Scaling Mode | Off (use display-side scaling) |
Intel Arc Control
Per-game profile for Quake Live
Note: Intel Arc does not have an Anti-Lag equivalent feature. Focus on V-Sync and VRR settings.
Preset A (Lowest Latency)
| V-Sync | Off |
| External frame limiter | None - use in-game com_maxfps only |
| Scaling / post-processing | Disable all |
Preset B (Tear-Free VRR)
| V-Sync | On (with VRR/Adaptive Sync enabled) |
| External frame limiter | None - use in-game com_maxfps only |
| For 240 Hz | Use com_maxfps 250 + RTSS at 237 (or 200 without cap) |
| Scaling / post-processing | Disable all |
Quake Live Console Commands
com_maxfps value does not reliably produce that exact FPS. The engine tends to run at common frame-time steps, so "in-between" values can snap/round to a different effective FPS.Example: setting
com_maxfps 202 will not give you 202 FPS — it may behave like the next step (often 250).Practical rule:
• For competitive play, use a stable in-game cap like
250 (or 200 for stronger footstep audio).• If you specifically want a cap like 237–239 (typical for 240 Hz VRR), you must use an external limiter (RTSS/driver cap).
Quick reference: common effective FPS steps (Quake engines)
| You want | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | com_maxfps 250 | Common high-FPS step; simplest for competitive play |
| 200 | com_maxfps 200 | Often used for clearer/stronger footstep audio |
| 166 / 142 | (avoid) | Frequently shows up when a user tries "144" or has a hidden cap; many players report worse feel/warping |
| 125 | com_maxfps 125 | Useful for 144 Hz VRR (stays inside VRR range) |
| 111 / 100 | com_maxfps 111 / 100 | Lower steps; rarely a first choice on 240 Hz+ |
// Essential settings
r_mode -1 // custom resolution
r_fullscreen 1 // exclusive fullscreen (important!)
com_maxfps 250 // standard (use 200 for stronger footstep audio)
r_swapInterval 0 // in-game V-Sync off (always)
com_idleSleep 0 // prevent CPU idle
r_displayRefresh 0 // auto; if stuck at 60Hz in fullscreen, set to your panel Hz (144/240/360/480) then `vid_restart`
// Apply changes
vid_restart
// Optional: Maximum performance visuals
r_vertexLight 1
r_picmip 5 // 5-8 range, higher = lower quality
r_shadows 0
r_postprocess 0Use com_maxfps 250 (standard). Use 200 if you prefer stronger footstep audio.
Windows Optimization
- Set monitor to maximum Hz Display Settings → Advanced display → Choose refresh rate
- Enable Game Mode Settings → Gaming → Game Mode → On
- Enable HAGS (Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling) - if stable Settings → System → Display → Graphics → Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling Disable if you experience stuttering
- Power Plan: High Performance or Ultimate Performance Control Panel → Power Options
- Disable Fullscreen Optimizations for quakelive.exe Right-click exe → Properties → Compatibility → Disable fullscreen optimizations
- Disable overlays Xbox Game Bar: Off | Steam Overlay: Off | Discord Overlay: Off | GeForce Experience: Off
🔧 Troubleshooting: Stuck at 142 FPS?
142 FPS is a common Quake-engine FPS step. If you're stuck around 142 (or 166), it usually means you're being capped somewhere (or your chosen FPS value snapped to an engine step) — not that your monitor is "142 Hz".
- Sanity check: use a stable in-game cap
- Set
com_maxfps 250(or200) and runvid_restart - Avoid "in-between" values like 144/202 — they can snap to 166/142/250
- Set
- Windows Refresh Rate
- Settings → System → Display → Advanced display → Set to max Hz (240/360/480)
- If using two displays, match refresh rates or disable 2nd monitor while testing
- Exclusive Fullscreen + QL Cvars
r_mode -1 r_fullscreen 1 com_maxfps 250 r_swapInterval 0 com_idleSleep 0 vid_restart - NVIDIA Control Panel (Program Settings → quakelive.exe)
- Max Frame Rate: Off
- Background Application Max Frame Rate: Off
- Vertical sync: Off (unless using VRR)
- Low Latency Mode: Ultra
- Power management: Prefer maximum performance
- Preferred refresh rate: Highest available
- Triple buffering: Off
- RTSS / Afterburner
- In RivaTuner: Set Framerate limit = 0 and Scanline sync = 0
- Set for both Global AND quakelive.exe entry
- Quit RTSS completely (close from tray icon)
- Disable Overlays & Capture
- Xbox Game Bar: Off
- Steam FPS limiter: Off
- Discord overlay: Off
- GeForce overlay / Instant Replay: Off
- Cable & Port Check
- Monitor cable must go into GPU, NOT motherboard
- Use DisplayPort 1.4 (HBR3) or HDMI 2.1
- Avoid adapters and KVM switches
- Power & Present Path
- Windows power plan: High Performance or Ultimate Performance
- NVIDIA Control Panel → Vulkan/OpenGL present method: Native or DXGI (both valid)
VRR & Frame Rate Guide
How to stay within VRR range with Quake Live's limited fps values
VRR ON (tear-free): Stay below your monitor's VRR ceiling with an external cap (237-239 for 240 Hz) or use a stable engine step like 200.
VRR OFF (lowest latency): Many competitive players disable VRR entirely, use
com_maxfps 250, and accept tearing for minimum latency.
com_maxfps 250 means VRR is essentially "free" — you get tear-free visuals with negligible latency penalty because there's so much headroom above your cap.
144 Hz
- VRR ON:
com_maxfps 125(stays in range) - VRR ON + cap:
com_maxfps 250+ external cap at 141 - VRR OFF:
com_maxfps 250(accept tearing)
240 Hz
Common VRR approach- VRR ON + cap:
com_maxfps 250+ external cap at 237-239 - VRR ON (simple):
com_maxfps 200(no cap needed) - VRR OFF:
com_maxfps 250(accept tearing, lowest latency)
360 / 480 Hz
- VRR ON:
com_maxfps 250(within VRR range) - VRR OFF:
com_maxfps 250(accept tearing) - No external limiter needed at these refresh rates
About External Limiters
External limiters (RTSS / driver frame caps) can add a small latency penalty compared to an in-game cap. Use them when you specifically need a precise cap (e.g., 237–239 for 240 Hz VRR). If you're chasing absolute lowest latency, stick to in-game com_maxfps and keep VRR/V-Sync off.
- RTSS (RivaTuner): Most precise control
- NVIDIA Max Frame Rate: Driver-level, well-integrated
- AMD FRTC: Driver-level alternative
CPU Core Affinity — Move Quake Off Core 0
Windows and many background drivers default to scheduling tasks on your CPU's first physical core (Core 0). When your game also runs there, those higher-priority system tasks can briefly interrupt it, causing micro-stutters and drops in 1% low FPS. At 250 FPS each frame is only 4ms — even a tiny interruption means a missed frame.
In testing, this tweak improved average FPS by up to ~8% and 1% low FPS by up to ~20% in competitive shooters.
Test it first (Task Manager — no install needed)
- Launch Quake Live and join a server
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
- Go to the Details tab
- Find
quakelive_steam.exe, right-click → Set affinity - Uncheck CPU 0 and CPU 1
- Click OK and play — use
cl_drawfps 1to check if FPS is more consistent
This resets every time the game closes. If it helps, make it permanent:
Make it permanent with Process Lasso (free version works)
- Download and install Process Lasso from bitsum.com
- Launch Quake Live so the process appears in Process Lasso
- In the main window, find
quakelive_steam.exein the active processes list - Right-click → CPU Affinity → Always → Select CPU Affinity...
- Uncheck CPU 0 and CPU 1, click OK
- The rule is now saved and applies automatically every launch
Alternative — apply the rule to Steam instead: If the affinity won't stick on the game process directly, apply the same rule to steam.exe in Process Lasso. Games launched through Steam inherit the parent process affinity, so Quake Live will automatically avoid Core 0.
- Disable both logical cores 0 and 1 — disabling only one can make things worse
- CPU 0 and CPU 1 are correct on most systems
- The game still uses all your other cores normally
Experimental / Optional (Test on Your System)
Non-default tweaks that may help on some systems. Revert if you see issues.
r_ignoreFastPath
In Quake Live the default is r_ignoreFastPath 1, which means the engine ignores its fast render path. Setting it to 0 allows the fast render path and may improve performance on some systems — but it’s not guaranteed and can cause visual glitches or instability on others.
r_ignoreFastPath 0, run vid_restart, and play a few maps. If you see visual glitches, flickering, or crashes, revert to the default (r_ignoreFastPath 1).
// Optional (non-default): try enabling fast render path
r_ignoreFastPath 0
vid_restart
// If you see issues, revert to default:
r_ignoreFastPath 1
vid_restartvid_restart is required after changing this value.
Map Switch Crashes
If your game crashes when switching maps, your Local Storage file may be oversized.
Location:
Steam\steamapps\common\Quake Live\<YourSteamID>\Local Storage\When asset_ql_0.localstorage exceeds ~100 MB, map switch crashes can occur. This file grows over time and can reach 500+ MB.
Fix
- Close Quake Live
- Delete the contents of the Local Storage folder
- Restart the game
What Doesn't Work (Save Your Time)
The following commonly recommended "optimizations" have been tested with hardware-level measurement tools and showed no measurable change in real gameplay performance or latency in controlled testing. If a tweak doesn't change your FPS, it doesn't change your latency.
Registry tweaks — Win32PrioritySeparation, hidden power plan settings, GPU/CPU power-saving registry keys — none produced a measurable difference during actual gameplay.
Interrupt affinity tuning — manually assigning your mouse or GPU to specific CPU cores for interrupt handling. Changes are visible in interrupt analysis tools but do not translate to any real-world FPS or latency difference.
ISR / DPC optimization — manually tuning interrupt service routines and deferred procedure calls. Measurable at the kernel level, invisible in gameplay.
Custom Windows ISOs — pre-tweaked Windows images from unknown sources. High security risk for negligible gains compared to manually removing bloatware through Task Manager and Services.
Dedicated USB cards for mouse — PCIe XHCI controller cards for isolating mouse polling. Theoretically sound, but no measurable difference was found between CPU-connected USB, motherboard USB, or a dedicated PCIe USB card.
The principle: Unless you can see your FPS change, your latency has not changed. Focus your time on the things in this guide that produce visible, testable results.