Best CS:GO settings for players with low-end PCs

CS:GO is one of the forerunners in the competitive multiplayer FPS gaming genre (Image via Valve)
CS:GO is one of the forerunners in the competitive multiplayer FPS gaming genre (Image via Valve)

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is a game where the value of framerates is paramount to a player. A good framerate could decide the winner in a gunfight, given everyone belongs to a similar skill level.

CS:GO is a decade-old game at this point. It should not be a problem for any PC from the last six or seven years to run the title. However, optimizing one's in-game settings is of great importance in squeezing out good framerates. This is more beneficial for players on low-end PCs.


Best CS:GO settings for low-end PC

The in-game graphics settings can be accessed through the cogwheel from the right pane of the CS:GO main menu. On the leftmost tab, there is the Video settings menu.

The recommended video settings in CS:GO for maximum framerates (Image via Valve)
The recommended video settings in CS:GO for maximum framerates (Image via Valve)

The Resolution setting is crucial in terms of performance gain. Decreasing the resolution sacrifices visual fidelity. This obviously would depend on a case-by-case basis.

Players should decide how much visual fidelity they are willing to relinquish to boost framerates. Usually, for 16:9 aspect ratio users, 1920*1080 is the ideal choice, whereas 1024*768 is pretty popular among 4:3 aspect ratio users.

Needless to say, the latter results in much higher framerates.

The Display mode is recommended to be set to fullscreen. Laptop Power Savings should be disabled, lest the framerates suffer when playing on battery. For desktop users, this should not be an option to be concerned about.


Advanced Video options for ideal performance in CS:GO

Coming to the Advanced video options, there are a lot of settings that can be tweaked to allow moderate FPS (frames per second) gains.

The recommended advanced video settings (Image via Valve)
The recommended advanced video settings (Image via Valve)

Global Shadow Quality: Low

Model/Texture Detail: Low – Medium

Texture Streaming: Enabled

Effect Detail: Low

Shader Detail: Low

Boost Player Contrast: Enabled

Multicore Rendering: Enabled

Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode: None

FXAA Anti-Aliasing: Disabled

Texture Filtering Mode: Bilinear

Wait for Vertical Sync: Disabled

Motion Blur: Disabled

Triple Monitor Mode: Disabled

Use Uber Shaders: Disabled

While these in-game settings should ensure decent framerates in CS:GO, low-end PC users can also try out other methods to boost performance.

Keeping the graphics driver up-to-date, not running unnecessary tasks in the background etc. are some general solutions to keep in mind.