Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11For the stable osu! client, begin with Fullscreen and the Optimal frame limiter. Then troubleshoot the symptom you actually have: input delay, frame spikes, audio stutter, loss of control, and low FPS are different problems. Try Raw Input if Windows cursor handling or mouse acceleration is an issue, but it is not a guaranteed latency fix. osu! lazer has separate input-polling guidance and a built-in latency certifier.
Start with Fullscreen and the Optimal frame limiter
In the stable client’s options, fullscreen is enabled by default, and osu! says it usually reduces input latency. Its troubleshooting guide says windowed or borderless mode can add up to one frame; it recommends exclusive fullscreen when diagnosing input delay. Treat that as a useful starting point, not a guarantee that every display and operating-system setup will improve by the same amount. osu! client options · osu! performance troubleshooting
The default Optimal limiter targets eight times your monitor’s refresh rate, up to 960 FPS. osu! recommends it as a high-performance, low-latency balance without pushing hardware to extremes. The options documentation says its system-latency difference from Unlimited is imperceptible, while warning that Unlimited can stutter. Start with Optimal, then compare only if you have a specific reason to do so.
How the frame limiters differ
| Limiter | What it does | Tradeoff to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Optimal | Targets 8× monitor refresh, capped at 960 FPS. | Official recommended starting point for performance and low latency. |
| Unlimited (gameplay) | Does not apply the same target cap during gameplay. | May work well on some systems, but can increase CPU/GPU load, heat, garbage-collection overhead, or thermal-throttling risk; stutters or unexpected behavior can occur at very high frame rates. Laptop users should take particular care about heat. |
| Power Saving | Targets 2× monitor refresh. | A lower target than Optimal; choose it when reducing hardware demand matters more than maximizing frame rate. |
| VSync | Follows monitor refresh and waits for a frame to load. | Can prevent tearing, but buffering may add one to two frames of latency and can cause slowdowns. osu! generally discourages it on 60 Hz displays; adaptive-sync displays may avoid tearing without VSync. |
These are documented behaviors, not a universal ranking for every PC. If you are comparing limiters, judge frame-time consistency and whether your symptom changes on your own system. Forcing VSync in the graphics driver can also affect performance, so check the driver setting if the in-game choice does not explain what you see.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
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Identify which kind of “lag” you have
osu!’s troubleshooting guide distinguishes input latency—a noticeable delay between moving a mouse or tablet pen, or tapping a key, and seeing the response—from several other symptoms. Low FPS can make input feel delayed, but it is not the same issue as input latency.
- Input delay: device movement or a tap appears on screen later than expected.
- Spike frame: gameplay briefly freezes or hitches.
- Audio stutter: sound breaks up or skips.
- Loss of control: input temporarily stops responding as expected.
- Low frame rate: the game renders slowly or unevenly, which may create a feeling of delay.
Use the symptom to choose what to test. Changing the frame limiter is more relevant to uneven rendering than changing note timing, while a device-specific delay calls for checking that device and its driver.
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Try Raw Input if cursor handling is the problem
The stable client’s Raw input option reads mouse or tablet position values directly from the device without post-processing. osu! describes it as a way to ignore mouse acceleration. When enabled, the game reports readings per second and latency in milliseconds. The beginner tutorial suggests trying it if you dislike Windows cursor handling and notes it may be especially suitable for tablet users. Client options · Beginner’s tutorial
Compare enabled and disabled in actual play and keep the setting that gives you more predictable control. Raw Input changes how positions are read; the cited guidance does not establish it as a latency improvement for everyone.
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Use global offset for timing alignment, not physical input delay
If notes seem early or late relative to the music, global offset adjusts when beatmap notes appear in relation to the audio. osu!’s beginner tutorial recommends using the Offset Wizard and Hit Error graph to make that adjustment. This calibrates timing alignment; it does not reduce the computer’s physical input-to-display latency.
Troubleshoot delay, spikes, or low FPS in order
- For input delay, isolate the device. Check whether it affects every input device or only one. Try official drivers rather than non-official ones, and test in exclusive fullscreen.
- For frame spikes, look for overlays and background load. Note how often spikes happen and whether they persist after restarting. Close apps that overlay the game, such as Discord, Steam, or NVIDIA ShadowPlay. Use Ctrl+F11 to inspect the frame-time graph, and check for CPU-heavy background tasks.
- For low FPS, check display and limiter settings. Review fullscreen mode, the frame limiter, and whether the graphics driver is forcing VSync. Also check overlays, Windows Game Mode, and CPU use.
- On a hybrid-graphics laptop, test both GPUs. Compare osu! on the integrated and discrete GPU; the integrated GPU can provide more consistent osu! performance on some systems.
- Review driver changes. Updated drivers may help, but if the issue began after an update, the official guide also suggests trying a rollback.
- Compare skins if the problem persists. The troubleshooting guide lists skins among factors to check when investigating performance.
Make one change at a time and check whether the original symptom changes. That makes it easier to identify what helped rather than masking one problem with another.
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Keep osu! lazer settings separate
osu! lazer polls input at 1,000 Hz regardless of the FPS limiter, and its maximum frame limiter is capped at 1,000 FPS. The lazer upgrade guide says higher operating-system polling rates may have negligible benefits and unforeseen overheads, and recommends limiting high-polling devices to 1,000 Hz for system stability. Lazer also includes a latency certifier at the bottom of Settings, which lets you assess your own perception. These details apply to lazer, not the stable client. Upgrading to lazer
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