As a gamer you have probably been interested in measuring the performance of the games you play on your PC to know if they are running as expected. Here, frame per second (FPS) has long been the most widely used metric of reference, where depending on the value reflected you knew whether or not the game performance was favorable. However, the FPS did not provide an overall picture of this situation, which made it necessary over time to take into account other metrics to obtain a more complete analysis. Find out what are the game metrics beyond FPS that will give you the information you need about its performance.

What are the game metrics used to measure its performance?

If you want to have a broader understanding of the performance of your games, then you should take into account more parameters than just FPS. Let’s see what they are:

Frame time

The time it takes for a frame to appear on screen is known as frame time, which is obtained by dividing by the refresh rate. So if we have a frame time of 15.6 ms it means that each frame of the game is rendered at that speed, making it practically imperceptible to your eyes.

FPS stability and variability

FPS stability is used to measure the uniformity of the frame rate during gameplay, which if it’s a high number is a good indicator of a smooth gaming experience. But if the number associated with this metric is low then it’s very likely that stuttering will occur and disrupt the smoothness of the game. Regarding the variability index, this measures the degree of fluctuation of the frame rate.

Input lag

This game metric represents the delay that occurs between the player’s action and the response on screen. Within competitive gaming the input delay is a critical metric where a millisecond can make all the difference. An input lag is considered good when the number displayed is less than the refresh cycle of the screen. This means that if your display has a refresh cycle of 100 Hz, the ideal input lag should be less than 10 ms. To get good input lag numbers you should do the following:

• Enable “Game Mode” on your TV or monitor.
• Use wired peripherals instead of wireless whenever possible.
• Enable NVIDIA Reflex or AMD Anti-Lag technology in supported games.

CPU and GPU usage

An effective way to check for performance bottlenecks in your PC is to monitor CPU and GPU usage. Look to see if any of these components show high usage during frame drops. If so then this will give you a signal as to where you should implement optimizations.

Network performance

Within the network metrics the ping, packet loss and jitter (delay variation between the time a signal is sent and the time it’s received) generate data that can be useful and provide valuable information to the analysis of game performance. The behavior of these elements impacts the responsiveness and consistency of the online gaming experience.

Measuring and Interpreting Performance Metrics

To use these metrics effectively, it’s important to understand how they are measured and what they reveal about game performance.

Game Metrics Measurement Tools

To measure game metrics it’s necessary to have tools specifically designed for this purpose. Let’s see the most popular ones:

• MSI Afterburner: Through the options provided by this tool you’ll be able to observe the values of metrics such as FPS, frame times and hardware usage.
• NVIDIA FrameView: If your PC has an Nvidia GPU installed then this tool will be very useful to measure its performance metrics.
• OSRTT (Open-Source Response Time Tool): This tool has an interface that allows you to measure system input lag.

How to interpret data associated with game metrics

After knowing which are the metrics that give you information about the performance of the game, it’s likely that you’re wondering how to interpret the data reflected in these metrics. To do this take into account the following tips:

• Look for patterns in the frame time graphs. If you find consistent, flat lines, it’s an indication that the game performed smoothly.
• Focus your attention on sudden spikes generated in frame times as these can be a sign of stuttering.
• Compare the values registered in the CPU and GPU usage so that you can detect the presence of possible bottlenecks.
• Check network metrics in case you’re playing online games.

Final Take on Gaming Performance Metrics

FPS is a metric that cannot be overlooked when measuring game performance. Still, it’s necessary to look at data provided by other metrics that address different aspects of the game so that you can get a more complete analysis of its performance. These include frame times, input lag, CPU and GPU usage, as well as elements associated with network performance (ping, packet loss and jitter). Thanks to these metrics you’ll not only be able to measure game performance, but also obtain information that will be useful to implement strategies focused on improving those results and achieving a smoother and more optimal gaming experience.

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