How to Fix Psychonauts 2 PC Performance Issues, Lag, Low FPS

by Falagar / Game Guides, Psychonauts 2 / 24 Jun 2021

Experiencing performance issues like low framerate, screen freezing for a bit, or slowed-down action? Here’s some info that could help you suss out the problem & get things running smoothly…

Check Game System Requirements

First things up, check if your rig meets the game’s minimum specs, here’s the lowdown for Psychonauts 2:

OS: Windows 7 (64 bit)

Processor: Intel Core i3-3225, AMD Phenom II X6 1100T

Memory: 8 GB RAM

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, AMD Radeon RX 560

DirectX: Version 11

Storage: 30 GB space up for grabs

Possible Solutions to Low FPS

CPU Settings: Shut other programs, especially the CPU & RAM hogs like browsers… Set Psychonauts 2 to High in task manager:

Run Psychonauts 2

Task Manager [CTRL+SHIFT+ESC]

More details, if you need ‘em, bottom right

Go to “Details” tab

Right-click “Psychonauts 2.exe” in the list -> “Set priority” -> “High”

Fullscreen Mode: Fullscreen Mode’s your friend for max performance since it gives your game full control over the display. Borderless windowed might be handy but can also dip your performance.

GPU Settings:

Optimize NVIDIA Settings: NVIDIA users, dive into your 3D settings via the Control Panel. Update those drivers, select Psychonauts 2 in the Program List, set power management to performance mode, turn off Image Sharpening, & set Max Pre-Rendered Frames to 1. Enable Threaded Optimization & G-Sync if you can, & go for Single Display Performance Mode if you’re rocking multiple monitors. Choose Performance Mode for Texture Filtering Quality.

Optimize AMD Settings: AMD folks, open the Radeon Settings Control Panel, turn off stuff like Radeon Anti-Lag, Chill, and Boost. Ditch Vertical Refresh, Image Sharpening, Anisotropic Filtering, Maximum Tessellation Level, Frame Rate Target Control, and OpenGL Triple Buffering. Flip on Surface Format Optimization, pick Graphics Mode for GPU Workload, & pick AMD Optimized for both Tessellation and Shader Cache.

Cleaning Junk Files:

PC bogged down by temp files? Clean out the gunk:

Win + R, type “prefetch” & delete the clutter (some might stick around, no biggie)

Win + R, punch in “%temp%” & wipe the junk (some files are stubborn, it’s fine)

Or, run disk cleanup:

Hit up the windows search, look for “disk cleanup”

Launch it

Check all boxes & hit OK

Game Shortcut Tweaks:

If you got a shortcut on the desktop:

Right-click, go to properties, then Compatibility

Tick override high DPI stuff & pick (Application)

Tick disable fullscreen optimizations

Tick Run as administrator

Graphics Driver Update:

Your graphics card needs the latest drivers for the best performance. Find out what you’ve got with Windows + R -> Type “DxDiag” -> Look under the Display tab. Head to the driver manufacturer’s website & get the newest drivers.

AMD Drivers

Nvidia Drivers

Intel Drivers

SSD Upgrade:

SSDs give you speed. Grab one with at least 250 GB, but honestly, 500 GB or more’s the sweet spot.

More RAM:

Boosting your RAM is like giving your PC a shot of espresso. Match your new RAM with what you’ve got or go big with a new setup. Check what your motherboard can handle first.

Keep Your Laptop Cool:

Heat = bad. Keep your laptop clean & on a hard surface. Stay plugged in when possible, & consider a cooling stand to keep the temps down.

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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