The NVIDIA Profile Inspector frame limiter is Frame Rate Limiter V3, ID 0x10835002 in group 02 - Sync and Refresh. Set it on the game's profile to any whole number from 20 to 1000 FPS, and the game stops drawing frames past that number. It needs driver 441.87 or newer. On a G-SYNC screen, cap at least 3 FPS under the refresh rate, so 141 on a 144 Hz monitor. Off removes the cap.
Frame Rate Limiter V3 values and hex codes
Frame Rate Limiter V3 runs from 20 to 1000 FPS in steps of 1, plus Off, and the tool stores each cap as that number in hex. A value like 15 or 1200 FPS does not exist.
| Entry | ID | Group | Values | Hex range | Driver minimum | Undo value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frame Rate Limiter V3 | 0x10835002 | 02 | Off, 20 to 1000 FPS | 0x00000014 to 0x000003E8 | 441.87 | Off, 0x00000000 |
Frame Rate Limiter - Background Application | 0x10835005 | 02 | Off, 5 to 60 FPS | 0x00000005 to 0x0000003C | None listed | Off, 0x00000000 |
Because the tool shows hex, 60 FPS appears as 0x0000003C and 1000 FPS as 0x000003E8. The G-SYNC cap table gives the hex for 60 to 360 Hz monitors.
How to set the NVIDIA Profile Inspector frame limiter
To set the NVIDIA Profile Inspector frame limiter, load the game's own profile, set Frame Rate Limiter V3 to your number and press Apply Changes. From then on the cap follows that one game.
- Load your game's own profile from the drop-down at the top. A V3 cap set on
_GLOBAL_DRIVER_PROFILE (Base Profile)can turn Off after a restart, as issue #120 reports. Export a .nip backup of that profile before you change it. - Type "frame rate" in the search field, or scroll to ID 0x10835002 in group 02.
- Open the value list and pick your FPS number, or type the number into the box.
- Press Apply Changes. Then close the game and start it again, so it loads with the new value.
A global cap is still possible. If you use one, check after each restart that the row still shows your number. The profile box, search field and Apply Changes are explained in how to use NVIDIA Profile Inspector. Before online play, read whether driver profile edits are safe in online games, since only each game's publisher rules on bans.
What frame rate cap should you set?
Set the frame rate cap 3 FPS under your refresh rate for G-SYNC, slightly below average FPS for lower latency, or anywhere you like to save power. NVIDIA's January 2020 driver announcement names three reasons: saving power, cutting latency when the GPU is the bottleneck, and staying inside a variable refresh range.
| Goal | Cap to | Pair with (NVIDIA's wording) | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save power | A cap you choose | Power mode "Optimal Power" | No condition given |
| Lower latency | "Slightly below the average FPS" | Low Latency Mode Ultra, "Prefer maximum performance" | GPU-bound game with steady FPS |
| Stay in G-SYNC range | "Slightly below the maximum refresh rate" | Low Latency Mode Ultra and V-Sync on | G-SYNC or other variable refresh monitor |
Those three uses come from the CES 2020 Game Ready Driver post that launched Max Frame Rate. For the latency row, watch your FPS counter in a busy scene and set the cap a little under the average you see. No cap ever adds frames: it keeps the game at or under your number, which takes load off the graphics card.
G-SYNC FPS cap for 60 to 360 Hz
For a G-SYNC FPS cap, NVIDIA only says to stay slightly under the refresh rate. Blur Busters' G-SYNC 101 guide puts a number on it. Set a limit 3 FPS under the display's maximum refresh rate, such as 141 FPS at 144 Hz.
| Monitor refresh rate | Cap (Blur Busters' rule) | Hex in Frame Rate Limiter V3 |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Hz | 57 FPS | 0x00000039 |
| 120 Hz | 117 FPS | 0x00000075 |
| 144 Hz | 141 FPS | 0x0000008D |
| 165 Hz | 162 FPS | 0x000000A2 |
| 240 Hz | 237 FPS | 0x000000ED |
| 360 Hz | 357 FPS | 0x00000165 |
The 60, 120 and 144 Hz caps are numbers Blur Busters prints itself; the 165, 240 and 360 Hz rows apply its 3 FPS rule. A Blur Busters forum moderator has stressed that 3 FPS is the minimum gap, and a game with jumpy frame times may need a lower cap to stay in range. If the FPS counter still touches the refresh rate, drop a few more. On a G-SYNC screen, V-Sync on together with Reflex or Ultra Low Latency also caps FPS just under the refresh rate, covered with the Ultra Low Latency and V-Sync settings.
NVIDIA background application max frame rate
Frame Rate Limiter - Background Application is a second cap that only acts while the game is out of focus, such as when you tab out to a browser.
NVIDIA's Control Panel help says the background cap is there to cut power use or fan noise. That suits a game left open in a menu while you watch a video.
The entry reached the tool later than the main cap. Issue #79 notes it was missing from NVIDIA's public API headers as late as the R470 drivers, and the tool showed it by March 2023.
Keep it on game profiles. With the Control Panel's background cap at 30 FPS, a Vivaldi forum user saw YouTube drop frames in Vivaldi but not in Chrome, Firefox or Edge. A moderator later reported that Vivaldi 6.1 fixed it. Leave it Off unless you keep games open while you do other things.
RTSS vs NVIDIA frame limiter
In Blur Busters' input lag tests, an in-game cap adds the least delay, RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) up to one frame, and the old Profile Inspector limiter about 2 frames.
In Blur Busters' input lag tests, RTSS works as a CPU-level limiter. The 2-frame result belongs to an older entry than the third-generation V3.
Pick a limiter by situation, using Blur Busters' tests and NVIDIA's 2020 post.
| Situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The game has its own frame cap | The in-game cap | Least added delay in Blur Busters' tests |
| The game offers NVIDIA Reflex | The game's own cap and Reflex option | Reflex is set inside the game |
| No in-game cap, one number for this game | Frame Rate Limiter V3 on the game's profile | Driver cap with NVIDIA's three uses |
| You already run RTSS for its overlay or caps | RTSS | Up to one frame of added delay |
| The game stays open while you work | Frame Rate Limiter - Background Application | Power and fan noise, per NVIDIA |
NVIDIA lists Counter-Strike 2 among the shooters with Reflex, so use the game's own Reflex option there.
NVIDIA Control Panel Max Frame Rate vs Profile Inspector
Profile Inspector's V3 matches the Control Panel's Max Frame Rate: same 20 to 1000 FPS range and same 441.87 driver floor. Only the background cap differs: 5 to 60 FPS here and 20 to 200 FPS in the Control Panel.
GitHub issue #120 shows a cap set in the Control Panel resetting exactly like V3. Reference.xml's Frame Rate Limiter For Nvcpl row exists only "to maintain the previous slider value when the FRL_FPS is set to Disabled".
Control Panel values from NVIDIA's Manage 3D Settings reference:
| Cap | Profile Inspector | NVIDIA Control Panel |
|---|---|---|
| Foreground cap | 20 to 1000 FPS | 20 to 1000 FPS |
| Background cap | 5 to 60 FPS | 20 to 200 FPS |
| Foreground default | Off | Off |
| Driver | 441.87 or newer | "Introduced in R440 drivers" |
Use Profile Inspector for a background cap under 20 FPS, and the Control Panel for one over 60.
NVIDIA App 11.0.5 release notes list Background Application Max Frame Rate among the settings moved over from the Control Panel. With the background cap now in the App too, how the NVIDIA App compares with Profile Inspector helps you pick one place to set it.
Where did Frame Rate Limiter V1 and V2 go?
Forum threads call the older limiters V1 and V2, and neither sits in the tool's named settings list. Frame Rate Limiter V3 is the only foreground cap there.
| Entry | ID | Status | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
Frame Rate Limiter | 0x10834FEE | Legacy bitfield, "bit 31 to enable and LOWBYTE set to frames/sec", Reference.xml only | Do not set; use V3 |
Frame Rate Limiter 2 Control | 0x10834FFF | "(deprecated)", hidden, last driver 511.78 | Do not set |
| Frame Rate Limiter Mode (old tool builds) | No ID in either XML | NVAPI_SETTING_NOT_FOUND from driver 461.09 | Do not set |
DLSS-MFG - Target Dynamic Frame Rate | 0x10CF4125 | Frame generation target from driver 595.97 | Not a cap |
The For Nvcpl rows and Frame Rate Monitor are Control Panel bookkeeping or deprecated entries; leave them alone. Frame Rate Limiter Mode is the entry old Reddit and GitHub threads ask about. Users reported the error from the table in GitHub issue #67. Orbmu2k replied there in February 2021 that tool version 2.3.0.13 had removed it, and that anyone still seeing deprecated settings should delete the CustomSettingNames.xml file in the app folder.
Some players still miss the old limiters in older games. Issue #152, open since July 2023, asks for them back where V3 "isn't effective", and no fix has been posted. The last row is a frame generation target, not a cap; see the DLSS frame generation override settings.
How to turn off the frame rate limiter
To turn the cap off, set Frame Rate Limiter V3 and Frame Rate Limiter - Background Application to Off (0x00000000), then press Apply Changes.
In the Control Panel, Max Frame Rate goes back to Off under Manage 3D Settings. If you changed many rows on one game and want all of them gone, reset a whole profile to driver defaults in one step.
NVIDIA max frame rate not working or resetting
When the NVIDIA Profile Inspector frame limiter seems to do nothing, check which profile holds the cap first.
- A Base Profile cap reads Off after a restart. Issue #120 reports this even for a cap set in the Control Panel, and the issue has no posted fix. Put the cap on the game's own profile instead, then check it after the next restart.
- A laptop cap stays lower on battery. With Battery Boost or Whisper Mode on, NVIDIA's 2020 post says the Control Panel caps the framerate "to the lowest of the limits". Turn those modes off so your own cap is the lowest.
- The Control Panel has no Max Frame Rate option. The driver is older than R440, so update to 441.87 or newer.
- The background cap seems to do nothing. The XML says it only acts while the game is out of focus. Use V3 for the game you are playing.
Two problems hit every setting, not just the cap: values that vanish after a new driver, and NVAPI_ACCESS_DENIED on Apply. Both are fixed under settings that reset after a driver update. If frame times still spike while the cap holds, shader compiling is a separate cause, handled by the shader cache size rows.
Frame cap with Smooth Motion on Windows
On Windows, set Frame Rate Limiter V3 on the profile that holds the Smooth Motion rows, and watch latency as well as FPS. On Linux, NVIDIA staff advised capping near half the refresh rate, in a thread about a Vulkan-layer limiter that ran after Smooth Motion.
In that thread, NVIDIA staff said a limiter running after Smooth Motion delays generated frames and adds significant latency. The same reporter said the Control Panel limiter on Windows did not cause the lag. On Windows, treat any cap with Smooth Motion as a test.
FAQ
Does a frame cap give smoother frame pacing?
NVIDIA makes a smoothness claim for one case only. On a variable refresh display, a cap slightly under the maximum refresh rate plus Low Latency Mode Ultra and V-Sync on gives "the smoothest, no tear experience". On a fixed refresh screen, judge the cap by its frame times in a logger such as FrameView.
Does a frame cap save power?
Yes, when you pair it with the right power mode. NVIDIA's launch post says that with Max Frame Rate on and power management set to Optimal Power, "GPU frequency is reduced and uses less power". The cap stops extra frames, and the lower clock does the rest.
Does a frame cap lower input lag?
A frame cap can lower input lag in a GPU-bound game with steady FPS. NVIDIA pairs a cap slightly below your average FPS with Prefer maximum performance, which keeps the GPU "at higher frequencies to process frames as quickly as possible". NVIDIA's post adds Low Latency Mode Ultra to the same recipe.
Does the cap work on G-SYNC Compatible monitors?
Yes. NVIDIA's 2020 announcement names both G-SYNC and G-SYNC Compatible displays as the case for keeping the cap inside the variable refresh range. Set Frame Rate Limiter V3 on the game's profile the same way for either display type.
Conclusion
When a game has its own frame cap or Reflex, use that first, because Blur Busters measured the least added delay with an in-game cap. Otherwise, set Frame Rate Limiter V3 on that game's profile, and on a G-SYNC monitor keep it 3 or more FPS below the refresh rate.
After Apply Changes, restart the game and check that the row still holds your number. To go back, return V3 to Off, and find the rest of group 02 with the other Sync and Refresh settings.