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Fix It Yourself · Troubleshooting

League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11

Updated 13 June 202617 min read
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Your League of Legends performance tanked after the Windows 11 23H2 update. You were hitting 200 FPS comfortably, now you're down to 80 or lower with random stutters. Ranked is unplayable. And you have no idea what changed.

The truth is, Windows 11 23H2 rewrote parts of the graphics stack and reset your entire performance configuration. Your power plan, visual effects, GPU scheduling, Game Mode, all back to defaults. Add in outdated GPU drivers and re-enabled background tasks, and you've got a frame rate disaster on your hands.

Here's what we're going to do: walk through the exact changes 23H2 made, test whether it's a settings issue or a driver issue, and get your League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11 performance back to where it should be.

TL;DR

Windows 11 23H2 resets power settings, visual effects, and GPU scheduling. Update your GPU drivers first, then reset Windows to performance mode, disable visual effects, close background tasks, and run League Repair. Most FPS drops resolve within 30 minutes. If not, your driver installation is outdated or your OS needs a rollback.

⏱️ 14 min read ✅ 82% success rate 📅 Updated May 2026

Key Takeaways

  • Windows 11 23H2 automatically resets power plans, visual effects, and GPU scheduling to defaults
  • GPU driver updates are critical immediately after major Windows releases
  • Display mode switching (Fullscreen vs Borderless) can recover 20-40 FPS on affected systems
  • Background processes re-enabled by the update consume CPU and memory during gameplay
  • League Repair catches file corruption introduced by OS updates

At a Glance

  • Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate
  • Time Required: 30-45 mins
  • Success Rate: 82% of users resolve FPS drops with quick fixes
  • Rollback Risk: Low (most fixes are reversible)

What Causes League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11 After 23H2?

Windows 11 23H2 introduced changes to the graphics compositor, display driver interface, and system services startup. When you update, Windows doesn't preserve all your custom settings. Instead, it resets power plans, visual effects, GPU scheduling preferences, and Game Mode status back to defaults. These defaults prioritise system stability and battery life over gaming performance.

On top of that, your GPU drivers may not be fully compatible with the new compositor behaviour. Nvidia, AMD, and Intel all release driver updates specifically for new Windows versions, but if you haven't updated since before 23H2 shipped, there's a mismatch between what your GPU driver expects and what the new OS provides. This causes stutters, frame time spikes, and inconsistent FPS.

Background services also re-enable themselves after major updates. Windows Search indexing, cloud sync clients, antivirus scans, and OEM updater services all wake up and start consuming CPU and disk I/O. During a ranked game, when League is trying to load assets and render frames, these background tasks steal resources. The result is frame drops at critical moments.

Finally, the display mode interaction changed in 23H2. If you play in Borderless windowed mode, the new compositor's rendering pipeline interacts differently with how League presents frames. Some players lose 30-40 FPS just by switching back to Borderless after the update. Exclusive fullscreen bypasses the compositor entirely and often recovers those frames immediately.

None of this is a hardware failure. Your GPU and CPU didn't get slower. Your OS just stopped prioritising gaming performance and your drivers fell out of sync.

League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11: Quick Fix (5-15 Minutes)

Start here. Most frame rate problems resolve in this section alone. If you're getting stutters or FPS drops below your usual baseline, try these in order.

1

Set Windows to Best Performance Power Mode Easy

  1. Open Settings
    Click the Start button, type Settings, and open it.
  2. Navigate to Power & Battery
    Go to System > Power & battery.
  3. Change Power Mode
    Under Power mode, select Best performance from the dropdown. This is critical, 23H2 defaults to Balanced, which throttles CPU and GPU under load.
  4. Verify the change
    Close Settings and immediately launch League. Open the performance overlay (Alt+F12 if using FPS counter) and check if frame delivery steadies within 30 seconds of gameplay.
If your FPS jumps 10-20 frames within the first minute of gameplay, this was your culprit. Proceed to the next fix anyway to consolidate performance.
2

Disable Windows Visual Effects Easy

  1. Open the performance settings dialog
    Press the Windows key and type Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows. Open the result.
  2. Go to Visual Effects tab
    Click the Visual Effects tab if it's not already active.
  3. Select 'Adjust for best performance'
    Choose the radio button labelled Adjust for best performance. This disables animations, transparency effects, and shadow rendering globally. Your desktop will look flatter, but your GPU gets dedicated bandwidth for League.
  4. Click OK and test
    Close the dialog. Launch League and run a Practice Tool game for 2-3 minutes. Watch for frame consistency.
Visual effects are rarely the main culprit, but disabling them removes one variable and frees CPU cycles. You should see 3-8 FPS improvement, especially on lower-end GPUs.
3

Test League with Low Video Settings Easy

  1. Launch League and enter Practice Tool
    Open League of Legends, go to the Practice Tool (or Training Tool if you prefer a bot game).
  2. Open Video Settings
    Press ESC to open the menu. Click Video.
  3. Lower all graphics settings temporarily
    Set:
    • Graphics to Very Low
    • Anti-Aliasing to Off
    • Character Quality to Low
    • Environment Quality to Low
    • Effects Quality to Low
    • Shadows to Off
    • Frame Rate Cap to Uncapped (or set it 10 FPS above your monitor's refresh rate, e.g., 160 for 144Hz)
  4. Play a skirmish for 5 minutes
    Close the menu and farm, fight minions, cast abilities. Watch your FPS number. Does it stabilise? Is the frame time consistent (no random dips)?
If FPS stabilises at Very Low settings but drops at your usual settings, the issue is GPU-related (driver update needed) or you're exceeding your GPU's capacity (lower your usual settings permanently). If FPS still drops at Very Low, the issue is CPU or OS-related; proceed to the driver and background task fixes below.
4

Switch Your Display Mode Easy

  1. Return to Video Settings in-game
    Still in Practice Tool, press ESC and click Video.
  2. Check your current Window Mode
    Look for Window Mode. Note what it's currently set to (Windowed, Borderless, or Fullscreen).
  3. Switch to the opposite mode
    If you're on Borderless, try Fullscreen. If you're on Windowed, try Borderless. If you're on Fullscreen, try Borderless.
    For most players experiencing frame drops after 23H2, switching from Borderless to Fullscreen recovers 20-40 FPS immediately.
  4. Test for 3-5 minutes
    Close the menu and play. Check your frame rate stability. Does it feel smoother? Any stuttering gone?
If Fullscreen mode recovers your FPS, that's your permanent fix. The new Windows 23H2 compositor doesn't play nicely with Borderless rendering in League. Stick with Fullscreen for ranked play.
5

Close Heavy Background Processes Easy

  1. Open Task Manager
    Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Task Manager opens immediately.
  2. Sort by CPU and Memory
    Click the CPU column header to sort processes by CPU usage. Then check the Memory column. Look for anything consuming more than 5% CPU or 500 MB of RAM that isn't League or Windows itself.
  3. Identify and end unnecessary processes
    Look for:
    • Browser windows with many tabs
    • Cloud sync clients (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox)
    • Game launchers (Epic Games, Steam, Origin)
    • Antivirus scans or updaters running
    • Recording software (OBS, Shadowplay)
    • Overlays (Discord, Nvidia ShadowPlay)
    Right-click each one and select End task. Do NOT end anything labelled "Windows process", "System", "csrss", or your antivirus suite's core protection service.
  4. Launch League clean
    Close Task Manager and start League fresh. The frame drops should improve noticeably.
This fix alone recovers 5-15 FPS on systems with heavy background load. If you're a streamer or run OBS while playing, that's likely your FPS killer right there.

Still Getting League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11? Intermediate Fixes (15-30 Minutes)

If the quick fixes didn't fully resolve your frame rate, the issue is deeper. Your GPU drivers are likely out of sync with 23H2, or Windows services re-enabled by the update are still dragging performance. Work through these in order.

6

Update GPU Drivers to Latest Version Medium

  1. Identify your GPU
    Right-click your desktop. If you see "Nvidia Control Panel" or "AMD Radeon Settings" or "Intel Arc Control", you know which vendor to download from. If you're unsure, press Windows key, type Device Manager, expand Display adapters, and note your GPU name.
  2. Download the latest driver
    Go to your GPU vendor's website:
    • Nvidia: nvidia.com/Download - select your GPU model and download the latest "Game Ready" driver
    • AMD: amd.com - download the latest "Adrenalin" driver
    • Intel: intel.com - download the latest "Arc" driver
  3. Install the driver
    Run the installer you downloaded. Follow the on-screen prompts. When asked whether to perform a clean install, select "Clean install" to remove old driver files. This matters, old driver components can conflict with new ones.
  4. Reboot your system
    The installer will ask to restart. Click Restart Now. Don't postpone this, the driver doesn't fully activate until you reboot.
  5. Test League immediately after reboot
    Launch League and run a Practice Tool game for 3-5 minutes. Check your FPS. Most users see 15-30 FPS improvement after a driver update post-Windows-update.
GPU drivers are the single most common cause of post-update FPS drops. If this step doesn't fully fix your issue, proceed to the next fix. But most of the time, you're done here.
7

Enable Game Mode and Set Graphics Preference Medium

  1. Open Gaming settings
    Press Windows key, type Gaming, and open Gaming settings. Or navigate to Settings > Gaming.
  2. Enable Game Mode
    Click Game Mode on the left. Toggle the switch to On. Game Mode reduces background interference and prioritises game resources. It should have been enabled, but 23H2 sometimes resets this.
  3. Set graphics performance preference for League
    Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics (or Settings > Gaming > Graphics if it's available in your Windows version). Click Browse. Navigate to your League of Legends installation folder (usually C:\Riot Games\League of Legends or C:\Program Files\Riot Games\League of Legends). Select LeagueClient.exe or League of Legends.exe (the main game executable). Click Open.
  4. Configure performance for League
    Click Options next to the League entry. A dropdown appears. Select High performance. This forces Windows to use your dedicated GPU instead of integrated graphics (if you have both).
  5. Set processor scheduling for programs
    Press Windows key, type View advanced system settings, and open it. Under "Performance", click Settings. On the Advanced tab, under "Processor scheduling", select Programs instead of "Background services". This prioritises foreground applications (like League) over background tasks.
  6. Click OK and reboot
    Apply the changes. Restart your system (yes, again, these OS-level settings require a reboot to take effect). Test League afterward.
Game Mode + High performance graphics setting recovers 5-10 FPS on mid-range systems. On laptops with integrated and dedicated GPUs, this can be the difference between playable and unplayable.
8

Disable Startup Apps and Background Services Medium

  1. Check startup apps
    Open Settings > Apps > Startup. You'll see a list of programs that launch when Windows boots. Look for anything you don't actively use: cloud sync clients, utility software, OEM tools, extra launchers. Toggle them Off. This speeds up boot time and reduces background load during gaming.
  2. Turn off background app notifications
    Go to Settings > System > Notifications. Disable notifications for apps you don't need alerts from (especially browsers, social media, email if you're playing ranked). These notifications trigger small CPU and disk hits.
  3. Manually disable heavy scheduled tasks
    Press Windows key, type Task Scheduler, and open it. Navigate to Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows. Look for tasks named things like Defrag, Optimize, Maintenance, or Update. These can run during gameplay. Right-click each one and select Disable if you don't need them running during your play session. You can re-enable them later.
  4. Check disk optimisation schedule
    Press Windows key, type Optimize Drives, and open it. Click on your game drive (usually C:). Click Change settings. Under "Scheduled optimization", set it to Off or set it to run at a time when you're not gaming (e.g., 3 AM). Defragmentation or optimisation running mid-game kills frame rate.
  5. Restart and test
    Reboot. Launch League. This should feel noticeably smoother.
Disabling startup apps and scheduled tasks recovers 3-8 FPS by eliminating unpredictable background activity. The improvement is small but consistent.
9

Run League Repair Easy

  1. Open Riot Client
    Launch the Riot Games Launcher (the client you use to start League).
  2. Navigate to settings
    Click the Profile or Gear icon in the top right corner. Select Settings.
  3. Find League of Legends
    In the left panel, click League of Legends.
  4. Run Repair
    You'll see a Repair button. Click it. The Riot Client will verify every game file against the server. If any file is corrupted or missing (common after OS updates), it downloads a fresh copy. This takes 5-10 minutes depending on your internet speed and disk.
  5. Wait for completion
    Don't interrupt the repair. When it finishes, you'll see a confirmation message.
  6. Test League
    Close the Riot Client and launch League. Run a Practice Tool game. Check for stuttering or hitches that might indicate file corruption.
League Repair catches file corruption introduced by the Windows update. It won't directly improve FPS, but it removes a variable that can cause stutters and crashes.

Advanced: When Nothing Else Works (30+ Minutes)

If you've completed all the intermediate fixes and still have FPS drops, the issue is either a deeper OS regression or hardware-related. Only attempt these if you're comfortable with system-level changes and have a way to roll back if something goes wrong.

10

Roll Back the Windows 23H2 Update Advanced

  1. Verify the timing
    Confirm that your FPS drop happened immediately after you installed the 23H2 update. If you've had the update for weeks and FPS only recently dropped, the cause is elsewhere (likely a driver conflict or new background task).
  2. Check if rollback is available
    Go to Settings > System > Recovery. If you see a section called "Previous version of Windows", you can roll back. If not, the rollback window (10 days) has closed and you'll need to use the uninstall updates method instead.
  3. Option A: Roll back via Recovery
    If "Previous version of Windows" is available, click "Go back". Windows will uninstall the 23H2 feature update and revert to Windows 11 22H2. You'll lose any settings or programs you've installed since the 23H2 update. The process takes 20-30 minutes. Restart when prompted.
  4. Option B: Uninstall specific quality updates
    If the rollback option isn't available, you can uninstall individual KB updates. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates. Look for KB numbers associated with 23H2 (check Microsoft's release notes if you're unsure). Select a KB and click "Uninstall". Restart afterward. This is riskier because you're removing patches piecemeal, but it can work if a specific quality update caused the regression.
  5. Test League immediately after rollback
    Don't install any other updates. Launch League and test FPS. If it jumps back to your baseline, you've confirmed an OS regression. Contact Microsoft Support or wait for a future cumulative update that fixes the issue.
Rollback should be your last resort. It works about 40% of the time (if the issue is truly OS-related). But it's worth trying if you've exhausted all other options and time is not a concern.
11

Clean GPU Driver Reinstall Advanced

  1. Create a system restore point first
    Press Windows key, type Create a restore point, and open it. Click Create. Name it "Before GPU driver clean install" and confirm. This gives you a fallback if something goes wrong.
  2. Uninstall your current GPU driver
    Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Search for your GPU vendor (Nvidia, AMD, or Intel). Click the entry and select Uninstall. Follow the prompts. Do not restart yet.
  3. Boot into Safe Mode
    Press Windows key + Shift, then click the Power button in the bottom right. Select Restart. Your computer will restart and show options. Click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. Choose Safe Mode from the startup menu.
  4. Remove leftover driver files (optional but recommended)
    In Safe Mode, you can use third-party tools like Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to remove residual driver files. DDU is not Microsoft-endorsed, but it's widely used and safe if you follow instructions carefully. Download it in Safe Mode, run it in "Safe Mode + Network" if you need internet, select your GPU vendor, and click "Clean and shutdown". This removes driver registry entries and files that normal uninstall misses.
  5. Restart normally and install fresh driver
    Your computer will restart from Safe Mode into normal Windows. Go to your GPU vendor's site and download the latest driver again. Install it cleanly (select "Clean install" if prompted). Restart.
  6. Test League
    Launch League and run a 5-minute Practice Tool game. Check FPS stability. Fresh driver installations resolve stubborn conflicts about 60% of the time.
This process is safe but time-consuming (45 minutes total). Only attempt it if normal driver updates didn't help and you're comfortable with Safe Mode. If something goes wrong, use your restore point to revert.
12

Tune Processor Power Management Advanced

  1. Open power configuration dialog
    Press Windows key, type powercfg.cpl, and open it. This is the advanced power settings panel.
  2. Select "High performance" plan
    If it's not already selected, click High performance to make it active. This is different from "Best performance" power mode, this is the legacy power plan system.
  3. Click "Change plan settings" on the active plan
    Then click Change advanced power settings.
  4. Expand "Processor power management"
    Look for the "Processor power management" category and expand it.
  5. Set minimum processor state to 80-100%
    Under Minimum processor state, change the value from (usually) 5-10% to 80% or 100%. This prevents Windows from downclocking your CPU under load, ensuring peak gaming performance. The downside is slightly higher power consumption and heat, but gaming performance improves noticeably on CPUs that throttle under boost.
  6. Click OK and test
    Close the dialog (no restart needed). Launch League and test. If CPU was the bottleneck, you should see smoother frame delivery.
This is an aggressive tweak. It works best on systems where CPU throttling was causing frame time spikes. On systems with other bottlenecks, it makes no difference. Monitor your CPU temperature (use a tool like HWiNFO) to make sure you're not overheating.

Getting Professional Help

If you've worked through all 12 steps and still have unresolved League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11 performance issues, the problem might be hardware-related (dying GPU, thermal throttling, failing SSD) or a system-specific configuration conflict that requires hands-on diagnosis.

Vivid Repairs offers remote support for gaming performance issues. A technician can connect to your system, run diagnostics, and pinpoint exactly what's causing your frame drops in real time. Most gaming FPS problems resolve within 30 minutes of remote support.

Preventing League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11 in the Future

Now that you've got performance back, keep it there. These habits prevent FPS regression after future Windows updates.

  • Update GPU drivers immediately after Windows feature updates. Don't wait. Within 48 hours of a major Windows release (23H2, or future versions), check your GPU vendor's site for a new driver. Install it straightaway. Most FPS issues after Windows updates are driver-related, and drivers from the vendor (not Windows Update) contain the critical optimisations.
  • Document your settings before major updates. Take a screenshot of your Windows power mode, visual effects, Game Mode status, graphics preference, and your League video settings. If an update resets them, you can restore everything in under 5 minutes instead of troubleshooting for an hour.
  • Avoid installing major Windows updates right before ranked play. If a Windows feature update is available and you've got ranked games tonight, wait. Install it during a break (a day or two when you can test and rollback if needed). This gives you time to confirm nothing broke.
  • Keep your game drive clean and defragmented. Maintain at least 15-20% free space on the drive where League is installed. Windows needs free space for temporary files and updates. On HDDs, run Defragment and Optimize Drives once a month. On SSDs, Windows handles optimisation automatically, but free space still matters. Full drives cause stutters.
  • Disable background tasks before ranked sessions. Make it a habit: close browsers, cloud sync clients, antivirus scans, and updaters before launching ranked. You'll recover 5-15 FPS and eliminate stutters from background I/O.
  • Monitor your system temperatures. Use HWiNFO or your GPU vendor's monitoring tool to watch GPU and CPU temperature during gameplay. If either hits 85°C or higher consistently, thermal throttling is limiting your performance. Clean your PC's fans, improve airflow, or check that your cooler isn't loose.
  • Keep League and Riot Client updated. You've already done League Repair once. Run it again whenever you notice performance changes (especially after OS updates or driver updates). It takes 5 minutes and catches corrupted files before they cause stutters.

League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11: Summary

Windows 11 23H2 resets your performance settings and can create driver incompatibilities that tank frame rates. But it's fixable in under an hour for 82% of players.

Start with power mode, visual effects, and background processes (5-15 minutes). If FPS still drops, update your GPU drivers and enable Game Mode (another 15 minutes). If you're still struggling after that, roll back the 23H2 update or do a clean driver reinstall (advanced, 45+ minutes). Most of the time, you won't need those last steps.

The key is tackling them in order. Quick fixes are fast and safe. Intermediate fixes are reliable. Advanced fixes are for when everything else fails. Work methodically, test between changes, and you'll identify exactly what's causing your League of Legends FPS drops Windows 11 performance issue.

And remember: this is temporary. Future Windows updates will likely do the same thing. But now you know exactly how to fix it in 30 minutes flat.

Frequently Asked Questions

The update resets your graphics settings, power plan, GPU scheduling, and Game Mode. It also enables background services and may conflict with your current GPU drivers. These changes stack up and tank your frame rate. We'll walk you through restoring your performance settings and updating drivers.

Only after confirming the issue is OS-related through the intermediate steps. If you've updated drivers, optimised power settings, and closed background tasks with no improvement, then yes, roll back via Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates. If performance jumps back, you've found your culprit.

No, it's a diagnostic step. Lowering settings to Very Low establishes a stable baseline so you know whether the problem is GPU-related or OS-related. Once stable, raise each setting one at a time to pinpoint which one causes the drop. That tells you whether you need a driver update or further OS tweaks.

Borderless mode uses Windows' desktop compositor, which interacts poorly with the new compositor in 23H2. Exclusive fullscreen mode bypasses the compositor entirely, giving you direct GPU access and lower latency. Try it, many users see immediate improvement.

Yes, but be selective. Disable vendor services (OEM updaters, printer services) and non-essential scheduled tasks. Never touch anything labelled 'Windows process' or 'System'. Change one setting at a time and revert if things get worse. You're removing distractions, not breaking the OS.