How not to let GTA 5 lag

You are a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series and have purchased GTA 5 to spend some of your free time playing this hugely popular chapter of the Rockstar saga. Unfortunately, however, after starting the game, you noticed that it does not run smoothly, noting annoying slowdowns that prevent you from fully enjoying it.

How do you say? Is this exactly what happened to you? If so, you’ll be happy to know that, in today’s guide, I’ll walk you through how not to let GTA 5 run on your PC or console. Going into more detail, I will explain how to avoid FPS drops (frames played every second) and, above all, how to solve the most common high ping problems (i.e. high latency of the Internet connection).

I would say, therefore, not to waste any more time chatting and get straight to the point. Come on: sit nice and comfortable and pay close attention to any suggestions I will give you. I am sure that as you continue reading the next chapters, you will find everything you need to solve your problem. Happy reading and, above all, have fun!

Index

• How not to run GTA 5 on PC
  • How not to make GTA 5 History lagging
  • How not to launch GTA 5 Online
• How not to run GTA 5 on consoles

How not to run GTA 5 on PC

If you want to know how not to run GTA 5 on PC , in the next chapters I will show you some solutions that you can put into practice to be able to solve this problem.

How not to make GTA 5 History lagging

The mode History of GTA 5 is played locally on your computer and requires no Internet connection. This means that, in the event that the game does not run smoothly, the cause is due to the hardware characteristics of the PC in use.

In this case, we are not talking about a lag resulting from high network transmission latency values, but rather from a drop in FPS due to the limited hardware resources of the computer. Often this situation occurs due to an exaggerated consumption of hardware resources, resulting from some “heavy” software open in the background while playing. But let’s go in order.

First, you need to check that your computer meets at least the minimum requirements to play GTA 5.

Minimum system requirements

• Operating System:Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit, Windows 7 64-bit Service Pack 1
• Processor:Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 at 2.40GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core (4 CPUs) at 2.5GHz
• Memory:4GB
• Video Card:NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB / AMD HD 4870 1GB (DX 10, 10.1, 11)
• Sound Card:100% DirectX 10 compatible
• Disk space:65GB

To get better performance and almost eliminate the risk of noticeable lag, instead, the computer must meet the system requirements recommended by Rockstar.

Recommended system requirements

• Operating System:Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit, Windows 7 64-bit Service Pack 1
• Processor:Intel Core i5 3470 at 3.2GHZ (4 CPUs) / AMD X8 FX-8350 at 4GHZ (8 CPUs)
• Memory:8GB
• Video card:NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB / AMD HD7870 2GB
• Sound Card:100% DirectX 10 compatible
• Disk space:65GB

If you do not know how to see the characteristics of your PC, you can consult this guide of mine dedicated to the subject. If your computer does not meet the above requirements, then you would do well to upgrade the components inside it or purchase a more suitable one. In this regard, I suggest you read my guides on which PC to buy to play and how to assemble a gaming PC .

If your computer meets at least the minimum system requirements indicated but continues to give you noticeable drops in FPS, you may want to consider lowering the graphics settings of GTA 5. To do this, start the game via its quick launch icon and, on the main screen, click on the Settings item .

Now, go to the Graphics or Advanced Graphics Options section and adjust the parameters you see, in order to lower the amount of dedicated memory that the title will have to use. The options that allow you to see higher FPS gain are Texture Quality, Shadow Quality , and Extended Distance Scaling . Then confirm the changes, using the Apply changes button .

In addition to these precautions, also check if there are any background processes that can take up computer resources. In this case, you will have to close them, to free up all the resources necessary to ensure a better execution of GTA 5. In this regard, I recommend reading the guide on how to see processes in the background .

In general, try to keep your computer in the best conditions to be able to play a game, following the advice I gave you in the previous paragraphs. I also recommend reading my guide on how to free up your PC memory , if you want some further suggestions in this regard.

How not to launch GTA 5 Online

To play mode online of GTA 5 , of course, requires a working Internet connection. In the event that you do not have any drop in FPS but you encounter lag , i.e. high transmission latency values , which prevent you from playing smoothly, you will need to identify the cause of this and act accordingly.

First, I recommend that you check if the GTA 5 Online servers are currently operational. Therefore, click on this link and verify that the green dot is indicated corresponding to the platform where you play GTA 5 Online .

If there is no problem with the GTA 5 servers, try running a speed test on your internet connection . The minimum requirements for an optimal gaming experience are: download speeds of at least 7.5 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 0.5 Mbps . Furthermore, it verifies that the ping is lower than the value 80 .

In case you encounter abnormal values ​​on your connection, the causes could be different: it could be a temporary problem with the line or, more simply, you could have an unsuitable connection for the game. In the latter case, I recommend that you switch to a fiber connection making sure that your home is reached by this technology .

Alternatively, the problem could arise from Internet bandwidth consumption caused by background processes (e.g. operating system or software updates) or from downloads / uploads that occur while you are playing. In such cases, I recommend that you close all unnecessary processes.

Another reason that could cause you lag on GTA 5 Online could be an incorrect router configuration: if the ports are not open, you may experience connectivity problems to the game. So make sure you have UDP ports 6672 , 61455 , 61457 , 61456 and 61458 enabled. If you don’t know how to do this, I recommend reading my guide on how to open the router ports .

Also, check the type of Internet connection you have made: when you play online, you prefer an Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi, so that the connection is always stable. If you need to use a wireless connection to play games, then try to use the 5Ghz frequency of the latest generation routers, which is more suitable for online gaming.

In this regard, if your router is not equipped with this technology, you can replace it by taking into consideration the solutions I have provided you in this buying guide . If you still want to take advantage of the 2.4Ghz wireless connectivity , available on all routers, then try changing the radio channel , which could be used by other network devices nearby, thus causing interference and performance drops.

How not to run GTA 5 on consoles

If you don’t want to let GTA 5 run on consoles , you can put into practice the tips I have already given you in the previous chapter , in which you will find several solutions that can surely be for you.

In any case, if the advice I have given you is not enough for you, you can also read my guide on how to lower the ping on PS4 , in which you will find several tips on how to reduce transmission latency by acting on the router configuration.