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At 144 Hz, the two compared frame-cap rules produce 141 fps and 138 fps—a 3 fps gap. At 540 Hz, they produce 537 fps and 470 fps, a 67 fps gap, not 72. The reason is that one rule subtracts a fixed number of frames per second, while the other preserves a fixed time margin.
What the two frame-cap rules hold constant
A refresh rate sets how often a display can update: 144 Hz corresponds to one refresh every 6.944 milliseconds, and 540 Hz to one every 1.852 milliseconds. A frame cap below the maximum refresh rate can help keep a game within a variable refresh rate (VRR) display’s operating range, but these two rules create different margins.
Fixed 3 fps offset
This rule sets the cap three frames per second below the display’s maximum refresh rate. It keeps the fps difference constant: 144 Hz becomes 141 fps, and 540 Hz becomes 537 fps. The time between frames gets shorter as the cap rises, so the same 3 fps offset provides progressively less time clearance below a refresh.
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This rule aims to leave 0.278 milliseconds between the frame time at the cap and one display refresh interval. Smart Calculators attributes the formula’s context to a Blur Busters moderator’s explanation of Reflex; it also says NVIDIA does not publish this formula. Treat it as a proposed calculation, not an official NVIDIA recommendation. Smart Calculators’ FPS cap calculator lists the resulting caps.
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What the published examples actually show
| Display refresh rate | Fixed 3 fps offset | Fixed 0.278 ms margin | Gap between caps | Clearance for fixed 3 fps cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 144 Hz | 141 fps | 138 fps | 3 fps | 0.148 ms |
| 540 Hz | 537 fps | 470 fps | 67 fps | 0.010 ms |
The caps and clearances come from the calculator’s displayed values. At 144 Hz, the 0.278 ms rule is 6 fps below the 144 Hz ceiling, while the 3 fps rule is 3 fps below it. At 540 Hz, the 0.278 ms rule is 70 fps below the ceiling; the fixed-offset rule is only 3 fps below it. Subtracting the two caps gives 537 − 470 = 67 fps. The source’s description of the 470 fps cap as 70 fps below 540 Hz is not the same as saying the two rules differ by 70 or 72 fps.
Why a fixed fps offset shrinks in time at high refresh rates
Frames per second and milliseconds per frame are inverse measures. At a higher frame rate, each frame takes less time. Consequently, subtracting three frames per second from a high refresh rate leaves very little time between the capped frame rate and the display’s next refresh interval.
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The calculator reports 0.148 ms of clearance for 141 fps at 144 Hz, but only 0.010 ms for 537 fps at 540 Hz. By contrast, the other rule is designed to keep the margin at 0.278 ms. That fixed time target requires a larger fps reduction as the refresh rate rises, which explains why the two caps are much farther apart in the 540 Hz example.
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There is no universally best choice established by these figures. The appropriate cap depends on the display’s VRR range, the game’s frame-time behavior, the limiter being used, and settings such as V-SYNC and NVIDIA Reflex. NVIDIA recommends setting Max Frame Rate slightly below the display’s maximum refresh rate to stay within VRR range, but its support guidance does not prescribe a universal 3 fps subtraction. NVIDIA’s Max Frame Rate guidance describes capping as one option for managing VRR behavior, latency, and power.
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Check the game and display configuration
- Confirm the display’s maximum refresh rate and its VRR range. A cap below the maximum concerns the top of that range; it does not change the range itself.
- Check which frame limiter is active. A game limiter, driver setting, or another tool may affect the actual rate, and different limiters need not behave identically.
- Consider the sync and latency settings together. NVIDIA says G-SYNC users with V-SYNC enabled and Reflex or Ultra Low Latency Mode can receive an automatic cap below refresh. Its guide notes this can have slightly higher latency than uncapped FPS with Reflex enabled, and gives fullscreen and MS Hybrid laptop caveats. NVIDIA’s system-latency guide covers those conditions.
- Evaluate the result in the game you play. The cap arithmetic alone does not establish which setting will deliver better latency or smoothness for every display, driver, limiter, and frame-time pattern.
How this differs from Low Framerate Compensation
Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) addresses a different situation: a game running below the bottom of a VRR display’s supported range. AMD explains that LFC duplicates frames so the display can refresh within its range; its example doubles a 40 fps game rate to 80 Hz on a 60–144 Hz display. It is not a formula for choosing a cap below the maximum refresh rate. AMD’s FreeSync technology page describes LFC and the example.
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