How to improve FPS in PAYDAY 2 (PC)
PAYDAY 2 runs on Diesel Engine, Starbreeze's own engine that was already not exactly cutting-edge back in 2011 and has never received a deep rewrite despite over a decade of expansions, heists, and accumulated assets. Graphically it's a modest game that any current GPU runs effortlessly, but its performance depends much more on the CPU and a single execution thread than on graphics hardware. Maps with massive enemy AI, especially on high difficulties like Death Wish or Death Sentence, generate CPU usage spikes that no graphics card can compensate for. This guide focuses on isolating those real engine bottlenecks, the graphics configuration that does matter, and the role (for better and worse) of unofficial mods like SuperBLT.
This is what you'd gain with a NVIDIA RTX 3050
Calculations based on our FPS model combined with the % gain of each setting (measured in public benchmarks).
1. Quick wins (no visual loss)
Start here. Each one adds a little, but together they give +51% free FPS.
Calidad de sombras
Dynamic shadows in Diesel Engine are among the most expensive tasks for the GPU on open maps like Hoxton Breakout or Big Bank. Lowering them is barely noticeable in fast combat.
Reflejos en pantalla (SSR)
Full-screen reflections are barely noticeable in a first-person game centered on shootouts, but they consume resources disproportionately indoors with reflective surfaces (banks, jewelry stores).
V-Sync
V-Sync introduces noticeable input lag in a shooter that depends on quick reactions, and caps FPS below what the GPU could deliver. It's better to use the game's own FPS limiter or the GPU's if there's tearing.
Anti-aliasing
The engine's native MSAA is costly and dated; switching to FXAA noticeably reduces GPU load with a minor sharpness loss, acceptable given the game is no longer visually demanding.
Post-procesado / Bloom
Diesel Engine's exaggerated bloom in lit interiors (like the Firestarter heist) adds rendering load without providing tactical clarity; disabling it also helps see enemies better in intensely lit areas.
2. Medium impact settings
Here's where most of the FPS is. Minor visual impact, major performance impact.
Resolución de texturas
Textures on High/Ultra consume unnecessary VRAM given that the game's base assets haven't improved their source resolution in years; Medium keeps enough sharpness on most monitors.
Distancia de dibujado
On open maps like Framing Frame or Hoxton Breakout, reducing draw distance helps noticeably because the engine recalculates background geometry inefficiently.
Calidad de partículas
Gas smoke, explosions, and bullet effects generate CPU/GPU spikes in intense firefights with police on high difficulties; lowering them reduces those spikes without affecting tactical gameplay.
Oclusión ambiental (SSAO)
Diesel Engine's SSAO is an old and relatively costly implementation for the visual result it offers; Low keeps reasonable scene contrast at lower cost.
Iluminación dinámica
Full dynamic lighting especially affects heists with many simultaneous light sources (like Alesso Heist or Golden Grin Casino); Medium reduces load without leaving the game flat.
3. Upscaling (DLSS / FSR / XeSS)
The biggest gain in the game. Compatible with almost any modern GPU.
Sin soporte de upscaling
+0% FPSPAYDAY 2 doesn't support DLSS, FSR, or XeSS: Diesel Engine is from 2011 and Starbreeze/Overkill never implemented modern upscaling technologies. Any mod or "injector" promising this isn't official or reliable and can bypass the game's anti-cheat protection.
Resolución de render reducida (alternativa manual)
+5% FPSThe real alternative is lowering the native render resolution from the game's graphics options or forcing GPU-level scaling (NVIDIA/AMD Control Panel) combined with a sharpening filter, since the bottleneck is usually the CPU rather than the GPU, so the improvement margin is limited.
4. Tips by GPU
NVIDIA
- •Enable Low Latency Mode ("Ultra" in the NVIDIA panel) to reduce input lag, since disabled V-Sync isn't always enough in heists with very high FPS.
- •Use NVIDIA Reflex/Control Panel's FPS limiter instead of the game's V-Sync to avoid tearing without penalizing latency.
- •Update to the latest Game Ready drivers: although PAYDAY 2 doesn't receive dedicated optimizations, old driver versions can generate micro-stutters with Diesel Engine's DX9/DX11 renderer.
AMD
- •Enable Radeon Chill or Radeon Anti-Lag to reduce input latency, useful given that the game has no native low-latency support.
- •Force an FPS limit from Radeon Software instead of relying on the game's internal V-Sync, which introduces noticeable input lag.
- •Verify the game uses the dedicated GPU and not the integrated one on laptops with hybrid graphics, a recurring issue reported by AMD users on Steam forums.
Sistema
- •Prioritize CPU frequency and per-core performance over core count: Diesel Engine still heavily depends on a main thread for AI and assault physics.
- •Install the game on an SSD to reduce loading times between heist phases (planning, assault, escape) and avoid stutters when loading assets on the fly.
- •If you use SuperBLT/BLT for mods, keep it updated to the latest compatible version: outdated versions of the framework are the most common cause of crashes and FPS drops reported by the modding community.
5. Known game issues
Single-thread CPU bottleneck in assaults with heavy AI
In heists with large police waves (especially Death Wish/Death Sentence on maps like Shadow Raid or Golden Grin Casino), the game saturates a single CPU core calculating AI, pathfinding, and physics, causing FPS drops that no modern GPU can avoid.
Memory leaks in long sessions
After several hours in a row of play (chaining several heists without restarting), it's common to observe progressive performance degradation and growing stuttering from memory that Diesel Engine doesn't properly release.
Instability with outdated SuperBLT/BLT mods
SuperBLT (unofficial successor to BLT) is the most widely used modding framework by the community, but mods incompatible with each other or with the current game version are the number one cause of crashes, freezes, and FPS drops reported, especially after major game updates.
6. Frequently asked questions
Why does my FPS drop only when many police appear, even with a powerful GPU?▾
Is it worth using SuperBLT to improve performance?▾
Why does the game stutter after playing several hours in a row?▾
Can I use DLSS or FSR in PAYDAY 2 to gain FPS?▾
Want to know exactly how many FPS YOUR PC will get?
Enter your GPU and CPU in our calculator and measure the real impact of each setting.
Calculations based on consensus of technical sources and our own FPS model. More about our methodology →