Overwolf & Game Performance Issues

If you're experiencing FPS drops, CPU spikes, memory issues, or any general performance problems and suspect Overwolf might be involved, this guide will walk you through the most common causes and solutions.

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Outdated Drivers

The first thing to check is whether all your system drivers are up to date. Make sure you update:

  • Graphics card drivers

  • Sound drivers

  • Windows OS updates

After installing any driver or system update, restart your PC to ensure the changes take effect.

Video Capturing

If you use Overwolf apps that record gameplay, keep in mind that video capture uses system resources—RAM, CPU, and GPU. These are the same resources your game relies on, so a small performance impact is normal.

However, if you’re noticing significant FPS drops or stutter:

Check the following:

  • Your system meets the minimum capture requirements

  • Your GPU drivers are up to date

  • You’re using the correct encoding codec in Overwolf’s Capture settings

  • Your encoding preset is set to Default or Automatic

  • Your FPS and resolution settings aren’t too high for your hardware

  • You don’t have other recording/streaming software running at the same time (OBS, Nvidia ShadowPlay, etc.)

RivaTuner Statistics Server

RivaTuner (RTSS), often installed automatically with MSI Afterburner, can conflict with Overwolf.
When both run together, you may experience:

  • FPS drops

  • Game crashes

  • Overwolf crashes

To resolve this conflict, follow the steps in our Overwolf and RivaTuner Conflicts guide.

Mouse Polling / Report Rate

The Polling Rate (or Report Rate) determines how often your mouse sends data to your PC.
This is controlled by the mouse’s software (Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse, CORSAIR iCUE, etc.).


We’ve found that high polling rates, especially 500 Hz and above, can cause noticeable FPS drops that may appear related to overlays, including Overwolf’s.


In some cases, installing the latest motherboard chipset drivers has resolved the issue.

Minimum Requirements

To run Overwolf smoothly, your system must meet the following minimum specs:

Operating System

  • Windows 10 (64-bit) or Windows 11 (64-bit)

  • Windows 7 is no longer supported.

Storage

  • 350 MB free

  • Recommended install location: C: drive

Graphics Support

  • DirectX 8, 9, 11, 12, and OpenGL

Software Requirements

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8

CPU

  • Minimum: Intel or AMD quad-core

  • Recommended: Intel i3/i5/i7 Gen7+ or AMD Ryzen Gen1+ @ 3 GHz

RAM

  • Minimum: 8 GB

  • Recommended: 16 GB

If your system falls below these requirements, Overwolf may struggle to run and could cause performance issues.

Still having trouble?
Our support team is here to help, please contact us and we’ll do our best to assist!