TARS COUNTER-STRIKE 2 · DISPLAY MODE · SINGLE SYSTEM
Does Borderless Cost FPS in CS2? We Tested It.
Fullscreen versus borderless fullscreen, measured in the same CS2 benchmark scene with PresentMon.
Fullscreen had higher average FPS in this test
PresentMon · median of four testsFullscreen recorded a median of 188.57 FPS; borderless recorded 179.45 FPS. Borderless was 4.84% lower relative to the fullscreen median. All four paired average-FPS results favored fullscreen, and the observed ranges did not overlap.
Fullscreen range: 187.96–194.45 · Borderless range: 178.71–179.76
Fullscreen range: 71.18–81.47 · Borderless range: 68.99–77.37
Fullscreen range: 10.14–12.13 · Borderless range: 11.16–12.36
Limits: the 1% low and p99 ranges overlap, and paired results do not show a consistent advantage across those metrics. This is one PC, one CS2 build and one synthetic map test; it does not predict every match or measure input latency.
Every measured test
Download measurements CSV ↓Four paired comparisons in chronological order: Fullscreen–Borderless, Borderless–Fullscreen, Borderless–Fullscreen, Fullscreen–Borderless. No measured runs were removed.
| Pass / pair | Display mode | Average FPS | 1% low FPS | p99 ms | Frames |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Pair 1 | Fullscreen | 194.45 | 81.47 | 10.14 | 11,667 |
| 2Pair 1 | Borderless | 178.71 | 68.99 | 12.30 | 10,723 |
| 3Pair 2 | Borderless | 179.76 | 77.37 | 11.16 | 10,785 |
| 4Pair 2 | Fullscreen | 188.05 | 71.18 | 12.13 | 11,283 |
| 5Pair 3 | Borderless | 179.16 | 72.43 | 12.36 | 10,749 |
| 6Pair 3 | Fullscreen | 187.96 | 79.06 | 10.57 | 11,277 |
| 7Pair 4 | Fullscreen | 189.09 | 73.73 | 11.20 | 11,345 |
| 8Pair 4 | Borderless | 179.75 | 71.74 | 11.70 | 10,785 |
VProf full-benchmark values (separate from PresentMon)
VProf summarizes the full in-game benchmark. The PresentMon values above use a fixed 60-second window inside that run, so the two tools' FPS values are not directly comparable. VProf P1 is also a separate metric from PresentMon 1% low.
| Pair / pass | Display mode | VProf average FPS | VProf P1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Pair 1 | Fullscreen | 374.10 | 93.00 |
| 2Pair 1 | Borderless | 344.40 | 110.90 |
| 3Pair 2 | Borderless | 358.00 | 105.00 |
| 4Pair 2 | Fullscreen | 370.30 | 113.40 |
| 5Pair 3 | Borderless | 341.50 | 76.90 |
| 6Pair 3 | Fullscreen | 368.90 | 121.80 |
| 7Pair 4 | Fullscreen | 370.80 | 130.00 |
| 8Pair 4 | Borderless | 358.70 | 97.80 |
Test setup & definitions
- CPU
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D
- GPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
- DRIVER
- 32.0.16.1742
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro · build 26300
- CS2 BUILD
- 25966348
- DISPLAY
- 1440 × 1080 at 144 Hz
- SCENE
- FPSHeaven Ancient · Workshop map 3472126051
- POWERPLAN
- Balanced
- GAMEMODE
- On
- FPSCAP
- Temporarily removed for the benchmark and restored afterward
- CAPTURE
- PresentMon · fixed 60-second window starting 10 seconds after observed VProf start
- CAPTUREWINDOW
- CPU frame-start intervals from the same map and scene
- ORDER
- Fullscreen → Borderless · Borderless → Fullscreen · Borderless → Fullscreen · Fullscreen → Borderless
Fullscreen and borderless modes were measured four times each in a balanced order. Power plan, Game Mode, resolution, refresh rate and the remaining saved graphics settings were held constant. The FPS cap was temporarily removed for the series and restored afterward.
Average FPS = 1,000 ÷ mean CPU frame-start interval in milliseconds. 1% low = 1,000 ÷ mean of the slowest ceil(1%) intervals. p99 is the nearest-rank 99th percentile frame interval. These are rendered-frame timing measurements, not displayed-frame or latency measurements. See the PresentMon documentation.
Data quality & downloads
Download report JSON ↓The complete 30-test series passed its final restoration check: CFG hashes and attributes, power plan, Game Mode, display mode, NVIDIA state, game closure and collector completion were verified. This page includes only the eight display-mode measurements.
PresentMon reported Hardware: Independent Flip in both fullscreen and borderless runs. That observation does not establish that fullscreen used exclusive presentation. The original frame trace and private local logs remain local; downloads contain derived values only.
- One PC, one game build, one map, and four measured passes per display mode.
- Fullscreen median average FPS was higher in this series; the 1% low and p99 ranges overlap and their paired results do not establish the same consistent advantage.
- PresentMon reported Hardware: Independent Flip for both modes. This does not prove exclusive fullscreen presentation.
- FPS and frame-time measurements do not measure input latency or guarantee results in other games, maps, or PCs.
- The public downloads contain derived measurements, not the original frame trace or private local logs.
Download report JSON