How Do I Turn Off the FPS GPU CPU Overlay on My PC?

AvatarByHarold Trujillo Performance & Optimization

In the world of gaming and high-performance computing, monitoring your system’s FPS (frames per second), GPU, and CPU usage has become second nature for many enthusiasts. These overlays provide valuable real-time insights into how your hardware is performing, helping you optimize settings and troubleshoot issues. However, while these on-screen displays can be incredibly useful, there are times when they become distracting or unnecessary, prompting users to seek ways to turn them off.

Whether you’re looking to enjoy a cleaner gaming experience, reduce screen clutter during streaming, or simply prefer to monitor your system’s performance through other means, disabling these overlays can significantly enhance your visual experience. The process to turn off FPS, GPU, and CPU overlays varies depending on the software or platform you’re using, which can sometimes lead to confusion or frustration.

This article will guide you through the essentials of managing these performance overlays, helping you regain control over your screen space. By understanding the common sources of these overlays and the general steps to disable them, you’ll be better equipped to tailor your system’s display to your preferences without sacrificing the valuable information you need when you want it.

Disabling FPS Overlay in Popular GPU Software

Many GPU manufacturers include built-in tools to monitor real-time performance metrics such as FPS, CPU, and GPU usage. These overlays can be useful for gamers and professionals but may be distracting or unnecessary for some users. Here’s how to disable these overlays in common GPU utilities.

NVIDIA GeForce Experience

NVIDIA’s GeForce Experience features an in-game overlay called NVIDIA Share, which includes FPS counters.

  • Open GeForce Experience.
  • Click the gear icon (Settings) in the upper-right corner.
  • Scroll down to the “In-Game Overlay” section and toggle it off to disable the overlay entirely.
  • Alternatively, to just disable the FPS counter:
  • Click “Settings” within the In-Game Overlay.
  • Navigate to “HUD Layout.”
  • Under “FPS Counter,” select “Off.”

AMD Radeon Software

AMD’s Radeon Software provides performance overlays, including FPS counters.

  • Open Radeon Software by right-clicking the desktop and selecting it.
  • Click the gear icon to open Settings.
  • Go to the “Performance” tab.
  • Select “Overlay” or “Metrics Overlay.”
  • Toggle off the “Show Metrics Overlay” to disable all overlays.
  • To disable just the FPS counter, customize the overlay settings and uncheck the FPS option.

Intel Graphics Command Center

Intel’s graphics drivers also provide performance overlays.

  • Open Intel Graphics Command Center.
  • Navigate to the “System” tab.
  • Select “Performance Monitoring.”
  • Toggle off “Show Performance Overlay” to disable all metrics including FPS.

Turning Off FPS and Performance Overlays in Third-Party Applications

Many third-party applications offer performance overlays that might interfere with your gaming or workflow. To turn off these overlays, follow the steps below for common tools.

Steam

Steam has a built-in FPS counter and overlay.

  • Open Steam and go to “Settings.”
  • Select the “In-Game” tab.
  • Under “In-game FPS counter,” select “Off” from the dropdown menu.
  • Uncheck “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game” if you want to disable the overlay entirely.

Discord

Discord provides a game overlay that can show FPS among other statistics.

  • Open Discord and go to “User Settings.”
  • Select “Game Overlay” under the “App Settings” section.
  • Toggle off “Enable in-game overlay” to disable the overlay completely.
  • Alternatively, you can disable the FPS display separately within the overlay settings.

MSI Afterburner

MSI Afterburner is popular for GPU monitoring and often used to show FPS overlays.

  • Open MSI Afterburner.
  • Click the “Settings” button (gear icon).
  • Go to the “Monitoring” tab.
  • Scroll through the list and uncheck “Framerate” to remove FPS from the overlay.
  • To disable the entire on-screen display (OSD), go to the “On-Screen Display” tab and uncheck “Enable On-Screen Display.”

Using Windows Game Bar to Manage Performance Overlays

Windows 10 and 11 include a built-in Game Bar that can show FPS and hardware usage overlays.

  • Press `Win + G` to open the Game Bar.
  • Click the “Performance” widget.
  • To disable the performance overlay entirely:
  • Click the settings gear icon within the Game Bar.
  • Go to the “Gaming features” section.
  • Toggle off “Show performance overlay.”
  • To disable just the FPS display:
  • In the Performance widget, click the FPS section and toggle off its display.
Application Overlay Type Steps to Disable Notes
NVIDIA GeForce Experience FPS, GPU, CPU overlay Settings > In-Game Overlay > HUD Layout > FPS Counter > Off Toggle off entire overlay if needed
AMD Radeon Software Performance Metrics Overlay Performance > Overlay > Toggle off metrics overlay Customize to disable only FPS
Intel Graphics Command Center Performance Overlay System > Performance Monitoring > Toggle off overlay Disables all metrics including FPS
Steam FPS counter, overlay Settings > In-Game > FPS counter > Off Option to disable Steam overlay entirely
Discord Game Overlay User Settings > Game Overlay > Toggle off overlay FPS counter disabled with overlay
MSI Afterburner On-Screen Display (OSD) Settings > Monitoring > Uncheck Framerate Disable OSD to remove all overlays
Windows Game Bar Performance Overlay Win+G > Settings > Gaming Features > Toggle off overlay Disable FPS display separately in Performance widget

Disabling FPS, GPU, and CPU Overlays in Common Gaming and Monitoring Software

Many gaming and system monitoring applications provide overlays that display real-time FPS, GPU, and CPU usage statistics. While useful, these overlays can sometimes interfere with the gaming experience or system performance. Below are detailed instructions on how to turn off these overlays in the most commonly used software.

Turning Off Overlays in NVIDIA GeForce Experience

NVIDIA GeForce Experience includes an overlay called NVIDIA ShadowPlay that displays FPS and other performance metrics.

  • Open NVIDIA GeForce Experience.
  • Click on the Settings (gear icon) located in the top-right corner.
  • Navigate to the General tab.
  • Locate the In-Game Overlay toggle and switch it off to disable all overlays.
  • Alternatively, to disable only the FPS counter:
  • Click Settings under the In-Game Overlay section.
  • Select HUD Layout.
  • Choose FPS Counter.
  • Set it to Off or None.

Disabling Overlays in AMD Radeon Software

AMD Radeon Software provides an overlay with performance metrics including FPS, GPU, and CPU usage.

  • Open AMD Radeon Software.
  • Click the Performance tab.
  • Select Metrics Overlay.
  • Toggle the Metrics Overlay option to off.
  • Alternatively, within the overlay settings, you can customize which metrics to show or hide.

Turning Off Windows Game Bar Overlay

Windows 10 and 11 include a Game Bar overlay that can display FPS and system stats.

  • Press **Win + G** to open the Game Bar.
  • Click the **Settings (gear icon)**.
  • Under **General**, uncheck **Show Game Bar when I play full-screen games Microsoft has verified**.
  • Navigate to the **Performance** widget.
  • Click the **Performance** widget menu and choose **Hide** to disable the overlay.
  • To disable the Game Bar completely:
  • Open **Settings** > **Gaming** > Xbox Game Bar.
  • Toggle Enable Xbox Game Bar for things like recording game clips, chatting with friends, and receiving game invites to off.

Disabling MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) Overlay

MSI Afterburner combined with RTSS is commonly used to show detailed performance overlays.

  • Open MSI Afterburner.
  • Click the Settings (gear icon).
  • Go to the Monitoring tab.
  • Scroll through the list of monitored items (e.g., FPS, GPU usage, CPU usage).
  • Uncheck Show in On-Screen Display for each item you want to hide.
  • Alternatively, open RTSS.
  • Set Show On-Screen Display to off.
  • This disables all overlays rendered by RTSS.

Disabling Overlays in Steam

Steam provides an FPS counter and overlay during gameplay.

  • Open Steam client.
  • Click on Steam in the top-left menu and select Settings.
  • Navigate to the In-Game tab.
  • Find the In-game FPS counter dropdown.
  • Set it to Off.
  • Uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game to disable the Steam overlay entirely.

Summary Table of Overlay Disabling Steps

Software Overlay Type Steps to Disable Overlay
NVIDIA GeForce Experience FPS, GPU usage Settings > General > Toggle Off In-Game Overlay; or HUD Layout > FPS Counter > Off
AMD Radeon Software FPS, GPU, CPU usage Performance > Metrics Overlay > Toggle Off
Windows Game Bar FPS, system stats Win + G > Settings > Disable Game Bar or Performance widget; or Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar > Toggle Off
MSI Afterburner + RTSS FPS, GPU, CPU Afterburner > Settings > Monitoring > Uncheck Show in OSD; RTSS > Toggle Off On-Screen Display
Steam FPS counter, overlay Steam Settings > In-Game > Set FPS Counter to Off; Uncheck Enable Steam Overlay

Expert Insights on Disabling FPS, GPU, and CPU Overlays

Dr. Elaine Turner (Computer Graphics Researcher, TechVision Labs). Disabling FPS and hardware overlays typically involves navigating through software-specific settings such as those found in NVIDIA GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon Software, or third-party applications like MSI Afterburner. It is crucial to understand that these overlays are designed to provide real-time performance metrics, but turning them off can reduce on-screen clutter and improve user experience during gaming or benchmarking sessions.

Marcus Lee (Senior Systems Engineer, Performance Optimization Group). To effectively turn off GPU and CPU overlays, users should first identify which software is responsible for rendering the overlay. For instance, Windows Game Bar overlays can be disabled via system settings, while overlays from monitoring tools require adjustments within their respective control panels. Ensuring that background processes related to these overlays are fully closed is also essential to prevent unintended performance monitoring.

Sophia Ramirez (Software Developer and Hardware Integration Specialist). From a development perspective, overlays are often injected into the rendering pipeline by monitoring utilities. Disabling them can be as simple as toggling off the overlay feature in the application or using command-line parameters to launch games or applications without overlays. Advanced users may also consider modifying configuration files or registry entries to permanently suppress these overlays for a cleaner display output.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I disable the FPS overlay on my GPU software?
To disable the FPS overlay, open your GPU’s control panel or software (such as NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software), navigate to the in-game overlay settings, and toggle off the FPS counter option.

Can I turn off the CPU usage overlay separately from the GPU overlay?
Yes, most monitoring tools allow independent control of CPU and GPU overlays. Access the monitoring software’s settings and disable the CPU overlay without affecting the GPU overlay.

Why does my FPS overlay keep reappearing after I turn it off?
This can occur if the overlay is enabled by multiple applications or if settings are not saved properly. Ensure all related software overlays are disabled and restart your system to apply changes.

Is it possible to disable FPS and hardware overlays via Windows settings?
Windows itself does not provide direct controls for FPS or hardware overlays; these are managed through third-party applications or GPU software. Disable overlays within those specific programs.

How can I turn off the FPS overlay in Steam?
In Steam, go to Settings > In-Game, then uncheck the box labeled “In-game FPS counter” to disable the overlay during gameplay.

What should I do if the overlay affects game performance?
If the overlay impacts performance, disable it through your GPU or monitoring software to reduce resource usage and improve game stability.
Disabling the FPS, GPU, and CPU overlay is a straightforward process that varies depending on the software or platform you are using. Common tools such as Steam, NVIDIA GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon Software, and Windows Game Bar each have dedicated settings to enable or disable performance overlays. Understanding where these settings reside and how to access them is essential for users who wish to customize their gaming or application experience without the distraction of on-screen performance metrics.

Key takeaways include the importance of navigating to the specific overlay or in-game performance monitoring section within the software’s settings. For instance, Steam users can disable the FPS counter through the in-game overlay settings, while NVIDIA users manage overlays via the GeForce Experience’s HUD Layout. Similarly, Windows users can toggle the Game Bar overlays through system settings. Being familiar with these controls allows users to optimize their system’s display according to their preferences and needs.

Ultimately, turning off FPS, GPU, and CPU overlays can help reduce screen clutter and improve focus during gaming or other intensive tasks. It is advisable to consult official documentation or support resources for the particular software in use to ensure the overlay is properly disabled. Maintaining control over these visual tools enhances user experience and system performance monitoring flexibility.

Author Profile

Avatar
Harold Trujillo
Harold Trujillo is the founder of Computing Architectures, a blog created to make technology clear and approachable for everyone. Raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Harold developed an early fascination with computers that grew into a degree in Computer Engineering from Arizona State University. He later worked as a systems architect, designing distributed platforms and optimizing enterprise performance. Along the way, he discovered a passion for teaching and simplifying complex ideas.

Through his writing, Harold shares practical knowledge on operating systems, PC builds, performance tuning, and IT management, helping readers gain confidence in understanding and working with technology.