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Games are getting harder and harder to run these days, and with component prices through the roof, people are trying to squeeze every last drop of performance out of their existing graphics cards. Both AMD and Nvidia have their own proprietary performance boosters like FSR and DLSS, but AMD actually has another way to increase FPS in games.
AMD’s Radeon Boost technology tends to get overshadowed by its FSR upscaling, but it’s another way to keep your FPS smooth during gameplay. It works by adjusting your resolution during fast-moving scenes — like whenever you move your mouse in a shooter — to keep framerates high without a noticeable dip in image quality.
There are some downsides to using Radeon Boost, however. Some users report increased input lag, less responsive controls, and image quality issues. The performance gains also aren’t as high as those you’d see with other AMD features like FSR upscaling, so it’s a hit or miss depending on your rig and chosen game.
How to enable Radeon Boost
If you want to test out AMD’s Radeon Boost for yourself, you can find all the necessary settings in the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition app. It’s AMD’s equivalent of the Nvidia app, letting you tweak settings for all your games and enable special AMD GPU features like Radeon Anti-Lag and Fluid Motion Frames.
In the app, click the Gaming tab at the top of the screen between Home and Performance. This will bring you to a menu with global graphics options like anti-aliasing and FPS limits. Radeon Boost is the second setting on the list. Enable it, then choose either Quality or Performance mode from the dropdown menu underneath.
The Quality and Performance modes take different approaches to image tuning, with the former prioritizing fidelity and the latter prioritizing the highest possible framerate. Try Quality to start, then swap to Performance if you need a few extra frames. You can come back and swap between them at any time, but you may need to restart your game whenever you make changes.
What are the downsides to Radeon Boost?
Radeon Boost is a neat way to increase your FPS in certain games, but it’s not a magic solution for poor performance. There are quite a few downsides to using Radeon Boost in certain games, especially if there are better AMD settings like FSR available.
Firstly, the FPS gains from Radeon Boost aren’t that noticeable. Since Radeon Boost only activates when you’re quickly panning the camera, you won’t see any benefits in static scenes. Radeon Boost’s image processing also increases your overall CPU usage, which can cause stutters if your processor is stretched too thin.
Additionally, Radeon Boost can reduce image quality and make things harder to see during quick camera movements, which can be frustrating in shooters like “Fortnite” or “Call of Duty.” There are also reports of UI elements becoming pixelated and smearing during fast-paced scenes, another red flag for competitive multiplayer titles. It’s generally a better idea to use FSR upscaling in place of Radeon Boost wherever you can, but it’s worth a shot to see if you like its performance changes.
