Steam has added a new performance monitoring tool to its in-game overlay, giving you information about how your games are using your computer’s resources. This should help you spot potential performance problems, although it is currently in beta.

This tool shows information about FPS, CPU, GPU, and system RAM usage, making it easier for players to understand their game’s performance and fix issues. To turn on this monitor, you have to go to Steam’s Settings, choose In Game, and then adjust the Performance Monitor’s settings. These settings include options for where the monitor appears on-screen, its contrast, color saturation, and background transparency to make sure it’s easy to see.

One of the most useful parts of the new monitor is its FPS display, which handles the complications caused by modern frame generation technologies like DLSS and FSR. Older FPS counters usually show one number that includes both real and artificially generated frames, but the Steam overlay separates the display frame rate (which includes generated frames) from the actual game frame rate (which only counts real frames).

This difference matters because generated frames make the game look smoother but don’t affect things like input delays, online gameplay updates, or collision detection. The monitor shows both numbers every second and the fastest and slowest single-frame performance in that time. If frame generation isn’t being used, it will just show one FPS number with the fastest and slowest values. However, if frame generation is active, it will clearly label it as “DLSS/FSR/FG” and show both the display frame rate and the real game frame rate.

The CPU section gives players a better look at how their processor is being used, going beyond simple 0 to 100% numbers. On newer multicore CPUs with turbo boost features, it uses Microsoft’s “% Processor Utility” measurement, which compares the CPU’s workload to its base speed. This means the number can go above 100% when the CPU speeds up past its base clock.

The display shows the average processor usage across all cores and the usage of the single busiest core at that moment, which often goes above 100% when boosting CPUs. It also shows clock speeds in GHz, including the average across all cores and the highest speed any core reached at the time.

For the GPU, the monitor shows a 95% usage number, which focuses on the busiest part of the GPU (usually the 3D engine on the main GPU while gaming). This matches how Windows Task Manager measures GPU usage. If the GPU supports it, the temperature of the hottest sensor is also shown. Importantly, the GPU memory section shows how much dedicated video memory and shared system RAM the GPU is using compared to its total dedicated memory, like “6.8/16 GB.”

Finally, the RAM section shows how much of the computer’s system memory is being used compared to the total available. While this is separate from GPU memory, some system RAM might be shared with the GPU. The main issue with system RAM is that if there isn’t enough free memory, the computer has to use much slower disk-based storage (called swap space), which can cause big slowdowns because moving data between RAM and disk takes time.

It’s still in beta, so there may be some issues for now. Still, it’s likely that we’ll see improvements and more customizations in the full release, thanks to this testing time.

Source: Steam