You should particularly check your:
- Processor
- Graphics card
- Available VRAM
- System RAM
- Windows version
- Available SSD storage
Modern Warfare 4 also requires an SSD, DirectX 12-compatible hardware, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot on PC.
If your system comfortably meets the requirements, move on to the next method.
2. Restart the PC
Before getting into more complicated fixes, restart your computer.
We’ve seen plenty of cases where a game starts behaving strangely after the PC has been running for a long time, particularly after Windows, driver, or game updates.
Close Modern Warfare 4 and restart Windows normally.
Once the PC starts again, avoid opening unnecessary applications and launch the game directly.
If the stuttering returns, continue below.
3. Run Modern Warfare 4 as an Administrator
Running the game with administrator permission can help if Windows permissions are interfering with certain game files or services.
To do this:
- Navigate to your Call of Duty installation folder.
- Find the main game executable.
- Right-click on it and select Properties.
- Open the Compatibility tab.
- Enable Run this program as an administrator.
- Click Apply.
- Select OK.
You can also try running Steam or Battle.net as administrator and then launch Modern Warfare 4.
4. Update Your Graphics Driver
This should be one of the first things you check if Modern Warfare 4 suddenly starts stuttering.
NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel frequently release driver updates for newly released games and major game updates.
You can check through Windows first:
- Press Win + X.
- Select Device Manager.
- Expand Display adapters.
- Right-click your graphics card.
- Select Update driver.
- Choose Search automatically for drivers.
However, Windows doesn’t always provide the newest gaming driver. We prefer checking the GPU manufacturer’s website or application directly.
Download the latest compatible driver from:
After installing the driver, restart your computer before launching the game.
If the problem actually started immediately after installing a new GPU driver, the opposite may also be worth trying. Roll back to the previous stable driver and check whether performance improves.
5. Update Modern Warfare 4
Running an outdated game build can cause performance issues, crashes, matchmaking problems, and other unexpected behaviour.
Battle.net:
- Open Battle.net.
- Select Call of Duty.
- Click the gear icon next to Play.
- Select Check for Updates.
- Download any available update.
Steam:
- Open Steam.
- Go to Library.
- Select Call of Duty.
- Steam should automatically check for updates.
- If Update appears instead of Play, install the update.
Once completed, restart the launcher and try the game again.
6. Let Shader Preloading Finish
This is particularly important with Call of Duty.
After installing the game, updating your graphics driver, or receiving a major game update, Modern Warfare 4 may need to compile or preload shaders again.
Don’t immediately jump into a multiplayer match while shader compilation is still running.
Allow the shader process to reach 100%.
Once completed, restart the game and test another match.
Interrupting shader compilation or repeatedly restarting the game during the process can sometimes contribute to stuttering.
7. Lower the In-Game Graphics Settings
If your graphics settings are too demanding for your GPU, Modern Warfare 4 may experience frame-time spikes rather than simply running at a lower FPS.
Open the game’s graphics settings and temporarily reduce demanding options such as:
- Texture resolution
- Shadow quality
- Volumetric effects
- Particle quality
- Screen-space effects
- Reflection quality
- Water quality
- Tessellation
- On-demand texture streaming
Keep an eye on the estimated VRAM usage as well.
If you’re running close to or beyond your GPU’s available VRAM, reduce texture-related settings first.
Test the game afterward. If performance improves significantly, gradually increase individual settings until you find a good balance between visual quality and performance.
8. Try DLSS, FSR, or XeSS
Modern Warfare 4 supports modern image-upscaling technologies that can help increase frame rates.
Depending on your graphics card, you may have access to options such as:
- NVIDIA DLSS
- AMD FSR
- Intel XeSS
Start with the Quality preset.
If performance is still insufficient, try Balanced.
Players running at higher resolutions, particularly 1440p or 4K, may see a considerable performance improvement from upscaling.
However, don’t assume DLSS or another upscaler will automatically fix stuttering. If you’re already getting high FPS but experiencing sudden frame-time spikes, continue with the methods below.
9. Disable Frame Generation Temporarily
If your GPU supports Frame Generation and you’re experiencing unusual frame pacing, input latency, or visual stuttering, temporarily disable the feature.
Restart the game and compare performance.
Frame Generation can significantly increase the displayed frame rate, but troubleshooting with it disabled makes it easier to determine whether the underlying game is actually running smoothly.
If everything works normally without Frame Generation, you can experiment with enabling it again afterward.
10. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations
Windows Fullscreen Optimizations can occasionally cause performance problems with certain games.
To disable it:
- Navigate to the Modern Warfare 4 installation folder.
- Find the game’s executable.
- Right-click it.
- Select Properties.
- Open Compatibility.
- Enable Disable fullscreen optimizations.
- Click Apply and then OK.
Restart the game and test it again.
If there’s no improvement, you can safely undo the change.
11. Verify and Repair Modern Warfare 4 Files
Corrupted or incomplete game files can cause more than just crashes. They may also result in freezing, hitching, missing textures, or abnormally long loading times.
Battle.net:
- Open Battle.net.
- Select Call of Duty.
- Click the gear icon beside Play.
- Select Scan and Repair.
- Start the scan.
- Allow it to finish completely.
Steam:
- Open Steam.
- Go to Library.
- Right-click Call of Duty.
- Select Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Click Verify integrity of game files.
The launcher will check your installation and download replacement files if necessary.
12. Close Unnecessary Background Applications
Modern Warfare 4 can use a substantial amount of CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage resources.
Running too many applications alongside the game can make stuttering worse.
Press:
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
to open Task Manager.
Look for unnecessary applications consuming significant amounts of:
Close programs you don’t need while gaming.
Browsers with dozens of tabs, video editing programs, game launchers, RGB utilities, recording applications, and file synchronization programs are common examples.
Don’t terminate Windows system processes unless you know exactly what they are.
13. Disable Steam Overlay
If you’re playing through Steam, try disabling its in-game overlay.
- Open Steam.
- Go to Library.
- Right-click Call of Duty.
- Select Properties.
- Under General, disable Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
Launch Modern Warfare 4 again and test the performance.
14. Disable Other In-Game Overlays
Steam isn’t the only program capable of placing an overlay over your game.
Temporarily disable overlays from applications such as:
- Discord
- Xbox Game Bar
- NVIDIA App
- AMD Software
- MSI Afterburner
- RivaTuner Statistics Server
- Overwolf
- Screen recording software
You don’t necessarily have to uninstall these programs.
Simply disabling their overlay or closing the application while testing should be enough.
If the stuttering disappears, re-enable the applications individually until you identify the one causing the conflict.
15. Disable Background Recording
Windows and graphics software can automatically record gameplay in the background.
While this is useful for capturing unexpected gaming moments, it also consumes system resources.
On Windows:
- Press Win + I.
- Open Gaming.
- Check the Captures settings.
- Disable unnecessary background recording options.
Also check NVIDIA, AMD, Steam, Discord, or any third-party recording software you have installed.
16. Update Windows
Modern games rely on several Windows components, so running an outdated build can create compatibility problems.
To check:
- Press Win + I.
- Open Windows Update.
- Click Check for updates.
- Install important available updates.
- Restart the computer.
We don’t recommend installing optional preview updates solely to fix a game unless you have a specific reason to do so.
If Windows is aggressively limiting your processor to save power, you may experience inconsistent gaming performance.
Go to:
Settings → System → Power & battery
Find Power mode and select an appropriate performance-focused option if available.
Desktop users can also check:
Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Power Options
You can test the High Performance plan if it’s available.
Laptop users should connect the charger while playing because many gaming laptops significantly reduce CPU and GPU performance while running on battery power.
18. Check Your CPU and GPU Temperatures
If Modern Warfare 4 runs normally when you first start playing but begins stuttering after 15-30 minutes, check your temperatures.
A CPU or GPU that gets too hot can reduce its clock speed to protect itself. This is known as thermal throttling.
Check whether:
- PC vents are blocked.
- Cooling fans are functioning.
- Dust has accumulated inside the case.
- Laptop ventilation is obstructed.
- CPU cooler is properly mounted.
- Case airflow is sufficient.
Don’t place a gaming laptop on a bed, blanket, sofa, or other surface that blocks its ventilation.
19. Reset CPU and GPU Overclocking
An overclock can appear stable during normal computer use but fail under a demanding gaming workload.
If you’ve overclocked or undervolted your:
temporarily restore everything to stock settings.
This includes changes made using programs such as MSI Afterburner, motherboard utilities, AMD tuning software, or other overclocking applications.
Restart your computer and test Modern Warfare 4 again.
If the stuttering disappears, your previous tuning settings may have been unstable.
20. Check RAM Usage
Modern Warfare 4 and Windows can consume a considerable amount of memory.
Open Task Manager → Performance → Memory while the game is running.
If your RAM is almost completely occupied, close unnecessary applications.
Systems with limited RAM are more likely to rely heavily on the Windows page file, which can contribute to hitching in memory-intensive situations.
If you’re using only a single RAM module, running memory in dual-channel configuration can also improve performance on supported systems.
21. Check Virtual Memory
Windows normally manages virtual memory automatically, and for most users, that’s the setting we recommend keeping.
To check:
- Search for View advanced system settings from Start.
- Open the Advanced tab.
- Under Performance, click Settings.
- Open Advanced.
- Under Virtual Memory, click Change.
In most cases, keep:
Automatically manage paging file size for all drives
enabled.
Avoid disabling the Windows page file completely. Modern games and other applications can rely on it even when your computer has plenty of physical RAM.
If you’ve previously configured an unusually small custom page file, switch it back to System managed size and restart the PC.
22. Install Modern Warfare 4 on an SSD
If the game is installed on a mechanical hard drive, consider moving it to an SSD.
Modern Warfare 4’s PC requirements specify an SSD, and modern Call of Duty games constantly stream large amounts of game data.
An SSD can considerably improve:
- Asset streaming
- Loading times
- Texture loading
- Level transitions
Also make sure the SSD isn’t completely full. Leave sufficient free storage for Windows, game updates, shaders, temporary files, and the page file.
If you suspect another application or Windows service is conflicting with Modern Warfare 4, perform a clean boot.
- Press Win + R.
- Type
msconfig.
- Press Enter.
- Open the Services tab.
- Enable Hide all Microsoft services.
- Click Disable all.
- Click Apply.
- Open the Startup section.
- Click Open Task Manager.
- Disable unnecessary startup applications.
- Restart your PC.
Launch Modern Warfare 4 and test it.
If the stuttering disappears, one of the disabled applications or services is likely responsible.
You can gradually re-enable them until you identify the culprit.
24. Don’t Change CPU Affinity Unless Necessary
Older troubleshooting guides sometimes recommend limiting a game to only a few CPU cores using Task Manager.
We don’t recommend doing this by default with Modern Warfare 4.
Modern games are designed to distribute workloads across multiple processor threads. Arbitrarily disabling CPU cores can actually reduce performance or make frame pacing worse.
If you’ve previously modified the CPU affinity for Call of Duty:
- Open Task Manager.
- Go to Details.
- Find the Call of Duty process.
- Right-click it.
- Select Set affinity.
- Make sure all appropriate processor cores are enabled.
Then restart the game.
25. Reset BIOS Settings Carefully
If you’ve heavily modified BIOS settings and the PC has become unstable, restoring optimized defaults can help.
However, we recommend treating this as an advanced troubleshooting method.
Before resetting anything, take note of important settings such as:
- Boot configuration
- UEFI settings
- XMP/EXPO
- Resizable BAR
- TPM
- Secure Boot
- Storage configuration
This is especially important with Modern Warfare 4 because TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required.
Don’t blindly reset the BIOS without understanding how your PC is currently configured.
26. Check TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
Although TPM and Secure Boot aren’t typical causes of low FPS, Modern Warfare 4 requires these security features on PC. A configuration problem can cause startup or access-related issues that might be confused with general game problems.
To check TPM:
- Press Win + R.
- Type
tpm.msc.
- Press Enter.
Check whether TPM is ready and whether Specification Version 2.0 is shown.
For Secure Boot:
- Press Win + R.
- Type
msinfo32.
- Press Enter.
Look for:
Secure Boot State
It should report On.
If Secure Boot isn’t available, your system configuration may need to be changed to UEFI/GPT before it can be enabled. Don’t randomly modify BIOS settings without checking the documentation for your motherboard or laptop.
27. Reinstall the Graphics Driver
If simply updating your GPU driver didn’t help, the existing installation may have become corrupted.
Download the latest driver directly from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.
Perform a clean driver installation where the manufacturer’s installer provides that option.
Restart the computer afterward.
Then allow Modern Warfare 4 to rebuild or preload its shaders before testing the game again.
28. Upgrade Your RAM If Necessary
Don’t immediately buy additional RAM simply because the game stutters.
Check your actual memory usage first.
However, if your computer consistently runs out of memory while playing Modern Warfare 4, increasing the physical RAM can improve overall system responsiveness.
If you’re upgrading RAM, check your motherboard or laptop specifications for:
- Maximum supported capacity
- DDR generation
- Supported speed
- Available RAM slots
Where possible, using a properly matched dual-channel memory configuration is preferable.
29. Reinstall Modern Warfare 4
If you’ve tried everything and the game continues to freeze or stutter heavily, reinstalling Modern Warfare 4 may be worth considering.
Verify the game files first because reinstalling should generally be treated as a last resort.
If verification doesn’t help:
- Uninstall Modern Warfare 4 through Steam or Battle.net.
- Restart your computer.
- Make sure enough SSD space is available.
- Download and reinstall the game.
- Install available updates.
- Launch the game.
- Allow shader compilation to complete.
Then test the game before changing any graphics settings.
Final Thoughts
Modern Warfare 4 stuttering, lagging, and freezing on PC doesn’t necessarily mean your graphics card isn’t powerful enough. We’ve found that problems such as unfinished shader compilation, outdated GPU drivers, excessive VRAM usage, corrupted game files, overlays, background recording, unstable overclocks, and thermal throttling can produce very similar symptoms.
Start by updating Modern Warfare 4 and your graphics driver, let the shaders finish compiling, verify the game files, and lower the most demanding graphics settings. From there, disable unnecessary overlays and background programs and check your CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage usage.
For lower-end PCs, reducing graphics settings and using DLSS, FSR, or XeSS can make a noticeable difference. On higher-end systems that should already run the game comfortably, focus more on frame-time stability, drivers, shaders, background software, temperatures, and overclocking stability.
If none of these methods resolve the problem, reinstalling the game or reporting the performance issue to Activision Support would be the next step.
