Aggressive background applications featuring overlays can clash with MW3’s anti-cheat software (Ricochet) or its rendering engine, causing the game to bottleneck at 45 frames per second.
Go to the in-game Graphics menu, select the Display tab, scroll down, and click Restart Shader Optimization .
Scroll down to and change it from Normal to Prefer maximum performance . cod mw3 45 fps fix
If you're playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) and finding your experience locked at an unplayable 45 FPS—or suffering from stuttering that makes aiming impossible—you are not alone. Many players, particularly those on mid-range gaming laptops or slightly older desktop hardware, experience this frustrating frame rate cap.
Back up the file:
: Turn VSync OFF in both gameplay and menu settings to remove potential refresh rate syncing issues. 5. Third-Party Software Interference
Open the control panel, go to Manage 3D Settings , find Vertical Sync , and set it to Use the 3D application setting or Off . If you're playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Open the game. MW3 will generate a fresh config file with default settings, removing any hidden performance caps. 5. Disable Conflicting Background Overlays
Lower Texture Resolution to Normal or Low , and set Spot Shadow Quality and Shadow Map Resolution to Low . Shadows heavily tax both CPU and GPU resources. 3. Reinstall Shaders Disable V-Sync and Match Refresh Rates
The most frequent culprit behind a 45 FPS lock is how the game manages refresh rates and vertical synchronization. Disable V-Sync and Match Refresh Rates