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How to Change FPS Caps in World of Warcraft

When playing Blizzard Entertainment's "World of Warcraft," it is useful to keep your maximum frames per second, or "FPS," at a level that provides a smooth gameplay experience while minimizing the strain on your computer. The game provides two adjustable settings that you can use to implement different FPS limits, depending on whether you are currently playing the game or merely have it running in the background. There are three ways to adjust these settings, two accessible from within the application and one accessible from the desktop.

Instructions

Options Window
- 1
  Launch "World of Warcraft." Click on the "Options" button, located on the right side of the login screen.
- 2
  Examine the list of options on the left side of the "Options" window. Click on the entry "Advanced." Examine the right side of the screen and find the slider labeled "Max Foreground FPS."
- 3
  Check the box located to the left of the "Max Foreground FPS" slider. Move the slider to the left or the right to decrease or increase the maximum FPS allowed while "World of Warcraft" is in the foreground.
- 4
  Check the box located to the left of the "Max Background FPS" slider. Move the slider to the left or the right to decrease or increase the maximum FPS allowed while another application is in the foreground.
- 5
  Click on the button labeled "Apply," in the lower-right corner of the "Options" window. Click on the "Okay" button below the "Apply" button. Log in to the game to test the new settings.
Command Line
- 6
  Launch "World of Warcraft." Log in to your account. Select a character and begin playing.
- 7
  Press the "Enter" key to bring up the command box. Type "/console MaxFPS" followed by the maximum FPS you wish to allow while the game is in the foreground. For example, "/console MaxFPS 30" would set the maximum foreground FPS to 30. Press the "Enter" key to send the command.
- 8
  Press the "Enter" key to bring up the command box again. Type "/console MaxFPSBK" followed by the maximum FPS you wish to allow while the game is running in the background. Press the "Enter" key to send the command.
Configuration File
- 9
  Browse the contents of your "Applications" or "My Programs" folder and open the folder that contains "World of Warcraft." By default, this folder is named "World of Warcraft."
- 10
  Open the subfolder labeled "WTF" and locate the file named "Config.wtf. Use a text editor to open the file.
- 11
  Search the contents of the file for a line that begins with "SET maxFPS." Edit the number at the end of this line to match the maximum FPS setting you wish to use when the game is in the foreground.
- 12
  Search the contents of the file for a line that begins with "SET maxFPSBK." Edit the number at the end of this line to match the maximum FPS setting you wish to use when the game is running in the background.
- 13
  Save the "Config.wtf" file. Launch "World of Warcraft" and log in to your account to test the new settings.

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