Counter-Strike has always been a game where technical nuances decide everything. The right mix of settings, stable FPS, and the absence of lag can determine the winner even before the first duel. That’s why a new discovery in CS2 shook the community: tests show that Fullscreen Windowed (FSW, borderless) consistently provides better FPS and smoother performance than classic Fullscreen (FS). This paradoxical result surprised even experienced players — after all, Fullscreen has always been considered the “clean” mode to minimize latency.
What the Tests Show
Enthusiast Denis Labuda ran a series of benchmarks on the Dust2 benchmark map using different presets, resolutions, and anti-aliasing options. Setup: Ryzen 7 7800X3D + RTX 5070 Ti, Windows 11.
1600×1024
- FSW (Medium): ~698 FPS average
- FS (Medium): ~545 FPS average
- FPS drops in FS went down to ~200, while in FSW they stayed above 340.
1920×1080
- FSW (Medium): 657 FPS
- FS (Medium): 532 FPS
- With anti-aliasing:
- 4x MSAA FSW: 669 FPS
- 4x MSAA FS: 534 FPS
- 8x MSAA FSW: 603 FPS
- 8x MSAA FS: 513 FPS
1280×960 (a popular 4:3 format among pro players)
- FSW (Medium): 771 FPS
- FS (Medium): 592 FPS
- FSW (Very High): 537 FPS
- FS (Very High): 496 FPS
The overall trend is clear: FSW provides 10% to 30% more FPS and better frametime stability.
Community Reactions
A heated discussion broke out on Twitter:
- Marson admitted the results looked confusing: “basically it’s FS > FSW > Windowed?”
- C$K kaED asked: “Are you saying borderless is better?” Denis confirmed it was about Fullscreen Windowed.
- fREQUENCYCS wrote that he hadn’t noticed a difference before but promised to test again, hinting the effect might depend on the system.
Technical explanations also appeared:
- taher noted that Windows uses a compositor in FSW, while FS should send frames directly to the display buffer. In theory, this should give Fullscreen the edge — but CS2 works the opposite way.
- Jack stressed that in FSW he always feels input lag, even with +100 FPS difference. For pro players, this factor might outweigh any FPS gains.
Why Is This Happening?
- Source 2 is still unpolished. CS2 continues to suffer from optimization issues, and it’s possible that FSW accidentally works more efficiently with the engine.
- Windows 11 and GPU scheduling. Modern scheduling algorithms might allocate resources better in FSW, while FS interacts directly with the driver and ends up less efficient.
- NVIDIA/AMD drivers. There’s a chance that FSW is currently better optimized. This isn’t the first time borderless has shown more stability in modern games.
What It Means for Players
- Casual players. If you want more FPS and smoother gameplay — it’s worth testing FSW. In most scenarios, the difference will be noticeable.
- Esports players. The dilemma is tougher here. Even +100 FPS won’t compensate for noticeable input lag. That’s why most pro players will likely stick with Fullscreen until Valve resolves the issue.
- Valve. This is a serious signal: the basic logic of display modes is broken. If Fullscreen in CS2 really works worse than borderless, it’s a problem that must be addressed.
Conclusion
Denis Labuda’s tests have become the starting point for a discussion that could change decades-old Counter-Strike standards. Fullscreen Windowed unexpectedly looks like the better option for most users, but the issue of input lag still holds back the pro scene.
We believe that in the coming months Valve will either have to optimize Fullscreen or officially explain why FSW performs better. Because if this isn’t a bug but a feature of Windows + Source 2 architecture, players may be entering a new era: chasing performance will no longer automatically mean choosing Fullscreen.
