High FPS. Why does it still feel choppy?
Average frame rate tells one part of the story. Frame times reveal the rest.
Averages hide interruptions
At 60 FPS, an evenly paced frame arrives about every 16.7 milliseconds. A short hitch can feel obvious even when the average frame rate looks healthy. Compare the same scene over a useful period rather than reading a counter for one second.
Know what a 1% low means
A 1% low summarizes the slower part of a run, but calculation methods differ between tools. Record which benchmark tool produced the value. Avoid treating values from different tools as directly interchangeable. A frame-time graph can show whether hitches occur at regular intervals or only in one place.
Keep the comparison controlled
Use the same game build, resolution, preset, upscaling mode, frame generation setting and test route. Warm up the scene and repeat runs. Background downloads, shader compilation and a first visit to a new area can affect results.
Make one change at a time
Lowering resolution can help reveal a GPU limit, but it does not prove every remaining problem is CPU-related. Record average FPS and lows before and after each change. Use Benchmark History to keep those measurements together.