Tomb Raider (2013) — How to Fix "Low frame rate"
Low frame rate in Tomb Raider (2013): the fix path, and when it is grounds for a refund.
Last updated 2026-09-25 · evergreen reference
If Tomb Raider (2013) is failing with "Low frame rate", this page tells you which fixes are worth your time and when you should stop troubleshooting and go to the store instead. The causes are specific, so the fixes are too.
What the error looks like
Confirm you are dealing with the same failure.
Recognising "Low frame rate"
Frame rate is much lower than expected for the hardware, with the biggest drops outdoors and in the Shantytown hub area.
Why it happens
The cause determines the fix.
Cause 1
TressFX hair simulation, which is extremely expensive and disproportionately so on non-AMD hardware.
Cause 2
"Ultra" ambient occlusion is actually HDAO, an AMD technology that causes major performance loss on NVIDIA cards.
Cause 3
SSAA anti-aliasing, which renders at a higher internal resolution and is brutally demanding.
Cause 4
On newer Windows systems with non-default display scaling, Exclusive Fullscreen is not applied and frame rate drops significantly.
Fixes, in the order that works
Cheapest and most reversible first.
Disable TressFX
Set hair to Normal. TressFX has a major impact on frame rate, especially on non-AMD GPUs, and is the largest single gain available — worth roughly 30–40% on mid-range hardware.
Set ambient occlusion to Normal
Do not use Ultra. On NVIDIA cards HDAO costs far more than the visual difference justifies.
Use FXAA, not SSAA
FXAA costs almost nothing and looks fine. 2x and 4x SSAA are supersampling and should be reserved for hardware with plenty of headroom.
Apply the multi-core registry tweak
Under HKCU\Software\Crystal Dynamics\Tomb Raider\Graphics, add a DWORD named MultiCoreFlushMode with value 1. It improves frame rate in CPU-heavy areas like the Shantytown hub through better core utilisation. The Linux version applies it automatically.
Disable DPI optimisations if scaling is not 100%
Right-click the executable, open Compatibility > Change high DPI settings and override scaling to Application. Exclusive Fullscreen failing to apply is a silent and large performance loss on modern Windows.
How to confirm it is fixed
One successful launch is not proof.
Retest properly
Run the in-game benchmark before and after. Texture quality and anisotropic filtering can stay high throughout — they cost very little, so if you had to lower them, something else is still wrong.
When to ask for a refund instead
Troubleshooting has a deadline.
Know the window
Steam refunds within 14 days of purchase and under 2 hours of playtime, and documented technical faults are sometimes accepted past that. Microsoft Store and Epic follow similar rules with store-specific exception paths.
Evidence changes outcomes
Attach crash logs, a DxDiag and the steps you already tried. A denied refund can sometimes be overturned when you can show the game is genuinely unplayable rather than simply disliked.
Bans are not refundable
If the failure follows an anti-cheat ban or a modified online client, no store will refund it. That is a separate category from a game that will not run.
Still seeing crashes or low FPS?
Run the calculator to see if your GPU is the bottleneck, then jump to the targeted fix guide for this exact game + GPU.
Related pages
This is an independent player reference and is not official documentation for Tomb Raider (2013). GameFixPro does not host or link to copyrighted assets. Modding guidance is for single-player use only — never use mods in online multiplayer. Verify current requirements, prices and policies with the publisher before acting.