How to Stop Fortnite From Crashing on a Low-End PC

Fortnite, the battle royale phenomenon, can be a challenging game to run smoothly, especially on low-end PCs. Facing constant crashes can be incredibly frustrating, hindering your ability to enjoy the game and compete effectively. This article will guide you through a series of proven solutions to stabilize Fortnite and minimize crashes, even with limited hardware.

Table of Contents

Understanding the Problem: Why Does Fortnite Crash?

Before diving into solutions, it’s crucial to understand the root causes of Fortnite crashes on lower-spec machines. These reasons can vary, but the most common culprits include:

Insufficient Hardware: Fortnite has minimum and recommended system requirements. If your PC falls short, you’re likely to experience crashes. Specifically, lacking enough RAM, a weak CPU, or an underpowered GPU can lead to instability.
Overheating: When your CPU or GPU runs too hot, it can cause the system to shut down or crash unexpectedly. Overheating is more prevalent on older or poorly ventilated PCs.
Outdated Drivers: Old or corrupted graphics drivers are a frequent cause of game crashes. They can lead to compatibility issues and performance problems.
Software Conflicts: Other programs running in the background can interfere with Fortnite, leading to crashes. This can include overlay programs, antivirus software, or resource-intensive applications.
Corrupted Game Files: Damaged or incomplete game files can cause errors and crashes. This can happen during installation, updates, or due to disk errors.
Operating System Issues: Problems with your operating system, such as corrupted system files or driver conflicts, can contribute to game instability.
Network Issues: Although less common, unstable or slow internet connections can sometimes trigger crashes, particularly during critical moments in the game.

Optimizing Fortnite’s In-Game Settings

The first step in preventing crashes is to adjust Fortnite’s in-game settings to reduce the strain on your PC. Lowering these settings will significantly improve performance and stability.

Graphics Settings

This is where you’ll find the most impactful settings for improving performance.

Resolution: Lowering the resolution reduces the number of pixels your GPU needs to render. Start with 1280×720 or even lower if necessary. This can provide a significant performance boost.
Quality Preset: Set the quality preset to “Low” or “Performance.” This automatically adjusts various graphics settings for optimal performance.
View Distance: Reduce the view distance to “Near” or “Medium.” This limits the amount of detail rendered in the distance, reducing the load on your GPU.
Shadows: Disable shadows entirely. Shadows are computationally expensive and have a significant impact on performance.
Anti-Aliasing: Disable anti-aliasing or set it to “FXAA.” Anti-aliasing smooths out jagged edges, but it can also reduce performance.
Textures: Set textures to “Low” or “Medium.” High-resolution textures require more memory and processing power.
Effects: Set effects to “Low.” Complex visual effects can put a strain on your GPU.
Post Processing: Set post-processing to “Low” or disable it. Post-processing effects add visual enhancements, but they can also impact performance.
V-Sync: V-Sync synchronizes the game’s frame rate with your monitor’s refresh rate to prevent screen tearing. However, it can also introduce input lag. If you’re experiencing performance issues, try disabling V-Sync.
Motion Blur: Disable motion blur. It adds a blurring effect to moving objects, but it can also reduce clarity and performance.

Other Settings

Adjusting these settings can help reduce lag and improve overall stability.

3D Resolution: Set the 3D Resolution slider to a lower value. This is a more granular way to adjust the rendering resolution of the game. Experiment to find a balance between visual quality and performance. A setting between 50% and 75% is often a good starting point for low-end PCs.
Frame Rate Limit: Limiting your frame rate can prevent your PC from trying to render more frames than it can handle, which can lead to overheating and crashes. Set the frame rate limit to 30 FPS or 60 FPS, depending on what your PC can consistently achieve.
Rendering Mode: Experiment with DirectX 11 or DirectX 12. Sometimes, one rendering mode will perform better than the other on certain hardware configurations.

Updating Your Graphics Drivers

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers are a common cause of game crashes. Updating to the latest drivers can often resolve compatibility issues and improve performance.

Nvidia: Go to the Nvidia website and download the latest drivers for your graphics card. Choose the “Game Ready Driver” for optimal gaming performance.
AMD: Go to the AMD website and download the latest drivers for your graphics card.
Intel: If you’re using integrated graphics, go to the Intel website and download the latest drivers for your processor.

Always perform a clean installation of the new drivers. This removes any old driver files that could be causing conflicts.

Closing Unnecessary Background Programs

Many programs running in the background can consume system resources and interfere with Fortnite. Closing these programs can free up resources and improve performance.

Task Manager: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and close any programs you’re not actively using, especially those that are consuming a lot of CPU or memory.
Startup Programs: Disable unnecessary programs from starting automatically when you boot your computer. This can be done through Task Manager (Startup tab).
Overlay Programs: Disable any overlay programs, such as Discord overlay, Nvidia ShadowPlay, or AMD ReLive. These programs can sometimes cause conflicts with Fortnite.
Antivirus Software: While it’s important to have antivirus software installed, it can sometimes interfere with games. Try temporarily disabling your antivirus software to see if it resolves the crashing issue. Remember to re-enable it afterward.

Checking for Overheating

Overheating can cause your PC to crash or shut down unexpectedly. Monitor your CPU and GPU temperatures to ensure they’re within safe limits.

Monitoring Software: Use monitoring software such as MSI Afterburner, HWMonitor, or CPU-Z to track your CPU and GPU temperatures.
Safe Temperatures: Generally, CPU temperatures should stay below 80°C, and GPU temperatures should stay below 85°C. If your temperatures are consistently higher than these limits, you may need to improve your cooling.
Cooling Solutions: Consider cleaning the dust from your PC’s fans and heatsinks. You may also need to reapply thermal paste to your CPU and GPU. If necessary, consider upgrading your CPU cooler or GPU cooler.

Verifying and Repairing Game Files

Corrupted or incomplete game files can cause crashes and errors. Fortnite has a built-in tool to verify and repair game files.

Epic Games Launcher: Open the Epic Games Launcher and go to your Library.
Fortnite: Click the three dots next to Fortnite and select “Verify.” This will scan your game files and repair any corrupted or missing files.

Increasing Virtual Memory

Virtual memory is a portion of your hard drive that Windows uses as RAM when your physical RAM is full. Increasing virtual memory can sometimes improve performance and prevent crashes, especially on systems with limited RAM.

System Properties: Right-click on “This PC” and select “Properties.”
Advanced System Settings: Click on “Advanced system settings.”
Performance Settings: In the System Properties window, go to the “Advanced” tab and click “Settings” in the “Performance” section.
Virtual Memory: Go to the “Advanced” tab and click “Change” in the “Virtual memory” section.
Custom Size: Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.” Select your system drive (usually C:) and choose “Custom size.”
Initial Size and Maximum Size: Set the initial size and maximum size of your virtual memory. A good starting point is to set both values to 1.5 times your physical RAM. For example, if you have 8GB of RAM, set both values to 12288 MB (12 GB).
Set and OK: Click “Set” and then “OK” to save your changes. You may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Performing a Clean Boot

A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This can help identify if a third-party program is causing conflicts with Fortnite.

System Configuration: Press Win+R, type “msconfig,” and press Enter.
Services Tab: In the System Configuration window, go to the “Services” tab.
Hide all Microsoft Services: Check the box that says “Hide all Microsoft services.”
Disable All: Click “Disable all.”
Startup Tab: Go to the “Startup” tab and click “Open Task Manager.”
Disable Startup Items: In Task Manager, disable all startup items.
Apply and OK: Close Task Manager, click “Apply” and then “OK” in the System Configuration window.
Restart: Restart your computer.

After the clean boot, try running Fortnite. If the crashes are gone, then a third-party program was causing the issue. You can then re-enable the services and startup programs one by one to identify the culprit.

Reinstalling Fortnite

If none of the above solutions work, reinstalling Fortnite can sometimes resolve the issue. This will ensure that you have a clean and complete installation of the game.

Uninstall: Uninstall Fortnite through the Epic Games Launcher or through the Windows Control Panel.
Delete Leftover Files: After uninstalling, delete any remaining Fortnite files in the installation directory.
Reinstall: Download and reinstall Fortnite through the Epic Games Launcher.

Upgrading Your Hardware (If Possible)

While the focus of this article is on optimizing Fortnite for low-end PCs, the reality is that some hardware limitations are simply too great to overcome. If you’ve tried all the software-based solutions and you’re still experiencing frequent crashes, you may need to consider upgrading your hardware.

RAM: Increasing your RAM to at least 8GB can significantly improve performance.
GPU: Upgrading to a more powerful graphics card will have the biggest impact on performance.
CPU: A faster CPU can also improve performance, especially in CPU-intensive games like Fortnite.
SSD: Switching from a hard drive to an SSD can significantly reduce loading times and improve overall system responsiveness.

Specific Configuration Settings

The ideal graphics settings are system-dependent, however, to help the user, these settings are recommended.

Setting	Recommendation
Resolution	1280×720 or lower
Quality Preset	Low/Performance
3D Resolution	50%-75%
View Distance	Near/Medium
Shadows	Off
Anti-Aliasing	Off/FXAA
Textures	Low/Medium
Effects	Low
Post Processing	Low/Off
V-Sync	Off
Motion Blur	Off

By following these steps, you should be able to significantly reduce the number of crashes you experience while playing Fortnite on a low-end PC. Remember to experiment with different settings to find the optimal balance between performance and visual quality for your specific hardware configuration.

Why is Fortnite crashing on my low-end PC?

Fortnite crashes on low-end PCs primarily due to insufficient hardware resources. Your computer might lack the necessary processing power (CPU), graphics capabilities (GPU), or random-access memory (RAM) to handle the game’s demands. The game’s resource-intensive nature, especially with newer updates and features, can overload your system, leading to crashes, freezes, or complete game shutdowns.

Another common reason for crashes is outdated or incompatible drivers. Drivers act as translators between your hardware and the operating system, and if they are outdated or corrupted, they can cause conflicts with Fortnite, resulting in instability and crashes. Overheating, especially of the CPU or GPU, can also trigger crashes as a safety mechanism to prevent permanent damage to your components.

What are the minimum system requirements for Fortnite and how do I check if my PC meets them?

The minimum system requirements for Fortnite typically include an Intel Core i3-3225 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and an Intel HD Graphics 4000 or AMD Radeon HD 7730 GPU. To check your PC’s specifications, you can press the Windows key + R, type “dxdiag” in the Run dialog box, and press Enter. This will open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, which displays information about your processor, memory, and graphics card under the System and Display tabs, respectively.

Compare the information from the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to the minimum requirements. If any of your components, such as the CPU, RAM, or GPU, are below the minimum specifications, it’s likely contributing to the crashes. Keep in mind that even meeting the minimum requirements doesn’t guarantee a smooth experience, but it’s a baseline for running the game at all.

What are the most effective in-game settings to reduce crashes on a low-end PC?

Lowering the graphics settings in Fortnite is crucial for reducing crashes on low-end PCs. Set the “Graphics Quality” preset to “Low” or even “Very Low.” This reduces the visual fidelity of the game but significantly decreases the strain on your GPU. You should also disable or lower settings like shadows, anti-aliasing, textures, and effects. These settings are resource-intensive and contribute significantly to performance issues.

Additionally, adjust the resolution scale. Lowering the resolution scale makes the game render at a lower resolution, which reduces the workload on your GPU. Experiment with different resolution scale values to find a balance between visual quality and performance. Also, ensure that the “3D Resolution” slider is set appropriately, as a lower resolution will also free up processing power.

How can outdated drivers cause Fortnite to crash and how do I update them?

Outdated drivers can cause Fortnite to crash because they may not be fully compatible with the game’s latest updates and features. These incompatibilities can lead to conflicts, instability, and ultimately, game crashes. Drivers act as a communication bridge between the game and your hardware, so outdated versions might lack necessary optimizations or bug fixes required for smooth performance.

To update your drivers, you can visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer (Nvidia or AMD). Download the latest drivers that are compatible with your graphics card model and your operating system. Alternatively, you can use the Device Manager in Windows to check for driver updates. Right-click on your graphics card under “Display adapters” and select “Update driver.” Choose “Search automatically for drivers” for Windows to find and install the latest drivers.

What is virtual memory and how can increasing it help prevent crashes in Fortnite?

Virtual memory is a feature in Windows that uses a portion of your hard drive as an extension of your RAM. When your physical RAM is full, the operating system moves less frequently used data to the virtual memory on the hard drive, freeing up RAM for active processes. This helps prevent crashes that occur when Fortnite runs out of memory.

Increasing the virtual memory can provide a buffer for Fortnite, especially on systems with limited RAM. To increase virtual memory, search for “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” in the Start menu. Go to the “Advanced” tab and click “Change” under the “Virtual memory” section. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” and then select the drive where Windows is installed. Choose “Custom size” and enter an initial size and maximum size. A good starting point is 1.5 to 3 times your physical RAM. Save the changes and restart your computer.

How does background software affect Fortnite’s performance and how do I close unnecessary programs?

Background software consumes valuable system resources such as CPU, RAM, and disk I/O, which can negatively impact Fortnite’s performance. These programs compete with the game for resources, leading to decreased frame rates, stuttering, and ultimately, crashes, especially on a low-end PC. Even seemingly harmless programs like web browsers, music players, or file downloaders can significantly affect the game’s performance.

To close unnecessary programs, open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Under the “Processes” tab, identify and close any programs that are consuming a significant amount of CPU or memory that you don’t actively need. Be careful not to close essential system processes. Also, disable unnecessary startup programs to prevent them from running automatically when you start your computer. You can manage startup programs in the Task Manager’s “Startup” tab.

Can overheating cause Fortnite to crash on a low-end PC and how can I address this issue?

Yes, overheating is a common cause of Fortnite crashes, especially on low-end PCs. When your CPU or GPU gets too hot, the system can become unstable and shut down to prevent permanent damage. Overheating is more likely to occur when playing demanding games like Fortnite, especially if the cooling system is inadequate or if dust buildup is preventing proper airflow.

To address overheating, ensure your PC has adequate ventilation. Clean the dust from your computer’s fans and heatsinks regularly using compressed air. Consider reapplying thermal paste to the CPU and GPU if you are comfortable doing so, as dried-out thermal paste can reduce the effectiveness of the cooling system. Monitoring your CPU and GPU temperatures with monitoring software can help you identify if overheating is the issue. If temperatures are consistently high, consider upgrading your cooling system with a better CPU cooler or adding more case fans.