Fraps remains one of the most recognizable names in PC gaming utilities, serving as the original standard for benchmarking and screen capture long before modern alternatives arrived. Developed by Beepa, this lightweight application focuses on three distinct tasks: displaying real-time frame rates, recording gameplay in high-quality uncompressed formats, and taking instant screenshots. While the software has not seen an official update since Version 3.5.99 in 2013, it continues to function on modern systems including Windows 10 and Windows 11, making it a reliable choice for testing DirectX 9, DirectX 11, and OpenGL applications where raw data capture is preferred over compression.
Key Features
- FPS Counter Overlay: Displays a bright yellow frame rate counter in the corner of your screen, giving you immediate feedback on performance while running games or 3D applications.
- Custom Benchmarking: Measures performance between any two points in your gameplay, saving detailed statistics like minimum, maximum, and average frame rates to a spreadsheet for analysis.
- Lossless Video Capture: Records gameplay at resolutions up to 7680x4800 with custom frame rates from 1 to 120 FPS, creating uncompressed AVI files that maintain pixel-perfect quality for editing.
- Loop Recording Buffer: continuously captures the last 30 seconds of gameplay in the background, allowing you to save unexpected moments without recording your entire session.
- Screen Capture Utility: Takes instant snapshots of your desktop or game window with a single hotkey, automatically naming and timestamping files in BMP, JPG, PNG, or TGA formats.
Use Cases
Fraps is primarily used by hardware enthusiasts and retro gamers who need to benchmark legacy titles or record footage without the artifacts introduced by modern compression algorithms. It is also ideal for video editors who require raw, uncompressed AVI files to apply their own encoding settings during post-production.
Despite its age, Fraps offers a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to capturing raw performance data and video that newer, more complex tools often overcomplicate.
Version 3.5.99 — February 2013
- Improved compatibility with recent Windows system updates to ensure stability.
- Fixed a bug where the frame rate counter would fail to appear in DirectX 10 applications.
- Resolved an issue preventing the overlay from displaying correctly on the Aero desktop (DWM).
