[[red]Moderate_]

This Guide will be split into 3 sections, For Meh Computers, and "How to make GMod run on a potato"


For "Meh" Computers:

Not everyone has the best computer, but still want to play GMod, this guide will show you how to add some extra frames onto your experience.

Regular Options:

Fairly obvious for most, but not everyone may understand how these options affect performance.

First of all, you want to go to the "Video" Tab under "Options" on the main menu.

Afterwards, you want to click on the "Advanced" Button, to go into the Advanced video options.

   

Now, as for the options you can configure them to suit your needs, but if you have a fairly low framerate, i would recommend these:


Model Detail: Low | Texture Detail: Low | Shader Detail: Low | Water Detail: Simple reflections |
Shadow Detail: Low | Color Correction: Don't touch it | Antialiasing mode: None | Filtering mode: Bilinear
Wait for vertical sync: Don't touch it | Motion Blur: If you can alter it, disabled | Field of View: Preference |
Multicore Rendering: Enabled (No matter what have this on, even if you have a good computer) |
High Dynamic Range: None | Use 'bloom' effect when avaible: No | Windows Aero extensions: Enabled

Resolution:

The resolution settings is located the non-advanced portion of video settings, as a basic rule: the lower the resolution, the better fps, the worse the game looks, however, certain resolutions may look the same but give different performances, try messing around with these options till you find something that suits you.

Launch Options:

On the steam client, right click on Garry's Mod, and go to Properties.

   

In Properties, Click "Launch Options"

   

A simple text box will open up, depending on how bad your computer is, copy and paste one of these lines into that box.

Very Small to no FPS Increase (reccomended either way):
-high

Good FPS Increase (Will slightly lower game quality)
+mat_dxlevel 81 -high 
Edit: I have been using the above launch settings and have been getting 10-20fps boosts with very little changes to the graphics themselves.

How to make GMod run on a Potato:


So first of all, read and follow the directions of the first part of this guide.

autoexec: 
These are commands that will automatically be run in the console at the games launch.

You can find your autoexec under: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\cfg

Because its a pain in the ass (which i learned from making this) i have provided two different config files:

Potato: Decreases Quality of the game by disabling certain features such as removing 3D features of the sky Potato Config (click the download option, and replace your autoexec with this one)

Beyond Potato: This should be able to make gmod run on almost anything (BE ADVISED, THE GAME WILL LOOK LIKE UTTER SHIT) Beyond Potato Config (click the download option and replace your autoexec with this one)


Performance increase and quality may vary by map.

Feel Free to ask me anything about these in the comments.

[TDawg4]

this scares me.

[Vihntage]

Bless your soul.

[MiniMe]

Thank you, my beyond potatoes might run 40 fps. Also, after you put the autoexec file in the cfg folder can you take it out and run the game normally again?

[RussEfarmer]

The use of configs to better performance is allowed. Actual alteration of game textures to make props that are actual players (Not physics objects, actual prop players) are not. Also any configs that make walls transparent to better game performance are not allowed, as this would be xray.

[[red]Moderate_]

Thank you, my beyond potatoes might run 40 fps. Also, after you put the autoexec file in the cfg folder can you take it out and run the game normally again

To make it run normally again, you would just edit it using notepad or a similar program and delete absolutely everything in there, as there all commands that i added, then the changes made by that config will be removed, making it run normally again.

[MiniMe]

Thank you, my beyond potatoes might run 40 fps. Also, after you put the autoexec file in the cfg folder can you take it out and run the game normally again

To make it run normally again, you would just edit it using notepad or a similar program and delete absolutely everything in there, as there all commands that i added, then the changes made by that config will be removed, making it run normally again.

So I would be able to just delete the autoexec just like deleting all the text

[[red]Moderate_]

Thank you, my beyond potatoes might run 40 fps. Also, after you put the autoexec file in the cfg folder can you take it out and run the game normally again

To make it run normally again, you would just edit it using notepad or a similar program and delete absolutely everything in there, as there all commands that i added, then the changes made by that config will be removed, making it run normally again.

So I would be able to just delete the autoexec just like deleting all the text

forget what i said before, you can just flat out delete it and it'll go back to normal

[Rhapsody]

Code:

fps_max 1000
cl_threaded_bone_setup 1
cl_threaded_client_leaf_system 1
r_threaded_client_shadow_manager 1
r_threaded_particles 1
r_threaded_renderables 1
r_queued_ropes 1
mat_queue_mode -1
studio_queue_mode 1
gmod_mcore_test 1

Add these to your autoexec.cfg or another file (I have one called multicore.cfg, I type exec multicore to run it after I join the server). This enables experimental multicore rendering, which improves performance by a very considerable margin. The downside is that it's just that; experimental. I don't really crash that often but I think those times I do can be attributed to this.

[MiniMe]

Awesome