Severe framerate drop.

So I've finally decided to go to the forums for this, as I've been scouring for days & have found nothing on the issue.
I have a pretty high end laptop that runs FFXIV smoothly, always at 60fps & never had an issue before, save the occasional background program that'll stop my game until I close said program.
I recently installed GeForce Experience to run another game, as it wouldn't run without it. Ever since doing so, I've had nothing but framerate issues in FFXIV alone. It'll drop down below 10 frames & gameplay is unbearable in this state.
I uninstalled GeForce Experience & all that came with it, but this hasn't helped the issue. I uninstalled FFXIV itself & reinstalled it, but it's still suffering the same issue.
I've tried changing the settings of the game itself to run as low as possible, but still no difference. The only way I can get it to stop is by ALT + TAB out of the game, returning to it, only for the same thing to happen about 10 seconds later.
I've made sure that no background processes that could hinder the game are running & I don't have any viruses that could be breaking it down either.
I'm also running DirectX 12, so there shouldn't be an issue there.

Sorry if this seems kind of dumb to ask, but it's really messing up my experience. I'm not that well versed in the specs of computers, but I know how to give the information if required.

Thank you. c:

Hello Xlth, Thank you for posting on the Final Fantasy XIV Technical Support Forums

Please try the following suggestions:

- Switch to DirectX 9 mode (select ‘Config’ from the launcher)
- Update/reinstall Graphics card drivers
- Disable all programs/overlays running in the background
- Perform a clean boot*
- Set compatibility mode to Windows 7/8**
- Make sure that any anti-virus software they have has the appropriate exceptions
- Install game on C drive (The same drive as the Operating System)

*To perform a clean boot for Windows 8/10: Open the task manager and select the 'Start up' Tab. Disable everything here and restart the PC. For Windows 7: Click Start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press Enter to start the System Configuration utility. On the General tab, click the Selective startup option, and then click to clear the Load startup items check box. On the Services tab, click to select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then click Disable all. For Mac: Restart the Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key. The Apple logo appears on your display. Release the Shift key when you see the login window.

**To change compatibility mode, right click on the exe file (Default location: C:\Program Files (x86)\SquareEnix\Final Fantasy XIV - A Realm Reborn\boot\ffxivboot.exe), right click it and select ‘Properties.’ Select the ‘Compatibility’ tab and select an earlier version of Windows (most likely 8 or 7).

Hope to be of assistance.

Hi! Thanks for getting back to me. :)
I tried some of the solutions given & running the game in DirectX 9 mode seems to stop a lot of the issues. However, when I try to ALT + TAB out of the game & return to it, I'm given a long black screen, that can last up to 30 seconds. The game is running, as I can hear the audio & even move my character around.
I've read in places that it could be a refresh rate or resolution issue, but I've played around with both & neither seem to improve the problem. Running the game in borderless windowed doesn't help either.

Thank you for the update Xlth.

With DirectX 9 mode, you don't have issues with the frame rate, you only have issues with using ALT+TAB right? Have you run into any other issues?

Can you submit a Final Fantasy XIV system report? Simply go to the 'Config' option on the Final Fantasy XIV launcher and to the right of 'System Information' click on 'Display.'

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

Xlth,

Make sure that the GeForce Experience Overlay is disabled as well. This has been a huge source of weirdness for me in FFXIV.

1) From the GeForce Experience app, click the Settings icon on the top right corner:
2) From the General panel, toggle the SHARE setting to off (Should be directly below 'Language', which is below 'About')