FPS Calculator – Frames Per Second, Feet Per Second and Foot–Pound–Second Explained
“FPS” is used in several different contexts. In gaming and graphics it usually means frames per second. In ballistics and sports it often means feet per second. In classical engineering it may refer to the foot–pound–second (FPS) unit system. This calculator brings all three meanings together on one page.
Each tab focuses on one interpretation but shares the same design: clear inputs, precise numeric results and a short summary that explains what the values mean in practice.
1. Frames Per Second (Gaming & Graphics)
In graphics, frames per second (FPS) tells you how many images are rendered every second. It is the reciprocal of frame time:
Higher FPS (lower frame time) usually means smoother gameplay and more responsive controls. For example, 60 FPS corresponds to about 16.67 ms per frame, while 144 FPS corresponds to roughly 6.94 ms per frame.
The Frames Per Second tab lets you:
- Convert a given FPS value to its equivalent frame time in milliseconds.
- Convert a frame time in milliseconds back to FPS.
- Paste a list of FPS samples from benchmarks and compute average, minimum, maximum, 1% low and 0.1% low FPS.
1% low and 0.1% low metrics are popular in performance reviews because they help quantify worst-case stutters instead of focusing only on averages.
2. Feet Per Second (Speed Conversion)
Feet per second (ft/s or fps) is a speed unit used in ballistics, engineering, sports timing and safety calculations. Converting between different speed units is often necessary when working with mixed data sources.
The Feet Per Second tab uses meters per second (m/s) as an internal base unit and supports:
- Feet per second (ft/s)
- Meters per second (m/s)
- Miles per hour (mph)
- Kilometers per hour (km/h)
- Knots (nautical miles per hour)
- Feet per minute (ft/min)
You select a value and its original unit, choose a target unit and click convert. The calculator returns the converted value, shows the speed in m/s and builds a small conversion table so you can see equivalent values in all supported units at a glance.
3. Foot–Pound–Second Engineering Unit System
The foot–pound–second (FPS) system is a traditional English engineering unit system. Instead of kilograms, newtons and joules, it uses units such as slugs, pound-force and foot-pounds. Many older references, textbooks and design documents still use these units.
The Foot–Pound–Second tab converts:
- Mass: slugs → kilograms (kg)
- Force: pound-force (lbf) → newtons (N)
- Energy: foot-pounds (ft⋅lb) → joules (J)
- Pressure: pounds per square inch (psi) → pascals (Pa) and kilopascals (kPa)
- Power: horsepower (hp) → watts (W)
This makes it easier to translate legacy calculations into modern SI-based workflows without manually looking up conversion factors every time.
How to Use the FPS Calculator
- Choose the tab that matches your context: Frames Per Second for graphics, Feet Per Second for speed, or Foot–Pound–Second for engineering units.
- Enter the relevant input values. For the FPS graphics tab, you can fill in FPS, frame time or a benchmark list. For speed, choose from/to units. For unit conversions, type in the FPS-system quantities.
- Click the calculate button on that tab to update the results cards and any summary text.
- Read the human-friendly summary for a quick interpretation and use the numeric results wherever you need them in reports, homework or engineering calculations.
- Adjust inputs to explore “what-if” scenarios – for example, what frame time corresponds to 120 FPS or how many mph a projectile traveling at 800 ft/s represents.
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FPS Calculator FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about frames per second, feet per second and the foot–pound–second unit system, and how to interpret the calculator outputs.
For many casual games, a stable 60 FPS (about 16.67 ms per frame) is considered very comfortable. Competitive players often prefer higher frame rates such as 120, 144 or even 240 FPS for smoother motion and lower input latency. Ultimately, “good” FPS depends on the game, monitor refresh rate and personal preference, but the calculator makes it easy to see what frame times correspond to your target FPS.
While average FPS summarizes overall performance, it can hide short stutters. The 1% low FPS is the threshold below which only the slowest 1% of frames fall, and 0.1% low FPS focuses on the very worst outliers. Higher 1% and 0.1% lows mean fewer noticeable dips and a more consistent experience, even if the average FPS is the same. The FPS Calculator computes these values from your sample list automatically.
Feet per second is often used in physics problems and ballistics, while miles per hour is familiar from everyday driving. Roughly speaking, 1 ft/s is about 0.6818 mph. The speed tab handles this conversion for you and also shows equivalents in meters per second and kilometers per hour, so you can choose whichever unit feels most intuitive for your application.
In the foot–pound–second system, the pound is primarily a unit of force (pound-force, lbf). To keep Newton’s second law in a convenient form, engineers introduce the slug as the mass unit. One slug is the mass that accelerates by 1 ft/s² when acted on by a force of 1 lbf. The calculator converts slugs to kilograms so you can relate FPS-based calculations to SI-based ones directly.
Yes. You can use it to double-check conversions, frame time calculations and unit translations. For assignments, you should still show your own work and formulas, but the calculator is a helpful way to verify numeric results and explore how sensitive they are to changes in FPS, speed or units.