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How to Fix Dropped Frames in DaVinci Resolve

Direct solutions for fixing dropped frames during playback and rendering in DaVinci Resolve.

Dropped frames in DaVinci Resolve are typically caused by slow storage drives, lack of proxy media, or rendering complex Fusion effects without a cache.

Here are the direct methods to fix dropped frames during playback in DaVinci Resolve.

How do you identify dropped frames?

If your playback stutters, you need to confirm if frames are actually dropping or if it's an audio sync issue.

To identify dropped frames:

  1. Look at the top left corner of the viewer window.
  2. Locate the FPS indicator (e.g., 24 fps).
  3. If the dot next to the FPS number turns red and the number drops below your timeline frame rate, DaVinci Resolve is dropping frames.

How do you fix dropped frames using proxies?

If you are editing 4K, 6K, or 8K footage, your computer may struggle to decode the large files in real-time, causing dropped frames.

To fix dropped frames using proxy media:

  1. Select all your heavy clips in the Media Pool.
  2. Right-click and select Generate Proxy Media.
  3. Wait for the generation to finish.
  4. Go to Playback > Proxy Handling and select Prefer Proxies. Resolve will now play lightweight versions of your clips, eliminating dropped frames.

How do you fix dropped frames caused by slow storage?

If you are playing high-bitrate video (like ProRes 4444 or Blackmagic RAW) from an old mechanical hard drive or a slow USB thumb drive, the data cannot reach your CPU fast enough.

To fix slow storage bottlenecks:

  1. Move your source video files and your DaVinci Resolve cache folder to an internal NVMe SSD or a high-speed external SSD (like a Samsung T7).
  2. Go to DaVinci Resolve > Preferences > System > Media Storage to update your cache and proxy locations to the faster drive.

How do you fix dropped frames on complex effects?

If playback drops frames only when the playhead passes over a specific color grade or Fusion effect, your GPU cannot process the math in real-time.

To fix dropped frames on complex effects:

  1. Go to the Playback menu at the top of the screen.
  2. Navigate to Render Cache and select Smart.
  3. Wait for the red line above the complex clip on the timeline to turn blue. This indicates Resolve has pre-rendered the effect into a temporary video file, ensuring smooth playback.