Reduced frame rate can be caused by unoptimized code, glitches, or in-game settings that create a larger workload than your hardware can handle. When one component in the chain causes a bottleneck - for example, your CPU tells your GPU to render a large number of objects at once - your PC draws fewer frames per second.
Your graphics card, CPU, and RAM are all involved in the effort to create the geometry, textures, lighting, and effects that compose one of those frames. It all adds up to a less immersive experience, but what causes it? Frame rate, measured in frames per second (FPS), reports the number of times your graphical hardware redraws the screen every second. Your view starts looking like a slideshow, things get visibly choppy when you turn the camera fast, and swaying objects like hair or banners move less fluidly. Often, a game is running fine, then begins to stutter when your character enters a big city or complex environment.
Almost every player has encountered low frame rates.