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| Best Settings to Optimize Windows for Gaming |
Introduction
Are your games lagging, stuttering, or running at low FPS? Whether you’re playing Call of Duty, Fortnite, or Elden Ring, a poorly optimized Windows system can ruin your gaming experience.
Luckily, you don’t need expensive hardware upgrades—tweaking Windows settings can significantly boost gaming performance.
This guide covers the best settings to optimize Windows for gaming, helping you achieve higher FPS, lower latency, and smoother gameplay.
1. Enable Game Mode for Better Performance
Windows has a built-in Game Mode that prioritizes gaming performance by reducing background processes.
✅ How to Enable Game Mode:
- Press Win + I to open Settings.
- Go to Gaming > Game Mode.
- Turn ON Game Mode.
🔴 This helps reduce lag and improves FPS stability.
2. Disable Background Apps to Free Up RAM
Too many background apps consume CPU and memory, slowing down your games.
✅ How to Disable Background Apps (Windows 10 & 11):
- Press Win + I, then go to Apps > Apps & Features.
- Click on any unnecessary app and select Advanced options.
- Set Background App Permissions to Never.
✅ How to Stop Startup Apps:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on Startup and disable unnecessary apps.
🔴 Stopping unwanted apps frees up system resources for gaming.
3. Adjust Windows Visual Effects for Maximum FPS
Windows visual effects use GPU power, which can lower game performance.
✅ How to Adjust for Best Performance:
- Press Win + R, type
sysdm.cpl, and press Enter. - Go to Advanced > Performance Settings.
- Select Adjust for best performance.
- Click Apply > OK.
🔴 This removes fancy animations, making Windows faster for gaming.
4. Update Graphics Drivers for Maximum FPS
Outdated GPU drivers cause crashes, low FPS, and lag. Always keep them updated!
✅ How to Update GPU Drivers (Windows 10 & 11):
For NVIDIA GPUs:
- Open GeForce Experience and go to Drivers.
- Click Check for updates and install the latest version.
For AMD GPUs:
- Open AMD Radeon Software.
- Click Check for updates and install.
For Intel GPUs:
- Go to Intel’s website and download the latest driver.
🔴 New drivers improve game stability and FPS performance.
5. Change Power Plan to "High Performance"
Windows limits CPU and GPU power to save energy, reducing gaming performance.
✅ How to Enable High-Performance Mode:
- Press Win + R, type
powercfg.cpl, and press Enter. - Select High Performance or Ultimate Performance.
🔴 This ensures your PC runs at full speed during gaming.
6. Optimize Your Internet for Online Gaming
If you experience lag and high ping, optimize your network settings.
✅ Steps to Improve Internet for Gaming:
- Use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi.
- Disable Windows Update during gaming:
- Press Win + I > Windows Update > Pause Updates.
- Set DNS to Google DNS (8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4):
- Press Win + R, type
ncpa.cpl, and press Enter. - Right-click your network, select Properties, and choose IPv4.
- Enter Google DNS (8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4).
- Press Win + R, type
🔴 A better internet setup reduces lag in online multiplayer games.
7. Disable Xbox Game Bar & Other Overlays
Overlays consume CPU & GPU power, reducing gaming performance.
✅ How to Disable Xbox Game Bar (Windows 10 & 11):
- Press Win + I and go to Gaming > Xbox Game Bar.
- Turn OFF "Enable Xbox Game Bar".
✅ How to Disable NVIDIA/AMD Overlays:
- NVIDIA GeForce Experience: Open it, go to Settings, and turn off In-Game Overlay.
- AMD Radeon Software: Open it, go to Performance, and disable overlays.
🔴 Disabling overlays can free up system resources for better FPS.
8. Adjust In-Game Graphics Settings
Your game settings have the biggest impact on FPS.
✅ Best Graphics Settings for Higher FPS:
- Lower Resolution (1080p is best for most setups).
- Turn Off Anti-Aliasing (or set to Low).
- Reduce Shadows & Reflections.
- Disable Ray Tracing.
- Enable DLSS (For NVIDIA RTX Cards).
🔴 Tweaking in-game settings can significantly boost FPS.
9. Disable Windows Auto-Updates While Gaming
Windows updates consume CPU and bandwidth, causing FPS drops.
✅ How to Pause Windows Updates:
- Press Win + I to open Settings.
- Go to Windows Update > Pause Updates.
🔴 Pausing updates prevents interruptions during gaming.
10. Overclock Your GPU & CPU for Maximum Performance (Advanced Users Only)
If you want extra FPS, overclocking your GPU and CPU can help.
✅ How to Overclock Safely:
- Use MSI Afterburner for GPU overclocking.
- Use Intel XTU or AMD Ryzen Master for CPU overclocking.
🔴 Overclocking increases heat, so monitor temperatures with HWMonitor.
11. Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling
This Windows feature reduces input lag and improves FPS.
✅ How to Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling:
- Press Win + I, go to System > Display > Graphics Settings.
- Toggle Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling to ON.
- Restart your PC.
🔴 This setting helps reduce latency in high-performance games.
12. Clean Your PC & Remove Malware
Viruses and junk files slow down gaming performance.
✅ How to Clean Your PC:
- Run Windows Defender or Malwarebytes to check for viruses.
- Use CCleaner to delete unnecessary files.
🔴 Keeping your PC clean improves system speed and gaming performance.
13. Upgrade to an SSD for Faster Game Load Times
If your games take forever to load, upgrade to an SSD.
✅ Best SSDs for Gaming:
- Samsung 970 EVO NVMe SSD – Best for speed.
- WD Black SN850 – Best for performance.
- Crucial MX500 (SATA SSD) – Best budget option.
🔴 SSDs dramatically reduce loading times and improve performance.
Conclusion
Optimizing Windows for gaming is essential for achieving the best performance, higher FPS, and a smoother experience. By tweaking settings, disabling unnecessary apps, updating drivers, and using high-performance power modes, you can boost your gaming PC’s speed without expensive upgrades.
🚀 Try these optimizations today and experience next-level gaming performance!
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