30 ways to boost your PC’s performance for gaming

To boost your PC's performance for gaming, update the graphics driver, set Windows to its best performance power mode, run your monitor at its highest refresh rate, and match in-game settings to your hardware.

The 30 tips below cover Windows 11 settings (with Windows 10 paths where they differ), game settings, network fixes and the hardware changes that raise frame rates the most.

Quick tips to optimize gaming performance

Start at the top of this table. The first rows take seconds and cost nothing; the last rows need money or a screwdriver.

#	Tip	Where you do it
1	Turn on Game Mode	Settings > Gaming > Game Mode
2	Install Windows updates and optional driver updates	Settings > Windows Update
3	Install the latest graphics driver from your GPU maker	NVIDIA, AMD or Intel driver page or app
4	Set Power mode to Best performance	Settings > System > Power & battery
5	Keep a gaming laptop plugged in	Charger
6	Run your monitor at its highest refresh rate	Settings > System > Display > Advanced display
7	Turn on optimizations for windowed games	Settings > System > Display > Graphics
8	Set the game to the High performance GPU	Settings > System > Display > Graphics
9	Try hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling	Graphics settings page
10	Turn off background recording	Windows capture settings
11	Disable startup apps	Task Manager > Startup apps
12	Stop apps running in the background	Settings > Apps > Installed apps
13	Adjust visual effects for best performance	Performance Options
14	Turn off app notifications	Settings > System > Notifications
15	Close unused apps and restart before you play	Start > Power
16	Free up disk space with Storage Sense	Settings > System > Storage
17	Uninstall apps you no longer use	Settings > Apps > Installed apps
18	Optimize your drives	Defragment and Optimize Drives
19	Run a malware scan	Windows Security
20	Find heavy processes in Task Manager	Task Manager > Processes
21	Check the game's system requirements	Store page and dxdiag
22	Lower in-game graphics settings and use upscaling	Game's graphics menu
23	Verify the game's files	Steam or your launcher
24	Install games on an SSD	Launcher install location
25	Use a wired Ethernet connection	Router
26	Pause downloads and streams while you play	Launchers and other devices
27	Connect the monitor to the graphics card	Back of the PC
28	Enable the XMP memory profile	BIOS/UEFI
29	Clean dust and keep airflow clear	Case fans and vents
30	Upgrade the GPU, RAM or storage	Hardware

Turn on Game Mode in Windows for gaming

Tip 1. Game Mode tells Windows to prioritize the game you are playing. While a game runs, it stops Windows Update from installing drivers and sending restart notifications, and it helps keep the frame rate more stable depending on the game and your hardware.

1. Select Start, type Settings and open Settings.
2. Select Gaming, then Game Mode.
3. Turn the Game Mode switch On.

Game Mode is on by default, so this step usually confirms it rather than changes it. Whether to keep Game Mode on in 26H2 depends on what else you run while you play.

Update Windows and graphics drivers for better FPS

Tips 2 and 3. Updates are the essential system preparation before any other tweak. New games often need a recent graphics driver, and driver updates regularly include fixes for specific titles. Windows Update covers system fixes and some drivers; the GPU maker's own driver is usually newer.

1. Tip 2: Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
2. Select Advanced options > Optional updates and install any driver updates listed.
3. On Windows 10, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, select Check for updates, then View optional updates.
4. Tip 3: Find your graphics card name under Settings > System > Display > Advanced display > Display information.
5. Get the newest driver for that card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel. NVIDIA owners can use the NVIDIA App for automatic driver updates and pick Game Ready Drivers for day-one game support.
6. Check your PC or motherboard maker's support page for BIOS/UEFI and firmware updates, and install them only with the maker's own instructions.
7. Restart the PC after the driver installs.

Device Manager offers another way to update the graphics driver when the maker's app will not install.

Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so new game-ready fixes and security updates land on Windows 11. If you can, move to Windows 11 before you chase smaller tweaks.

Set power mode to best performance for gaming

Tips 4 and 5. The balanced power setting lowers clock speeds to save energy. Best performance lets the processor run faster for longer.

1. Tip 4: Open Settings > System > Power & battery.
2. Open the Power mode drop-down and select Best performance.
3. On Windows 10, open Settings > System > Power & sleep > Additional power settings, select Show additional plans if it appears, and choose High performance.
4. Tip 5: Plug a gaming laptop into its charger before you start a game.

Most gaming laptops cut GPU and CPU power on battery, so frame rates drop sharply when unplugged. On desktops where the classic plan is missing, you can add the High performance power plan back.

Set your monitor refresh rate to the highest value

Tip 6. A 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor often ships running at 60 Hz. If Windows runs it at 60 Hz, every game is capped at what the screen can show, no matter how many frames the GPU renders.

1. Open Settings > System > Display.
2. Select Advanced display (on Windows 10, Advanced display settings).
3. If you have more than one monitor, choose the gaming display first.
4. Open the list next to Choose a refresh rate (on Windows 10, Refresh rate) and pick the highest value.

On Windows 11, Dynamic refresh rate changes the rate automatically and needs a display that supports variable refresh rate and at least 120 Hz. If a game seems to run at a lower refresh rate with it on, turn Dynamic refresh rate off on the same page.

If the highest rate does not appear, the cable or port in use may not carry it. Use the cable that came with the monitor.

Windows graphics settings for gaming: windowed games, GPU preference and HAGS

Tips 7, 8 and 9 all live on the Graphics page in Settings. Optimizations for windowed games moves DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games in windowed and borderless windowed mode to a newer presentation model, which reduces frame latency and enables Auto HDR and variable refresh rate on supported displays.

1. Tip 7: Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
2. Under Default settings, turn on Optimizations for windowed games, then restart your game.
3. Tip 8: Under Custom options for apps, select your game and choose Options.
4. In Graphics preference, select High performance, then select Save and restart the game.
5. Tip 9: On the same Graphics settings page, look for the Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling switch and turn it on, then restart the PC.

The GPU choice in tip 8 appears only on PCs with more than one graphics processor, such as laptops with integrated and discrete graphics. High performance sends the game to the stronger GPU.

The hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling switch shows only when both the GPU and its driver support it. Microsoft introduced it as an opt-in setting and expects most people to notice no major change, so turn it back off if a game becomes less stable.

For GPU control panel tuning on NVIDIA cards, the NVIDIA App holds the graphics settings in one place: it can apply optimized in-game settings based on your GPU, CPU and display, override games to newer DLSS models, and turn on Smooth Motion on GeForce RTX 50 and 40 Series cards.

In competitive games that support it, turn on NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency in the game's graphics menu. It synchronizes rendering across the GPU and CPU to cut PC latency.

Turn off background recording in Game Bar captures

Tip 10. Background recording keeps capturing the last moments of gameplay so you can save a clip after the fact. That recording uses system resources the game could use instead.

1. Open Settings and go to the capture settings for games.
2. Find the background recording option, labelled Record what happened.
3. Turn it off.
4. If you want to keep it, lower the recorded video frame rate and quality on the same page instead.

System optimization techniques: startup apps, background apps and visual effects

Tips 11, 12 and 13. Every app that starts with Windows or runs in the background takes memory and processor time from your game.

1. Tip 11: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and select Startup apps.
2. Right-click each app you do not need at sign-in and select Disable.
3. Tip 12: Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select More options (…) next to an app, then Advanced options.
4. Under Background app permissions, set Let this app run in the background to Never. On Windows 10, use Settings > Privacy > Background apps instead.
5. Tip 13: Search Start for Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows and open it.
6. On the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance, then OK.

Leave your antivirus, audio software and the game launcher enabled at startup. Disable chat apps, updaters and cloud sync tools you can start by hand later.

Stop notifications and close apps before gaming

Tips 14 and 15. Pop-ups can pull a full-screen game out of focus, and apps left open from earlier keep using memory.

1. Tip 14: Open Settings > System > Notifications (on Windows 10, Notifications & actions).
2. Turn off notifications for apps you do not need while you play.
3. Tip 15: Close browsers, video editors and other heavy apps, including extra browser tabs.
4. Restart the PC from Start > Power > Restart before a long session if it has been on for days.

Free up disk space and optimize drives for gaming

Tips 16, 17 and 18. Games need free space for patches, shader caches and updates, and a nearly full drive slows down.

1. Tip 16: Open Settings > System > Storage and turn on Storage Sense, then select Run Storage Sense now.
2. Select Temporary files, check what you want gone and choose Remove files.
3. Tip 17: Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select More options (…) next to an unused app or game and choose Uninstall.
4. Tip 18: Search Start for Defragment and Optimize Drives and open it.
5. Select your game drive and choose Optimize.

For a deeper clean, search Start for Disk Cleanup, choose the drive and select the file types to delete.

Scan for malware and monitor resource usage in Task Manager

Tips 19 and 20. Malware such as crypto miners can take the GPU and processor for itself, and Task Manager shows exactly what is using your hardware.

1. Tip 19: Open Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.
2. Select Quick scan and remove anything it finds.
3. Tip 20: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open the Processes tab.
4. Sort by CPU, Memory or GPU and end apps you are not using with End task.
5. Open the Performance tab and select GPU to see its model and load.

Gaming-specific settings: requirements, graphics presets and game files

Tips 21 to 24 happen inside the game and its launcher, and they usually change frame rates more than any Windows setting.

1. Tip 21: Compare your PC with the game's minimum and recommended requirements on its store page. Press Windows logo key + R, type dxdiag and press Enter to see your graphics hardware and driver.
2. Tip 22: In the game's graphics menu, start with a lower preset and set the resolution to your monitor's native resolution.
3. Turn on the upscaler the game offers (NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR or Intel XeSS) in a quality mode before you lower the resolution.
4. Lower shadows, volumetric effects and ray tracing first; they cost the most frames for the least visible change.
5. Tip 23: In Steam, right-click the game in your Library, select Properties, open Installed Files and select Verify integrity of game files.
6. Tip 24: Install or move the game to an SSD from your launcher's install location setting.

Steam reports that one or more files may fail to verify; those are local configuration files and the message is normal. Do not run verification while a defragment or virus scan is running, or for several games at once.

Network optimization for online gaming

Tips 25 and 26. Network fixes do not raise FPS, but they cut lag, rubber-banding and disconnects in online games.

1. Tip 25: Connect the PC to the router with an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi.
2. If a cable is not possible, move the PC closer to the router or use its 5 GHz band.
3. Tip 26: Pause game downloads in Steam and other launchers before you join a match.
4. Stop large downloads, cloud backups and 4K streams on other devices sharing the same connection.

Hardware management: monitor connection, XMP memory and cooling

Tips 27, 28 and 29 cost nothing but need you at the back of the PC or in its firmware settings.

1. Tip 27: On a desktop with a graphics card, plug the monitor cable into the card's ports, not the motherboard's video outputs.
2. Tip 28: Restart the PC and open the BIOS/UEFI setup with the key your motherboard maker lists.
3. Find the memory profile setting and enable Intel XMP (AMD boards list their own memory profile option), then save and exit.
4. Tip 29: Shut down the PC and unplug it before you open the case.
5. Clean dust from the fans, vents and GPU heatsink with short bursts of compressed air.
6. Keep the case and laptop vents clear of walls, carpet and bedding while you play.

Ports on the motherboard use the processor's integrated graphics, so a monitor plugged in there ignores the graphics card you paid for.

XMP profiles hold preset speed, timing and voltage combinations tested by the memory maker. Without one, memory runs at standard speeds below what the kit is rated for. Intel lists the BIOS menu location per board maker on its XMP page.

Gaming PC upgrades that raise FPS the most

Tip 30. When the settings above are done and games still stutter, hardware is the limit. Check your current parts under Settings > System > About and in Task Manager's Performance tab first.

What you see	Upgrade	Why
GPU at full load, low FPS at every setting	Graphics card	The GPU decides resolution, detail and frame rate in most games
Memory near full in Task Manager, stutter when loading	RAM to 16 GB or more	16 GB is the common target for gaming
Long load times, texture pop-in, game on a hard drive	SSD	SSDs load game data far faster than HDDs
CPU at full load while the GPU sits idle	Processor	More cores and higher clocks help busy and strategy games
Laptop with integrated graphics only	External GPU through Thunderbolt, or a new PC	Integrated GPUs suit lighter games, not demanding ones

For gaming, put the GPU and RAM first. Check the motherboard, power supply and case size before you buy a new graphics card.

One-click PowerShell scripts for gaming performance

Two built-in commands repeat the power and drive tips from a terminal. Open Start, right-click Terminal and select Run as administrator before you run them.

1. Run powercfg /list to see every power scheme and its GUID. The active one has an asterisk.
2. Copy the GUID next to High performance and run powercfg /setactive <GUID> with that value.
3. Run powercfg /getactivescheme to confirm the switch.
4. On an SSD, run Optimize-Volume -DriveLetter C -ReTrim -Verbose, replacing C with your game drive letter.
5. On a hard drive, run Optimize-Volume -DriveLetter D -Defrag -Verbose instead, again with your own drive letter.

Add -Analyze in place of -ReTrim or -Defrag to report a drive's optimization state without changing anything. Save the lines in a .ps1 file if you want to run them together before a session.

Gaming PC maintenance schedule

Most of the tips above are one-time changes. These are the ones worth repeating.

How often	Task	Where
Before long sessions	Close heavy apps, pause downloads, plug in the laptop	Taskbar, launchers, charger
Weekly	Check Windows Update and the GPU driver	Settings > Windows Update, NVIDIA App or AMD/Intel software
Monthly	Run Storage Sense and remove unused games	Settings > System > Storage
Monthly	Review startup apps	Task Manager > Startup apps
Every 3 to 6 months	Clean dust from fans, vents and the GPU heatsink	Inside the case or laptop vents
After a new game or driver	Recheck FPS and GPU load in the same scene	FPS counter and Task Manager

How to check if your gaming performance improved

Measure before and after, in the same game and the same scene, so you can tell which tips helped.

1. Turn on an FPS counter for PC games and note the frame rate in a repeatable spot.
2. Apply a group of tips, restart the PC and return to the same spot.
3. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open Performance and check that the GPU graph is near full load while the game runs.
4. Confirm the refresh rate under Settings > System > Display > Advanced display shows the highest value.
5. Keep the changes that raised the frame rate or smoothed stutter, and undo any that made a game less stable.

Warnings before you tweak your gaming PC

Change	Risk	What to do
Enabling XMP	Memory runs beyond standard settings; some systems become unstable	If the PC crashes or will not boot, turn XMP off in BIOS
Overclocking or automatic GPU tuning	Higher clocks add heat and can crash games	Watch temperatures and GPU load while you play, and return to stock settings if games become unstable
Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling	Opt-in feature that some setups do not run well	Turn it off if games crash or stutter more
Opening the case	Static and live power can damage parts	Shut down, unplug and touch bare metal first
Disabling startup apps	Disabling security or audio software breaks features	Disable only apps you recognize
"PC booster" and "driver updater" tools	Many bundle unwanted software and change settings you cannot trace	Use Windows settings and the GPU maker's own driver instead
Best performance power mode	More heat, fan noise and battery drain	Switch back to balanced when you stop gaming

For safety, never turn off Windows Security or your antivirus to gain frames. A full scan on a schedule outside gaming hours does not affect play.

PC gaming performance FAQ

How do I make my computer better for gaming?

Update the graphics driver, set Power mode to Best performance, run the monitor at its highest refresh rate, and lower in-game settings that cost the most frames. If games still stutter after that, upgrade the GPU, add RAM to reach 16 GB or move games to an SSD.

What makes a computer good for gaming?

A strong graphics card matters most, followed by enough RAM, a fast processor and SSD storage. Microsoft recommends 16 GB of RAM or more for gaming, more cores and higher clock speeds for the CPU, and an SSD rather than a hard drive for faster loading.

Is my computer good for gaming?

Compare your parts with the game's minimum and recommended requirements on its store page. Check your processor and RAM under Settings > System > About, and run dxdiag to see the graphics card and driver. Matching the recommended list means the game runs well at medium to high settings.

What is important for a gaming PC?

The GPU and RAM come first for gaming, then the processor and storage. A discrete graphics card handles heavy games far better than integrated graphics, 16 GB of RAM is the usual target, and an SSD cuts load times. A good monitor with a high refresh rate shows the extra frames.

Why should I get a gaming PC?

A gaming PC runs games from several stores, including Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG and the Xbox PC app with PC Game Pass. You can upgrade parts one at a time as games get more demanding, and the same machine handles work, streaming and creative apps.

Why is PC gaming considered the best by many players?

PC gaming gives the widest choice of stores and subscriptions, support for both keyboard and mouse and controllers, and graphics settings you can tune to your hardware. Parts can be upgraded instead of replacing the whole system when new games demand more.

How do I get better at PC gaming?

Start with a steady frame rate and a monitor running at its full refresh rate, because smooth, low-latency input makes aiming and timing easier. Use a wired connection for online games, keep the same mouse sensitivity across sessions, and practise in the game's training or offline modes.

What are good computer gaming tips for beginners?

Keep Game Mode on, install the latest graphics driver, and start new games on the preset the game recommends for your hardware. Install games on an SSD, play laptops plugged in, and close browsers and other heavy apps before you launch a game.

Which gaming PC tweaks matter most

Do the graphics driver update, refresh rate check, Best performance power mode and in-game settings first, then work down the table only if games still stutter. Those four changes affect every frame the GPU renders, while startup, notification and disk tweaks give smaller gains. If the GPU is already at full load with sensible settings, the next real improvement is a hardware upgrade, not another Windows tweak.