If your games are stuttering or not running as smoothly as you’d like, learning how to optimise pc for gaming can make a world of difference. You don’t always need the latest hardware to get a better experience; often, it’s about adjusting what you already have.
This guide will walk you through a complete set of steps, from simple Windows tweaks to more advanced hardware considerations. We’ll cover settings you can change today for free and some upgrades to think about for the future. The goal is to help you get the highest frame rates and smoothest gameplay possible from your current setup.
How To Optimise PC For Gaming
Optimizing your PC is a process. It’s best to start with software and settings before moving to hardware. Follow these sections in order for the best results. Remember to restart your PC after making several changes to see the full effect.
1. Windows Operating System Tweaks
Windows 10 and 11 come with many features that are great for general use but can slow down games. Let’s turn off the ones you don’t need.
Adjust Your Power Plan
Make sure your PC is set for maximum performance, not battery saving. Even on desktops, this is crucial.
- Open the Start Menu and type “Choose a power plan.”
- Select it. In the window that opens, expand the “Show additional plans” section.
- Choose “High performance.” If you don’t see it, click “Create a power plan” on the left and make one.
Disable Startup Programs
Programs that launch with Windows slow down your boot and use background resources.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click the “Startup” tab.
- Right-click on any program you don’t need immediately at startup and select “Disable.” Be careful not to disable your antivirus or driver software.
Turn Off Visual Effects
Fancy animations look nice but steal cycles from your games.
- Search for “View advanced system settings” and open it.
- Under the “Advanced” tab, in the Performance section, click “Settings.”
- Select “Adjust for best performance” or manually turn off effects like animations and shadows.
Configure Game Mode
Windows Game Mode is designed to help. It should be on by default, but let’s check.
- Open Windows Settings (Windows key + I).
- Go to “Gaming” > “Game Mode.”
- Ensure it is turned “On.” Its job is to prioritize your game’s resources.
2. Graphics Driver and Settings
Your graphics card drivers are the link between your games and your hardware. Keeping them updated and configured correctly is maybe the most important step.
Update Your Graphics Drivers
Always get drivers from the official website: NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.
- For NVIDIA: Use the GeForce Experience app or visit the NVIDIA driver site.
- For AMD: Use the Adrenalin Software or visit AMD’s support site.
- Perform a “Clean install” option when updating if you’re having issues—it removes old settings.
Optimize NVIDIA Control Panel Settings
Right-click your desktop and open “NVIDIA Control Panel.” Under “Manage 3D settings”:
- Image Scaling: Off (DLSS/FSR is better if supported).
- Ambient Occlusion: Off.
- Anisotropic filtering: Application-controlled or 16x.
- Antialiasing – FXAA: Off.
- Background Application Max Frame Rate: Off.
- Low Latency Mode: On or Ultra (great for competitive games).
- Power management mode: Prefer maximum performance.
- Texture filtering – Quality: High performance.
- Vertical sync: Off (use in-game or monitor’s VRR/G-Sync instead).
- Threaded optimization: On.
Optimize AMD Adrenalin Settings
Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition. Go to the “Gaming” tab and adjust global settings:
- Radeon Anti-Lag: On (reduces input lag).
- Radeon Boost: Off or situationally on.
- Image Sharpening: Personal preference, often 70-80% looks good.
- Anisotropic Filtering: Use application settings.
- Wait for Vertical Refresh: Always off unless application specifies.
- Graphics Profile: Set to “Esports” for competitive or “Standard.”
3. In-Game Settings For Maximum FPS
Every game has a graphics menu. Here’s what to lower first when you need more frames per second (FPS).
- Resolution: Your monitor’s native resolution is best. Lowering it is a last resort as it makes things blurry.
- Refresh Rate: Make sure this matches your monitor’s max refresh rate (e.g., 144Hz, 240Hz).
- V-Sync: Turn OFF here if you have a G-Sync/FreeSync monitor. Otherwise, use it to prevent screen tearing.
- Shadow Quality: Set this to Medium or Low. Shadows are very demanding.
- Texture Quality: Can often be set to High or Ultra if you have enough VRAM (video memory).
- Anti-Aliasing (AA): Try FXAA or SMAA first. MSAA and SSAA are very heavy.
- Post-Processing: Effects like Motion Blur, Depth of Field, and Bloom. Turn these off for clarity and performance.
- View/Draw Distance: Lower this in open-world games for a good FPS boost.
- Volumetric Fog/Clouds: These are often performance hogs. Set to Medium or Low.
Use built-in benchmarks or an FPS counter (like Steam’s or from your GPU software) to test the impact of each change.
4. Essential Software and Background Tasks
What’s running in the background can ruin your game’s performance.
Use a Gaming-Focused Optimization Tool
Tools like Razer Cortex or MSI Afterburner can help. They temporarily shut down unnecessary processes and free up RAM when you launch a game. They are not magic, but they can give you a small, consistent boost.
Monitor Your Temperatures
Overheating causes throttling (slowing down). Use HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner to check your CPU and GPU temperatures while gaming. Ideally:
- CPU should stay below 85°C.
- GPU should stay below 85°C.
- If temps are higher, you may need to clean dust from your fans or improve case airflow.
Close Everything Before Gaming
Web browsers, especially Chrome, are huge memory and CPU users. Close all tabs and applications you aren’t using. Also, check for background updaters like OneDrive, Adobe, or game launchers (Steam, Epic) that you aren’t using.
5. Hardware Upgrades and Maintenance
If you’ve done all the software tweaks and still want more performance, it’s time to look at your hardware.
Upgrade Your Graphics Card (GPU)
This is usually the most impactful upgrade for gaming. Make sure your power supply can handle a new card and that it fits in your case. Check for bottlenecks—a very old CPU might hold back a powerful new GPU.
Add More RAM
16GB is the sweet spot for modern gaming. If you only have 8GB, upgrading to 16GB is a cheap and effective upgrade. For very high-end systems or heavy multitasking, 32GB is becoming more common. Ensure you buy RAM that matches your motherboard’s speed (e.g., DDR4 or DDR5).
Install Your Games on an SSD
Replacing an old hard drive (HDD) with a solid-state drive (SSD) is a massive quality-of-life improvement. It drastically reduces game loading times and can help with texture streaming in open-world games. An NVMe SSD is faster than a SATA SSD.
Keep Your PC Clean
Dust is an insulator. It traps heat and makes your fans work harder. Every few months, power off your PC, open the case, and use a can of compressed air to gently blow dust out of heatsinks, fans, and filters. This simple act can lower temperatures significantly.
6. Advanced Tweaks and Considerations
These steps are for users who are comfortable with more technical changes.
Overclocking Your GPU and CPU
Overclocking pushes your hardware beyond its factory speed. It can give free performance but generates more heat.
- GPU: Use MSI Afterburner. Increase the “Core Clock” and “Memory Clock” in small increments (e.g., +25 MHz). Test for stability with a benchmark after each change.
- CPU: Done in your motherboard’s BIOS. It’s more complex and requires good cooling. Do your research first.
Always monitor temperatures and stability. If your game crashes, you’ve pushed too far.
Adjust BIOS Settings for Performance
Enter your BIOS by pressing Delete or F2 during startup. Key settings to check:
- XMP/DOCP: This is crucial. Enable this profile to make your RAM run at its advertised speed. Otherwise, it runs much slower.
- Resizable BAR (Smart Access Memory): For newer AMD and NVIDIA systems, this can boost performance in some games. Enable it if you see the option.
Perform a Clean Windows Installation
If your system is old and bogged down with software, a fresh Windows install can feel like a new PC. Back up all your important files first. Use Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool to make a USB installer. This gives you a completely clean slate with no background junk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How can I optimize my PC for gaming for free?
You can optimize for free by adjusting Windows power settings, disabling startup programs, updating graphics drivers, and tweaking in-game graphics settings. These software changes cost nothing and can provide a big improvement.
What is the best way to optimize my gaming PC?
The best way is a methodical approach: start with Windows and driver optimizations, then adjust in-game settings, manage background software, and finally consider hardware upgrades if needed. Regular maintenance like cleaning dust is also key.
Does optimizing your PC for gaming really help?
Yes, absolutely. Optimization can turn an unplayable, stuttering game into a smooth experience. It can also increase your FPS, reduce input lag for more responsive controls, and make your system more stable overall. Even high-end PCs benefit from proper configuration.
What should I upgrade first for gaming?
The graphics card (GPU) is almost always the first upgrade for better gaming performance. After that, consider adding more RAM (if you have less than 16GB) or moving your games from a hard drive to an SSD for faster load times.
How often should I update my GPU drivers?
It’s a good idea to check for updates once a month, or whenever a new major game you want to play is released. New drivers often include optimizations for the latest titles. You don’t need to update with every single release unless it fixes a problem you’re having.
By following this guide, you should see a noticeable improvement in your PC’s gaming performance. Remember, optimization is an ongoing process—new drivers and Windows updates come out regularly, so it’s good to revisit your settings every so often. Start with the simple steps, like the power plan and driver update, and work your way through the list. With a little time and effort, you can get the most out of your gaming rig and enjoy smoother, more immersive gameplay.