How to optimize your PC for gaming
Last updated 30 October 2026.
You can raise FPS on the PC you already own without buying new parts. Here's how to optimize your PC for gaming with eight free changes that take about 30 minutes on Windows 10 or 11. The steps are in order from most effective to least effective. Create a restore point first so you can undo them in one go.
- Update your graphics driver
- Stop startup and background apps
- Set the power plan to High performance
- Turn on Windows Game Mode
- Turn on hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling
- Make games use your graphics card
- Check your monitor's refresh rate
- Set each game's graphics settings
Faster memory comes after the free steps. Overclocking is left to Hypertune. Both sit under Advanced.
At a glance
- Time: about 30 minutes, plus one restart.
- Cost: free. Everything here is built into Windows or your graphics driver.
- You need: Windows 10 or 11, and an administrator account.
- To undo: the restore point from Before you start puts these Windows changes back in one go.
Before you start
Measure first so you know what changed. Press Windows + G to open Game Bar, open the Performance widget, and note your FPS in the same spot in a game you play often. Do the same after step 8.
Close your games, then create a restore point.
Search the Start menu for Create a restore point and open it. On the System Protection tab, select Create, name it "Before gaming tweaks" and select Create again. If Create is grayed out, system protection is off: select Configure, choose Turn on system protection, then Apply. To go back later, use System Restore.
1. Update your graphics driver
New drivers fix performance problems in recent games. Start here before you touch Windows settings. Update graphics drivers with the app from your card's maker.
- NVIDIA: open the NVIDIA App, go to the Drivers tab, and install the latest Game Ready driver.
- AMD: open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, go to System (or type "System" in the app's search box), and install any update listed under Manage Updates.
- Intel Arc: download and run Intel Driver & Support Assistant, which finds and installs the latest Intel graphics driver.
How to tell it worked: the driver version in the app matches the latest on the maker's site.
2. Stop startup and background apps
Apps that start with Windows keep using memory and processor time while you play.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager (Windows 11 and Windows 10). Select Startup apps (on Windows 10 the tab is called Startup), then right-click anything you don't need the moment Windows starts (chat apps, launchers you rarely use, updaters) and select Disable. On Windows 11 you can also type Task Manager into the Start search, or use Settings > Apps > Startup.
- Before a gaming session, close browser tabs, video calls and file syncing.
Keep your antivirus and your graphics driver app running.
3. Set the power plan to High performance
On Windows 11, type Choose a Power Plan into the Windows search bar and open it, then select High performance. On Windows 10, select the battery icon on the taskbar and drag the slider to Best performance. That slider is not on every Windows 10 PC.
If you can't change the power mode, a custom power plan may be selected. Open Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options, select Balanced, then try again.
This uses more power and can make the fans louder. Switch back when you are not gaming if that matters to you.
4. Turn on Windows Game Mode
Go to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and make sure it is on. It is on by default, so this step is usually a check.
Windows Game Mode optimizes your PC for gaming by prioritizing system resources and reducing background activity while a game is running.
5. Turn on hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling
Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics, then open Advanced graphics settings (on some Windows 11 PCs this is Change default graphics settings). Turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, then restart.
On Windows 10, go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics settings. Turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, then restart. If you can't find the switch, your graphics card or driver doesn't support it. If a game stutters afterwards, turn it off again. Test it for yourself.
6. Make games use your graphics card
If your PC has both a built-in and a separate graphics card, Windows can pick the weaker one. Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Games are usually listed there already. Find the game you play, select it, and set GPU preference to High performance so Windows uses your dedicated GPU. On Windows 10 the page is called Graphics settings.
7. Check your monitor's refresh rate
A high-refresh-rate monitor is not always set to its highest rate. To change the refresh rate in Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and pick the highest value next to Choose a refresh rate. On Windows 10, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings and pick it under Refresh rate.
If Dynamic refresh rate is on and a game seems capped, turn it off. It can limit games that are not built for a variable refresh rate. Plug the monitor into the graphics card, not the motherboard, and use DisplayPort or the cable that came with the monitor.
8. Set each game's graphics settings
In each game, set the display mode to fullscreen and the resolution to your monitor's native one. Then lower the settings that cost the most frames first: shadows, volumetric effects and anti-aliasing.
We do not recommend turning on upscalers (NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, Intel XeSS) in competitive or esports games. They can add input delay, which slows your actions to the server, and most competitive games are easy to run without them. In single-player or casual games they are a good way to gain frames.
What to change first, by type of game:
| Type of game | Games | What to change first |
|---|---|---|
| Fast arena shooters | Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, Valorant, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals, Overwatch, The Finals | Aim for a frame rate at or above your monitor's refresh rate (step 7). Set shadows and effects low, leave upscalers off, and turn on NVIDIA Reflex where the game offers it. |
| Large-map shooters | Call of Duty: Warzone, Rust, Escape from Tarkov | Big maps lean on your processor and memory as well as your graphics card. Close background apps (step 2), check memory use while you play (see Does more RAM increase FPS?), and lower view distance and shadows. |
| Single-player or casual | Story games and offline titles | DLSS, FSR or XeSS can raise FPS with an acceptable trade-off on input delay. |
Our game pages list the exact settings for each game.
Then note your FPS again, in the same spot you used before you started.
How to optimize Windows 11 for gaming
Steps 2 to 7 are the Windows side of PC gaming optimization: startup apps, High performance power plan, Game Mode, hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, the graphics preference for each game, and your monitor's refresh rate. Update your graphics driver first (step 1). The same steps optimize Windows 10 for gaming: each step above names the Windows 10 path where it differs.
How to optimize a laptop for gaming
Plug the laptop in before you start. On battery, many laptops limit the processor and the graphics card, so step 3 does little until you are plugged in. A thin laptop also has less room to cool itself. If the fans are already loud, or the frame rate falls after a few minutes of play, skip Advanced and stay with the eight steps. Steps 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8 still apply on battery.
Advanced (optional)
Do these only after the eight steps, and only if you still want more.
Online games. Use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi, and pause downloads and cloud syncing while you play.
Storage and heat. Install games on an SSD rather than a hard drive. If FPS drops after a few minutes of play, the PC may be too hot. Clean dust from the fans and filters, and check that air can flow through the case.
Faster memory (XMP or EXPO). Most RAM runs slower than its rated speed until you turn on its profile in the BIOS. Follow the guide for Intel and most boards (XMP) or for AMD (EXPO). If the PC fails to start afterwards, clear the CMOS as the board's manual describes.
Overclocking. Do not raise your processor or graphics card above stock speed yourself. Manual overclocking can void warranties, needs cooling headroom, and can crash the PC if you push too far. Leave overclocking to Hypertune, below.
Where Hypertune fits
The eight steps above are free. Hypertune is a Windows app for the slower work: CPU Overclocking, GPU Overclocking, Windows Debloating, Network Optimizations, Memory Optimizations, and Game Hub.
Hypertune reads your CPU, GPU, memory and storage once, then applies only the features you turn on.
Hypertune is an Intel partner and an AMD partner, and supports NVIDIA graphics cards. On Intel processors, CPU tuning is built on Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility software development kit. On AMD processors, CPU tuning is built on AMD's Ryzen Master software development kit. Hypertune is COMPREADY's product, not an Intel or AMD product. GPU Overclocking works on NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards.
Game Hub changes in-game settings through each game's config files, and that is all it changes.
Hypertune creates a Windows restore point. To undo a change, open the Restore tab, select the most recent restore point, and select Restore.
Entirely anti-cheat safe. Read the safety page.
Users see up to 60% higher FPS.
See how Hypertune works. See pricing.
Questions
How much FPS will these steps add?
It depends on how the PC was set up. Work through the free steps in order: update the graphics driver, close startup apps, set the High performance power plan, check Game Mode, and lower the heaviest in-game settings. If the PC was already set up well, these make little difference, and the bigger gains come from faster memory settings and overclocking through Hypertune.
What does Game Mode do, and should it be on?
Windows Game Mode prioritizes system resources for the game and reduces background activity while you play. It also stops Windows Update from installing drivers and sending restart notifications during a session. Leave it on for most games. If one game stutters with it on, test that game with it off.
What is hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, and should I turn it on?
It hands most of the job of scheduling graphics work to a dedicated processor on your graphics card, instead of Windows doing that job on your CPU. It only appears if your card and driver support it. Try it and test it for yourself. Keep it if games run the same or smoother, and turn it off if one stutters.
What is XMP, and should I turn it on?
XMP (Intel) and EXPO (AMD) are profiles stored on your RAM. They run it at the speed it is rated for, instead of a slower default. They are usually safe to turn on, because the memory maker rated and tested the kit at those speeds. Rarely, a board and a kit don't run stably together. If that happens, the PC resets to safe settings, or you turn the profile off again.
Does more RAM increase FPS?
Only if your games are running out of memory. Open Task Manager while a game is running and check Performance > Memory. If it is close to full, more RAM helps. If not, turning on XMP or EXPO is the free thing to try first.
What does DLSS do?
In games that support it, DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS render the game at a lower resolution and upscale the image, so your graphics card does less work for each frame. The image can look slightly softer. Quality modes keep more detail than performance modes. Leave them off in competitive games because of added input delay; use them in single-player or casual games when you want more frames.