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If you are looking for tips to improve performance on gaming PCs, search no further. If a shiny $2,000 build fails to impress in AAA titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, and Elden Ring, it might feel like a waste of money.
Several settings tweak the power delivery to components. Some even undervolt and underclock your components for better system stability. However, these tweaks alter the performance of the components, which can make them look underwhelming to a layman.
So, let’s take a look at the best tips that can help you improve the maximum performance of your gaming PC.
A guide to getting the most potential from your gaming PC
1) Close background tasks
Closing unnecessary background tasks is one of the most important tips to improve performance on gaming PCs. Such processes scoop up available computing power, thereby limiting how much of it can be utilized by video games.
Windows' Task Manager can be used to close background apps. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open it up. Then, select the tasks that appear unnecessary and hit "End Task" to shut them down. This will free up CPU and memory usage. These resources can then be utilized by the game, thereby enhancing performance.
It's important to note that some processes are important for PC's optimal functioning, and hence users should only end those that they have performed a prior check upon.
2) Enable Windows' Game Mode
Windows has an in-built Game Mode. Turning it on can be considered one of the most important secret tips to making your gaming PC faster as many do not know its impact.
Game Mode increases power delivery to specific components and sends the OS to a less active state when it detects a video game is running. This improves performance levels by a solid margin.
3) Update graphics card drivers
Outdated graphics card drivers can cause sub-optimal performance in several video games. Newer drivers are optimized for the latest titles on the market. Thus, game-ready drivers are capable of delivering maximum performance in available titles.
With driver updates, manufacturers refine their technology to obtain more performance from the same video card. Thus, we consider keeping graphics card drivers updated as one of the most important tips to improve performance on gaming PCs.
4) Set your graphics card to maximum performance
Both Nvidia and AMD allow customized power delivery to graphics processors. On AMD devices, you can optimize your card to deliver maximum performance by opting for the "Esports" setting. On Nvidia cards, choosing "Prefer Maximum Performance" from within the Nvidia Control Panel will ensure it performs optimally.
We consider setting the card to maximum performance to be an important step in getting the biggest bang for your buck. This setting will allow the video cards to pull 100% of their rated TDP, thereby allowing them to perform at their best potential.
5) Optimize in-game settings
Checking the capability of your PC components is one of the primary steps to understand how far you can push them. This is because an aging GTX 1060 cannot run every modern game in the highest settings today. Thus, set the in-game options according to the capabilities of the hardware your PC packs.
Although surprising, dropping the in-game settings from Ultra to Very High improves framerates by a massive 90% margin in modern games. However, this performance improvement comes at a nominal cost of visual fidelity. Although the process involves hit-and-trial experimentation, spend some time finding the best settings for each game.
6) Reduce the monitor's resolution
Dropping your monitor's resolution can also be considered one of the most effective tips to improve performance on gaming PCs. Keep in mind that reducing resolution can hurt visual fidelity.
Thus, we recommend spending more time fine-tuning the graphics options, and consider tweaking the resolution only if you are out of options.
Alternatively, you can also switch to a panel that is rated for lower resolution. 1080p images on an FHD monitor look way crisper than on a UHD display. This small tip will help you in case you are out of options.
7) Overclock your hardware
Overclocking PC hardware can be considered one of the most advanced tips to improve performance on gaming PCs. As a word of caution, overclocking does have the potential to harm PC components. Double-check for sufficient cooling and power supply, and appropriate guides on the internet before pushing hardware to its limits.
Overclocking mostly involves tweaking some BIOS settings. However, users can benefit from tweaking graphics card's settings from a utility like MSI Afterburner. This will achieve a decent gain in performance while playing it safe.
This short video posted by Alienware Support on Twitter might also help in fine-tuning your PC for maximum performance.
These tips will help you boost your gaming PC's performance by a solid margin. They have been proven to work by several gamers and hardware enthusiasts in multiple forums and testimonials. Thus, we are confident in sharing them with the masses.
