Buying a new GPU or CPU is exciting — but it's not always necessary. Your PC might be leaving significant performance on the table because of bloated software, wrong settings, and Windows defaults that were never built with gaming in mind. Let's fix that.
What to Expect
Depending on how un-tuned your system is, these 10 steps can yield anywhere from 10–40% more FPS and noticeably snappier input response — with zero dollars spent.
Update (or Clean-Install) Your GPU Drivers +5–15 FPS
Outdated or corrupted GPU drivers are one of the top causes of stutters, crashes, and lost performance. Driver updates often include game-specific optimizations.
- NVIDIA: Use nvidia.com/drivers or GeForce Experience. Choose "Custom Install" → check "Perform clean install."
- AMD: Use AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition. Uninstall old drivers with DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) in Safe Mode first for best results.
- Intel Arc: Update via Intel Arc Control or Device Manager.
Enable High Performance Power Plan +3–8 FPS + lower latency
Windows defaults to "Balanced" power mode, which throttles your CPU and GPU to save electricity — even in the middle of a gunfight. Switch to High Performance.
- Press Win + R → type
powercfg.cpl→ Enter - Click "Show additional plans" → select High Performance
- For NVIDIA GPUs: also open NVIDIA Control Panel → Manage 3D Settings → Power Management Mode → Prefer Maximum Performance
Laptop Users
High Performance on laptops drains battery fast and increases temps. Use it only while plugged in and gaming.
Disable Xbox Game Bar & Background Recording +2–10 FPS
Xbox Game Bar runs constantly in the background, eating RAM and CPU. Background recording (formerly DVR) can silently record your gameplay, tanking performance.
- Win + I → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar → toggle Off
- Win + I → Gaming → Captures → toggle "Record in the background while I'm playing a game" Off
- Optional: Disable Game Mode entirely (same menu) if you're also streaming via OBS
Audit & Disable Startup Programs Faster boot + freed RAM
Every program that launches at startup eats RAM and CPU cycles before you even open a game. Most are unnecessary.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Startup apps tab
- Sort by "Startup impact" → right-click and Disable anything not essential
- Safe to disable: chat apps (Discord auto-starts anyway), creative software, update helpers, manufacturer bloatware
- Keep: antivirus, audio drivers, GPU software if needed
Set Your Game to High Priority in Task Manager Reduced stutters
Windows assigns equal CPU priority to your game and background tasks. Bumping your game to "High" tells Windows to give it CPU time first.
- Launch your game, then open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
- Details tab → find your game's .exe → right-click → Set Priority → High
- Do NOT set to "Realtime" — this can freeze your entire system
- Note: Must be set each session unless you use a tool like Process Lasso to make it permanent
Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) Lower latency
HAGS lets your GPU manage its own video memory scheduling rather than the CPU doing it. On modern GPUs (NVIDIA 10-series+, AMD 5000+) with Windows 11, this reduces input lag and can improve frame times.
- Win + I → System → Display → Graphics → Change default graphics settings
- Toggle Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling On
- Restart your PC after enabling
Pair HAGS with NVIDIA Reflex or AMD Anti-Lag
These in-game latency reduction tools work best when HAGS is enabled. Look for "NVIDIA Reflex" in your game's video settings and enable it alongside "Boost."
Clean Junk Files & Check Drive Health Smoother loading
A cluttered drive — especially an SSD near capacity — causes stuttering and slow load times. Windows also accumulates gigabytes of temp files over time.
- Press Win + R → type
cleanmgr→ Run as administrator → check all boxes including "Windows Update Cleanup" - Also delete:
%temp%andC:\Windows\Temp(select all, delete, skip locked files) - Keep SSDs below 80% full for optimal write speeds
- Defrag HDDs via Defragment and Optimize Drives; never defrag SSDs
- Check SSD health with CrystalDiskInfo (free) — look for "Good" status
Disable Windows Visual Effects Freed GPU/CPU resources
Transparency effects, animations, and shadows look nice but eat GPU cycles that could be rendering game frames.
- Search "Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows" → click result
- Select "Adjust for best performance" or manually uncheck: animations, transparency, shadows, fade effects
- Keep checked: "Smooth edges of screen fonts" (text readability)
- Also: Win + I → Accessibility → Visual Effects → turn off Transparency effects and Animation effects
Tune Your In-Game Graphics Settings Intelligently +20–50 FPS
Not all graphics settings are created equal. Some cost massive GPU performance for minimal visual payoff. Identify and disable the bad value ones.
- High cost, low visible benefit — turn these DOWN first: Motion blur, film grain, depth of field, ambient occlusion (drop to SSAO or off), ray tracing (unless you have an RTX 4000+)
- High visual benefit, moderate cost — keep these UP: Texture quality, anti-aliasing (use TAA or DLSS/FSR instead of MSAA)
- Use DLSS (NVIDIA) / FSR (AMD/all) / XeSS (Intel): Upscaling gives back 30–80% performance at minimal quality cost. Set to "Quality" or "Balanced" mode.
- Shadow distance: Reduce to Medium. Shadows are one of the most expensive settings per FPS.
Configure Windows for Low Input Latency Snappier feel
Input lag — the delay between mouse movement and on-screen response — is often a Windows configuration issue, not hardware.
- Disable Mouse Acceleration: Win + I → Bluetooth & devices → Mouse → Additional mouse settings → Pointer Options → uncheck "Enhance pointer precision"
- Enable Raw Input in-game: Most competitive games (Valorant, CS2, Fortnite) have a "Raw Input" or "Raw Mouse Input" toggle — always enable it
- Disable VSync (unless you have tearing): VSync adds 1–2 frames of latency. Use G-Sync or FreeSync instead
- Cap FPS just above your refresh rate: e.g., 144Hz monitor → cap at 150 FPS. Eliminates VSync latency while preventing GPU overwork
- Set monitor to its maximum refresh rate: Win + I → System → Display → Advanced display → Choose refresh rate
Get All 10 Done in One Session
Our certified techs apply these optimizations remotely for you — plus catch hardware-specific tweaks that generic guides miss. Starting at just $49, it's faster and more thorough than doing it yourself.