There are many software optimizations that you can make use of on your Windows 10 desktop/laptop to optimize your gaming experience. These range from increasing Frames per Second, using Gaming Mode to hardware changes like replacing HDD with SDD. If you are an avid gamer, follow the methods in this guide to optimize Windows 10 for Gaming and maximize the performance of your machine.
How to Optimize Windows 10 for Gaming and Performance
After optimization, playing games like Fortnite, Red Dead Redemption, Call of Duty, GTA V, Minecraft, Fallout 3, and many more, would be even more engrossing for you and your friends. So, let us begin!
Method 1: Enable Game Mode
The most accessible optimization that you can carry out on Windows 10 is to turn Windows game mode on or off. Once Game Mode is enabled on Windows 10, background processes like Windows updates, notifications, etc., are halted. Disabling Game Mode will boost the Frames Per Second needed to play highly graphical games. Follow these steps to turn on Game Mode.
1. Uhlobo Imodi yemidlalo kwi Uphendlo lweWindows ibar.
2. Okulandelayo, cofa kwi Useto lweMowudi yoMdlalo that appear in the search results to launch it.
3. In the new window, turn the ukujonga phezulu to enable Game Mode, as shown below.
Method 2: Remove Nagle’s Algorithm
When Nagle’s algorithm is enabled, your computer internet connection sends lesser packets over the network. Thus, the algorithm helps increase the efficiency of TCP/IP networks, even though it comes at the cost of a smooth internet connection. Follow these steps to disable Nagle’s algorithm to optimize Windows 10 for gaming:
1. Kwi Uphendlo lweWindows bar, search for Umhleli weRegistry. Then, click on it to launch it.
2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate the following file path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpipParametersInterfaces
3. You will now see numbered folders within the ujongano folder. Click on the first folder from the left panel, as illustrated below.
4. Okulandelayo, cofa kabini kwi DhcpIPAddress, njengoko kubonisiwe ngasentla.
5. Replace the value written in Idatha yexabiso kunye idilesi yakho yeIP. Emva koko, cofa apha OK, njengoko kubonisiwe.
6. Then, right-click on any empty space in the right pane and select New > DWORD(32-bit) Value.
7. Name the new key TcpAckFrequency njengoko kuboniswe ngezantsi.
8. Double-click on the new key and edit the Idatha yexabiso ukuba 1.
9. Create another key by repeating amanyathelo 6-8 kwaye uyiqambe igama TCPNoDelay kunye Idatha yexabiso ukuba 1.
You have now successfully disabled the algorithm. Resultantly, gameplay will be better optimized on your computer.
Funda kwakhona: What is the Windows Registry & How it Works?
Method 3: Disable SysMain
SysMain, which was once called Superfetch, is a Windows feature that decreases the start-up times for Windows applications and Windows operating systems. Turning off this feature will reduce CPU usage and optimize Windows 10 for gaming.
1. Khangela i iinkonzo kwi Uphendlo lweWindows bar and then, click on vula ukuyiqalisa.
2. Okulandelayo, skrolela ezantsi ku SysMain. Cofa ekunene kuyo kwaye ukhethe Iipropati, njengoko kubonisiwe.
3. In the Properties window, change the Uhlobo lokuqalisa ukuba Abakhubazekileyo kwimenyu ehlayo.
4. Okokugqibela, cofa apha Faka ke ngoku, OK.
Phawula: To further decrease CPU usage, you can implement the same method for Usesho lweWindows kwaye Background Intelligent Transfer processes similarly.
Method 4: Change Active Hours
Your gaming performance will be affected when Windows 10 installs updates or reboots the computer without prior permission. To ensure that Windows does not update or reboot during this time, you can change the Active hours, as instructed below.
1. Qalisa izicwangciso kwaye nqakraza Uhlaziyo kunye noKhuseleko.
2. Emva koko, cofa ku Shintsha iiyure ezisebenzayo from the right panel, as shown below.
3. Seta i Ixesha lo kuqala kwaye Ixesha lokugqibela in accordance with when you are likely to be gaming. Choose when you wouldn’t want automatic Windows updates and reboots to take place and optimize Windows 10 for performance.
Method 5: Edit Prefetch Parameters
Prefetch is a technique used by the Windows operating system to speed up the fetching of data. Disabling this will decrease CPU usage and optimize Windows 10 for gaming.
1. Qalisa Umhleli weRegistry as explained in Indlela ye2.
2. This time, navigate the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSessionManagerMemory ManagementPrefetchParameters
3. From the right pane, double click on EnablePrefetcher, njengoko kubonisiwe.
4. Then, change the Idatha yexabiso ukuba 0, kwaye nqakraza KULUNGILE, as highlighted.
Method 6: Turn off Background Services
System applications and Windows 10 services running in the background can increase CPU usage and slow down gaming performance. Follow the given steps to turn off background services which in turn, will optimize Windows 10 for gaming:
1. Qalisa izicwangciso kwaye nqakraza Ukuba bucala, njengoko kubonisiwe.
2. Emva koko, cofa ku Ii-apps ezingemva.
3. Finally, turn the cima for the option titled Let apps run in the background, njengoko kubonisiwe ngezantsi.
Funda kwakhona: Windows 10 Tip: Disable SuperFetch
Method 7: Turn on Focus Assist
Not being distracted by notification pop-ups and sounds is an integral part of optimizing your system for gaming. Turning on Focus Assist will prevent notifications from popping up when you are gaming and thus, enhance your chances of winning the game.
1. Qalisa izicwangciso kwaye nqakraza isixokelelwano, njengoko kubonisiwe.
2. Khetha Ncedisa u ukusuka kwiqela lasekhohlo.
3. From the options displayed in the right pane, choose Okuphambili kuphela.
4A. Open the link to Customize your priority list to select apps that will be allowed to send notifications.
4B. Choose Iialamu kuphela if you want to block all notifications except for set alarms.
Method 8: Modify Visual Effects Settings
Graphics that are turned on and run in the background can affect the performance of your computer. Here’s how to optimize Windows 10 for gaming by changing Visual Effects settings using Control Panel:
1. Uhlobo Advanced in the Windows search bar. Click on Jonga izicwangciso zeenkqubo eziphambili to open it from the search results, as shown.
2. Kwi Iipropati zeNkqubo window, cofa apha izicwangciso phantsi ukwenza icandelo.
3. Kwi Iimpawu Zobonakaliso tab, choose the third option titled Ukulungelelanisa ukusebenza kakuhle.
4. Okokugqibela, cofa apha Faka > KULUNGILE, njengoko kubonisiwe ngezantsi.
Method 9: Change Battery Power Plan
Changing the battery power plan to High Performance will optimize the battery life and in turn, optimize Windows 10 for gaming.
1. Qalisa izicwangciso kwaye nqakraza isixokelelwano, njengangaphambili.
2. nqakraza Amandla kunye nokuLala ukusuka kwiqela lasekhohlo.
3. Ngoku, cofa apha Izicwangciso zamandla ezongezelelweyo from the right-most pane, as shown.
4. Kwi Izinketho zamandla window that now appears, click on Yenza isicwangciso samandla, njengoko kubonisiwe.
5. Here, choose Ukwenza okuphezulu kwaye nqakraza Okulandelayo ukugcina utshintsho.
Funda kwakhona: Uyenza njani okanye uKhubaze njani iSaver yebhetri ngaphakathi Windows 10
Method 10: Disable Auto-update of Steam Games (If applicable)
If you play games using Steam, you would have noticed that Steam games automatically update in the background. Background updates use up storage space & processing power of your computer. In order to optimize Windows 10 for gaming, block Steam from updating games in the background as follows:
1. Qalisa Steam. Emva koko, cofa apha Steam kwikona ephezulu ekhohlo kwaye ukhethe izicwangciso.
2. Okulandelayo, cofa kwi Iyakhuphela ithebhu.
3. Okokugqibela, ukuyiqwalasela the box next to Allow downloads during gameplay, njengoko kubonisiwe.
Method 11: Update GPU drivers
It is essential to keep the Graphics Processing Unit updated so that your gaming experience is smooth and uninterrupted. An outdated GPU may lead to glitches and crashes. To avoid this, do as instructed:
1. Search for Device Manager in the Uphendlo lweWindows bar. Launch Umlawuli wesixhobo by clicking on it in the search result.
2. In the new window, click on the utolo oluya ezantsi ecaleni kwe Bonisa ii-adapters ukuyandisa.
3. Next, right-click on your Umqhubi wemizobo. Emva koko, khetha Hlaziya umqhubi, njengoko kuboniswe ngezantsi.
4. Finally, click on the option titled Khangela ngokuzenzekelayo abaqhubi to download and install the latest graphics drivers.
Method 12: Disable Pointer Precision
Pointer precision can help when working with any Windows programs or third-party software. But, it can affect your Windows 10 performance while gaming. Follow the given steps to disable pointer precision and to optimize Windows 10 for gaming and performance:
1. Khangela i Useto lwegundane kwi Uphendlo lweWindows bar. Then, click on it from the search results.
2. Ngoku, khetha Additional mouse iinketho, as marked below.
3. In the Mouse Properties window, switch to the Izinketho zesikhombisi ithebhu.
4. Ekugqibeleni, ukuyiqwalasela ibhokisi ephawulweyo Enhance pointer precision. Emva koko, nqakraza Faka > Kulungile.
Method 13: Disable Keyboard Accessibility Options
It can be pretty annoying when you get a message saying that izitshixo ezincangathi have been enabled while working on your computer, even more so when you are playing a game. Here’s how to optimize Windows 10 for gaming performance by disabling them:
1. Qalisa izicwangciso kwaye ukhethe Ufikelelo lokuFikelela, njengoko kubonisiwe.
2. Emva koko, cofa ku yezitshixo in the left pane.
3. Cima i-toggle ye Sebenzisa amaqhosha ancangathi, Use Toggle Keys, kwaye Use Filter keys to disable them all.
Funda kwakhona: How to Turn off Narrator Voice in Windows 10
Method 14: Use Discrete GPU for Gaming (If applicable)
In case you own a multi-GPU computer, the integrated GPU offers better power efficiency, while the discrete GPU enhances the performance of graphics-heavy, intensive games. You can choose to play graphics-heavy games by setting discrete GPU as the default GPU to run them, as follows:
1. Qalisa Izicwangciso zeNkqubo, njengangaphambili.
2. Emva koko, cofa ku Bonisa > Iisetingi zegraphic, njengoko kubonisiwe.
3. From the drop-down menu given for Choose an app to set preference, khetha App yeDesktop njengoko kubonisiwe.
4. Okulandelayo, cofa kwi Khangela incwadi option. Navigate to your ifolda yomdlalo.
5. Select the .izembe ifayili of the game and click on Yongeza.
6. Ngoku, cofa kwi added game in the Settings window, then click on Khetha.
Phawula: We have explained the step for Google Chrome as an example.
7. Khetha Ukwenza okuphezulu from the listed options. Then, click on Gcina, as highlighted.
8. Qala kabusha ikhompyutha yakho for the changes that you made to take effect. This is how to optimize Windows 10 for performance.
Method 15: Tweak Settings in Graphics Card Control Panel (If applicable)
NVIDIA or AMD graphic cards installed on your system have their respective control panels to change settings. You can alter these settings to optimize Windows 10 for gaming.
1. Cofa ekunene kweyakho desktop and then click on your graphic driver control panel. For example, NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. In the settings menu, change the following settings (if applicable):
- Ukunciphisa i Maximum Pre-rendered frames ukuya ku-1.
- Vula UkuSebenza ngokuFakwa.
- Cima Ukuvumelanisa nkqo.
- Cwangcisa Indlela yoLawulo lwaMandla to Maximum, as depicted.
This will not only help optimize Windows 10 for gaming but also solve how to optimize Windows 10 for performance issues.
Method 16: Install DirectX 12
DirectX is an application that can significantly enhance your gaming experience. It does so by offering efficient power consumption, enhanced graphics, multi-CPU, and multi-GPU cores, along with smoother frame rates. Direct X 10 & Direct X 12 versions are greatly favored by gamers worldwide. Follow the steps given below to upgrade the DirectX version installed on your computer to to optimize Windows 10 for performance:
1. Cinezela Izitshixo zeWindows + R ukuqalisa Run ibhokisi yencoko.
2. Next, type dxdiag in the dialogue box and then, click on OK. The DirectX diagnostic tool will open now.
3. Hlola the version of DirectX as shown below.
4. If you do not have DirectX 12 installed on your computer, download and install it from here.
5. Next, go to Useto> Uhlaziyo kunye noKhuseleko, njengoko kubonisiwe.
6. Cofa kwi Jonga uvuselelo and update Windows OS to optimize Windows 10 for gaming.
Funda kwakhona: Fix Graphics Card Not Detected on Windows 10
Method 17: Defragmentation of HDD
This is an inbuilt utility in Windows 10 that allows you to defragment your hard disk drive to work more efficiently. Defragmentation moves and reorganizes the data spread across your hard drive in a neat and organized manner. Follow the steps given below to use this utility to optimize Windows 10 for gaming:
1. Uhlobo hlamba kwi Uphendlo lweWindows bar. Then, click on Ukuzikhusela kunye nokuSebenzisa iiDrive.
2. Khetha HDD (Hard disk drive) to be defragmented.
Phawula: Do not defragment Solid State Drive (SDD) because it can reduce its lifespan.
3. Emva koko, cofa ku ukwandisa, njengoko kubonisiwe ngezantsi.
The selected HDD will be automatically defragmented for enhanced performance of your Windows desktop/laptop.
Method 18: Upgrade to SSD
- Hard Disk Drives or HDDs have a read/write arm that has to scour different parts of a spinning disk to access data, similar to a vinyl record player. This mechanical nature makes them slow and very fragile. If a laptop with an HDD is dropped, there are higher chances of data loss because the impact could disrupt the moving disks.
- Solid State Drives or SSDs, kwelinye icala, kunjalo ukumelana nokothuka. Solid State Drives are much more suited for computers being used for heavy and intensive gaming. They are also ngokukhawuleza because the data is stored on flash memory chips, which are much more accessible. They are non-mechanical and consume lesser power, thus, saving the battery life of your laptop.
Therefore, if you are looking for a sure-fire way to improve the performance of your Windows 10 laptop, consider buying and upgrading your laptop from HDD to SSD.
Phawula: Check out our guide to learn the difference between Mac Fusion Drive Vs SSD Vs Hard Drive.
Ithethelelwe:
Siyathemba ukuba esi sikhokelo sibe luncedo kwaye ukwazile optimize Windows 10 for gaming and performance. Let us know which method worked for you the best. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this article, feel free to drop them in the comments section.