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There are countless reasons why your PC may not be fully optimized for gaming, such as old drivers or malware issues. A low FPS does not make for an enjoyable gaming experience, so it’s important to know why it’s not as high as it should be.

Luckily there are plenty of ways to optimize your computer for gaming, whatever the issue may be. Read on to discover how to keep games running smoothly and quickly on your PC.

Hi, I have a Mid 2012 MacBook Pro with Windows 7 installed using Bootcamp. Because I'm a student my parents aren't exactly thrilled with the idea of getting me a Gaming PC, but since I'm not a hardcore gamer I think I can make do with what I have. How would I be able to optimize my gaming experience with my Mac? In other words, whether it is.

How to make games run faster on your PC

PC gaming has many benefits over consoles, like higher quality graphics and the ability to install mods, but it’s also up to you to make sure your computer is optimized for best performance. Unlike consoles where developers know the exact hardware they are developing for, there’s a huge number of different PC configurations that a player might have. PC games will never be as optimized for your specific hardware as developers simply can’t test every possible configuration.

How To Optimize Computer For Gaming

Since console operating systems are designed to only run games and a few simple apps, they can be far more efficient with resources. You can do a lot more on PCs, but that means there’s a lot more potential for other programs to steal processing power and reduce your video game performance.

Common examples of things that can slow down your PC include too many background programs running, malware or virus issues and outdated hard drives. Tackling these problems first may help to increase game speed.

While fixing a slow PC can improve your performance generally, there are also computer upgrades for gaming that will help boost your FPS. Read on for more about FPS and how to increase it for best game performance.

What is low FPS and why does it happen?

When games are displayed on your screen they consist of a fast sequence of images, much like videos. These images are called frames and are created by your video card using data it receives from the games program running on your PC. The number of frames displayed by your monitor in one second is called the frame rate or frames per second (FPS).

While videos usually run at about 24fps, games running at this speed will look jagged and feel unresponsive. This is mostly due to something known as ‘motion blur’. When filming at 24fps, a film camera will take 24 pictures in a second, but the lens will stay open long enough when taking each picture that any moving objects will slightly blur. This makes the objects appear to move smoothly into the next frame. A video game, on the other hand, will display game objects exactly where they are, without motion blur (or with only a motion blur special effect). This makes it look like they are jumping from one frame to the next.

Finding your current FPS

If you don’t know what FPS your game is running at, there are a couple of ways to find out:

• Many PC games have an option in their own Video Settings menu to display FPS
• If you use Steam or GeForce Experience, they both have settings for displaying FPS
• You can also use Fraps to show the FPS in any game

What is the optimum FPS?

The standard for good FPS is generally said to be 60, not only because games running at that frame rate will look smooth, but also because standard monitors run at 60Hz. Hertz, or the refresh rate of a monitor, is how many images the monitor can display in a single second. Having your game run at an FPS faster than your monitor refresh rate provides no added benefit as the monitor won’t be able to display the extra frames. For example, a game that runs at 90fps will only be able to display a maximum of 60fps on a 60Hz monitor.

While 60hz has been the standard for years, many new gaming monitors now have higher refresh rates such as 120Hz or 144Hz. If you buy or build a PC with a high refresh rate monitor, boosting your FPS is even more valuable because your monitor will be able to display the additional frames, creating an even smoother gameplay experience.

Don’t know the Hz of your monitor or laptop screen? Follow these steps to find out your refresh rate on Windows 10:

Optimize My Laptop For Gaming

• Press the Windows key (usually between CTRL and ALT) + I on your keyboard to open Windows Settings
• Click ‘System’

• Scroll down and click ‘Advanced display settings’

• You will see your refresh rate and screen resolution listed under each screen or monitor

(On earlier Windows versions you will find this information under 'Control Panel' > 'Appearance and Personalisation' > 'Adjust screen resolution' > 'Advanced settings' > 'Monitor')

Once you know both your monitor refresh rate and the FPS you are getting on the games you play, you will know how much you can boost your FPS before you’re limited by your monitor. Note down your FPS at this point so you will know if anything has changed once you have taken steps to increase it.

Why is my FPS so low?

There are many things that can contribute to low game performance. Here are just some examples:

• Outdated drivers
• Old or slow graphics cards
• Other programs running on the computer
• Game settings being turned up too high
• Running on a higher resolution than necessary

Increasing FPS on your PC

If you’d like to know how to increase frame rate without buying new hardware, here are the best things you can do:

Update graphic and video drivers
Graphics card manufacturers have a vested interest in ensuring that all new and popular games run well on their own hardware. AMD, NVIDIA and Intel regularly release drivers with performance improvements on their cards. So, to increase graphics card performance, it’s important to download and install the latest drivers for your card.

You can usually download the newest drivers for your graphics card on the manufacturer’s website. Follow the steps on the installation wizard to install your new driver, and make sure to check any auto-update settings to ensure your driver remains up to date in the future.

Take a look at our post on choosing the best graphics card for more information on finding out which type of card you’re currently using.

Optimize in-game settings
Maxing out the video settings will make your games look great, but unless you have the hardware to handle the calculations you may be left with a glorified slideshow. Turning down your gaming settings is a reliable way to give you a big boost in FPS.

The options available will depend entirely on the game, but important things to look out for are usually under ‘post-processing’ and ‘special effects.’ These options will add things like sunrays, bloom and motion blur to your game - taking a large amount of processing power for little impact. Similarly, game physics options like NVIDIA PhysX and AMD TressFX take a huge amount of processing power for a negligible difference.

If your FPS is still low after disabling the special effects, ‘render distance’ and ‘texture quality’ options are the ones to reduce next. Turning them down may have an effect on visual quality, but it will also have a positive impact on your FPS.

Reduce your screen resolution
Higher resolutions increase the number of pixels that your graphics card needs to render, which can reduce your FPS significantly. Ideally you want to run games at the same resolution as your screen. However, if you are struggling to maintain enough FPS even after reducing your other game settings, you may want to reduce your screen resolution. Almost every game will have the option to do this in their video settings menu. Play non-mac game on steam.

Change graphics card settings
AMD and NVIDIA both provide control panels where you can change the performance settings on their cards. There are a couple of options in both control panels that might increase FPS in your games.

The most important option is changing your power mode to maximum, which means that your graphics card won’t try to save electricity or be more efficient by reducing processing power. For instructions on using the control panels and changing your power mode, refer to AMD’s and NVIDIA’s own websites.

Invest in FPS booster software
FPS booster software promises to increase your frame rate in games, but if you’ve already taken steps to optimize your FPS by other methods you likely won’t see much difference. What the best gaming optimization software can do is stop or slow down background processes, freeing up computing power for your game.

Microsoft added Game Mode with Windows 10, which you can access by pressing the Windows key + G when you are in a game. Game mode can reduce the impact of other programs running on your PC, although you’d be better off by closing those programs directly in Task Manager.

Razer has a software called Cortex which prioritizes processing resources for your game and does other things like turning off your computer’s CPU (central processing unit) sleep mode. Cortex is entirely free so it won’t hurt for you to try it, but don’t expect any dramatic performance improvements.

We hope that helps!

If you have any comments, please tweet us. We're@CCleaner.

Your premium gaming laptop will never reach the performance of a similarly-priced gaming desktop. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t play the latest games. Rather, it puts extra pressure on you to ensure that your laptop is optimized for gaming.

With desktop computers, you can upgrade the hardware. Laptop users will probably know that they can only replace the memory (and perhaps the hard drive) with an upgrade. So, what can you do to improve laptop performance?

Here are 10 ways to optimize your laptop gaming setup on Windows 10.

1. Keep Your Laptop Clean and Dust-Free to Improve Gaming Performance

First things first. You’ll only enjoy improved performance on your laptop with a proactive attitude to physical maintenance. Dust and dirt are the enemies of performance. This detritus will reduce airflow, resulting in a computer that gets too hot.

Once the heat builds, the processor, GPU, and most other components will slow down. This doesn’t make for an effective gaming machine.

The best way to deal with this is to remove the dust. Obviously, this isn’t the simplest of tasks. Your laptop is probably sealed, and if it isn’t, opening it will almost certainly invalidate the warranty. The solution is to use some very specific cleaning techniques.

But it isn’t just the vents on your laptop that you need to keep clear. If you’re using the keyboard regularly (a staple of PC gaming) it’s important to ensure there is no dust, food, or other matter able to cause sticky keys.

For that matter, for top gaming performance, you don’t want a mucky screen, either. Our guide to cleaning your laptop computer How to Clean Your Laptop Screen, Cover, Keyboard, and FansOver time your laptop builds up dirt, dust, and grime. We show you how to clean every part of it, from the screen to the ports and more. Read More will help here.

2. Update Laptop Drivers for Faster Gaming

Computers running Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems are almost all based around the same hardware, with the same architecture. This means that whatever the operating system, keeping device drivers up to date How to Find & Replace Outdated Windows DriversYour drivers might be outdated and need updating, but how are you to know? Here's what you need to know and how to go about it. Read More is vital.

Fortunately, it’s usually straightforward, at worst a slight inconvenience that has been largely swallowed up into the standard OS updates.

However, when it comes to graphic drivers, you might need a more hands-on approach. While Intel graphics—largely unsuitable for hardcore gaming—will enjoy updated drivers via a Windows update, your third-party graphics provider doesn’t offer that option.

Instead, ensure the GPU management software (such as Nvidia GeForce or AMD Gaming Evolved) is set to automatically update. Be sure to update your controller and audio drivers up to date, too.

3. Install the Latest DirectX Version

A collection of software tools that facilitate the graphics in a video game, DirectX is vital to gaming on Windows. Various iterations of DirectX have seen release over the years.

Launched in 2015, DirectX 12 is the latest version, which you’ll find pre-installed on your Windows 10 laptop.

To check your current DirectX version, press WIN + R to open the Run menu and enter dxdiag. Wait for the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DXDiag) to load, then open the Render tab. Here, you’ll find information about your dedicated graphics card. In the Drivers pane, look for Direct3D DDI. This should be numbered according to the latest version of DirectX.

As well as having your graphic drivers up to date, it is worth ensuring that your audio drivers are fit for gaming. You can check your audio driver status in the Sound tab of DXDiag. Note also that Input device drivers are summarized here too.

DXDiag is a good way of checking if your gaming-related hardware is missing any drivers. If in doubt, run a Windows Update, or manually update the device drivers Take Back Control Over Driver Updates in Windows 10A bad Windows driver can ruin your day. In Windows 10, Windows Update automatically updates hardware drivers. If you suffer the consequences, let us show you how to roll back your driver and block future.. Read More .

4. Overclock the Laptop Graphics Card for Optimized Gaming

Perhaps a bit risky for the beginner, overclocking can force some additional performance out of the graphics card. Tools are available for both AMD and Nvidia GPUs, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble with this.

The main problems are with power and heat. Overclocking uses more electricity, so you’ll need to adjust your computer’s power settings appropriately (see below). But overclocking also increases the heat of the GPU.

Usually, this is handled by the laptop’s built-in cooling system. You should regularly clean the heatsinks and fans, as outlined in #1. If not, your laptop will automatically shut down—as a safety precaution—as soon as it gets too hot.

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Looking for an overclocking tool for your GPU? The most popular at present is MSI Afterburner, which is suitable for Nvidia and AMD graphics cards.

You can enjoy good results with overclocking, but it is something you must do with care. Our guide to overclocking your GPU safely How to Safely Overclock Your GPU to Gain FPSOverclocking can make your PC perform at clock speeds one generation above its release. If done right, it's safe and easy. We'll show you how to get a GPU performance boost for free. Read More should help here.

5. Adjust Your Computer’s Power Settings

Few devices can enjoy improved operation without effective power management. When it comes to laptops—devices that are intended for use away from a permanent power source—power management is a big deal.

Windows gives you some detailed power management options, but for a strong gaming experience, you should have your laptop connected to a power outlet.

Once this is done, it’s time to look at your computer’s power settings. In Windows 10, you can open Settings > System > Power and sleep > Additional power settings and select the High performance option. It’s also worth clicking Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings to check you haven’t previously adjusted anything here. You don’t want less-than-optimum power settings when squeezing gaming performance from your laptop.

6. Activate Windows 10 Game Mode

This is a tip that anyone can use. Windows 10 is equipped with an Xbox app which includes features such as screen recording, streaming, and Game Mode. Optimizing your laptop for gaming can be as simple as activating Game Mode.

Press WIN + G to display the Xbox panel. If prompted, check the Yes, this is a game box.

On the game bar, find the Game Mode button on the right. Click to enable Game Mode. Once enabled, this will ensure that the OS runs the game with optimum settings. To do this, Windows may close or suspend some background tasks.

7. Close Background Apps for Increased Laptop FPS

We’re assuming you’re running Windows 10 for many of these tips. If not, there is a manual change you can make to your laptop before you launch a game. Ensure all other apps are closed before you click Play in Steam.

Once you’ve done that, look at the System Tray. This part of the Windows taskbar lists apps that are running in the background. Right-click each icon and close it. You may like to keep your graphics card management app or a voice chat tool like Discord What Is Discord? The Best Free Voice Chat for Gamers YetAre you a gamer struggling to find a reliable voice chat app to talk to your friends? Struggle no more! Here are all the reasons Discord is the best chat client out there for gamers. Read More open, of course!

All that should be running in the taskbar before you launch the game is your digital download service… or nothing at all.

8. Online Gamers: Check Your Network Speed

Gaming performance for your laptop is mostly determined by your hardware, drivers, and how your computer is configured. But if you’re playing online games, there is one other element to consider: your internet connection speed.

Lag is the usual cause of trouble with online gaming. This can be due to problems with your internet connection, but often a slow connection between your laptop and the router is to blame. In most cases, your wireless network card will have the most up-to-date drivers, thanks to Windows Update, or whatever system updates your OS has downloaded.

If there’s no change after applying updates, consider a wired Ethernet connection to the router. You should also check to see if a gaming router can optimize gaming performance What Are Gaming Routers and Are They Worth Buying?Think you've got all the top gaming hardware? What about a gaming router? Here's what you need to know before you buy one. Read More along with our tips on reducing lag in online gaming How To Reduce Lag In Online GamingThere was always some amount of lag in the game, especially when there were lots of players logged in. That's an experience you can have only so often before you realize that it's either time.. Read More .

9. Manage Automatic Updates

Automatic updates can be a big pain. For example, Windows Update can download updates in the background, before reminding you periodically that the update needs installing. Not only can the uninstalled update impact performance, so too can the reminders.

Unfortunately, you can’t disable Windows Updates permanently, so you have the following options:

• Keep your computer offline.
• Install updates as soon as prompted.
• From the May 2019 update (version 1903), you can block updates for 35 days.

It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to completely disconnect from the internet if you’re using a gaming laptop, so installing those updates as soon as possible is the best answer.

Digital delivery systems such as Steam also push updates out. There’s a chance that a second game will download updates in the background while you’re playing another game.

To avoid this, open Steam, and head to Steam > Settings. In the Downloads tab, ensure the Allow downloads during gameplay check box is cleared. Click OK to confirm this change.

You can also manage update rules for individual games. Right-click the game in the Steam menu, select Properties > Updates, and check you’re satisfied with the options for Automatic updates and Background downloads. Further tips on managing Steam downloads How to Optimize Steam's Download Speeds in Windows 10Waiting for Steam games to update or download can be vexing. Try these tips on how to increase Steam download speeds. Read More can potentially improve your laptop gaming performance too.

10. Tweak Texture Settings to Optimize Your Laptop Graphics Card

Finally, it’s worth looking at your graphics card settings, especially if you need to run a certain game. Here, you’ll find master controls for texture and shader details, which will determine how your games look.

The memory available to your laptop’s GPU limits what options are available here, so it’s usually good to select a configuration that offers performance over looks. In short, high-resolution textures will consume your RAM, impacting frame rate.

Note that you can also give individual games their own texture and shader preferences here. This is useful if an older game can run with high settings. Meanwhile, you’ll still be able to adjust individual games’ video settings as they play, from the video/display settings screen.

It can take a while to find the optimum video settings for games. Once you’ve established that performance-quality trade-off, however, you’ll see that it was worth the effort.

Laptop Gaming Performance: Improved!

Who’d have thought that you could so much to improve gaming performance on a laptop computer? While most apply purely to Windows 10 laptops some tips can be transferred to equivalent settings on macOS and Linux.

Optimize Your Laptop For Gaming

Let’s review the 10 top ways to make your laptop faster for gaming:

1. Regularly clean your laptop.
2. Update your drivers (especially for the GPU).
3. Install the latest version of DirectX.
4. Overclock the GPU.
5. Optimize the power settings.
6. Activate Windows 10’s Game Mode.
7. Close background apps.
8. Check the network speed for online gaming.
9. Disable automatic updates for games and the operating system.
10. Adjust texture and shader settings.

Best Mac Laptop For Gaming

For desktop computers, upgrading your hardware can have a massive impact on gaming; as a laptop user you’re limited. You can’t upgrade the graphics card or processor in most laptop computers. That’s why these ten tips are so vital to improving gaming performance.

Mac For Gaming

If this isn’t enough, see our dedicated Windows 10 gaming performance tips How to Optimize Windows 10 for Gaming and PerformanceAre you gaming on Windows 10? You can optimize Windows 10 for gaming with Game Mode and other tips and tweaks. We show you how. Read More guide for more. And if that’s still not cutting it, try streaming games from the cloud The 7 Best Cloud Gaming Services to Stream Video GamesIn this article, we compile a list of the best cloud gaming services to help you decide which, if any, you want to subscribe to. Read More .