Framerates dropping? High lag issues? Low FPS? If all these issues mark your run with your favorite PC games, then today’s blog might be your savior! We are going to guide you through some quick yet efficient tips & tricks to boost the gaming performance on your Windows PC.

Freshy remind’ya

Check out the lite version of this blog – if you are looking for a 100% free guide because not all tips & tricks in this article are free of cost.

This guide is sectioned into 3 parts, Hardware optimization, Software optimization, and lastly in-game optimization So, here we begin –

Table Of Contents

Part #1 – Hardware Optimization

Just as the title says – we are going to tweak physical hardware units in this section to bring them to the best of their performance. From paid upgrades & tips for better hardware conjunctions – to free-of-cost tips & tidings – this section covers that all.

1.1) Upgrade your RAM

This is such a quick way to kick up your gaming experience a notch, that also doesn’t need to cost a fortune. To upgrade your PC’s RAM you’d need to-

  1. Know if your PC even supports RAM upgrades. (i.e. whether it has a non-soldered RAM or not)
  2. Note your PC’s RAM specs – The RAM generation (DDR4, DDR5, etc.), Frequency ( 2600Mhz, etc.), Voltage & your PC’s max upgrade limit & possible combinations.
  3. Go ahead and pick your champion for the best fit for your PC build.

Fresh Tech Tip

Dual-channel RAM configurations are always superior. Always try to match your OG RAM’s specs with your newer one, or just spend extra on a better pair with higher memory. Dual-channel RAM gives you better FPS and is pretty much always faster than mismatched or single-channel RAM.

1.2) Upgrade to an SSD

That’s a no-brainer in 2024. It’s hard enough to find a PC or laptop that comes packed without an SSD in 2024 – so the only reason you might own a hard drive is that your rig is old (& outdated). Also, remember to put your OS on the upgraded SSD.

Remember…

SSDs don’t directly boost in-game performance & FPS. They have little to no hand in that matter, but SSDs do significantly lower the time spent staring at loading screens.

1.3) Clean your PC’s built-in ventilation

If you own a laptop this tip could especially be applicable to one-up your machine’s performance. Oftentimes, we overlook just how much of a role your system’s average heat level can adversely affect its ongoing performance rates as well as its long-term life.

Beware!

Be sure not to use your laptop directly on surfaces like that of your bed, jeans, etc.
Prefer hard, flat surfaces to ensure your laptop doesn’t overheat!

Therefore be sure to clean up your machine’s fans and also the heat pipes if you can.

1.4) Invest in added ventilation

Following up on our previous point, the importance will not be understated today. The more optimal you can keep your machine’s heat level, the further it’ll run in the long run. Extended healthy battery life is a key plus point to this along with higher performance for longer periods from your GPU and CPU. Remember these key points while upgrading your machine’s cooling methods –

  1. If you happen to live near the equator then making your room cooler with an air conditioner could be a worthy investment for you
  2. Use a cooling pad if you own a laptop for gaming. You can use your laptop with a cooling pad on your bed without worrying about any overheating issues.
  3. If you’re building your own PC, then remember to add proper ventilation for the same reasons mentioned above.

Fresh Tech Tip

Liquid cooling is a bit more of a high-tech solution for better cooling and is also quieter, but requires more maintenance and care & is costlier on average than air cooling systems.

1.5) Play exclusively on power

One more no-brainer. If you didn’t already know, gaming on battery power slows your gaming experience by quite a lot. So make sure to only play plugged it so your CPU and GPU get the best power input possible.

Part #2 – Software Optimization

Mostly free-of-cost tips & tricks are given here. Through these simple steps, you’ll get to make the best of what is already available to you, your OS.

2.1) Minimize background activity

Reducing any excess baggage from your CPU’s load order will give you increased performance from your PC. These are the steps that you’ll have to follow to get your system gaming-ready –

  • Shut off background notifications
  • Minimize startup apps to only the important ones (like your anti-virus, Steam, etc.)
  • Be aware of what apps run in the background – make sure they don’t take too much CPU

2.2) Use game-enhancing settings

Windows and many laptops, and PCs alike were built with various gaming settings in mind. Such settings when toggled can help you get way better FPS than without them.

  • Turn on Windows Game Mode. Go to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode.
  • Choose an optimal power plan. Make sure you pick the one with gaming in mind.
  • Many Brands like MSI, Asus, Nvidia, etc. offer built-in multi-purpose gaming software in their machines. Be sure to use them, for example, the MUX switch lets you opt to use your integrated GPU over your dedicated GPU, and vice versa.

Remember…

Do not forget to update your drivers. As shown in the chart below, Nvidia showed the difference that updated drivers make. Pretty neat!

Image source: Nvidia

2.3) Clean the clutter from your drive

Another important step to get your PC running at its maximum potential. All the points below are bound to boost your FPS by at least a notch.

  • Defrag your drive – Search for ‘Defragment’ and open Defragment and Optimize Drives, then pick your drive and click ‘Optimize‘.
  • Clean your temp folder. This is not likely to add much, but can surely help. Press the Windows key+R and type %temp% to open your temp folder. Try not to delete the files that Windows asks you not to.
  • Uninstall Bloatware – this is important as many unused and outdated programs may be cluttering your disk, even slowing down startup times. These programs can in turn then slow your gaming performance as they may have extra background processes running.

Beware

We wouldn’t recommend you install any ‘boosting programs’ for better performance, as they can do more harm than good due to how much bloatware they try to sneak in. Still, you could give them a shot if you want to know for yourself.

Part #3 – In-Game Optimization

All tweaks mentioned will be specific to whatever game you’re boosting the frame rates for. Therefore, these tweaks will vary from game to game, but these steps can give you the general gist of it all.

3.1) Figure out the best in-game graphic settings

I.e. know your machine’s limits. Keep your graphic settings lower for higher FPS. That is if you care more about FPS than the visual quality of your games.

  • If the setting is available, turn the render distance down. This setting alone can give your game’s FPS an insane boost. You’d be familiar with this if you play games like Minecraft.
  • If your gaming rig is low-tier, opt to keep all settings at either low or very low.

3.2) Try hardcore tweaking

This one might not be the preference of most gamers. These steps are only to be used if everything else still gives you awful frame rates & performance.

  • Tune into the game files, and watch some tutorials on how to find your specific game’s graphics files. Edit them til you can get your game to a playable state…
  • If your game is moddable, try to find low-end mods for it on sites like Nexus mods to boost possible performance even further. For example – Optifine is a popular mod for boosting performance in Minecraft.
  • Following the previous point, whatever your specific game may be, if it is popular enough it is bound to have mods to enhance the game’s performance by eliminating bugs in particular.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this article’s wide-handed approach to the common problem of dropping FPS & lag in PC games. Of all the tricks & tweaks, at least some if not all of them are bound to help enhance your PC’s true potential. Do share this guide with your friends if you found it helpful!

FAQ

Does RAM increase FPS?

Yes, your RAM can increase your FPS. The size, frequency & voltage of the RAM all effect how well games can run on your PC. They are best when used in Dual-channel

What makes a PC super fast?

High-end processors with high clock speeds, sufficient cache memory, etc. & SSDs and better RAM modules all complement the super-fast aspect of good computers.

How to boost GPU performance?

To boost your GPU performance you’ll have to –
1. Make sure the PC is plugged in
2. Keep your GPU drivers up to date
3. Toggle to hardware GPU via the MUX switch.
4. Clean heating modules

What is FPS in gaming?

In gaming, the acronym FPS signifies the Frames per second. This a direct metric of how well your game is performing.

What is a good FPS for gaming?

Mostly 60 FPS can be deemed adequate but FPS above 90 can be considered cha cha real smooth.