How to Increase FPS in Games
In this guide, I'll show you exactly how to make games run smoother on low end pc by boosting your frames per second (FPS). We'll go through each step one by one so you can easily follow along and improve your gaming experience.
Optimize In-Game Video Settings
This might not be what you want to hear, but one of the best ways to get more performance is to change your graphics settings, usually by lowering some or all of them. Overclocking your PC and turning off background apps can help a bit for lower-end systems, but you won't see a big increase in FPS without lowering some settings. Generally, these are the settings that use the most resources:
- Resolution: Adjusting your game's resolution can enhance FPS by reducing the workload on your GPU, as it handles fewer pixels per frame. This may slightly diminish visual clarity, but it can lead to smoother gameplay with customized display settings.
- Shadows: Shadows are resource-intensive. Consider lowering shadow quality from High to Medium, Low, or disabling them altogether. This adjustment can notably increase FPS without significant visual compromise, especially on older maps.
- Anti-Aliasing (AA): AA smooths out rough edges on textures but can impact performance. Experiment with disabling AA or opting for lower-quality options like 2x or 4x Multisample Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) instead of higher settings.
- Texture Quality: Texture settings affect the detail and clarity of in-game objects. Lowering texture quality from High to Medium or Low can deliver a noticeable FPS boost, albeit with a slight reduction in sharpness.
Disable Search Indexing
Disabling indexing in Windows can significantly boost system performance, especially during demanding tasks such as gaming. Indexing helps Windows locate files quickly by maintaining a database of their locations and contents. However, on older computers or those with slower hard drives, this feature can consume valuable CPU and HDD resources.
Steps to Turn Off Indexing in Windows:
- Access File Explorer Options: Press
Win + Eto open File Explorer, then go to the "View" tab and select "Options" on the right. - Open Folder Options: In the Folder Options window, navigate to the "Search" tab.
- Adjust Advanced Settings: Under Advanced Settings, locate and uncheck "Always search file names and contents" to disable indexing for all files.
- Apply Changes: Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save your changes.
Disable Windows Defender Real-Time Protection
Windows Defender Real-Time Protection constantly monitors files, applications, and websites to safeguard your system from threats. While essential for security, this feature can also impact system performance by consuming CPU and memory resources, especially during tasks like gaming, video editing, or running virtual machines.
Steps to Disable Windows Defender Real-Time Protection:
- Access Windows Security Settings: Click on the Start menu, then select Settings (gear icon).
- Navigate to Windows Security: In the Settings window, click on "Update & Security," then choose "Windows Security" from the left menu.
- Open Windows Security: Click on "Windows Security" to access security settings.
- Access Virus & Threat Protection Settings: In the Windows Security window, click on "Virus & Threat Protection."
- Manage Real-Time Protection Settings: Under Virus & Threat Protection Settings, click on "Manage settings."
- Disable Real-Time Protection: Locate the toggle switch for "Real-time protection" and switch it off.
Overclock Your Graphics Card
More often than not, your graphics card is the main culprit behind stuttering or subpar gameplay, not insufficient RAM or a struggling CPU. To enhance performance and increase FPS, consider overclocking your graphics card beyond its default speed.
A decade ago, overclocking could potentially damage hardware. Nowadays, however, modern systems have safeguards to prevent such risks. A modest GPU overclock of up to 15% can swiftly boost performance without jeopardizing stability, significantly improving your gaming experience.
Activate Game Mode on Windows
Game Mode optimizes various Windows settings with a single click, maximizing your PC's gaming capabilities for smoother gameplay and higher frame rates. To enable Game Mode, simply click the Search button, type "game" in the Settings window, and select "Game Mode settings" from the results. If it's off, slide the toggle switch to the right to turn it on.
Turn Off Windows Game Bar
Windows Game Bar is a useful tool for recording gameplay and monitoring performance metrics, but it consumes system resources. For optimal performance, it's crucial to manage every aspect. Disable Windows Game Bar by navigating to Settings > Gaming and toggling Game Bar to Off.
Close Background Applications
Every minor adjustment counts when aiming for higher FPS on your gaming laptop. Shutting down unnecessary apps and background processes conserves valuable system resources, enhancing your PC's gaming capabilities. Access "background apps" from the Start menu, and disable them individually or altogether to streamline performance.