Gaming on computers is a bit different from gaming on consoles in the sense that you are not working with integrated hardware most of the time. In consoles, you have optimized hardware and games, whereas there are many factors on computers that determine how good or bad a game runs.
Failing to optimize a computer for video games will result in poor frames per second. In case you are unhappy with your computer’s current performance while gaming, check the suggestions below and find out how to boost FPS.
Enable the Game Mode
On Windows 10, you can enable the Game Mode feature that has been around since 2019. While the mode should be enabled by default, you can check it just in case.
Open the Settings and find the Gaming category using the search bar. You will see the Game Mode on the left. Click on it and set the mode to “On.”
Now, whenever you launch a video game on the computer, the operating system will detect it and enable the Game Mode. The purpose of the mode is to disable redundant background processes while you are gaming, which increases overall FPS.
Tinker With Resolution
Unless you have invested a lot of money in your gaming computer, you should not expect to run it smoothly on max settings while playing modern AAA games.
The monitor’s resolution should not exceed what the system can actually handle. The higher the resolution, the more pixels there are on the screen. They overburden the graphics processing unit.
Lower the resolution little by little to see how much your computer can handle before there are noticeable problems with the FPS.
Check Video Game Settings
Resolution is not the only in-game setting that you can tinker with to improve the experience. While many games are driven visually, and sacrificing the overall quality hinders some qualities, it is still worth it to increase frames.
Lower shadow, texture, and lighting quality. Then, see whether enabling or disabling VSync makes any impact. Anti-aliasing is also worth a shout since it affects how various game objects look like.
Some video games have even more graphic settings. It might take a while to determine which setup offers the best balance between looks and performance, but the time spent is necessary if you want to enjoy video games more.
Make Sure the Drivers Are Updated
As a rule of thumb, computer drivers should update automatically. However, for some peace of mind, you should check each driver manually and confirm that it has the latest version.
It might take a while to download and install the latest drivers, just like operating system updates, but it is one of the fundamentals when it comes to optimizing a computer for gaming.
Free Up Drive Space
Running out of free drive space is quite easy when you are using a computer for games. Right now, even some indie games require a few gigabytes of storage, though it is difficult to pinpoint where these requirements are coming from. As for AAA titles, they can be as large as 50 or 60 gigabytes.
Of course, once you finish playing a video game and have no plans to replay it any time soon, you should remove it from the computer. Also, do not get in the habit of downloading and installing a video only to not play it.
Other than the video games themselves, some other files could also be taking a significant portion of the computer’s drive.
For example, you could be hoarding large media files because you like to keep music, movies, and TV shows on the computer instead of using streaming platforms.
There might also be volumes of temporary system junk and old downloads, software, duplicate files, and redundant localization data. Keep an eye on these files and get rid of them regularly.
Scan the Computer for Malware
A malware infection could be another reason why you are struggling to achieve proper FPS in video games. Regardless of how small or big a cybersecurity threat is, it will affect the overall FPS rate.
Scan the computer and make sure that it is malware-free. An antivirus tool should detect and eliminate potential threats before they manifest.
Clean the Dust Inside
Clogged internal fans will fail to cool the hardware. You need to clean the dust because it will not take too long before there are significant damages to the internal hardware. As soon as you hear loud noises coming from the computer, checking how much dust is inside and cleaning it should be a priority.
Consider Hardware Upgrades
Investing in new hardware can be expensive, but if you have a PC, you can replace some hardware components or add extra. For instance, additional RAM.
These days, it is common to replace hard drives with solid-state drives. A new GPU is also worth a shout.
Ultimately, it is about your budget, but if you have some money to spare for new computer hardware, investing it is probably the best thing to boost FPS.
