Updated 2/17/26
| Create a Restore Point before tweaking to restore settings if conflicts arise. 1) Open Start Menu, type restore in the search bar. 2) Open Create restore point, select the Create button. 3) Name the restore point and click Ok |
(Note; These tweaks apply mainly to Windows 11, with some relevant for Windows 10.)
Display Settings
1) Open the Start Menu type Settings in the search bar. Open it and select System, then Display.
2) Choose the Display option and ensure you have selected the recommended display resolution from the drop-down menu.
3) Enable the HDR option too, if your monitor supports it, and also make sure Auto HDR is enabled.
4) Go back to the main Display settings page and choose Advanced Display.
5) Locate the Choose a refresh rate option and select the highest refresh rate from the drop-down menu.
Graphics Settings
Using High Performance mode forces it to use your dedicated GPU for better performance, especially useful for laptops with both integrated and discrete graphics.
Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS)
is a Windows feature that lets the GPU directly manage its memory and tasks, shifting work from the CPU to the GPU for lower latency, improved performance, and better efficiency in graphics-intensive tasks like gaming or rendering. While it offers potential benefits by reducing CPU overhead, its impact varies; users should enable it in Windows Graphics Settings and restart their PC to test if it improves performance for their specific hardware and applications, as some games run better with it on, while others might see issues.
How it Works
Traditional: The CPU manages all commands and resources for the GPU. With HAGS: The GPU’s own processor handles scheduling its workloads and memory (VRAM) in batches, freeing up the CPU.
Benefits
Lower Latency: Reduces input lag in games.
Improved Performance: Frees CPU resources, boosts overall system responsiveness, and can increase FPS in some scenarios.
Enhanced Efficiency: Optimizes GPU resource allocation for smoother visuals.
If you are experiencing game stutters it may help to disable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling.
1) Open the Start Menu type Settings in the search bar. Open it and select System, then Display.
2) Choose Graphics, and then select an app on the list, or search for the name of your game and click it.
3) Choose Options, and then click on High Performance, followed by Save.
4) Top disable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling Under Advanced graphics settings (or “Default graphics settings” for Windows 10) toggle on Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling.
Enable Game Mode
Game Mode is a system-level feature on computers, phones, and televisions that optimizes performance for video games. It maximizes gaming experience by prioritizing CPU/GPU resources, reducing background tasks, and lowering input latency. On devices like iPhones and Macs, it also doubles Bluetooth sampling rates to improve controller and headset responsiveness
1) Open Start Menu, type Settings in the search bar.
2) Select Gaming.
3) Select Game Mode.
4) Click on the toggle to enable the Game Mode, if it’s not already enabled.
Change the Power Plan
Power plans in Windows 10 control how your PC consumes/saves power. Microsoft introduced a power plan called Ultimate Performance for workstations, which can provide a performance boost.
On a side note, this works hand and hand with disabling CPU Parking below.
By default this power plan is a hidden feature, but you can use the following steps to enable it:
1) Open the Run dialog “Window key + R”, or search in Start Menu. Type or copy and paste powercfg.cpl and press Enter.
2) Select Ultimate Performance. If you don’t see this power plan, simply continue to the next step to unhide it.
3) Open Start Menu, type cmd () in the search bar. Select Command Prompt and Run as Administrator.
4) In the Command Prompt, type or paste the following command and press Enter.
powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61
If you see a prompt similar to this, return to step 2 to enable the Ultimate Performance power plan.
Run Game as Administrator
Running a program as an administrator will guarantee that the program has full rights to do anything it needs to do on your computer. As this can be risky, Windows operating systems remove these privileges by default.
If you experience issues with applications you know to be trustworthy, you can manually grant them administrator rights to try and fix the problem.
Optimizations for windowed games improves gaming on your PC by using a new presentation model for DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games that appear in a window or in a borderless window.
When these optimizations are used, games that originally use the legacy blt-model presentation can use the newer flip-model presentation instead (if the game is compatible). This results in lower frame latency and lets you use other newer gaming features; for example, Auto HDR, and variable refresh rate (for displays that support it).
This process allows the game to run in full screen mode with full control over the display, potentially improving performance and reducing input lag. However, be aware that disabling optimizations may cause some games to behave differently or may not be compatible with certain overlays or background applications. Always test the game after making these changes to ensure the best performance for your specific setup.
Note: this option is required for High Dynamic Range (HDR)
1) Right-click the desktop icon of the application, or the executable file in the installation folder, and select Properties
2) Switch to the Compatibility tab.
3) In the Settings section, check the Run this program as administrator option.
4) To disable Optimizations for Windowed Games to restore true fullscreen control Check the box labeled Disable fullscreen optimizations
5) Select Apply then save the changes.
Turn Off Enhanced Pointer Precision
Mouse acceleration and ‘Enhance Pointer Precession’ can negatively impact gaming performance, and it is recommended to disable this setting to improve mouse accuracy while playing games.
1) Open Start Menu, type Mouse in the search bar and open Mouse Settings.
2) Locate the Additional mouse settings and select it.
3) In the Mouse Properties menu choose Pointer Options tab and then uncheck Enhanced pointer precision.
4) Click Apply and then OK.
Disable Universal Serial Bus Controllers sleep mode
How to disable USB ports from automatically entering sleep mode on Windows. When the USB port enters sleep mode, it can cause a peripheral to “time out” and become unresponsive to the operating system.
1) Right Click the Start Menu Icon on lower left of screen. Select Device Manager to open it.
2) Scroll to the bottom and click the arrow next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers to expand the list.
3) Right click each item that has HUB in it and select Properties
4) Click the Power Management tab.
5) Make sure the Allow computer to turn off this device to save power box is unchecked on all HUBs that allow it.
6) Click OK to close the window.
Set the Priority Level for a Game/Program in Windows 11
Windows 11 introduces an enhanced priority level, granting users the ability to set program priorities, which provides greater control over system resources. Selecting the right priority level for a program is vital for optimizing system performance, and this article will provide guidance on the selection process.
The paragraph explains the importance of priority levels in Windows 11, which determine the system resources that a program can access. There are six priority levels, ranging from “Realtime” to “Low,” and adjusting these levels can impact a program’s resource allocation.
Select the appropriate priority level for the program, keeping in mind the potential impact on system stability. “Realtime” offers the highest priority but may affect system stability, while “Low” provides the lowest priority. In most cases, the “Normal” priority level is recommended.
1) Open the Task Manager, which can be done by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting “Task Manager” from the context menu, or pressing the “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” keys on your keyboard.
2) Go to the Details button on left menu.
3) Select the program to prioritize
4) Right click the program in the right click menu select Set priority, then chosen the priority level.
5) Click Change Priority to confirm your choice.
Enable Storage Sense
Storage Sense is a lifesaver if you’re running low on disk space. This handy Windows tool automatically removes temporary and system files to help keep your computer running smoothly. Plus, you can customize the frequency of these cleanups to suit your needs and schedule.
1. Open Start Menu, type Settings in the search bar.
2. Click Storage on the right pane.
3. Scroll down and click on Storage Sense.
4. Enable Automatic User content cleanup, then set your preferred values for Run Storage Sense, Delete files in recycle bin if they have been there for over, and Delete files in Downloads folder if they haven’t been opened for more than 24 hours.
| ADVANCED SYSTEM TWEAKS |
Temporarily Disable VPN
A VPN, which stands for virtual private network, protects its users by encrypting their data and masking their IP addresses. This hides their browsing activity, identity, and location, allowing for greater privacy and autonomy. Anyone seeking a safer, freer, and more secure online experience could benefit from a VPN.
VPNs can impact internet speed and increase latency, which is not ideal for online gamers. However, there are some VPNs that can maintain the network performance needed for online gaming.
Using a VPN can potentially slow down your internet speed, which might affect your ability to download and play games, although raw speed is not as critical as ping for gaming purposes.
1) Open Start Menu, type Settings in the search bar.
2) Click Network & Internet.
3) On the left-hand side, click VPN.
4) Under VPN connections, select the VPN connection that you want to disconnect from.
5) Click on Disconnect.
Temporarily turn off your Memory Integrity
Windows 11 security measures like Memory Integrity and Virtual Machine Platform (VMP) protect against malware but can affect gaming performance. Turning off these features before gaming can improve performance, but it’s important to turn them back on afterwards to maintain protection. You may consider briefly turning off Memory Integrity and VMP to test for performance differences.
Memory Integrity or HVCI is a built-in security feature in Windows 11 designed to protect the kernel from advanced malware attacks by preventing the introduction of malicious code into high-security processes. While it runs in the background, it may consume significant CPU resources, potentially impacting gaming performance. However, users have the option to disable this feature to allocate more resources to gaming.
1) Open the Start Menu type Core Isolation in the search bar.
2) Select Core isolation to open a new window and locate a toggle under Memory integrity option.
3) Turn the toggle switch to Off
4) Restart your PC.
Disable Virtual Machine Platform (VMP)
Another security feature that hogs system resources
Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) is a feature in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that uses hardware virtualization to secure and isolate part of the memory from the OS, impacting system performance. Disabling VBS could potentially improve performance, especially in games.
1) Open Start Menu, type Windows features in the search bar and open it. Select Turn Windows features on or off.
2) Locate the Virtual Machine Platform option within the Turn Windows features on or off window and uncheck it.
3) Restart your PC
Disable or Remove Xbox Game Bar
The Xbox Game Bar on Windows offers tools and settings for gamers, but it is considered lackluster and distracting. The overlay can be triggered accidentally during gameplay, disrupting the experience and consuming system resources. Until improvements are made, it is recommended to uninstall it, with the option to reinstall from the Microsoft Store later.
To disable Xbox Game Bar:
1) Open Start Menu, type Services in the search bar, and open it.
2) Right-click on the items listed below to disable and select Properties from the context menu.
3) On the pop-up window, change the Startup type to Disabled.
Xbox Accessory Management Service
Xbox Live Auth ManagerXbox Live Game Save
Xbox Live Networking Service
4) Click OK and Apply.
To remove Xbox Game Bar:
1) Open Start Menu, type Terminal in the search bar and open Windows Terminal.
2) Enter the following command Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay | Remove-AppxPackage and press Enter.
3) The process should only take a few seconds, but it will completely remove the Game Bar from your computer
Disabling CPU Parking
CPU Parking is a low-power sleep state that disables CPU cores to conserve power when idle, but it results in latency when the CPUs need to be unparked to execute code.
This works hand and hand with the Power Plan tweak above. If you choose to disable it return to Change the Power Plan section above in this page.
To disable CPU Parking:
1) Open Start Menu, type Run in the search bar, and open it.
2) Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\0cc5b647-c1df-4637-891a-dec35c318583
(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Power > PowerSettings > 54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00 > 0cc5b647-c1df-4637-891a-dec35c318583)
(Or search in Registry Editor for 0cc5b647-c1df-4637-891a-dec35c318583)
3) Click to open the key and change the Attribute key value from “1” to “0“.
End
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