No one wants to experience your gaming PC freezing while playing your favorite games. However, it is hard to pinpoint the exact reasons as to why it is freezing or stuttering. The good news is there are things you can do to avoid your PC from experiencing the issue over and over again.
Here are eight tips on how you can avoid your gaming PC from freezing or stuttering when you are playing video games:
Here are eight easy tips to prevent your gaming PC from freezing or stuttering when you are playing video games:
1 – Adjust your In-Game Settings.
If the problem or issue you have is inconsistent frame rates, you first need to lower your in-game settings. Almost all games, when installed, are automatically set on their preferred settings. But the most recent games have a preferred setting that may not be compatible with your current PC unit. Your games may be pushing your hardware too much. So, it is recommended to lower the textures and quality of the game.
If you are currently playing on high or ultra settings, then drop it to medium or low. Depending on the video game, it might not look at its best, but you’ll have a better framerate.
If you are currently playing on high or ultra settings, drop it to medium or low. Depending on the video game, it might not look at its best, but you’ll have a better framerate.
2 – Disable any background programs.
Having too many programs running in the background will take too much of your CPU and RAM. So if you want to boost the speed of your gaming PC and increase your frame rate, you need to start by disabling your background programs. Follow these steps to do so:
Running too many programs in the background will take too much of your CPU and RAM. So if you want to boost the speed of your gaming PC and increase your frame rate, you need to start by disabling your background programs. Follow these steps to do so:
- Open the Task Manager by pressing all CTRL + SHIFT + ESC buttons.
- Check all the programs eating your unit’s processing power or Memory. Then disable any unimportant programs.
- Close the Task Manager and click F5 to Refresh your CPU.
3 – Check your thermals.
Heat can cause problems to your unit, such as lagging and, worst of all, shutting down. The processor or video graphics card will automatically shut down to protect all the other components in your PC. This is why you should always check the temperature of your unit. Some programs will help you see the current temperature of your unit. For example, Acer laptops can download Nitro which tells the current temperature of your GPU and CPU.
To avoid your gaming PC from overheating, make sure to clean and dust off the inside of your CPU. Check if your fans are working, and it will be best if you can install a fan to control its speed. While for gaming laptops, you can use a cool pad to lower the temperature or use an adjustable stand.
To avoid your gaming PC from overheating, make sure to clean and dust off the inside of your CPU. Check if your fans are working, and it will be best if you can install a fan to control its speed. On the other hand, you can use a cool pad to lower the temperature or use an adjustable stand when using a gaming laptop.
4 – Restart Windows Explorer.
If adjusting your in-game settings doesn’t work, then there’s another trick you can do. Exit and close your game, then restart Windows Explorer. Follow these steps:
If adjusting your in-game settings doesn’t work, there’s another trick you can do. Exit and close your game, then restart Windows Explorer. Follow these steps:
- Press the CTRL + SHIFT + ESC keys all at the same time. This will open up a dialogue window known as the Task Manager.
- Click More Details so you can check all the programs running on your PC.
- Check the list of programs and find Windows Explorer, which has a folder icon next to it.
- Right-click on the icon and then select the Restart.
It will cancel the GUI and restart it, which will help in some cases.
5 – Update your drivers.
When none of the tips above works, the next thing you need to do is one of the most common fixes. And that is updating your drivers. Many people tend to overlook that they need to keep their drivers updated, significantly if the operating system is simultaneously updated. Start by upgrading your graphics driver. You can do this by checking the latest version of your graphics driver on your manufacturer’s website.
Go to NVIDIA or AMD’s website, and choose your graphics card model. Find the latest driver and install them. Upon doing so, you might observe a boost in performance.
6 – Increase Virtual Memory Size.
Most people think that 8GB is enough as a Virtual Memory. However, if you’re playing the most recent games in the market, they can quickly eat up that 8GB. Virtual Memory combines both a portion of your RAM and hard drive. If the game takes up all the physical Memory in your unit system, it will use a part of your Virtual Memory to save those files. You can increase the size of your Virtual Memory to boost your performance.
Here are the steps you need to follow to increase your unit’s Virtual Memory:
Here are the steps to increase your unit’s Virtual Memory:
- Open the Start Menu and go to Advanced System Setting.
- Click on the Advanced tab, then click the Settings under the Performance section.
- Click on the Advanced tab, and click the Settings under the Performance section
- Click on Advanced Tab and then the Change button.
- Click on Advanced Tab and the Change button.
- Make sure that the checkbox that says “automatically manage paging size” isn’t selected.
- Ensure that the checkbox that says “automatically manage paging size” isn’t selected.
- Select the system drive (C) and then Custom Size Option. Select the Initial and Maximum size of the Virtual Memory.
- Click Set then OK.
Make sure that you use the recommended size for the initial size option. And lastly, remember that you shouldn’t set the Virtual Memory higher than its actual physical Memory.
7 – Look for the cause of Bottlenecking.
The bottleneck is usually the reason why a gaming PC is lagging or stuttering. This happens when the performance of the program or game is limited by one of your components. Suppose you are using an old processor and decide to upgrade your graphics card. In that case, the two won’t work together efficiently.
Your unit’s Memory can also be the cause of a bottleneck. If you have slow RAM, perhaps it is time to add more RAM to your memory slots. If nothing else works, then maybe it’s time to upgrade your unit.
Your unit’s Memory can also be the cause of a bottleneck. If you have slow RAM, perhaps it is time to add more RAM to your memory slots. If nothing else works, maybe it’s time to upgrade your unit.
8 – Check your Hardware.
Again, if nothing works, it’s time you upgrade your unit. Before buying a new gaming PC, ensure that it has all the specifications that your preferred games require. If you are confident, you can build your own gaming PC. But if you’re not that technical, you can buy a pre-built unit. Again, double-check all the features and specifications of the gaming PC you plan to purchase.
The main specifications you need to check to include the unit’s processor, storage, RAM, and video graphics card.