Are you experiencing slow performance when playing the latest video games in the market? Then you might want to improve the performance of your gaming PC. There are several tweaks you can make to optimize your current gaming PC setup.
Here are seven ways to optimize and improve the performance of your gaming PC:
1 – Keep your gaming PC clean.
One of the most effective ways to improve a gaming PC’s performance is by making sure it’s clean. Dust and dirt can reduce the airflow in your system, which results in your gaming PC getting too hot. Once the heat builds up, most components like the GPU and processor will slow down. This will affect the performance of your gaming PC.
So make sure to always clean your PC and remove the dust regularly, so they won’t build up. You can easily clean up your gaming PC by following these steps.
- Turn off your gaming PC and plug it off.
- Wait for it to cool down. Once it is cool to touch, remove the side cover of your case or chassis.
- Check if there is any build-up dust in your components.
- Use a can of compressed air to blow off those specks of dust.
- Once everything is clear. Place back the side cover. Plugin your gaming PC and turn it off, then try if its performance has improved.
2 – Upgrade its important components.
Upgrading and installing new hardware is the best and fastest way to improve your gaming PC’sPC’s performance. There are important components in your gaming PC that you can upgrade, such as the following:
- RAM – Depending on the slot in your motherboard, you can add more RAM to your system. By doing so, you can increase the memory amount and processing speed of your gaming PC.
- Storage – For storage, most gaming PCs either have an HDD or SSD drive. But if you want to get the best out of our system, we definitely recommend you choose SSD over HDD. SSD has a higher memory capacity, which can improve your gaming PC performance.
- GPU – Your gaming PC’sPC’s graphic processing unit is responsible for delivering the visuals to your monitor. Thus, the newer GPU you have, the better your graphics can deliver. GPUs can also improve your overall gaming experience.
3 – Upgrade drivers for better performance.
All gaming PCs, despite their differences, have the same hardware and architecture. This means that you need to keep your drivers updated on whatever operating system or hardware you are using. There are standard OS updates, and if your gaming PC runs in Microsoft Windows, you can actually set it to be automatically updated.
However, when it comes to other drivers, such as the driver for your graphics card, you need to manually upgrade it. You can also use an update management software that will notify you when your drivers need an update.
4 – Update Microsoft DirectX for optimization.
Microsoft Windows has a program called DirectX. It is a collection of software tools that facilitate the graphics in a video game. The latest version of DirectX is the DirectX 12 Ultimate which was launched in 2020. This program creates a shared library for your Windows 10 gaming PC and Xbox Series X/S systems.
Check the current version of your Microsoft DirectX. If it doesn’t run the latest version, then make sure to update it. To update the program, follow these steps:
- Click Start and go to Settings.
- Click Update & Security, then select Windows Update.
- Then click Check for Updates.
5 – Activate Windows Game Mode.
For Windows 10 users, there is a feature called Game Mode that you can enable every time you’re playing using your gaming PC. This feature or app optimizes your PC system for gaming by simply activating its Game Bar and Game Mode. Not only that, but this app also includes other features such as screen recording, streaming, and others.
To enable Game Mode in Windows 10, follow these steps:
- Go to Start and then click Settings.
- Choose Gaming and then Xbox Game Bar.
- Toggle on the Xbox Game Bar.
- Then choose the Game Mode in the side menu, and switch it on as well.
- Close the Settings interface to save the changes.
Once Game Mode is enabled, your system will run video games at their optimum settings, allowing you to experience a smoother and better gaming experience.
6 – Close any background apps you don’t need.
Most of us tend to overlook that background apps are running in our system that you don’t need. For example, if you’re playing a video game from Steam, you may not know that your Epic Games app is still running in the background. And sometimes, this app gets a portion of your internet when it needs to update a game in its library.
This is the reason why you should close any apps running in the background. Look at your System tray, and check the list of apps running in the background. Right-click each icon and close any programs that you think are irrelevant to your gaming experience. Of course, if the app is needed in your game, then let it run. For example, you need to keep your graphics card management app open.
7 – Adjust your gaming PC’s power settings.
Windows 10 has a detailed power management option. And if you want to experience the best gaming experience, you might prefer to choose the High-Performance setting. To change your power option setting, follow these steps:
- Choose Start, then go to Settings. You can also click Windows + I as a keyboard shortcut.
- Go to system, then select Power and Sleep.
- Choose Additional Power Settings, then choose High Performance.
- Then click Change Plan Settings, then go to Change Advanced Power Settings.
- Confirm your power settings are set to optimum levels.
8 – Uninstall unwanted programs on your hard drive.
Having too many programs installed in your gaming PC can max out its storage capacity. And doing so will significantly affect the performance of your system. Aside from the RAM, your hard drive storage should have an ample amount of free space. If so, then it will be able to process the programs and video games quickly.
Check the current disk space you have on your hard disk. Suppose your storage disk is almost at its capacity. In that case, it is recommended to uninstall programs that you don’t need anymore. You can also use a Windows built-in program called Disk Cleanup. You can clean up your system files using this program.