Windows 10 - Tweaks for Gaming
Windows 10 is faster than previous versions of Microsoft's operating system,
but you can still easily optimize its performance. Learn how to make your
Windows 10 computer run faster with our tweaks for gaming tips.
As hardware continues to accelerate, so does software, and
Windows 10 is no exception. This is especially true at startup: If you
upgrade from Windows 7 or earlier, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how
quickly your machine is ready for action.
But there are other performance factors to consider after startup, and even
the latest, brightest version of Windows is not immune to slowdowns. We’ve put
together ten tips, many of which are perennial standbys in Windows performance
games.
The problem with the multitude of Windows acceleration stories is that they
tell you to turn off some of the most fun features of the operating system,
such as visual animations. Most of our tips show you ways you can speed up
your Windows 10 system without compromising its appearance or
functionality.
Most are also free, but some involve spending some money on software or
hardware. For people with older, less powerful machines, who want to improve
speed and don't care about additional effects, a few tips can ultimately
improve system performance at the cost of a visual impression.
Pay attention to those “Speed up your PC!” advertisements for
REGISTRY CLEANERS, which often lead to malware. Microsoft categorically
does not support the use of a registry cleaner for Windows 10.
Something that is recommended is to keep your OS up to date. This seems
perhaps too obvious to be listed below as a separate step. Periodically look
at the Windows Updates option in Settings, to see if there are any security
updates that you should install. Do this even if you don't want big updates
yet - you can defer these main options in the same Settings section.
1. Run the setup tool
Iolo System Mechanic is one of the best third-party add-ons to speed up and clean the system for Windows 10. Most such software improves computer performance, even to a small extent. Of course, there are many malicious downloads that claim to speed up your computer, so it's best to stick to proven and tested products.Iolo System Mechanic currently performed best in the test.
2. Uninstall unnecessary software
Although the situation is improving, unnecessary pre-installed software
from the computer manufacturer continues to be a problem with some new
computers. A few years ago, the Lenovo computer we tested had almost 20
so-called installed computers. utilities and they would occasionally and
unintentionally run and interrupt what we are doing on the computer.
Recently, the number of previously installed, unnecessary software has
decreased. The new HP laptop included only nine such applications, while
the newer Asus model had only five. Not even Microsoft is innocent in this
game, including a few King games and some mixed-reality software that
wouldn't interest you.
You can simply right-click on any unwanted application in the Start menu and select the Uninstall option. This will remove the program immediately. You can also right-click the Start button on the Windows logo and select Programs and Features. Or just type Programs in Cortana Search next to the Start button.
You can usually find the culprits by sorting the list of installed applications by manufacturer name. Other good options are sorting by recent activity to see if there are programs you don't know you've installed; or by size, to get rid of large apps you don't need. When you find useless apps you don’t need, select them and click Uninstall.
You can simply right-click on any unwanted application in the Start menu and select the Uninstall option. This will remove the program immediately. You can also right-click the Start button on the Windows logo and select Programs and Features. Or just type Programs in Cortana Search next to the Start button.
You can usually find the culprits by sorting the list of installed applications by manufacturer name. Other good options are sorting by recent activity to see if there are programs you don't know you've installed; or by size, to get rid of large apps you don't need. When you find useless apps you don’t need, select them and click Uninstall.
Unfortunately, you can only remove one at a time, so set aside half an
hour for this project if you have a lot of bloatware. Don't forget to
delete apps that you inserted yourself that you no longer want, as well as
software that you didn't want, and that came with the one you
installed.
Note, with Windows 10, there are two types of applications, traditional desktop and modern applications from the Windows store. You will see both types on the modern Apps & Features page. But for non-action applications, open the Control panel, from where you can uninstall old programs. In either case, you can sort them by size, installation date, name, or search for a specific application.
One reason why removing apps helps performance is that a lot of programs load processes at boot time and take up valuable RAM and CPU cycles. While in the Programs and Features section, you can also click Turn Windows Features On or Off and scan the list to see if there is something you are not using. For more help on what to remove, read How do I get rid of a PC from CRAPWARE?
Note, with Windows 10, there are two types of applications, traditional desktop and modern applications from the Windows store. You will see both types on the modern Apps & Features page. But for non-action applications, open the Control panel, from where you can uninstall old programs. In either case, you can sort them by size, installation date, name, or search for a specific application.
One reason why removing apps helps performance is that a lot of programs load processes at boot time and take up valuable RAM and CPU cycles. While in the Programs and Features section, you can also click Turn Windows Features On or Off and scan the list to see if there is something you are not using. For more help on what to remove, read How do I get rid of a PC from CRAPWARE?
3. Limit startup processes
As mentioned in the previous section, a lot of programs install side
processes that run every time you start your computer, and some of them
are not things that need to be turned on all the time. Compared to
Windows 7, where you had to run the MSCONFIG add-in, Windows 10 (and
Windows 8.x before it) provides an easier way to restrict what's running
on your computer - via the updated Task Manager.
The easiest way to open the Task Manager is to press Ctrl-Shift-Esc. Click the Startup tab and you'll see all the programs that load when Windows starts. The frame even has a column that shows the impact of each program on launch.
The easiest way to open the Task Manager is to press Ctrl-Shift-Esc. Click the Startup tab and you'll see all the programs that load when Windows starts. The frame even has a column that shows the impact of each program on launch.
The status of the columns indicates whether the program is enabled to
start with a Windows startup or not. You can go right-click on any item
to change that status. It's usually very easy to see what you don't want
to run. For example, if you never use iTunes, you probably don't need
iTunes Helper all the time.
4. CleanUp Disk
In the Start menu, type Disk Cleanup. This opens up a reliable disk
cleaning tool that has been part of Windows for several generations of
operating systems. Disk Cleanup finds unwanted things such as
temporary files, offline Web pages, and installation files on your
computer and offers to delete them all at once. You may even find that
your Recycle Bin is full. However, this will have a noticeable effect
on speed if the drive is close to filling.
If you don't have disk defragmentation scheduled regularly, set it up in the Optimize Drives tool, which you can find by typing in Cortana Search next to the Start button. If your main drive is an SSD, you don't need to worry about defragmentation, because there are no moving parts that read the drive.
A newer way to keep warehouse usage is to enable the Storage Sense option (see image above). This automatically frees up space by removing temporary files and items from the Recycle Bin.
If you don't have disk defragmentation scheduled regularly, set it up in the Optimize Drives tool, which you can find by typing in Cortana Search next to the Start button. If your main drive is an SSD, you don't need to worry about defragmentation, because there are no moving parts that read the drive.
A newer way to keep warehouse usage is to enable the Storage Sense option (see image above). This automatically frees up space by removing temporary files and items from the Recycle Bin.
5. Add more RAM
Windows 10 manages memory even more efficiently than earlier
versions of operating systems, but more memory can always
potentially speed up computer operations. For many of today’s
Windows devices, such as Surface Pro tablets, however, adding RAM is
not an option.
Laptops for gaming and business often still allow RAM upgrades, but
this is becoming less common. New, thinner ultrabooks and 2-in-1
computers are usually fixed. If you still use a desktop computer,
this article can show you how to add RAM.
The websites of major RAM manufacturers all offer a product search
that shows you what type of RAM your computer needs, and the prices
are quite reasonable. For $ 60 you can get 8GB of high-performance
DDR4 RAM.
6. Install the SSD
Not only does running Windows benefit, but loading and using
demanding applications like Adobe Photoshop happens much faster
with an SSD. Applications from the Windows store can be easily
moved from the removable hard disk to the SSD via the Apps and
Features page in Settings.
To speed up the system, it makes sense to replace the internal hard drive, and if you use a laptop, this may also be an option. But an external SSD with a USB 3.0 connection can also give you acceleration in applications that use a lot of storage.
To speed up the system, it makes sense to replace the internal hard drive, and if you use a laptop, this may also be an option. But an external SSD with a USB 3.0 connection can also give you acceleration in applications that use a lot of storage.
7. Check for viruses and spyware
For this you can run the built-in Windows Defender or a third-party application, among the malware cleaners, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has proven to be excellent. But don't forget to use permanent protection against malware as well.Some of the AV products have a smaller footprint on system performance than others, and the easiest of all for us is Norton Security AntiVirus. Some of the best Windows Antivirus software are Kaspersky Internet Security, Bit Defender and ESET NOD32 antivirus software.
Also see:
How to choose the best antivirus software?
14. Windows 10 Registry Tweaks for Gaming (For
Advanced Users)
To implement this tweak, go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Games and change the following registry values:
“GPU Priority” change its values to 8 for gaming.
“Priority” set to 6 for gaming.
8. Change the power settings to High Performance
Of course, this is not a good choice if you want to save
electricity, but it can improve your computer speed. Go to
Control Panel> System and Security>
Power Options. From here, click on the arrow on the
right, then “Show additional plans” and then select High
Performance.
9. Use the Performance Troubleshooter
Open the Control Panel and look for troubleshooting. Run the
troubleshooter in System and Security, and it may find a key
reason for the slowdown. Just in case, run other
troubleshooters, including Search and Indexing, Hardware and
Devices, and Windows Store Apps.
Also, go to the good old Control Panel System and
Security> Security and Maintenance page,
click on Maintenance and then Start Maintenance. This
happens automatically according to the schedule, but if you
have slowdowns, it's worth a try.
If your computer is still locked, you can use the Fresh start option of the Windows Security application, but we warn you that this removes all installed programs.
If your computer is still locked, you can use the Fresh start option of the Windows Security application, but we warn you that this removes all installed programs.
10. Change the look in the performance options
You can easily reach this setting by typing adjust
appearance in the search. In the window, you can use the
radio button at the top called Adjust for best performance
or choose which features you can live without, from the
long list below. If you select the button for the best
performance, you will lose the visual effects. For
example, you will not see the contents of the window that
you drag and move, but only the rectangle that represents
the edges of the window. Keeping the effects you like is
probably a better way. You can also access this tool from
the Settings app and search for "maintenance" or
"performance."
11. Turn off search indexing
Especially for weaker computers,
search indexing can eat up system resources, at
least temporarily. If you search a lot, you will not
like this, because some searches will be slower. To turn
off indexing, open Indexing Options in the Control Panel
window (you can also just type index on Start Search and
you should see Indexing Options at the top of the list
of results). Click Modify and deselect the locations or
file types you do not want to index.
If you want to leave indexing turned on, but see that it slows you down from time to time, you can stop its processes when you need extra speed. Right-click on This Computer on the desktop, select Manage. Then double-click Services and Applications, then Services.
Find Windows Search, and double-click it. From this Properties window, you can select Startup type Manual or Disabled to mute processes by default. The Automatic (Delayed Start) startup type, according to Microsoft Help, "is selected instead of Automatic Start because it helps reduce the effects on overall system startup performance." It can be included by default.
The final option is to go to the panel on the right, click on More Options, and then Stop. You can also simply press the stop button above the center of the section. Remember to turn it back on if you want to be able to search your system.
If you want to leave indexing turned on, but see that it slows you down from time to time, you can stop its processes when you need extra speed. Right-click on This Computer on the desktop, select Manage. Then double-click Services and Applications, then Services.
Find Windows Search, and double-click it. From this Properties window, you can select Startup type Manual or Disabled to mute processes by default. The Automatic (Delayed Start) startup type, according to Microsoft Help, "is selected instead of Automatic Start because it helps reduce the effects on overall system startup performance." It can be included by default.
The final option is to go to the panel on the right, click on More Options, and then Stop. You can also simply press the stop button above the center of the section. Remember to turn it back on if you want to be able to search your system.
12. Turn off unnecessary Windows Services
Turning off some Windows 10 services may free
up more RAM for Games. These are some services that
you can disable for gaming.
Click on the search icon and type Services.
Click on the search icon and type Services.
These are services that you can disable.
- All Xbox Service
- dmwappushsvc
- All Hyper-V Services
- Retail Demo Service
Right-click on the service you want to disable> Properties> Startup type: Disable> Apply> OK
13. Nvidia Control Panel
Under the "3D Settings" category, the first is "Adjust image settings with preview". This option is intended to easily adjust what is more important to you - the quality of the 3D display or performance. It is intended for those who do not want to engage in detailed "tweaking", and yet have the desire to make at least a basic adjustment.
There are three options available to you depending on whether you prefer performance, quality, or balance between these two extremes. Of course, there is always the option to leave the choice to applications.
The "Manage 3D Settings" option is a detailed version of the above settings. Here you will be able to change most of the necessary items and increase their number. You will be able to turn Ambient Occlusion, Vertical Sync on or off, adjust power management, but also change the "policy" of the card during Anisotropic Filtering and AntiAliasing modes.
By this, we mean whether the application settings will be ignored and whether the drivers will force their settings and modes or will only be improved if the application settings are worse than what is set in the drivers. It should be noted that each option is further explained and there is also a suggestion from NVIDIA which choice is good depending on what you want to achieve.
14. Windows 10 Registry Tweaks for Gaming (For
Advanced Users)
Latency/Ping
Disabling “nagling” can help reduce
latency/ping in some games.
To implement this tweak, modify the following registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{NIC-id}
For the {NIC-id}, look for the one with your IP address listed. Under this {NIC-id} key, create the DWORD value:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile.
Under SystemProfile, create a DWORD value and name it to “NetworkThrottlingIndex” then set its Hexadecimal value to ffffffff for gaming
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile.
Create a new DWORD and name it to “SystemResponsiveness” set its hexadecimal value to 00000000 for pure gaming/streaming.
In the same Registry you can also change the priority of Games.
To implement this tweak, modify the following registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{NIC-id}
For the {NIC-id}, look for the one with your IP address listed. Under this {NIC-id} key, create the DWORD value:
- TcpAckFrequency and set it to 1 to disable “nagling” for gaming.
- TCPNoDelay and set it also to 1 to disable “nagling”
- TcpDelAckTicks and set it to 0
Network Throttling Index
To implement this tweak, run regedit and modify the registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile.
Under SystemProfile, create a DWORD value and name it to “NetworkThrottlingIndex” then set its Hexadecimal value to ffffffff for gaming
-
ffffffff completely disables throttling
Pure Gaming/Streaming
To implement this tweak, run regedit and modify the registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile.
Create a new DWORD and name it to “SystemResponsiveness” set its hexadecimal value to 00000000 for pure gaming/streaming.
In the same Registry you can also change the priority of Games.
To implement this tweak, go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Games and change the following registry values:
“GPU Priority” change its values to 8 for gaming.
“Priority” set to 6 for gaming.
JazzyK
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