The 10 Ways to Optimize Windows 10 for Gaming

Despite having good hardware, a poorly optimized operating system is definitely going to slow down gaming. Windows users who are using the Windows 10 operating system have a number of tweaking to do for smooth gaming. These tweaks also help to improve gameplay for those having PC’s that aren’t very powerful.

In this article, we’ll explore a list of the 10 best ways to optimize windows 10 for gaming.

1. Enable Windows 10 Gaming Mode

Windows 10 creators updates and version released after it, comes with a special gaming mode, that helps optimize the operating system for gaming. Enabling gaming mode on windows 10 is a very easy thing to do. To enable Windows 10 game mode, follow the steps listed below:

Press Windows Key + I
Type Game mode and hit enter
Click control game mode for optimizing your PC games
Click Game mode
Toggle the Game mode switch

Note: Windows updates will be paused when Game mode is activated.

2. Disable Nagle’s Algorithm

Nagle’s Algorithm bundles packets of data, which in turn slows, therefore slowing games played online. It is imperative you disable Nagle’s algorithm before you proceed to play games online. please follow the steps outlined below to disable Nagle’s algorithm on your windows 10 machine.

Hit the windows key
Type Regedit in the search bar
Open Regedit
Paste this line of text in the search bar HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces
Scroll until you find the folder named DhcpIPAddress
Right-click on the DhcpIPAddress
Navigate through New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
create two DWORD values
Name one of them TcpAckFrequency and the other TCPNoDelay
double each of them and set their parameters to 1

3. Disable Automatic Restart and Update

The windows update system is another hindrance to good internet speeds for playing games online. Downloading updates in the background can slow down your internet speeds. In optimizing your windows 10 machine for games, you are strongly advised to disable windows 10 automatic updates. The steps disable automatic restart and update are listed below:

Press Windows key + I on your keyboard
Navigate through Update and security > Windows Update > Advanced options > Update Options
Disable automatic download update

4. Prevent Steam From Auto-Updating Games

Automatic game updates by steam deplete memory and also reduces internet speeds. If you have steam installed on your Windows machine, you are strongly advised to disable automatic game updates. The steps to disable steam auto game updates are outlined below:

5. Adjust Windows 10 Visual Effects

No doubt the windows 10 features a very beautiful interface with a lot of visual effects. Unfortunately, the visual effects featured in the windows 10 operating system have the potentials of slowing down gameplay.

It is imperative that you adjust these visual effects, to help improve the performance of games on your Windows 10 machine. The steps to adjust the Windows 10 visual effects are listed below:

Press Windows Key + I
Type performance and hit enter
Select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows
Click on Adjust for best performance and click ok
Navigate to the Advanced tab
Ensure that “Adjust the best performance” is set to programs

6. Adjust Power Plan

The power plan of your windows machine goes in a long way in determining the performance of games. It is recommended you put your laptop in high-performance mode. In order to place your change your PC’s power plan to high performance, follow the steps listed below:

Press Windows Key + I
Navigate through power > Power and sleep settings > Additional power settings

7. Update Your Drivers Regularly

Drivers power your computer’s hardware, they make things work as they should. Inappriote or outdated drivers can make your computer perform below its potential. As a PC gamer, you are required to install the latest graphics drivers and also constantly update your drivers, in order to attain top optimal gaming experience.

The easiest method to ensure your drivers are recent and kept up to date is via the windows 10 automatic update feature. But if you already effected some of the changes discussed above, then it is assumed you already disable windows 10 automatic update, so prevent background downloads that may slow down gameplay. However, you can also update and download the latest driver on your Windows machine, via the manufacturer website.

Before you proceed to download the latest graphics drivers from the manufacturer’s website, it is important you know the model of your machine. To know the model of windows machine, follow the steps listed below:

Press Windows Key + R
Type dxdiag in the space provided
Hit enter

8. Install DirectX

DirectX is a windows tool that helps improve GPU performance on windows machines. It helps improves frame rates, it helps manage system power, reduces graphical effects from the operating system and lots more. As at the time this article was written, DirectX 12 was the latest.

It is important you have the latest version of DirectX installed on your Windows 10 machine. To check the version of DirectX installed on your Windows machine, follow the steps listed below:

Press Windows Key + R
Type dxdiag and hit the enter key

If you are not satisfied with the version of DirectX installed on your Windows machine, you can proceed to download the latest version from a third-party website or opt for a full Windows update.

9. Disable Mouse Acceleration

The Windows 10 operating system has a mechanism that dictates the responsiveness of your mouse, it makes your mouse move based not only on the detection of physical movements but also on speed, This makes it a bit difficult to use the mouse to play aiming games like first-person shooter games. To disable this feature and game better, follow the steps listed below:

Press Windows Key + Q.
Type “pointer.”
Select ‘Change the mouse pointer display or speed”.
Untick Enhanced pointer precision.
Configure the mouse speed to suit your preference

10. Game On SSD

SSDs are highly recommended in place on hard drives for a reason. Hard drives make use of disks, which rotates to release data. These rotation slowdowns a lot of tasks performed on your Windows machine, including playing games.

Meanwhile, SSDs make use of a chip, which releases data a lot faster than hard drives. It doesn’t require rotation, so data is delivered at an instant.

Wrapping it Up:

There you have it – a comprehensive list of the 10 ways to optimize windows 10 for gaming. Methods featured in this article are highly recommended and you are encouraged to use them. If you have other recommendations, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.