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For most Windows 11 gaming PCs, start by checking Settings > Gaming > Game Mode, then enable Optimizations for windowed games if you play compatible DirectX 10 or DirectX 11 titles in windowed or borderless mode. On a computer with more than one GPU, assign the game to the appropriate graphics processor. If the PC is plugged in and extra heat and power use are acceptable, test Best performance power mode. Keep Windows and graphics drivers current, and remove unnecessary background load.
These settings remove common constraints; they are not guaranteed frame-rate upgrades. The result depends on the game, graphics API, display mode, hardware, driver and what else the PC is doing.
What these settings can—and cannot—do
Windows 11 exposes several controls that affect scheduling, presentation, power and background activity. They are most useful when a game is being limited by the wrong GPU, an inefficient windowed presentation path, aggressive power saving or competing applications. They cannot turn entry-level hardware into a high-end gaming system, and Microsoft publishes no universal FPS increase for these switches.
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Use the settings as a troubleshooting sequence: change one variable, restart the game when requested, and compare the same game, scene and display mode. That makes it possible to tell whether a change helped instead of attributing a random improvement to the last setting touched.
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This guide targets Windows 11, which is Microsoft’s current gaming focus. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so its instructions are legacy context rather than an equally current platform recommendation.
1. Check Game Mode first
Where to find it
- Open Settings.
- Choose Gaming, then Game Mode.
- Turn Game Mode on if it is disabled.
Microsoft says Game Mode should be enabled by default. It is therefore a baseline check rather than a promised performance boost: if it is already on, changing it will not necessarily alter frame rate or latency. If it was off, enable it before investigating more specialized settings. Microsoft’s Windows 11 gaming guidance is available at Gaming on Windows 11.
2. Enable optimizations for windowed and borderless games
What the feature changes
Settings > System > Display > Graphics contains Optimizations for windowed games. Microsoft describes its scope precisely: “Optimizations for windowed games improves gaming performance for DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running in windowed and borderless windowed modes.”
For compatible games, Windows can move presentation from the older blt model to flip model. That can reduce frame latency and enables features such as Auto HDR and variable refresh rate when the game, driver and display support them. It is relevant to windowed and borderless play; it is not a blanket setting for every API or exclusive-fullscreen configuration.
Turn it on globally
- Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
- Under the default graphics settings, enable Optimizations for windowed games.
- Close and restart the game.
Auto HDR enables this optimization automatically. If you need to disable the optimization while Auto HDR is active, Microsoft says you must turn off Auto HDR first. The full explanation and exceptions are in Optimizations for windowed games in Windows 11.
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Create an exception for one game
- Return to Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
- Select the game under the app list or add it if necessary.
- Choose Options.
- Adjust the game’s graphics preference, or turn off windowed-game optimizations and Auto HDR for that title.
- Select Save, then restart the game or app.
A per-game exception is useful when one older title behaves worse with the modern presentation path, HDR or a particular driver, while other games work normally.
3. Select the right GPU for each game
When this matters
This setting matters most on hybrid laptops and desktops with more than one graphics processor—for example, integrated graphics plus a discrete GPU. A single-GPU PC will not gain a second processor by changing the preference, and not every computer exposes all choices.
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Set the preference
- Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
- Select the game under the app list, or add its executable.
- Choose Options.
- Select one of Microsoft’s choices: Let Windows decide, Power saving or High performance.
- Save the choice and restart the game.
High performance tells Windows which preference to request; the label is not a benchmark guarantee. Use it when the game is incorrectly running on an integrated GPU and battery life is less important. Choose Power saving when extending unplugged runtime matters, or leave Let Windows decide when automatic selection is working correctly.
4. Test Best performance power mode
Path and trade-off
- Open Settings.
- Go to System > Power & battery.
- Set Power mode to Best performance.
Microsoft says this mode can help the CPU run at higher performance when needed. The cost is higher power consumption. On a laptop, expect potentially higher temperatures, more fan noise and shorter battery runtime, so test it primarily while plugged in. It is not a sensible permanent default for someone who values quiet operation or long battery life more than peak headroom.
If the game is already GPU-limited, changing CPU power policy may do little. If clocks are dropping under a CPU-heavy workload, however, this is a reasonable controlled test. Return to a balanced mode when the gaming session ends or when heat and battery costs outweigh the benefit.
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5. Reduce background work before blaming the game
Install Windows and optional driver updates
Open Windows Update and check for available updates. Microsoft also recommends checking optional updates, which can include non-critical drivers. Updated graphics drivers and operating-system fixes can resolve compatibility problems, but an update is not proof that a particular game will gain FPS.
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Find the process using your resources
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
- Use Processes to identify applications consuming unusual CPU, memory, disk or GPU resources.
- Use Performance to watch utilization while the game stutters.
- Use Startup apps to disable programs that do not need to launch with Windows.
Close unused applications and limit background activity that is not needed during play. Do not terminate unfamiliar Windows processes merely because they appear in Task Manager; identify the application first. Microsoft’s broader checklist is documented in Tips to improve PC performance in Windows.
This approach distinguishes a graphics problem from a system-load problem. High disk usage from a sync or update task, memory pressure from many browser tabs, or a CPU-heavy background application can produce stutter even when the game’s graphics settings have not changed.
6. Treat hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling as optional
Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling appears among Windows graphics settings on supported hardware. Microsoft’s DirectX documentation explains that support depends on graphics hardware and drivers, with reliability and performance evaluated before driver support is promoted. That evidence does not establish a universal rule that turning it on is faster.
Leave a stable system unchanged unless you have a specific compatibility or troubleshooting reason to compare it. If you do test it, change only this setting, restart as required, and evaluate the games and workloads you actually use. Keep the setting that produces the more stable behavior on your hardware rather than assuming the label predicts performance. Microsoft’s technical background is in Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling.
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7. Use visual-effects reduction only for a constrained PC
Windows visual effects consume some system resources. Microsoft provides an Adjust for best performance option in the Visual Effects tab. This is a general Windows-responsiveness control, not a gaming-specific FPS switch.
Use it when the desktop itself feels sluggish on older or resource-constrained hardware and you accept reduced animations and visual polish:
- Open Windows search and type Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
- Open the matching system settings dialog.
- On the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance.
- Apply the change and keep only effects you still want, if necessary.
On a modern gaming PC with plenty of CPU and memory headroom, this change is unlikely to be a meaningful game-performance solution.
Which setting should you try first?
| Setting | Best fit | Main benefit to test | Trade-off or limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Any Windows 11 gaming PC | Confirms the gaming baseline is enabled | No guaranteed FPS increase |
| Optimizations for windowed games | DirectX 10/11 games in windowed or borderless mode | Flip-model presentation, lower frame latency and access to Auto HDR/variable refresh rate on supported setups | Scope is limited by API, display mode, game and display support |
| Per-app GPU preference | Systems with integrated and discrete GPUs | Routes a game to Power saving, High performance or Windows-selected graphics | High performance is a preference, not a benchmark promise |
| Best performance power mode | Plugged-in systems where CPU headroom matters | Allows higher CPU performance when needed | More power use, heat and laptop battery drain |
| Background and startup cleanup | Any PC showing high resource use outside the game | Releases CPU, memory, disk or GPU capacity | Requires identifying and safely disabling unnecessary apps |
| Visual-effects reduction | Older or constrained PCs with sluggish Windows response | Improves general desktop responsiveness | Reduces Windows visual effects; not a dedicated FPS feature |
A practical troubleshooting order
- Record the symptom. Decide whether you have low average frame rate, intermittent stutter, input latency, incorrect HDR, excessive heat or rapid battery drain.
- Check Game Mode. Confirm it is enabled under Settings > Gaming > Game Mode.
- Match the windowed setting to the game. If the title is DirectX 10 or 11 and windowed or borderless, enable windowed-game optimizations and restart. If it becomes unstable, create a per-game exception.
- Verify GPU routing. On a multi-GPU system, inspect the game’s preference under Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
- Check power conditions. While plugged in, test Best performance. Monitor heat and fan behavior rather than leaving it enabled automatically.
- Inspect Task Manager. Look for background CPU, memory, disk or GPU use and disable only applications you recognize and do not need.
- Update Windows and optional drivers. Reboot after installation and retest the same scene.
- Test HAGS only if justified. Change one variable and keep the result that is more stable for your actual games.
If none of these steps changes the symptom, the limiting factor may be the game’s own settings, thermal throttling, insufficient hardware or a driver-specific issue. Software toggles cannot guarantee improvement when the hardware is already saturated.
Display compatibility: when a monitor feature matters
Optimizations for windowed games can enable Auto HDR and variable refresh rate on supported displays. A gaming monitor with variable refresh rate or HDR support is therefore a compatibility requirement for those display features, not a requirement for enabling the Windows setting itself. Buying a monitor is not a general substitute for diagnosing frame rate, CPU/GPU utilization or background load.
Bottom line
Use Game Mode as the baseline, windowed-game optimizations for compatible DirectX 10/11 windowed or borderless games, and per-app GPU selection when a PC has multiple GPUs. Test Best performance only when power and heat are acceptable, and address updates and background load before reaching for obscure tweaks. Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling and visual-effects changes are situational; evaluate them on the games and hardware you actually use rather than expecting a universal FPS gain.
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