Windows 11 works well for gaming right out of the box, but it still offers many optimization options that can further boost performance. If you want to squeeze every last bit of power from your PC for the best experience, follow the tips in this guide to optimize Windows 11 for peak gaming performance.

Table of Contents

• 1. Disable Startup Applications
• 2. Disable Resource-intensive Applications
• 3. Disable Visual Effects
• 4. Enable and Use the Ultimate Performance Power Plan
• 5. Update the Graphics Driver(s)
• 6. Activate Game Mode
• 7. Select Dedicated GPU for All Games
• 8. Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling
• 9. Exclude Game Folders from Microsoft Defender Scans
• 10. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations
• Frequently Asked Questions

1. Disable Startup Applications

Usually, startup applications don’t exert an influence on gaming performance. However, the presence of a heavy application or an app with high consumption will most certainly have an impact. Ultimately, the result depends on the applications you are running on your PC.

If you think they are interfering with gaming performance, disable them. Doing this could make your PC run faster.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to launch the Task Manager.

Navigate to the **Startup apps **tab. Right-click on the app you want to disable and select the **Disable **option.

Do this for all the unnecessary applications, and your system will start running faster.

2. Disable Resource-intensive Applications

Some applications can eat up a lot of memory and CPU power. So, if you want to start a gaming session, disable those applications beforehand.

Open the Task Manager again and sort the Processes list by CPU or Memory usage by clicking on one or the other.

Right-click the unrequired apps consuming the most and select End Task.

Repeat these steps to disable all the unnecessary applications running in the background and consuming memory or CPU.

3. Disable Visual Effects

By default, Windows is configured to look its best, but these effects consume so many resources that even Microsoft recommends disabling them when seeking performance. If special animations and visual effects don’t mean much to you, you should disable them. Here’s how:

Type “performance” in Windows Search and open Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.

Select Adjust for best performance option here to get the best performance while sacrificing special effects.

If icons and fonts look too bad, you can enable all effects related to shadows and fonts; they have minimal impact on performance.

4. Enable and Use the Ultimate Performance Power Plan

You might also want to switch to the Ultimate Performance power plan on Windows 11. This power plan puts the PC in full power all the time to ensure no delays that may cause minor stutters. However, it’s only recommended to enable it when you want to avoid minimal interferences, like when trying to stabilize frame time. Your PC usually works at full potential even in High Performance mode; Ultimate Performance just ensures that not even passive power saving features kick in.

You’ll have to enable it first before selecting it. Open Command Prompt and run the following command in it:

powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61

Now, type “power plan” in Windows Search and select Choose a power plan option. Select the Ultimate Performance plan here. If it’s not visible, click on Show additional plans at the bottom, and it should be inside it.

Keep in mind that this power plan consumes high power even when not needed, leading to high battery consumption, fan noise, and even heating issues. You should only enable it when you are about to start gaming.

5. Update the Graphics Driver(s)

One of the crucial elements for enhancing the gaming performance is the graphics driver. Unfortunately, Windows doesn’t do the best job of getting the latest graphics drivers.

You’ll have to manually find the latest drivers or get your GPU manufacturer’s official software that will install the latest drivers automatically. You can follow our guides to update both Nvidia drivers and AMD drivers.

6. Activate Game Mode

Game Mode is not a new feature, as it was also available on Windows 10. It allows users to enjoy uninterrupted gaming performance.

There’s no noticeable difference between the Windows 10 Game Mode and the latest version. In Windows 11, it continues to optimize the system for playing games and even improves the framerates. Ideally, it is best to activate the game mode when you are gaming.

Open Windows Settings, navigate to Gaming, and select Game Mode.

Toggle the option to enable Game Mode.

7. Select Dedicated GPU for All Games

In gaming laptops, a dual GPU setup is common, using both an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU. While the laptop is supposed to switch to a dedicated GPU when gaming, it doesn’t always work. You can force all games to use the more powerful dedicated GPU all the time. Here’s how:

In Windows Settings, go to System → Display → Graphics and click on Add desktop app to add your game’s executable file to the list.

Afterward, select High Performance in the GPU preference of the game you just added. Repeat the steps for all games to ensure they use the dedicated GPU.

8. Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is a Windows feature that moves scheduling jobs from the CPU to a dedicated processor on the GPU. This helps offload some CPU tasks and lets the GPU handle them with less latency and better efficiency.

While the gains are hardware dependent, it can potentially lead to better performance in CPU-intensive games and lower input latency as the CPU doesn’t need to buffer scheduling tasks.

To enable it, go to System → Display → Graphics in Windows Settings. Here, enable Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling under Advanced Graphics settings.

9. Exclude Game Folders from Microsoft Defender Scans

By default, Microsoft Defender scans all files when they are accessed to ensure they are safe. This adds a little bit of overhead to the CPU and introduces latency, leading to slower loading times and possibly micro stutters when loading in-game assets.

If you trust the contents of your games, you can exclude their folder from the Microsoft Defender scans. Search “security” in Windows Search and open the Windows Security app.

Move to Virus & threat protection → Manage settings and click on Add or remove exclusions under Exclusions. Now, click on Add an exclusion to select your game folders.

10. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

For games played in full-screen, Windows optimizes the game to take advantage of both full-screen performance and window-mode’s features, like overlays and quick switching. However, this still impacts performance compared to a game running in actual full-screen mode.

If you don’t need to interact with other apps and don’t use in-game overlays, you can disable fullscreen optimizations for better performance. Right-click on the game’s executable file and select Properties. Move to the Compatibility tab and enable the Disable fullscreen optimizations option.

While these were some simple tweaks to get a quick performance boost, there are also some advanced methods offering even greater gains. For example, you can edit the Windows Registry for gaming improvement, or even disable unnecessary Windows services to boost PC speed. There are also dedicated tweaks for gaming on a laptop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Windows 11 Better for gaming than Windows 10?

In terms of gaming performance, Windows 11 has a slight advantage over its predecessor, which consists of the two Xbox features that were added to the new OS: AutoHDR and DirectStorage.

Are there any other ways to optimize Windows 11 for gaming?

Yes, there are other ways to optimize Windows 11 for gaming. More sophisticated ways to enhance PC gaming performance are available.

For example, if you have a laptop with an NVIDIA GPU, you can visit the “NVIDIA Control Panel” and make necessary changes to enhance gaming performance. To find it on the computer, right-click on the desktop and select “Show more options -> NVIDIA Control Panel”.

How to Enable AutoHDR Functionality on Windows 11?

The AutoHDR is a brand-new gaming feature Microsoft added to Windows 11. It makes games look better with the use of vibrant colors. But, it is not a default feature. You have to enable it manually, and here’s how you can do it. In Windows, go to “Settings-> System-> Display” and select HDR. At the top, you will find “Use HDR.” Enable it first. Finally, scroll down and enable “AutoHDR”.