How to Optimize Windows 10 For Gaming

Windows 10 can be a powerful and versatile system for gaming, but it isn’t perfectly tailored for this purpose right out of the box. Certain tweaks are necessary if you wish to enjoy the best possible gaming performance on your Windows 10 PC.

In this guide, we’ll share tips on optimizing your Windows 10 computer for gaming. We’ve included important points related to gaming, from internet connection latency to graphics and hardware. Read on to discover how you can improve your gaming experience on Windows 10.

How to Optimize Windows 10 for Gaming

Windows 10 has a built-in Game Mode. It’s a quick way to tailor your PC for play if you don’t want to get deep into the settings. Here’s how to enable Game Mode on your computer:

1. Hit the “Windows” and “I” keys simultaneously to open the search bar.
   
2. Type in “Game Mode” and hit the “Enter” key.
   
3. From the suggested options, click “Game Mode settings” or “Turn on Game Mode.”
   
4. Shift the toggle button under “Game Mode” to the “On” position.
   

How to Optimize Windows 10 for Online Gaming

Online gamers, however, may not see a difference when enabling the Game Mode as it doesn’t solve latency issues. This problem is often related to Nagle’s algorithm, a method that is useful for improving TCP/IP network efficiency but reduces internet connection speed and consistency. To disable Nagle’s algorithm on your PC, follow the steps below:

1. Press the “Windows” and “X” keys simultaneously.
   
2. From the menu, select “Windows PowerShell.”
   
3. Type in “ipconfig” and hit “Enter.”
   
4. Find your PC’s IP address and make note of it. You’ll need it later.
5. Open the “Start” menu and type in “redegit” to open the Registry Editor.
   
6. In the Registry Editor’s address bar, paste “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces”.
   
7. You’ll see a list of subfolders with names comprised of random letters and numbers in the left sidebar under the “Interfaces” folder. Find one that matches your PC’s IP address and right-click it.
   
8. From the dropdown menu, select “New,” then “DWORD (32-bit) Value.”
   
9. Name it “TcpAckFrequency,” set the value data to 1, and click “Ok” to confirm.
   
10. Right-click the folder again and select “New,” then “DWORD (32-bit) Value.”
    
11. Name the second value “TCPNoDelay,” set the value data to 1, and click “Ok” to confirm.
    

Another way to improve online game performance on a Windows 10 PC is to make a few networking tweaks to achieve faster DNS. Here’s how to do that:

1. Press the “Windows” and “I” keys simultaneously to launch Windows settings.
   
2. Type in “Network and Internet” to the search bar or find it from the menu.
   
3. Navigate to “Change Adapter Settings” and right-click your Wi-Fi network’s name.
4. From the dropdown menu, select “Properties.”
   
5. Click “Internet Protocol Version 4” and take a note of two DNS entries. You’ll need them later.
   
6. Change your current DNS entries for “1.1.1.1” and “1.0.0.1,” then click “Ok” and “Close.”
   
7. Restart the browser you use for playing online games.

How to Disable Steam Automatic Updates on Windows 10?

Many Windows 10 gamers install games via Steam. However, Steam’s automatic updates may drain your PC’s memory by updating games you don’t want to update and decrease your Internet connection speed. To disable automatic updates during gameplay, follow the steps below:

1. Open Steam and log in to your account.
   
2. From “Settings,” navigate to “Downloads” located in the left sidebar.
   
3. Under the “Download Restrictions” section, untick the box next to “Allow downloads during gameplay.”
   

You may also disable updates for a specific game by following the instructions below:

1. Launch Steam and right-click the game you wish to stop updating.
2. From the dropdown menu, select “Properties.”
   
3. Expand the menu under “Automatic Updates.”
   
4. From the menu, select “Only update this game when I launch it.”
   

How to Improve Windows 10 Gaming Graphics

Graphics are an important factor for many gamers, and in-game settings aren’t the only way to improve the visual appearance of a game. You can also tweak the visual effect settings directly on your PC. Here’s how to do that:

1. Press the “Windows” and “I” keys simultaneously to open the search bar.
2. Enter “performance” and click “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.”
   
3. Select “Adjust for best performance” from the list and click “Apply.”
   
4. Navigate to the “Advanced” tab and choose “Programs” under the “Adjust for best performance of” section.
   
5. Click “Apply” and “Ok” to apply changes.
   

How to Adjust Mouse Settings for Better Gaming Performance on Windows 10

Your mouse lag can severely impact your gaming performance, especially when it comes to shooters. Tweaking the mouse settings can be of great help here. Follow the steps below to adjust pointer precision on Windows 10:

1. Open the “Start” menu and click the gear icon to open the settings.
   
2. Select “devices,” then “Mouse.” Find your current mouse’s name if you have multiple devices.
   
3. Navigate to the “Pointer Options” tab and untick the box next to “Enhance pointer precision.”
   
4. Optionally, adjust the pointer speed by shifting the toggle button under “Select a pointer speed.”
   
5. Click “Ok” to confirm changes.
   

How to Update Windows 10 Drivers for Better Gaming Performance

Even the best GPU won’t work as intended if you neglect driver updates. To keep your GPU drivers up to date, follow the steps below:

1. Right-click anywhere on your desktop.
2. From the dropdown menu, select “Display settings, “then “Advanced display settings.”
   
3. Scroll down to the bottom and locate “Display adapter properties.”
   
4. Under “Properties,” click “Update Driver” to install the latest updates.
   

How to Optimize Windows 10 for Gaming by With DirectX 12

Lastly, you can install the latest version of DirectX to improve your Windows 10 gaming performance. Follow the instructions below:

1. Check which version of DirectX you currently have. Launch Windows PowerShell, type in “dxdiag,” and hit the “Enter” key. You’ll see the current version next to the “DirectX Version” line.
   
2. If you don’t have the latest version installed, hit the “Windows” and “I” keys simultaneously to access Windows settings.
3. Navigate to “Update and security.”
   
4. Click “Windows Update,” then “Check for updates.”
   
5. The updates will install automatically.

Keep It Up to Date

Some tweaks listed in this guide may be minor, but all the measures combined have a great effect on Windows 10 gaming performance. However, even perfectly tailored software can’t make up for outdated hardware. Thus, make sure that your internet connection, mouse, and keyboard are suitable for gaming and keep the drivers up to date.

Which tip for improving the Windows 10 gaming performance did you find the most useful? Share your experiences in the comments section below.