Settings every PC gamer should tweak immediately

There has never been a better time to be a PC gamer. With Microsoft aggressively pushing its Game Pass subscription service and PC makers introducing powerful hardware to play games with high frame rates, PC gaming has not only gotten better but it is the best it has ever been. Even if you have recently built a gaming PC, there are some hidden settings you can tweak to get even better performance.

Gaming PC setup: Settings to tweak

The speed and performance of your gaming PC setup indeed play an important role in determining your gaming experience. Depending on the RAM, processor, and GPU you choose for your PC and the display to go with it, you will have the absolute best PC gaming setup or a respectable one. Sometimes, even the best gaming PC setups might feel sluggish if they are not set up to perform at their best.

One way to achieve the maximum out of your gaming PC setup is by adjusting the energy settings. On your gaming PC, you can activate High Performance mode by opening the Power options under Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options. Here, you must enable the High Performance option or a dedicated mode called AMD Ryzen High Performance if you have a Ryzen processor.

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Another way to enhance the performance of your gaming PC setup is by changing the refresh rate of your monitor. Windows does not automatically select the maximum refresh rate of your monitor and by changing it to 120Hz or 144Hz, you can experience smooth gameplay. In order to change your monitor’s maximum refresh rate, you need to go to System > Display > Advanced display. Here, you will be able to change the refresh rate of your display.

One of the challenges with a gaming PC setup is that Windows automatically artificially accelerates the mouse speed. You can change this behaviour by going to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse. Here, you will see an option for additional mouse settings, select the pointer options. Remove the tick next to Enhance pointer precision to achieve consistent mouse movement.

Game Mode for PC

With the release of Windows 10’s Creators Update, Microsoft added a new feature called Game Mode that promised to boost the performance of many PC games. When enabled, Microsoft’s Game Mode automatically recognises when you start a game and prioritises your computer’s resources for gaming.

It does this by allocating the necessary CPU and GPU resources to the game and by reducing the background processes that could affect your game’s performance. For the most optimal gaming experience on your Windows PC, enable Game Mode by going to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode.

Other tweaks for a great gaming experience

In addition to enabling Game Mode and adjusting power options, display refresh rate, and mouse pointer settings, you should also make sure that your Windows is updated and all the drivers are updated as well. Use AMD’s Adrenalin client or Nvidia’s GeForce Experience to download and install the latest drivers compatible with your hardware.

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In order to make sure that your monitor and GPU are working in tandem, you must enable AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync. These match your monitor’s refresh rate to the operation of your GPU’s frames per second. Last but not least, use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi for gaming even though wireless internet has gotten faster and more reliable.

The best gaming experience is no longer restricted to the hardware on which you play games. By ensuring that you have made all the essential tweaks to the settings, you can significantly enhance your gaming experience.