How to Optimize Windows 11 for Gaming [6 Effective Methods]?

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Linda 

Updated on April 19, 2024

Microsoft has touted Windows 11 as taking gaming to a whole new level. If you're one of the gaming enthusiasts, you might be concerned about Windows 11's gaming performance.

Windows 11 Gaming Features Windows 11 Gaming Features

Before diving into optimizing your Windows 11 for gaming, here are the aspects that contribute to improved game performance in the operating system: 1. **Game Mode**: Windows 11 includes a dedicated Game Mode that prioritizes system resources for gaming. It limits background processes and ensures that the game receives maximum CPU and GPU power. To enable it, go to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and turn on the toggle for "Use Game Mode." 2. **Auto HDR**: Auto High Dynamic Range (HDR) enhances color and contrast in supported games, providing a more immersive experience. However, it may impact performance on some systems. You can find this setting in Settings > Display > HDR. 3. **DirectStorage**: This feature allows games to load assets faster by directly accessing the graphics card's memory, reducing loading times. It requires an NVMe SSD and a compatible GPU. Check with your game and hardware manufacturers for compatibility. 4. **Windows Subsystem for Android**: If you have this feature enabled and don't use it, disabling it could free up resources for gaming. Go to Settings > Apps > Optional features > Windows Subsystem for Android and uninstall it if necessary. 5. **Update Drivers**: Keep your graphics card drivers up to date to ensure optimal performance. Visit the manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) for the latest drivers. 6. **CPU Affinity**: Adjusting a game's CPU affinity can help distribute the workload across cores more efficiently. Open Task Manager while playing a game, right-click the game process, and select "Set Affinity" to choose which cores the game should use. 7. **Rapid Start**: Disabling Rapid Start in power settings can provide a slight performance boost. Access this setting through Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings > Sleep > Allow Hybrid Sleep > Off. 8. **Visual Effects**: Tweak visual effects to prioritize performance. In Control Panel > System > Advanced system settings > Performance Settings, choose "Adjust for best performance" or customize settings to your preference. 9. **Game Bar**: While the Game Bar offers useful tools, it can also impact performance. You can disable it in Settings > Gaming > Game Bar and turn off the toggle for "Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar." 10. **Background Apps**: Disable non-essential apps running in the background to free up resources. Go to Settings > Privacy > Background apps and turn off apps you don't need while gaming. Remember, optimization varies depending on your specific hardware configuration, so experiment with these settings to find the best balance for your system.

Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service provided by Microsoft that offers access to a vast library of games for Xbox consoles and Windows PCs. With Xbox Game Pass, users can download and play a variety of titles from different genres, including new releases and popular classics. The service constantly updates its catalog, providing members with a rotating selection of games to enjoy.

The Windows 10 Xbox app will be replaced by a new Game Pass app, allowing you to purchase, manage, and remove games. This is convenient for you because when you join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can take advantage of Xbox Live Gold benefits, EA Play, and play across devices from the cloud.

Auto HDR translates to "Automatic High Dynamic Range" in English.

Additionally, HDR support is included. This feature automatically adjusts the lighting and color of your screen for improved, more realistic graphics.

DirectStorage is a technology developed by Microsoft that optimizes the loading and processing of game assets on Windows PCs and Xbox consoles, enabling faster and more efficient storage access for gaming applications. It allows games to take advantage of high-speed NVMe SSDs (Solid State Drives) to reduce load times and improve overall performance.

DirectStorage is coming, too, letting you download and install major game assets faster than ever before.

Do these features mean that Windows 11 is good for gaming? Is it worth upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 for gaming purposes? That remains to be seen. If you want to find out the exact answer, click on the link below to access more information.

Is Windows 11 Good For Gaming? Your Best Answer in 2023!

To find out, you need to understand the gaming-specific features of Windows 11. These features will guide you towards a comprehensive answer about Windows 11's gaming performance and how to optimize it.

Keep reading as we explore how to optimize Windows 11 for gaming using various techniques. If you find these methods useful, feel free to click the button below to share with others who might need it!

How to Optimize Windows 11 for Gaming - 6 Methods

As I mentioned earlier, Microsoft has placed particular emphasis on gaming. Consequently, you can now optimize gaming performance with the newly introduced features.

Method 1: Enable Game Mode in Windows 11

Windows 11 features a dedicated Gaming tab within the all-new "Settings" app. Here's how to utilize the Game Mode in this fresh operating system.

Step 1. Click the Windows icon on the taskbar, then select "Settings."

Step 2. From the left sidebar, navigate to "Gaming > Game Mode."

Step 3. Turn on the Game Mode option.

Optimize Windows 11 for gaming by turning on Game Mode:

Method 2: Use Auto HDR

As mentioned above, make the colors of a game more vibrant on HDR-supported displays. You can spot the difference between SDR and HDR if you have an HDR-supported monitor. If you don't have such a monitor, purchase one.

Optimize Win 11 for gaming with HDR

Method 3: Use Per-App GPU Selection Settings

If your device is a gaming laptop that has two GPUs — an iGPU (integrated GPU) and a dGPU (dedicated GPU) — you can choose which GPU each app uses. To select the CPU, follow these steps:

Step 1. Click on the Start Menu icon and go to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode.

Step 2. Under Related Settings, click "Graphics".

Step 3. On the Graphics Performance page, you can select the GPU for your apps and add new apps to the list.

By default, Windows automatically assigns a GPU to each app. However, you can change this assignment manually.

Step 4. Assign the Power Saving mode to apps that don't require graphics performance, and the High-Performance mode to games and GPU-intensive apps.

Click **Change CPU settings** to configure the virtual processor. The following window will appear:

Method 4: Use Dedicated Software for NVIDIA and AMD GPUs If you have an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card in your computer, you can utilize specialized software provided by the manufacturers to monitor and control your GPU temperature. Here's how: For NVIDIA GPUs: 1. **Download GeForce Experience**: Visit the [NVIDIA website](https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx) and download the latest version of GeForce Experience. This software provides updates for your NVIDIA drivers and offers additional features like performance monitoring. 2. **Install and Launch**: Install GeForce Experience on your system and launch the application. Sign in with your NVIDIA account or create one if needed. 3. **Access the Overlay**: While playing a game or running a GPU-intensive application, press Alt+Z to bring up the GeForce Experience overlay. It will display real-time GPU temperature, usage, and other stats. 4. **Settings**: To customize the overlay or enable temperature monitoring outside of games, go to Settings > General and enable "In-game overlay." You can also adjust notifications and alerts related to temperature thresholds. For AMD GPUs: 1. **Download Radeon Software**: Visit the [AMD website](https://www.amd.com/en/support) and download the latest version of Radeon Software. This tool manages your AMD graphics card drivers and offers performance monitoring. 2. **Install and Launch**: Install Radeon Software on your system and open the application. 3. **Monitor Temperatures**: In Radeon Software, click on the " Wattman " tab (for newer GPUs) or the "Graphics" tab (for older GPUs). Here, you can view real-time GPU temperature, clock speeds, and power usage. 4. **Customize Settings**: You can customize fan speed, clock speeds, and power limits to optimize cooling performance. Be cautious when making changes, as they may affect stability and warranty. Both GeForce Experience and Radeon Software offer detailed information about your GPU temperatures and allow you to make adjustments accordingly to maintain optimal performance and prevent overheating.

If you're playing games on a laptop with an NVIDIA or AMD GPU, you can download NVIDIA's GeForce Experience and AMD's Radeon Software. These tools allow you to tweak graphics settings on a per-game basis and adjust GPU performance.

Use dedicated software

Method 5: Enabling High-Performance Mode

Another way to optimize Windows 11 for gaming is to change the power settings to High-performance mode.

Step 1. Open your search bar and type power plan. This translates to: Step 1. Open your search bar and type power plan.

Step 2. Click "Edit Plan Settings," and then select "Power Options" at the top.

Step 3. Choose "High performance" in this window.

Method 6: Increase C Drive Space

Another method to optimize Windows 11 for gaming is to increase the size of the C drive. If your C drive is running out of space, your games might perform slowly. To expand the C drive, you can use a tool like Partition Master. This disk management software simplifies the process of partitioning hard drives and helps you make the most of your disk space.

Option 1. Extend System C drive with unallocated space This option involves expanding the System C drive by utilizing the unallocated space available on your computer's hard disk. Here's a step-by-step explanation: 1. **Check for Unallocated Space**: First, you need to ensure that there is unallocated space adjacent to the System C drive. Unallocated space is essentially free space that is not assigned to any partition or drive. 2. **Using Disk Management**: Access the Disk Management utility on your Windows operating system. You can do this by: - Pressing `Win + X` and selecting "Disk Management" from the menu. - Alternatively, search for "Create and format hard disk partitions" in the Start menu, then click on "Disk Management." 3. **Identify the Drives**: In the Disk Management window, you will see a list of all the drives installed on your computer, including their sizes, types, and allocation status. Locate the System C drive (usually labeled as "Drive C:" or "OS (C:)"). 4. **Verify Adjacent Unallocated Space**: Check if there is an unallocated space immediately following the System C drive. If not, you may need to resize another partition to create unallocated space next to C:. 5. **Extend the System C Drive**: Right-click on the System C drive and select "Extend Volume." This will launch the Extend Volume Wizard. 6. **Follow the Wizard**: In the wizard, simply click "Next" to proceed through the steps, and make sure the unallocated space is selected to be added to the C drive. Click "Finish" when prompted to complete the process. After these steps, the System C drive should now be extended, incorporating the unallocated space. Note that this operation typically does not require data loss, but always make a backup before making significant changes to your disk partitions.

1. Right-click on the System C: drive and select "Resize/Move". 2. Drag the system partition end into the unallocated space to add it to the C: drive, then click "OK". 3. Click "Execute Task" and "Apply" to execute the operations and extend the C drive.

Option 2. Extend System C drive without unallocated space This option refers to expanding the System C drive (typically the primary drive where the operating system is installed) without having any unallocated space available. In this scenario, you would need to resize or move other partitions to create room for extending the C drive. This can be more complex and usually requires third-party partition management software or advanced disk management tools.

1. Right-click on a large partition with sufficient free space on the system disk, and select "Allocate Space." 2. At the "Allocate Space From (*) To" section, select the system drive, then drag the end of the System C drive into the unallocated space. Click "OK" to confirm. 3. Click "Execute Task." It will display the pending operations. Click "Apply" to save the changes and extend the C drive.

0:00-0:26 Extend the System Drive with Unallocated Space; 0:27-0:58 Extend the System Drive without Unallocated Space.

Conclusion

Are you expecting better gaming scores on Windows 11? The optimization solutions should help you achieve the best performance. Please let us know if you've experienced improved performance. Apart from enhancing gaming performance, these tools also offer solutions for high CPU usage, slow Windows speed issues, and more.

Additionally, remember that having sufficient free space on your system C drive is crucial for a fast and seamless gaming experience. This can easily be managed on your own using tools like Partition Master.