5 Fast Ways to Boost FPS in Windows 10

Whether you’re battling it out in the latest AAA titles or exploring indie gems, experiencing low FPS (frames per second) can be a real mood killer. If you’re a Windows 10 gamer looking for quick and effective ways to boost FPS, you’re in the right place. This compact tutorial covers five fast, practical methods to squeeze more performance from your system without needing expensive upgrades or complicated software.

With tips focusing on Windows 10’s game bar settings, GPU usage optimisation, and smart low-power tweaks, you’ll learn how to get smoother gameplay in minutes. Let’s dive in and level up your Windows 10 gaming experience.

Why FPS Boost Matters in Windows 10 Gaming

FPS measures how many frames your graphics card can render per second, directly impacting gameplay smoothness and responsiveness. Higher FPS means a more fluid visual experience, critical for fast-paced genres like shooters and racing games.

Windows 10 remains a popular gaming platform thanks to its compatibility and regular updates. However, background processes, suboptimal settings, and power management can hamper gaming performance if left unchecked.

This guide is especially valuable for:

• Gamers using mid-range or older hardware seeking immediate gains.
• Those looking for quick fixes without reinstalling Windows or costly upgrades.
• Anyone wanting to balance gaming performance with power consumption.

By following these five fast tweaks, you’ll see improvements in FPS and gameplay quality, making your gaming sessions more enjoyable on Windows 10.

1. Optimise Windows 10 Game Bar Settings for FPS Boost

The Windows 10 Game Bar is a built-in overlay designed to enhance gaming with quick capture, performance tracking, and social features. However, some default settings can drag down FPS if not carefully configured.

How to Adjust Game Bar Settings:

• Open Settings > Gaming > Game Bar.
• Toggle Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar OFF if you don’t use its features actively.
• Click Captures under Gaming and turn OFF “Record in the background while I’m playing a game” to stop background recording.
• Disable Background recording to prevent automatic recording eating up resources.
• Lastly, under Game Mode, ensure Game Mode is switched ON. This optimises your PC to prioritise gaming processes.

Why it Matters:

Background recording and broadcasting can significantly reduce your effective GPU and CPU resources, lowering FPS unexpectedly. Disabling these when unnecessary ensures your system focuses on the game running in the foreground.

Real-world example: A casual gamer with a GTX 1060 noticed an FPS increase of around 5-8% just by turning off background recording and Game Bar overlays.

2. Keep GPU Usage in Check with Updated Drivers and Settings

Your graphics card is the heart of gaming performance. Ensuring it runs optimally can have immediate impact on FPS.

Update Your Graphics Drivers

• Visit the official site for your GPU: NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.
• Download and install the latest Game Ready or Studio drivers.
• Use tools like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software to auto-update and optimise settings.

Keeping drivers updated unlocks new optimisations, bug fixes, and compatibility with the latest games.

Adjust GPU Settings for Performance

NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Settings allow you to tweak global and per-game GPU settings:

• Set Power management mode to Prefer maximum performance to prevent the GPU from throttling down during gameplay.
• Disable unnecessary features like vertical sync (V-Sync) if screen tearing isn’t an issue for you.
• Lower texture quality or antialiasing if your card struggles, freeing up resources for FPS enhancements.

Monitor GPU Usage

Use Windows Task Manager or third-party apps such as MSI Afterburner to keep an eye on your GPU’s workload. Consistently low GPU usage during gaming may indicate a CPU bottleneck or software conflicts.

3. Apply Low-Power Tweaks to Maximise Performance

Windows 10 power plans default to a balanced profile designed to save energy, not maximise FPS. Switching to a high-performance power plan can free your CPU and GPU from unnecessary power-saving restrictions.

How to Change Power Plans:

• Open Control Panel > Power Options.
• Select High performance or choose Show additional plans to find it.
• Optionally, create a Custom power plan and set:
  • Minimum processor state to 100% while plugged in.
  • Turn off hard disks only when idle extendedly.
  • Disable sleep and hibernate during gaming sessions.

Use Windows 10’s Ultimate Performance Plan (If Available)

• For Windows 10 Pro users, the Ultimate Performance plan is an even more aggressive version that prioritises performance over energy savings.

• Enable it via a command prompt with administrator rights (search “cmd”, right-click, and Run as Administrator):

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

• Select the new Ultimate Performance plan from Power Options.

Why This Helps

Many components throttle down their speed to save power, which indirectly reduces FPS. By using high-performance plans, you keep CPU cores and GPU running at peak capacity consistently.

4. Disable Unnecessary Background Processes

Windows 10 runs numerous background apps and services that can eat CPU and memory resources, impacting gaming FPS.

How to Identify and Disable Them

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Look under the Processes tab for apps consuming high CPU, memory, or disk.
• End tasks that are non-essential, especially browsers, updaters, or heavy services.
• Disable auto-startups with Startup tab for apps you don’t need immediately when booting.

Additional Tips

• Disable Windows Update temporarily during gaming sessions to avoid unexpected downloads or restarts.
• Turn off antivirus real-time scanning or configure gaming mode in your antivirus software.
• Close cloud syncing apps like OneDrive or Dropbox temporarily.

Real-World Impact

Several gamers report FPS jumps of 10-15% by freeing up resources from unnecessary background processes, especially on mid-range PCs.

5. Adjust In-Game Graphics Settings for Maximum FPS

Sometimes Windows tweaks alone won’t solve everything, especially with graphically intense games. Adjusting the game’s settings remains one of the fastest ways to boost FPS.

Key Settings to Modify

• Resolution: Lower your display resolution, e.g., from 1440p to 1080p.
• Texture quality: Reducing this saves VRAM and GPU load.
• Shadow quality: Shadows eat resources; lowering or disabling improves frames.
• Anti-aliasing: Turn it off or reduce to lessen GPU strain.
• Draw Distance and Post-Processing: Reducing these can improve responsiveness.

Use Preset Performance Modes

Most games offer presets like Low, Medium, or High. Choose Low or Medium for smoother gameplay rather than maximum visual fidelity.

Bonus: Enable DirectX 12 or Vulkan (If Available)

Newer APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan offer better CPU and GPU multi-threading, potentially increasing FPS. Check if your game supports them and experiment.

Expert Insights: What Gamers Often Overlook

While these five tips offer quick FPS boosts, here are a few expert notes:

• Overclocking your GPU or CPU can yield performance boosts but risks system stability without proper cooling.
• Not all games benefit equally from Windows Game Mode; test it on a per-game basis.
• If GPU usage is low but CPU maxed out, the bottleneck is likely your processor. Consider upgrading or optimising CPU-intensive background work.
• Use SSDs for game installations to reduce load times and stuttering.

Some gamers expect massive FPS jumps instantly from tweaks alone, but the gains here are often incremental – combined, they add up to much smoother gameplay.

Alternatives and Comparisons

If you’re still struggling with FPS after trying these Windows 10 optimisations, consider:

• Third-party game boost software like Razer Cortex or Wise Game Booster.
• Hardware upgrades: Adding more RAM, upgrading to a dedicated GPU, or switching to an NVMe SSD.
• Using Windows 11, which introduces some gaming optimisations and better hardware scheduling.

Compared to juggling your settings manually, software boosters can simplify optimisation but sometimes at the cost of extra bloat. Hardware upgrades remain the final solution when tweaking reaches its limits.

Quick Summary of Fast FPS Boosts for Windows 10

• Best quick tweak: Disable Game Bar background recording.
• Best GPU improvement: Update graphics drivers and force max performance mode.
• Best power setting: Switch to High Performance or Ultimate Performance power plan.
• Best resource saver: Close unnecessary background apps.
• Best in-game fix: Lower resolution and texture quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I boost FPS on Windows 10 without upgrading hardware?
Yes, these optimisation tips target software and settings to improve FPS on existing hardware.

Q: Does turning off Game Bar features improve FPS?
Turning off background recording and overlays can free up resources and boost FPS in many cases.

Q: How do I check if my GPU is bottlenecking my FPS?
Use tools like MSI Afterburner or Windows Task Manager to monitor GPU and CPU usage during gameplay. If GPU usage is low and CPU maxed out, CPU may be the limit.

Q: Will switching to a high-performance power plan drain my laptop battery faster?
Yes, high-performance modes consume more power but provide better gaming performance.

Q: Should I disable antivirus while gaming?
Temporarily disabling or configuring it to gaming mode can reduce resource usage, but balance with security needs.

Q: Is Windows Game Mode always beneficial?
For many games, yes, but some titles may perform better without it. Try toggling to see which works better.

Pricing and Availability

All tips here are free as they're built into Windows 10 or accessible via manufacturer software. Up-to-date GPU drivers can be downloaded from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel directly at no cost.

If you decide on hardware upgrades later, mid-range GPUs in 2025 such as NVIDIA RTX 4050 or AMD RX 7600 start around $200–$250. SSDs are priced competitively, with 1TB models from $80–$100.

Final Thoughts and Recommendation

With just a handful of tweaks, boosting FPS on Windows 10 can be a quick, rewarding process. Start by optimising game bar settings and GPU drivers, switch your power plan to high performance, disable distractions from background apps, and fine-tune your in-game settings.

These fast wins maintain a smooth, immersive gaming experience without the immediate need for pricey upgrades. For sustained performance, keep your drivers updated and revisit settings regularly, especially after Windows updates or game patches.

Explore related guides on Windows 11 gaming tweaks, GPU benchmarking, and affordable hardware upgrades to deepen your optimisation strategy. And if you found this useful, subscribe for the latest gaming performance tips and reviews.

Happy gaming, and may your FPS count never dip below smooth!