How to Optimize Your PC for High-FPS Gaming in 2024

Achieving high frames per second (FPS) in 2024 requires a blend of hardware tuning, software configuration, and in-game settings management. Unlike previous years, modern games leverage multi-threaded CPU architectures, ray tracing cores, and advanced upscaling technologies like DLSS 3.5 and FSR 3.0. Below is a systematic, actionable guide to squeezing every possible frame from your system without sacrificing visual fidelity unnecessarily.

1. Update All Core Drivers, Especially Graphics and Chipset

Outdated drivers are the single largest FPS killer. In 2024, driver updates include game-specific optimizations, bug fixes, and performance boosts for new titles like Starfield DLCs, Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

GPU Driver: Head directly to NVIDIA (GeForce Experience or manual download) or AMD (Adrenalin Software). Do not rely solely on Windows Update. For NVIDIA users, use the “Clean Installation” option to remove old files. For AMD, use the “Factory Reset” option.
Chipset Driver: Download the latest chipset driver from your motherboard manufacturer (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock) or directly from AMD/Intel. This improves memory controller communication, PCIe 5.0 stability, and power management.
BIOS Update: 2024 motherboards frequently receive AGESA (AMD) or microcode (Intel) updates that improve memory compatibility and CPU performance. Check your motherboard support page. Flashing BIOS carries risk, so follow instructions precisely.

2. Fine-Tune Windows 11 for Gaming Performance

Windows 11 (23H2 or 24H2) includes a “Game Mode” feature that works, but Microsoft’s background processes can still steal CPU cycles. Disable the following effectively:

Turn off Virtualization-Based Security (VBS): Open Windows Security > Device Security > Core Isolation. Turn off “Memory Integrity.” VBS can reduce FPS by 5-15% on some systems.
Disable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) if unstable: For some RTX 40-series and Radeon RX 7000-series users, HAGS causes micro-stutter. Test both on/off. For most, leaving it on is optimal.
Switch to High Performance or Ultimate Performance Power Plan: Open Control Panel > Power Options. “Ultimate Performance” unlocks higher CPU clock speeds under load. Enable it via Command Prompt (run as admin: powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61).
Disable Nagle’s Algorithm for Network Latency: If playing online shooters, open Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionMultimediaSystemProfileTasksGames. Create or modify DWORD GPU Priority to 8, SFIO Priority to High. This reduces input lag.
Set Graphics Performance Preference: Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Add your game executable (.exe) and set it to “High Performance” (your dedicated GPU).

3. CPU and RAM Optimization

Modern CPUs throttle when overheating, and RAM speed directly impacts 1% lows.

Enable Resizable BAR (ReBAR) or Smart Access Memory (SAM): In BIOS, ensure “Above 4G Decoding” and “Re-Size BAR Support” are enabled. This allows the CPU to access the full GPU VRAM buffer, boosting FPS by 3-15% in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Fortnite.
Overclock RAM via EXPO or XMP: Go to BIOS and enable AMD EXPO (for Ryzen 7000/8000) or Intel XMP (for 12th-14th gen). This runs your RAM at its rated speed (e.g., 6000MHz CL30 for DDR5). Without it, RAM runs at default 4800MHz, severely bottlenecking high-end CPUs.
CPU Undervolting (Advanced): Using Intel XTU or AMD Ryzen Master, reduce CPU voltage by 0.05V to 0.1V while maintaining stability. This lowers temperatures, preventing thermal throttling, and allows sustained higher boost clocks. A 10°C reduction can yield 5-8% higher sustained FPS in CPU-heavy scenes.
Disable C-States in BIOS (Controversial but Effective): Set “CPU C-States” to “Disabled” or “C1E only.” This prevents the CPU from entering low-power sleep states between frames, reducing micro-stutter. Only do this if you have adequate cooling (360mm AIO or custom loop).

4. GPU Overclocking and Power Tuning

Modern GPUs hit thermal limits before voltage limits. The goal is to keep them cool and maximize the clock curve.

Use MSI Afterburner (NVIDIA) or AMD WattMan: Increase the Power Limit slider to 105-110%. This allows the GPU to draw more power, sustaining higher boost clocks.
Core Clock Overclock: Increase core clock by +100MHz to +200MHz in 15MHz increments, testing stability with a 30-minute run of Unigine Superposition or Port Royal. If the driver crashes, dial back 15MHz.
Memory Clock Overclock: GDDR6X runs hot. Increase by +500MHz to +1000MHz (NVIDIA) or +100 to +200MHz (AMD). Higher memory bandwidth improves 1% lows in 1440p and 4K.
Undervolt the GPU (Crucial for 2024): In MSI Afterburner’s curve editor (Ctrl+F), select a voltage point (e.g., 950mV), press L to lock it, then drag the corresponding frequency up by 50-100MHz. Apply. This reduces heat and coil whine while maintaining or increasing peak FPS.

5. Storage and Loading Optimization

Loading textures and assets from a slow drive causes stutter and hitching.

Game on an NVMe SSD: If you are still using a SATA SSD or HDD, install games on a PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 NVMe drive. DirectStorage API (supported in Forspoken, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart) requires NVMe for instant asset decompression.
Disable Game DVR and Background Recording: Windows Xbox Game Bar’s “Record in the background” feature constantly writes to disk and uses GPU encoder resources. Press Win+G, go to Settings, and disable “Record in the background while I’m playing a game.”
Defragment HDDs Only: Never defragment an SSD—it wears it out. For HDDs, run defrag C: in Command Prompt monthly. For SSDs, ensure TRIM is enabled (fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify should return 0).

6. In-Game Graphics Settings That Matter Most (2024 Priority List

Most modern games offer dozens of settings. Tweak these for maximum FPS gain with minimal visual loss:

Upscaling Technology: Set DLSS (NVIDIA RTX) to “Quality” or “Balanced” for 4K, “Performance” for 1440p. For AMD Radeon, use FSR 3.0 with Frame Generation enabled. For Intel Arc, XeSS is essential. These technologies double FPS in heavy ray tracing titles.
Ray Tracing: In 2024, ray tracing is transformative but heavy. Set to “Low” or “Medium” on mid-range GPUs (RTX 4070, RX 7800 XT). Use DLSS Ray Reconstruction (NVIDIA) if available.
Shadows: Set to “Medium” or “High.” “Ultra” shadows are VRAM-heavy and offer minimal visual improvement during gameplay.
Volumetric Fog/Clouds: This is one of the heaviest settings. Set to “Low” or “Medium.” The visual difference is negligible during fast movement.
Ambient Occlusion (AO): Use SSAO or HBAO+, not HDAO or RT AO. Lower AO settings add FPS without reducing object detail.
Texture Quality: Set to “High” (not “Ultra”) if you have 8GB VRAM or less. Higher texture quality uses VRAM but rarely affects FPS unless you exceed VRAM capacity (causes stutter).
Anti-Aliasing: Use TAA or DLAA (if performance allows). MSAA x4 is extremely expensive and outdated.
Motion Blur & Depth of Field: Disable both. They smear frames and use GPU compute cycles.

7. Network and Latency Optimization (For Online FPS Games

High FPS is meaningless if network lag ruins hit registration.

Use Ethernet, not Wi-Fi: Wired connection reduces jitter and packet loss by 80%+
Set In-Game Network Buffering to “Smoothing” Off: In Valorant, Overwatch 2, or Apex Legends, set network prediction to “Minimal” or disable buffering entirely.
Disable Nagle’s Algorithm System-Wide: Open Registry Editor, navigate to HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpipParametersInterfaces{your adapter GUID}. Create DWORD TcpAckFrequency=1 and TCPNoDelay=1. Reboot. This forces immediate packet sending, reducing input lag by 1-3ms.
Use Cloudflare or Google DNS: For some ISP configurations, DNS servers introduce routing delays. Set primary DNS to 1.1.1.1 and secondary to 8.8.8.8 in network adapter settings.

8. Disable In-Game Overlays and Third-Party Software

Overlays consume GPU resources and can introduce driver-level latency.

Disable Discord Overlay: User Settings > Game Overlay > Toggle Off.
Disable GeForce Experience Share Overlay: In GeForce Experience, turn off “In-Game Overlay.” Use only the native performance overlay (Alt+R for NVIDIA).
Disable Steam Overlay (per-game): Right-click game in Library > Properties > Uncheck “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.”
Close Browser Tabs and Streaming Apps: Chrome, Edge, and Spotify use significant RAM and CPU background threads. Use a lightweight browser like Firefox or Brave with uBlock Origin during gaming sessions.

9. Clean Your PC Internally (Hardware Maintenance

Thermal throttling is the most overlooked FPS issue.

Repaste Your CPU and GPU (If Over 18 Months Old): High-end thermal pastes like Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut or Noctua NT-H2 degrade over time. Old paste increases junction temperature by 5-10°C, causing the CPU to downclock.
Clean Dust from Radiators and Fans: Use compressed air to thoroughly clear dust from GPU heatsink fins, CPU AIO radiator, and case intakes. Dust buildup can raise GPU temps by 10-15°C, directly reducing boost clock speeds.
Ensure Proper Case Airflow: Negative pressure (more exhaust than intake) often traps dust. Aim for slight positive pressure (more intake) with mesh filters on intake fans. Ensure GPU fans have a clear path to fresh air—no solid glass panels directly in front of them.

10. Monitor Performance Accurately

You cannot optimize what you do not measure.

Use MSI Afterburner On-Screen Display: Configure overlay to show CPU usage (per-core), GPU usage, GPU temp, RAM usage, and FPS. If GPU usage is below 95% while FPS is lower than desired, you have a CPU or RAM bottleneck.
Check 1% and 0.1% Lows: Average FPS can look fine while the game feels stuttery. Tools like CapFrameX or PresentMon show frame-time variance. Target a 1% low above 60 FPS for smoothness.
Run 3DMark Time Spy (Demo on Steam): Benchmark before and after each optimization step. A 5% improvement in graphics score translates to roughly 5% more FPS in demanding games.

11. Use Process Lasso for CPU Core Affinity (Advanced)

Windows scheduler sometimes places game threads on inefficient CPU cores (E-cores on Intel hybrid architecture or slower cache clusters on AMD).

Download Process Lasso (Free): Right-click your game process (e.g., WarThunder.exe), choose “CPU Affinity,” and assign it to all P-cores (performance cores) only. For Ryzen X3D chips, assign to the CCD with 3D V-Cache (CCD0).
Set Game Process to “High” Priority: In Process Lasso, right-click game > Priority Class > High. Do not set “Realtime”—it can cause input loss if the game hangs.

12. Verify DirectX and GPU Firmware Versions

Use DirectX 12 or Vulkan: Most 2024 games default to DX11. In graphics settings, manually switch to DX12 or Vulkan if available. DX12 offers better multi-threaded CPU utilization and lower driver overhead.
Update GPU Firmware: NVIDIA and AMD occasionally release firmware updates for specific cards (e.g., RTX 4090 power connector issue, RX 7900 XTX drivers). Check your GPU manufacturer’s support page for any firmware tools.
Disable Windows’ “SysMain” (Superfetch) Service: Open Services.msc (Win+R), find “SysMain,” set to “Disabled,” and stop the service. This prevents Windows from pre-loading applications into RAM during gameplay, which can cause disk activity spikes.

13. Specific Optimization for Laptop Gamers

Laptops face thermal and power constraints that desktops ignore.

Elevate the Laptop: Use a cooling pad with a mesh surface to allow bottom intake air. Do not game on a bed or soft surface.
Limit Max CPU Processor State to 99%: In Power Options > Change Plan Settings > Advanced > Processor Power Management > Maximum Processor State. Set to 99% while plugged in. This disables CPU turbo boost (reduces heat by 10-20°C with minimal FPS loss in GPU-bound games).
Use NVIDIA Whisper Mode or AMD Radeon Chill: Set FPS cap 5 frames below your monitor’s refresh rate (e.g., 155 FPS for 160Hz). This prevents the GPU from generating unnecessary heat in menus or cutscenes.