Getting Better Gaming Performance on Windows 11? Here’s What Worked for Me
Honestly, the first thing I tried was turning on Game Mode. Sounds simple enough, but I kept getting frustrated trying to find it easily. For some reason, Microsoft hides it pretty well in the settings, which is a bit annoying. Anyway, here’s a quick tip: press Windows + I to open Settings — quicker than shouting “Where’s the performance option?” in frustration.
Once in Settings, look for Gaming on the sidebar. If it’s not immediately visible, it might be buried further down or hidden under other menus — Windows can be a bit tricky that way. Inside Gaming, you’ll find Game Mode. Just toggle it to “On”. Don’t expect your FPS to skyrocket instantly, though. Sometimes, a restart or at least signing out and back in was needed for the setting to kick in. This feature prioritises game processes over background tasks, and surprisingly, it can make a difference when your CPU or GPU is getting bogged down with other stuff.
Making Sure Your Games Use the Right GPU
This was a real game-changer (no pun intended). If you’re on a laptop or a PC with both integrated graphics and a dedicated GPU, Windows doesn’t always pick the best one — or at least, it’s not super reliable without a bit of help. In my case, I’d launch a game and notice a big drop in frame rate because Windows defaulted to the low-power integrated GPU, even during demanding scenes.
Start by opening Graphics settings. Just tap the Windows key and search for “Graphics settings”. It sometimes feels like you’re digging through layers of menus. Once you’re in, you can assign a specific GPU to each app — which can get a bit fiddly. Find your game’s executable (for example, C:\Program Files\MyGame\game.exe
) and select the preferred GPU for it.
Depending on your graphics card brand, you might see options like “Options” or a drop-down menu for ‘Preferred GPU’. Choose High performance (usually the dedicated GPU) or Power saving (the integrated graphics). This is especially important on laptops, because I’ve seen Windows default to the iGPU even during gaming. After setting it, click Save. Sometimes, a reboot or signing out helped the setting take effect — it’s a bit trial and error, as the interface isn’t always clear.
Also, if you have NVIDIA or AMD drivers installed, it’s worth opening their control panels and setting the preferred GPU there, too. On my older ASUS, that option was buried in the Advanced section of the driver’s control panel. Checking those settings can save a lot of hassle if Windows’ default doesn’t do the trick.
Turning Off ‘Record What Happened’ for Better Gaming
This one caught me off guard. I always thought recording or Xbox Game Bar features wouldn’t impact gaming — but they do. The “Record what happened” feature, handy for streamers or clipping highlights, can actually eat CPU and RAM if you’re not actively recording gameplay. If you just want smooth play with minimal background processes, turning it off made a noticeable difference.
Open Settings again with Windows + I, go to Gaming, then to Captures. Turn off “Record what happened”. There’s also an option to disable automatic background recording entirely. Sometimes, I had to go further and tweak the Registry. To do that, open Regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR — then change RecordGameClips
to 0.
Strangely, even if you switch the toggle off, Windows sometimes continues recording in the background — so editing the registry or disabling processes via Task Manager is necessary. In Ctrl + Shift + Esc, you can end processes like GameBar or GameDVR. But unless you disable autostart in Settings or via Task Scheduler, they’ll often restart. Disabling these background recording processes frees up resources and can reduce input lag, helping your games run a bit smoother.
Final Tips — The Combo You Need
From my experience, the main steps are: turn on Game Mode, assign your games to the high-performance GPU via Graphics Settings or your GPU’s control panel, and disable recording features you don’t use. It’s not magic, and I still needed to experiment and reboot a few times to get the full benefit. But after doing this, I noticed a clear boost in framerates and less lag during intensive sessions.
Always ensure your graphics drivers are fully up-to-date — it’s a simple step often overlooked, but it can make all the difference. Keep an eye on background processes in Task Manager, especially overlays or recording tools that might sneak in without you noticing.
Hopefully, this helps — it took me ages to figure out the best combination of settings. If you’re struggling with gaming performance on Windows 11, give these tips a try. It might save you a whole weekend of troubleshooting!