How to Make Your Computer Faster for Gaming

19Aug

I don’t know if you know, but there are many myths in the gaming world. And probably the worst of them is that you can expect the best gaming experience from hardware alone. True, the hardware elements you pick are essential in determining the overall gaming performance.

But you really can’t do it with the proper software optimization.

So, it is unsurprising that your beefed-up PC or Mac does not offer an exceptional gaming performance. We are not talking about Celeron-based PCs or an entry-level 2015-model MacBook Air. We are talking about computers equipped with gaming-friendly hardware but do not offer the best speed, FPS, and performance.

On the bright side, there are ways to make your computer faster. As we said earlier, you need to get the best of hardware and software optimization if you need the best performance.

Here’s what we have done:

We have prepared the ultimate guide on how to make your computer faster for gaming. In addition to basic tips for all computers, we have included separate recommendations for PC and Mac. So, if you want to enjoy better gaming speeds on your brand-new M2 MacBook Pro or a Windows 11 PC, you can count on this guide.

General tips to make your computer faster

You may have a Mac or a PC, but the following tips will make your laptop/desktop faster for gaming. We’ve added suggestions for both desktops and laptops.

Before we begin

We hate to break it, but not all computers are designed for gaming. So, you cannot expect every computer to run your favorite games on Windows or Mac. Of course, you can always go for lightweight puzzle games or rely on a third-party emulator, but it’s different.

You’d need a dedicated gaming laptop if you want adequate performance to play popular AAA titles. So, we recommend confirming whether you have a gaming-oriented system before you start. You can improve the gaming performance on all devices, but software optimization cannot overcome hardware limitations.

But, as we said earlier, if you have a system that can offer competitive performance but does not, read along.

#1 Keep your computer clean

Dust and debris accumulated on your computer is a big factor that reduces performance. So, if you want to make your computer faster for gaming, you should keep your device spotless. More importantly, you should confirm whether all the air vents are correctly working.

Otherwise, your computer may be unable to release internal heat, which can cause hardware throttling. To avoid all these issues, you can do monthly or weekly cleaning sessions for your laptop. Keeping your device in an area without much dust and debris (and smoke) is also a good idea.

#2 Mind the temperature

Ambient temperature will also impact the gaming performance of your computer. Therefore, you must keep the device within recommended temperatures. It is best to keep your gaming desktop or laptop in an air-conditioned room, but it may not be practical.

Alternatively, you can get a laptop cooling stand, which will suck up the heat from the computer and move it outside. This way, you can prevent the outgoing heat from affecting your computer. Finally, you can get extra fans and liquid cooling options if you have a desktop gaming computer.

#3 Check for possible upgrades

Before you look for software optimizations, you must confirm if hardware upgrades are available. It is unlike a full system upgrade, which can be costly. On the other hand, you can upgrade the following elements to enjoy better gaming performance.

RAM: If your computer has additional RAM slots, you can add as much as possible. More RAM would also help you in multitasking.
Storage: You cannot experience smooth gaming on HDDs. So, whenever you have an option, you can upgrade your storage to M.2 SSDs.
Accessories: The accessories you use will also determine the overall quality of the gaming experience on the computer. So, upgrading them is an option.

You can also consider external upgrades. For instance, you can get an external monitor if your laptop lacks a gaming-friendly display. Similarly, you can get an external GPU if your computer does not have the best GPU built-in.

#4 Check power settings

Does your gaming computer receive enough power? If not, you will see an impact on gaming speed for sure. Therefore, you should check whether the power supply is working fine. You should also see if your computer is limiting its performance.

On some devices, you can find Power Preferences, which can throttle the performance based on the usage scenario. So, you have to enable the Performance/Pro mode when you are gaming. Otherwise, you cannot achieve the maximum speed.

On Microsoft Windows, you can go to Settings -> System -> Power & Sleep -> Additional power settings, where you can find the High-Performance mode. The Performance mode favors performance, but you will have to compromise on the battery backup (in the case of a laptop.)

On a desktop, this mode will not have a noticeable impact.

#5 Hardware drivers

It does not matter whether you have a desktop or laptop for gaming. You cannot get the best performance without an updated driver software. So, you must update your hardware drivers whenever an update is available.

Some gaming components, such as graphics cards, work better when suitable drivers are installed on the computer. So, to ensure everything works fine, you may need additional effort. But, trust us, the result will be worth the effort.

By the way, you should also update the hardware drivers of your gaming accessories. For instance, gaming mice and keyboard offer advanced features and reliability when running the latest drivers. You can use these updates to stay away from bugs too.

How to make your Windows PC faster for gaming

Microsoft Windows is most people’s go-to choice for gaming — and all the good reasons. However, you may need the following tips/ideas to get the best gaming performance from your Windows PC.

#1 Use the latest version of Windows

No matter what, you should use the latest version of Microsoft Windows if you want the best gaming speeds and performance. As of now, you must be running Windows 11 with the latest updates. In case you didn’t know, Windows 11 is better optimized for gaming needs.

You should also ensure that you have turned on Windows Updates. These updates contain major and minor bug fixes that will impact the gaming experience. Some Windows Updates also come with driver updates to improve your CPU/GPU performance.

So, the first step to making your Windows PC faster for gaming is to keep everything updated.

#2 Use Windows game mode

On PCs running Windows 10 or later, you can enable the Game Mode to make the gaming experience faster and more reliable. You can go to Settings -> Gaming -> Game Mode, and toggle the switch to turn it on.

When working correctly, the Windows Game Mode will optimize system resources to keep the frame rate as high as possible. It will also suspend background-running apps so your game can use maximum system resources.

In addition, Windows Game Mode will block notifications when you are gaming. As you can see, this mode takes a few steps to ensure the best gaming experience that your hardware can afford.

Once again, the Windows Game Mode is not a magical tool. It can make your PC run games faster, but there is always a limit.

#3 Pause background tasks while gaming

Background tasks like Windows Updates consume system resources, including disk and network resources. However, these background tasks should not interfere with your game’s resource requirements when you want to play games. Therefore, it is a good idea to pause/disable these background tasks.

You can go to Settings à Windows Updates and pause updates to turn off Windows Updates for a period. It should not be a problem as long as you use the updated version of Windows 11. You can also check whether you have resource-consuming tasks running in the background.

To do it, you can go to the Task Manager and detect programs/processes that consume a lot of CPU/RAM or network resources. If you find an intense process you do not need, you can quit/close the app. It should help you dedicate more resources to your game.

#4 Increase FPS using a dedicated suite

If you do not want to do these tasks manually, you can also consider getting a PC game optimizer that would increase the overall FPS. These tools come equipped with multiple utilities to enhance the performance of your gaming desktop/laptop. Ultimately, they can improve your gaming experience.

For instance, an FPS booster for Windows PCs may restrict background apps when you are playing a game. It can also keep all your drivers updated to offer maximum performance. Therefore, you should check out one of these FPS boosting game optimizer before upgrading hardware.

#5 Optimize your PC by removing junk data

Like other Operating Systems, Windows also generates a lot of junk data. This junk data will have an impact on your computer’s performance as well. Therefore, you must regularly optimize your PC by removing all these junk files/cache/temporary files.

You can do it manually or automatically. In the manual method, you have to open temporary file folders and delete the content. For one, this process will take more time. More importantly, there is a chance you might delete something important. On the other hand, automatic methods using third-party PC cleaners are better.

You can use an app like CCleaner to remove junk/temporary/registry files from your PC. These apps can also eliminate cache files, which will speed up your computer for gaming. You can expect your PC to perform faster in other aspects also.

How to make your Mac faster for gaming

For the longest period, Macs were not the people’s choice for gaming needs. Apple did not project Mac as a gaming-friendly line-up either. But with Apple Silicon and Universal Apps, things have changed.

There are many options if you want to game on your Mac. It’s just that you need to follow some tips to make your Mac faster for gaming.

#1 Use a system optimization app

We already told you that Operating Systems generate many junk/temporary files. Unfortunately, macOS is not an exception. Therefore, you must ensure that your Mac is not slowed down due to junk files. There is a problem, though. Unlike Windows, macOS does not offer easy ways to remove junk.

Fortunately, you can count on apps like CleanMyMac, which will not only remove junk files but also boost the overall speed of your Mac. As a result, it will be your best companion if you want to make your Mac faster for gaming and other resource-intensive tasks.

You can use CleanMyMac to thoroughly scan your Mac and check for issues slowing down your Mac. The Smart Scan feature will also look for other threats like adware and spyware. So, in a single click, you can take your Mac to the best level of performance possible.

#2 Remove background apps

macOS does a relatively better job of managing background apps, but it’s not perfect. So, you may consider using a third-party system monitoring app to detect and quit background apps. You can also use an app showing which apps are taking up system resources.

We recommend choosing a tool like iStat Menus, which can show CPU usage patterns. These statistics will help you to quit unwanted apps and release system resources, especially RAM. As we initially said, more RAM is always good for a better gaming experience.

Of course, you can do the same thing manually, but it will take more time.

#3 Use the right apps

Your favorite game may be available in two forms: a conventional Mac app and a native Mac app. You must choose the native app if you want maximum performance. Native apps made for Apple Silicon devices can make the best use of many features, including better integrated graphics options.

Therefore, you can enjoy a faster gaming experience from your Mac by installing the right app.

By the way, if you use Steam to play games on your Mac, you can take a few extra precautions. For instance, you must clean the cache of the Steam app once in a while. It is also a good idea to check whether the same game is available as a native macOS app.

#4 Free up storage space

Compared to Windows PCs, Mac devices do not ship with much storage space. Fortunately, you can change this by freeing up storage space and adding more. For example, you can use the built-in storage optimization utility or a Mac cleaner app on macOS to analyze storage consumption and free up space on your Mac.

You can also use an external SSD if it does not seem enough to install your games. An external SSD will come in handy when you want fast storage space. So, the money you invest in one of these SSDs will be beneficial.

#5 Manually control your Mac’s fans

Let us warn you: it’s an extreme way to boost the performance of your Mac for gaming, but it works.

If you have used Mac for a long time, you know what thermal throttling is. Simply put, your Mac would tone down its performance when the temperature increases. To avoid this situation, you can manually control the built-in fans. Because the internals would stay cooler, you would not face throttling. It’s a great thing to have when you are gaming.

You can use apps like Mac Fans Control or TG Pro to set up the manual override of your Mac’s fans. You can also set up usage-based triggers if you want. For example, your Mac will boost the fan speed when the CPU usage reaches a specific point.

Of course, it’s better to run your Mac’s fans at a speed higher than what the system recommends. Sure, the fans may have to bear some extra work, but you can expect top-notch speed without throttling.It is a great way to ensure your Mac will not overheat.

This way, you can enjoy better gaming speed, FPS, and performance.

The bottom line

We have compiled these fifteen ways to make your computer faster for gaming with one ultimate aim. You should be able to enjoy gaming in the best way possible — regardless of whether you have a Mac or PC.

Rest assured, all these methods are 100% safe and effective. You can also use these methods to speed up your PC or Mac for other tasks!

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How to Make Your Computer Faster for Gaming