What Are Your Go-To Windows Optimizations Before Gaming?

[lucass11]

Hi everyone,

Whenever I install Windows on a new PC, I spend a little time optimizing it before installing my games. Besides updating drivers, I usually disable unnecessary startup apps, keep background processes to a minimum, and make sure Windows is using the correct power plan.

I'm interested in learning what everyone else does to improve gaming performance without using risky tweaks or registry edits.
I also keep notes about classic PlayStation hardware and retro gaming on my personal website if anyone is interested: ps2bios.com.br/

* Which Windows settings have made the biggest difference for you?
* Do you use Process Lasso or other optimization tools regularly?
* Have you noticed any measurable FPS improvements from CPU affinity or priority adjustments?
* Are there any Windows features you always disable on a gaming PC?

I mainly play both modern PC games and classic console titles through emulation, so I'm always looking for reliable optimization tips that work well across different types of games.

I'd appreciate hearing your experiences and recommendations.

[amyforth]

Hi everyone,

Whenever I install Windows on a new PC, I spend a little time optimizing it before installing my games. Besides updating drivers, I usually disable unnecessary startup apps, keep background processes to a minimum, and make sure Windows is using the correct power plan.

I'm interested in learning what everyone else does to improve gaming performance without using risky tweaks or registry edits.
I also keep notes about classic PlayStation hardware and retro gaming on my personal website if anyone is interested: street viewps2bios.com.br/

* Which Windows settings have made the biggest difference for you?

I've found that the biggest gains usually come from keeping things simple rather than applying aggressive Windows tweaks. After a fresh install, I update the chipset/GPU drivers, remove unnecessary startup programs, enable Game Mode, and check that Windows isn't using a restrictive power-saving profile.

[amyforth]

I used Process Lasso for a while, but I rarely keep affinity or priority rules permanently now. In most games, the FPS difference was negligible, while frame-time consistency could occasionally improve on CPU-heavy titles. For emulation, though, CPU scheduling can sometimes matter more, especially with demanding PS2 or similar emulators.