Gaming PCs are hugely popular systems capable of running next-gen games at the high end. Most people use the Windows OS, which lends itself well to gaming because of its integration with Xbox mechanics. If you’re trying to improve your gaming experience, continue reading tips on system optimization.
Use a Faster DNS
Online multiplayer games or online gambling for real money websites rely heavily on having a secure connection to a server. Unfortunately, overwhelming network traffic can cause lags and damage the gaming experience. To improve your internet speed, instead of investing in a higher package, you can make a couple of adjustments, including the DNS. To do this, follow these instructions:
- Press Windows key + I to open the Settings.
- Head to Network and Internet > Change Adaptor Settings.
- Right-click over your wireless network and select Properties.
- Click on Internet Protocol Version 4 and make a note of the numbers.
- Replace the two numbers with 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 and hit OK.
Once you restart your system and start gaming online, you will notice faster internet speeds.
Disable Automatic Updates
Automatic updates are an excellent way for Windows to keep on top of essential security patches. However, this feature can restart your computer without any warning. The feature doesn’t activate that often, but you can risk losing your game progress when it does. You need to head to the settings and navigate to Update and Security > Windows Update. Then, under the Advanced Options tab and search for Restart this device as soon as possible when a restart is required to install an update (disable this feature). Instead, you should enable the Show a Notification feature.
Deactivate Steam Auto Updates
As a PC gamer, the chances are that you’re using Steam to purchase and download your games. Steam is an incredible platform, but its settings out of the box will automatically update games, including those you no longer play. This is helpful in some instances, but it will guzzle up memory and can impact your gameplay by downloading in the background. To stop downloads during gameplay, head to Steam > Settings > Downloads and uncheck Allow downloads during gameplay. If you want to stop the games you don’t play from updating; you can Right-click the game and navigate to Properties > Updates. In this menu, you can ask Steam to Only update this game when I launch it.
Use Game Mode
Activating Game Mode is one of the easiest ways to increase gaming performance. Head to the Settings, as explained above, type in Game Mode, and head to Game Mode Settings. All you need to do on this screen is toggle On Game Mode. If your device supports this option, the system will manage background settings and temporarily disable Windows Updates.
Gaming PCs are available on all budget levels and open up a world inaccessible on the console. Out of the box, Windows will need to have a couple of settings tweaked to optimize gameplay – follow the instructions above to get started.
Photo by Jura