Best Windows 11 Settings for Gaming (FPS and Low Delay)

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Windows 11 ships set up for battery life and everyday use, not games. These are the settings worth changing for higher, steadier FPS and lower delay. Each one is safe to undo.

1. Game Mode: on

Settings > Gaming > Game Mode. It tells Windows to give your game priority and stops Windows Update from installing drivers or restarting while you play.

2. Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling: on (most PCs)

Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings. On modern NVIDIA and AMD cards it lowers CPU overhead and is needed for DLSS Frame Generation. If a specific game stutters after turning it on, test it off.

3. Optimizations for windowed games: on

Same Graphics page. Borderless games then get the same low-latency path as exclusive fullscreen.

4. Set your game to High performance GPU

On laptops and PCs with both integrated and dedicated graphics: Settings > Display > Graphics, add your game's .exe and choose your dedicated GPU.

5. Power mode: Best performance

Settings > System > Power & battery. On desktops you can also use the High Performance or Ultimate Performance plan so the CPU doesn't drop clocks between frames.

6. Refresh rate: the highest your monitor supports

Settings > Display > Advanced display. A 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitor often comes out of the box at 60 Hz. Also turn off Dynamic refresh rate if you see it and it causes flicker.

7. Memory Integrity: your call

Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation. Memory Integrity (VBS/HVCI) protects against some attacks but can cost a few percent of FPS. Some anti-cheat systems require it. If you turn it off, know what you're trading.

8. Background apps and startup

• Task Manager > Startup apps: turn off anything you don't need at boot.
• Settings > Gaming > Captures: turn off background recording if you don't use it.
• Close launchers and overlays you don't need while playing.

9. Mouse: turn off Enhance pointer precision

Control Panel > Mouse > Pointer Options. It changes how far your cursor moves based on speed, which makes aim inconsistent.

10. Keep GPU drivers current, cleanly

Install drivers from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel directly, not through Windows Update. If you've swapped GPUs, a clean install (DDU in Safe Mode) removes leftovers that cause stutters.

Settings to leave alone

Don't disable Windows Defender, the page file, or Windows Update completely. They cost little in games and turning them off causes more problems than it solves.

Want the deeper changes too (BIOS, power plan, services, network)? See how to boost FPS in Windows 11.