You can improve how a graphics card is used without raising its clock speeds, but no Windows or driver setting guarantees higher FPS. Start by making sure the game is using the intended GPU, then try compatible Windows optimizations and targeted per-game driver changes. Compare results in the same scene before keeping a change.
Check that the game is using the right GPU
On a laptop or other PC with integrated and discrete graphics, a game may be assigned to the integrated GPU instead of the more powerful card. Windows lets you choose a graphics preference for an individual app.
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- Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
- Select the game. If it is not listed, use the option to add a desktop app and browse to the game’s executable.
- Open the game’s options, choose High performance if you want Windows to prefer the discrete GPU, then save the setting.
- Close and restart the game so the change can take effect.
The available preference and its effect depend on the PC’s hardware and Windows version. Windows documents the per-app graphics preference in its graphics settings guidance.
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Windows 11 includes Optimizations for windowed games for compatible DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running in windowed or borderless windowed mode. Microsoft says the feature can improve gaming performance by moving compatible games to a newer flip-model presentation, which can reduce frame latency and enable supported features such as Auto HDR and variable refresh rate.
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- Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
- Open Default graphics settings.
- Turn on Optimizations for windowed games.
- Restart the game.
This is not a universal setting for every game: Microsoft’s documented scope is compatible DirectX 10/11 titles in windowed or borderless mode, not every full-screen game. If the game does not support the relevant path, the setting may not change its behavior. See Microsoft’s compatibility and setup details.
Use driver settings as targeted, per-game experiments
GPU control panels offer options that change performance behavior or image quality. Where a driver supports per-game profiles, use one for testing rather than changing a global default: that keeps the experiment limited to the game you are troubleshooting.
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NVIDIA: test maximum performance only when throttling is suspected
NVIDIA says changing Power management mode from Normal to Prefer maximum performance can help in certain applications when the GPU is incorrectly throttling its clock speeds and causing low FPS. It is a conditional troubleshooting step, not a setting that should be expected to raise frame rates on every PC.
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- Open NVIDIA Control Panel and go to Manage 3D settings.
- Choose the game under Program Settings, if available, so the change applies to that game rather than globally.
- Set Power management mode to Prefer maximum performance, apply the change, and test the game.
- Check frame rate along with power use, heat, and fan noise. Restore the previous setting if there is no useful improvement or the tradeoff is undesirable.
Menu labels and available choices can vary by driver version. NVIDIA’s support article, updated February 13, 2024, describes the conditional case for this change; its Manage 3D Settings reference explains how power-management behavior applies to supported DirectX and OpenGL applications.
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AMD: lower demanding visual settings only if the tradeoff suits you
AMD notes that higher antialiasing levels can improve image quality at the expense of FPS, and that default driver settings generally provide most users a good quality/performance balance. If frame rate is the priority, reduce a demanding visual setting in the game or its AMD profile and decide whether the smoother performance is worth the change in image quality. Avoid aggressive global changes without a specific reason. AMD’s guidance on Radeon settings and quality/performance tradeoffs describes these options.
Intel: use available application-profile controls for a specific need
Intel Graphics Software supports per-application profiles and, on supported products and configurations, controls such as image sharpening, adaptive tessellation, frame synchronization, and low-latency mode. These options address different preferences and use cases; none is a guaranteed FPS boost. Check which controls your GPU and driver expose, then test only the one relevant to the game. Intel lists the software’s profile and graphics features.
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Compare changes without guessing
There is no established universal FPS gain for these settings. To tell whether a change helps your own setup, keep the comparison consistent:
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- Keep resolution, graphics preset, display mode, and other relevant settings the same.
- Record the baseline frame rate and note visible image quality, stutter, power use, temperature, and fan noise where available.
- Change one setting, restart the game if required, and repeat the same test.
- Keep the change only if its actual benefit is worth the visual or power-related tradeoff.
If performance does not improve, return to the previous setting before testing another. This makes it easier to identify which change mattered and avoids stacking tweaks that obscure the cause.
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