How to boost FPS on Windows 11 (2026): 12 settings that actually work

Updated November 2026 · 8 min read

Most "FPS boost" videos throw 40 random tweaks at you. Here are the 12 that matter on a typical Windows 11 gaming PC or laptop, in the order to do them. Everything is a built-in setting you can undo, so you don't need to install anything.

1. Create a restore point

Start › type Create a restore point › select your system drive › Create. It takes two minutes and makes every other step risk-free.

2. Turn on Game Mode

Settings › Gaming › Game Mode › On. Windows prioritises the game and limits some background work, such as installing updates, while you play.

3. Set power mode to Best performance

Settings › System › Power & battery › Power mode. On a laptop, also plug in the charger and use the maker's "Performance" or "Turbo" mode.

4. Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling

Settings › System › Display › Graphics › Advanced graphics settings › turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, then restart. It can reduce latency on modern GPUs.

5. Optimizations for windowed games

On the same page, turn on Optimizations for windowed games. It changes how older DirectX 10/11 games present frames in windowed and borderless modes, which lowers latency.

6. Laptops: force the fast GPU

Settings › System › Display › Graphics › add the game's .exe › Options › High performance. Without this, some laptops run games on the weaker integrated GPU.

7. Turn off background recording

Settings › Gaming › Captures › set Record what happened to Off. If you clip your games, use your GPU software's recorder instead.

8. Trim startup apps

Settings › Apps › Startup. Turn off launchers, chat apps and updaters you don't need the moment Windows starts.

9. Use your monitor's full refresh rate

Settings › System › Display › Advanced display › Choose a refresh rate. A 144 Hz monitor stuck at 60 Hz is the most common free upgrade we see.

10. Plug the monitor into the graphics card

On a desktop, the display cable belongs in the ports on the graphics card (usually lower down on the back of the PC), not the motherboard ports near the USB sockets.

11. Turn on Reflex or Anti-Lag

NVIDIA: set Reflex to "On + Boost" in games that support it. AMD: turn on Radeon Anti-Lag in Adrenalin, and Anti-Lag 2 in games that offer it. These lower input lag rather than raising the FPS counter, but you'll feel the difference.

12. Upscaling before lowering everything else

DLSS, FSR, XeSS or the game's own upscaler on Quality usually gives the biggest jump in heavy modern games. Leave frame generation off in competitive shooters: it raises the FPS counter but doesn't reduce input lag.

What about Memory Integrity?

Memory Integrity (Core Isolation) is a security feature. Tests have measured roughly a 4 to 6% average FPS cost. We recommend leaving it on; a few frames aren't worth weaker protection on a PC you use for anything else.