As a gamer, one of the most frustrating things you can experience while playing a game is low FPS (frames per second). Low FPS can lead to lag, stuttering, and other issues that can negatively impact your gameplay experience.
FPS is especially essential if you’re a gamer who plays games requiring quick reactions. A high frame rate also increases the realism of the game environment, allowing for higher levels of detail and fluidity.
Without optimizing your laptop settings, you might encounter issues related to your frame rates, such as random spikes or intermittent freezing. Without the proper internal components, your display will render media at a low frame rate, resulting in a slow and choppy experience.
These are issues that will interfere with your gaming experience and make your games less enjoyable. From upgrading your hardware to adjusting your game settings, let’s go through everything you need to know to get a smoother and more responsive gaming experience.
1. Close all Unnecessary Programs
This is really basic, yet sometimes people forget to tick it off the checklist. Running games at a high frame rate takes a lot of computing power from your laptop. The more tasks you ask your device to perform simultaneously, the more it will struggle.
Consider limiting how many programs compete for your laptop’s finite resources. By doing so, you can increase your frame rate while gaming or enjoying media.
By pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete, you can access the task manager. It allows you to see all the programs running on your laptop. Under the Processes tab, look for running programs you don’t need.
Some software, like cloud file-sharing solutions and messaging programs, run in the background even if you close the program window. By ending the process in task manager, you can stop these programs from draining your computer unnecessarily.
2. Invest in a Quality GPU & Upgrade your RAM
A quality Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is one of the most important upgrades to be considered if you want to increasing your laptop’s frame rate. Your GPU is a dedicated unit that focuses on creating and rendering complex images.
With a GPU in place, pressure will be taken off your Central Processing Unit (CPU), increasing overall performance. Modern GPUs will enable you to activate hardware acceleration, which is helpful for running games on high settings.
Laptops such the ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 come with high-quality GPUs. The device uses AI-based Dynamic Boost 2.0 technology to increase performance. The Nvidia RTX A5000 in the ProArt Studiobook also allows for real-time Ray Tracing, which helps your laptop render images at a cinematic level.
However, upgrading a laptop’s graphics card is not as simple as upgrading RAM, as many models have integrated graphics cards that cannot be replaced. If you have a gaming laptop or a laptop with a dedicated graphics card, you may be able to upgrade your graphics card by purchasing a compatible one and installing it in your laptop. Check your laptop’s manual or the manufacturer’s website to find out if your graphics card is replaceable.
RAM (Random Access Memory) is a crucial component that affects your laptop’s performance. If your laptop doesn’t have enough RAM, it may struggle to keep up with demanding games and applications, leading to low FPS. Upgrading the RAM can help improve your laptop’s performance and increase its FPS.
To find out how much RAM your laptop has, go to your Windows task manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and click on the “Performance” tab. You should see the amount of RAM installed on your laptop.
To upgrade your RAM, you’ll need to purchase compatible RAM modules and install them in your laptop. Check your the device’s manual or manufacturer’s website to find out what type of RAM is compatible with it.
3. Optimize your Storage
Your laptop’s memory capacity can also affect its FPS while gaming. If your laptop’s storage is full or fragmented, it may struggle to load game files and assets quickly, leading to low FPS.
One way to optimize your storage is to use a solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a traditional hard disk drive (HDD). SSDs are faster and more reliable than HDDs, which can help improve your laptop’s performance and increase its FPS.
You can also free up storage space on your laptop by uninstalling unnecessary programs and files, clearing your browser cache, and using disk cleanup and defragmentation methods.
4. Tinker with the Game Settings
Adjusting your game settings can also help increase your laptop’s FPS for gaming. Here are some settings you can tweak to improve performance:
a. Lower graphics settings
One of the easiest ways to to increase your laptop’s FPS is by decreasing your in-game settings. By lowering your in-game visual settings, your device will be better able to process the images on the screen.
Additionally, you can lower your resolution to reduce how much pixel information your laptop needs to read. Reducing these settings is a great way to help an old laptop keep up with new games.
In most games, you can adjust your graphics settings by going to the game’s settings menu. Look for options such as “Graphics quality,” “Texture quality,” and “Shadow quality” and lower them to improve performance.
b. Adjust resolution and aspect ratio
Higher screen resolutions and wider aspect ratios can also be demanding on your laptop’s hardware and lead to low FPS. Lowering your screen resolution and aspect ratio can help improve your laptop’s performance and increase its FPS.
In most games, you can adjust your screen resolution and aspect ratio by going to the game’s settings menu. Look for options such as “Resolution” and “Aspect ratio” and lower them to improve performance.
c. Disable unnecessary features
Some games may have unnecessary features that can affect your laptop’s performance and FPS. Features such as motion blur, depth of field, and anti-aliasing can be demanding on your hardware and lead to low FPS. Disabling these features can help improve your laptop’s performance and increase its FPS.
You can usually disable unnecessary features by going to the game’s settings menu. Look for options such as “Motion blur,” “Depth of field,” and “Anti-aliasing” and disable them to improve performance.
By adjusting your game settings, you can optimize your laptop’s performance and increase its FPS for gaming. In the next section, we’ll cover performance-boosting software that can further improve your laptop’s FPS.
5. Keep your Laptop Clean & Cool
Overheating is a common problem faced by many gamers. Long game sessions force your laptop to work hard, which generates a lot of heat from your CPU, GPU, and other internal components. The performance will suffer if your laptop can’t efficiently eliminate this heat.
Also, dust and debris can accumulate in the device’s fans and vents, blocking airflow and causing it to overheat. As a result, your FPS will drop. When temperatures get too high, most CPUs engage in thermal throttling, which reduces performance to reduce heat. Laptops with high-quality cooling systems prevent these situations by efficiently dispersing heat. Laptops with multiple fans, vents, and heat sinks are ideal for gamers who enjoy long gaming sessions.
The Asus ROG Flow X13 is a laptop with a self-cleaning cooling system. This technology helps keep your device at optimal temperatures. Without regularly cleaning dust and debris, your laptop will be vulnerable to overheating during long gaming sessions. The ROG Flow X13 optimizes the self-cleaning process reliably and efficiently, ensuring your machine remains in good condition as far as dust is concerned.
Assuming you don’t have a laptop like that with self-cleaning tech, make sure to regularly clean your laptop’s fans and vents to help improve airflow and prevent overheating.
Before you start cleaning your laptop’s fans and vents, turn it off and unplug it. Use a can of compressed air to blow out any dust and debris from the fans and vents. You can also use a soft-bristled brush to gently clean these areas.
Also, invest in a laptop cooling pad. It is designed to sit underneath your laptop and helps improve airflow and dissipate heat. Laptop cooling pads can help reduce your device’s temperature and prevent overheating.
To use a laptop cooling pad, place your laptop on top of the pad and plug it into your laptop’s USB port. The pad will start running and help cool your laptop.
6. Seek Better Alternatives than Overclocking
Overclocking is a risk that some laptop users engage in to increase their device’s performance. Overclocking involves changing your CPU’s or GPU’s default frequency to output more power while in use.
However, this process will use additional power and generate more heat. It can strain your laptop’s internal components, increasing its deterioration rate. Contrary to what some may think, overclocking is not the magical solution to boost laptop FPS.
Instead, seek better alternatives than overclocking. If you need to overclock, it indicates your current hardware is inadequate. Plenty of high-end laptops increase laptop FPS without the need for overclocking.
7. Use Performance-Boosting Software
Performance-boosting software can help optimize your laptop’s performance and increase its FPS for gaming. Here are some examples of software you can try:
a. Game boosters: Game boosters are software programs that optimize your computer’s performance for gaming. They can help free up resources, close unnecessary programs, and improve your FPS. Popular game boosters include Razer Cortex and Game Fire.
b. Benchmarking software: Benchmarking software can help you measure your laptop’s performance and identify areas for improvement. By benchmarking your laptop, you can see how it performs in different scenarios and make informed decisions about how to optimize it. 3DMark, UserBenchmark, and PassMark PerformanceTest are some options worth trying out.
8. Update the Drivers
Outdated drivers can cause compatibility issues and lead to low FPS. Updating your drivers, especially your graphics card driver, could help improve your laptop’s gaming performance and increase its FPS.
To update your drivers, go to your device manager (press Windows key + X and select “Device Manager”) and locate the device you want to update. Right-click on the device and select “Update driver” to search for the latest driver updates.
9. Adjust your Power Settings
Your laptop’s power settings can also affect its performance and FPS. By default, your device may be set to a power-saving mode that limits its performance in order to conserve battery life. Adjusting your power settings to a high-performance mode can help increase your laptop’s FPS for gaming.
To adjust your power settings, go to your Windows control panel, then System and Security, and click on “Power Options.” Select the “High performance” option to optimize your laptop’s performance.
In Parting
By following the tips and tricks mentioned above, you can increase your laptop’s FPS for gaming to get a smoother and more responsive gaming experience. Remember to experiment with different methods and find what works best for your laptop and games. With a little optimization, you can take your gaming skills to the next level.
