Improve gaming performance windows 7 laptop

Just clean it. You'll only enjoy improved performance on your laptop with a proactive attitude to physical maintenance. Dust and dirt are the enemies of performance.

This detritus will reduce airflow, resulting in a computer that gets too hot. Once the heat builds, the processor, GPU, and most other components will slow down. This doesn't make for an effective gaming machine. The best way to deal with this is to remove the dust.

Obviously, this isn't easy. Your laptop is probably sealed, and if it isn't, opening it will almost certainly invalidate the warranty. The solution is to use some very specific cleaning techniques. But it isn't just the vents on your laptop that you need to keep clear.

If you're using the keyboard regularly a staple of PC gaming it's important to ensure there is no dust, food, or other matter able to cause sticky keys. Related: How to Clean Your Laptop. Installing new hardware is the key way to speed up your laptop for gaming. But what can you upgrade? Furthermore, if you want a cheap upgrade, why not improve your personal game performance with an external keyboard and mouse designed for optimum gaming?

Computers running Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems are almost all based around the same hardware, with the same architecture. This means that whatever the operating system, keeping device drivers up to date is vital. Fortunately, this is usually a straightforward a process. In most cases, it occurs automatically during standard OS updates. However, when it comes to graphic drivers, you might need a more hands-on approach. While Intel graphicslargely unsuitable for hardcore gamingwill enjoy updated drivers via a Windows update, your third-party graphics provider doesn't offer that option.

Be sure to keep your controller and audio drivers up to date, too. A collection of software tools that facilitate the graphics in a video game, DirectX is vital to gaming on Windows. Various iterations of DirectX have been released over the years.

Launched in , DirectX 12 Ultimate is the latest version, which you'll find pre-installed on your Windows laptop. As well as having your graphic drivers up to date, it is worth ensuring that your audio drivers are fit for gaming. In DxDiag you can check your audio driver status in the Sound tab. Note also that Input device drivers are summarized here. While risky for the beginner, overclocking can force additional performance out of the graphics card.

The main problems are with power and heat. Overclocking uses more electricity, so you'll need to adjust your computer's power settings appropriately see below. But overclocking also increases the temperature of the GPU. Usually, this is handled by the laptop's built-in cooling system. You should regularly clean the heatsinks and fans, as outlined in 1. If not, your laptop will automatically shut downas a safety precautionwhen it gets too hot.

You could also try to restart your laptop and your router. If this does not work, you could try to contact your internet service provider or wait until your connection to come back to a stable level. But a lesser-known fact is that even your storage type affects the processing speed of your laptop.

How would this affect your laptop? Well, while playing games, some data of your game are encrypted and stored locally, deep within your game files. And opening those files while playing games gives your storage some tasks to do. So a faster and newer generation of storage types will surely improve the gaming performance of your laptop. Their main difference is that HDD uses magnetic tape and mechanical parts to store information while SSD uses electricity.

And only just by imagining it, you will know that electricity moves much faster than mechanical parts. HDD uses mechanical parts that spin throughout the magnetic tapes to read the data that is encrypted on it. SSD uses electric plates to store electrical charges which serve as a storage unit. All electrical data are just readily available anytime. Our last tip, which is also the most important method to improve your gaming performance, is to keep your laptop clean.

You might think of the days that you are enjoying pressing your fast and killer combos on your keyboard while peeking on your dusty screen.

This truly adds a real-world experience to the battlefield. Heat directly contributes to your laptop gaming performance because it messes with the electricity flow inside your laptop. And with billions of processes happening inside of it in every instant, even a small electricity gaffe could turn into a disaster.

Besides, the materials on your hardware can only handle enough heat before deteriorating. So it is actually a must to clean your laptop from the dust and dirt that has accumulated in it.

If you think that gaming laptops are laptops that are only designed to play games, then you are wrong. Basically, gaming laptops are all laptops that could handle intense processes such as animations, graphics, games, and complex simulations. It is not limited to just playing games but all that needs a high level of performance.

These laptops have a higher quality of hardware that will not be utilized if you will just be using simple tools like MS Word. Yes, an allowance on your laptop specs is better, just take note that if you will want to buy a gaming laptop , their prices are also on a higher level than ordinary laptops. To put it simply, all visual screens that display motion show multiple pictures consecutively at a fast rate that our eyes cannot see it as multiple images and just recognizes it as a motion.

Usually, our eyes could recognize 12 frames per second or 12 FPS as a choppy motion. Be sure to keep your controller and audio drivers up to date, too. A collection of software tools that facilitate the graphics in a video game, DirectX is vital to gaming on Windows. Various iterations of DirectX have been released over the years. Launched in , DirectX 12 Ultimate is the latest version, which you'll find pre-installed on your Windows laptop. As well as having your graphic drivers up to date, it is worth ensuring that your audio drivers are fit for gaming.

In DxDiag you can check your audio driver status in the Sound tab. Note also that Input device drivers are summarized here. While risky for the beginner, overclocking can force additional performance out of the graphics card.

The main problems are with power and heat. Overclocking uses more electricity, so you'll need to adjust your computer's power settings appropriately see below. But overclocking also increases the temperature of the GPU. Usually, this is handled by the laptop's built-in cooling system. You should regularly clean the heatsinks and fans, as outlined in 1. If not, your laptop will automatically shut downas a safety precautionwhen it gets too hot.

Looking for an overclocking tool for your GPU? You can enjoy good results with overclocking, but it is something you must do with care. Our guide to overclocking your GPU safely should help here. Few devices can enjoy improved operation without effective power management. When it comes to laptopsdevices intended for use away from a permanent power sourcepower management is important.

Windows gives you some detailed power management options, but for strong gaming experience, connect your laptop to a power outlet. Note that with some gaming laptops such as the Dell G5 15 series battery settings are automatically managed. Whatever your system, avoid less-than-optimum power settings when squeezing gaming performance from your laptop.

This is a tip that anyone can use. Windows 10 and later is equipped with an Xbox app which includes features such as screen recording, streaming, and Game Mode.

Optimizing your laptop for gaming can be as simple as activating the Game Bar and Game Mode. If prompted, check the Yes, this is a game box. With Game Mode enabled, Windows will run games with optimum settings. To do this, Windows may close or suspend some background tasks. We're assuming you're running Windows 10 or 11 for many of these tips. If not, there is a manual change you can make to your laptop before you launch a game.

Ensure all other apps are closed before you launch a game. Once you've done that, look at the System Tray. This part of the Windows taskbar lists apps that are running in the background. Right-click each icon and close it, unless it is relevant to your game experience.

For example, keep your graphics card management app open. Gaming performance for your laptop is mostly determined by your hardware, drivers, and how your computer is configured.