How to Increase FPS on a Laptop – Performance Mode Tips

Does your game stutter, lag, or freeze while you play? It’s a very common problem. Many gamers want to know how to increase FPS on a laptop. A higher FPS makes games feel smooth and fun. The good news is you don’t need a new computer. You can make your current laptop faster with some simple changes.

This guide will show you how to turn your slow laptop into a better gaming machine. We will cover easy software changes and basic cleaning tips. You will learn how to change settings and manage your laptop’s power. This will help your laptop’s parts work together for the best speed. Let’s get started and make your games run smoothly! 🚀

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What Exactly is FPS and Why Is It a Big Deal for Gaming?

First, let’s learn about FPS. FPS means Frames Per Second. It tells you how many pictures your computer shows on the screen each second. Think of it like a cartoon flipbook. More pages per second make the animation look smoother. So, a higher FPS makes your game look and feel much better. Knowing this is the first step in understanding how to increase FPS on a laptop.

How Do Frames Per Second Affect My Gameplay?

FPS has a big impact on your game. A low FPS (under 30) makes a game feel choppy. This can make it hard to aim in fast games. You might miss important things happening on the screen. It’s about how well you can play, not just how good it looks.

• 30 FPS: This is the lowest you want for a game to be playable. Many console games run at 30 FPS. But it can feel slow if you are used to more.
• 60 FPS: This is the goal for most gamers. At 60 FPS, games are very smooth. Your actions feel instant. It’s hard to go back to a lower FPS after you try this.
• 120+ FPS: This is for serious gamers with special monitors (120Hz or more). The change is small, but it can help you react faster in competitive games.

A higher FPS gives you a clearer view and helps you react faster.

What is the Ideal FPS for Different Game Genres?

The best FPS can change depending on the game you play.

• Fast-Paced Shooters (e.g., Valorant, Call of Duty): For these games, more FPS is always better. Aim for 60 FPS. But pro players want 120 FPS or more for a quicker reaction time.
• Strategy and Role-Playing Games (e.g., Civilization, The Witcher 3): These games are slower. A steady 30 FPS can be fine. But 60 FPS will still make the game feel much nicer.
• Racing and Fighting Games: You need good timing for these games. 60 FPS is best to make sure your moves are accurate and the game feels smooth.

Why Is My Laptop’s FPS Lower Than a Desktop’s?

A desktop PC with the same parts as a laptop is often faster. This is due to how they are built. Laptops need to be small and easy to carry. This creates two problems: power and heat.

Laptop parts use less power to save battery. These parts are not as strong as the ones in desktops. Also, all the parts in a small laptop case make a lot of heat. If the laptop gets too hot, it slows down to protect itself. This is called thermal throttling. It makes your FPS drop. So, learning how to increase FPS on a laptop means fighting these issues.

How Can I Prepare My Laptop for Maximum Gaming Performance to Increase FPS on a Laptop?

You can do a few things to get your laptop ready for gaming. These first steps are about updates and cleaning. People often skip them, but they can help a lot.

Is Keeping My Laptop’s Drivers Updated Really That Important?

Yes, it is very important! Your graphics driver is like a rulebook for your graphics card (GPU). Companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Intel release new drivers all the time. These updates fix problems and make new games run better. Using old drivers is like using an old rulebook for a new game. It might work, but not very well.

Updating drivers is easy:

1. Find Your GPU: Look in the Task Manager under the “Performance” tab to see what graphics card you have.
2. Go to the Website: Visit the official website for Nvidia, AMD, or Intel. Don’t use other sites.
3. Download and Install: The site can find your GPU for you, or you can pick it from a list. Download the latest driver and run the installer.

How Often Should I Update My Graphics Drivers for Optimal Performance?

It’s a good idea to check for new drivers every few weeks. You should also check when a big new game you want to play comes out. Companies often release special drivers for new games. You don’t need every small update, but staying current helps performance.

How to Increase FPS on a Laptop by Cleaning It Up?

A clean laptop runs better. Dust can block your laptop’s fans and vents. This traps heat inside. Trapped heat leads to thermal throttling, which slows down your games.

Physical Cleaning:

• What you need: A can of compressed air.
• What to do: Turn off and unplug your laptop. Spray short bursts of air into the vents. This will push the dust out and help air flow better.

Digital Cleanup: Your laptop’s software needs cleaning too. Extra programs running in the background use up CPU and RAM power that your game needs.

• Uninstall Junk: Laptops often come with software you don’t need. Go to “Apps & features” in Windows settings and remove anything you don’t use.
• Clear Temp Files: Use the Disk Cleanup tool in Windows. It removes junk files and frees up space.

Does My Laptop’s Temperature Affect FPS?

Yes, it does. Heat is a big reason for bad performance on laptops. When you play games, your CPU and GPU work hard and get hot. If your laptop can’t cool them down, they will slow down. You will see your FPS drop a lot, usually after playing for 15-20 minutes.

Here is how to fight the heat:

• Lift Your Laptop: Don’t put your laptop on a soft surface like a bed. This blocks the vents. Use a hard, flat surface instead.
• Use a Cooling Pad: A cooling pad has fans that blow cool air into your laptop. This is a very good way to help with cooling.
• Give It Space: Make sure there is open space around your laptop for air to move.

How to Increase FPS on a Laptop by Changing Windows Settings?

Windows has settings that balance speed and power use. For gaming, you want to focus on speed. These changes are free and can give you a nice FPS boost.

What is Windows Game Mode and Should I Use It?

Windows Game Mode helps improve game performance. When it’s on, Windows gives more power to your game. It also stops other programs from slowing your game down. It is usually a good idea to keep it on.

To turn on Game Mode:

1. Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Gaming > Game Mode.
3. Make sure the switch is On.

How Do I Adjust Power Settings for Peak Performance to Increase FPS on a Laptop?

Windows usually uses a “Balanced” power plan to save battery. This slows down your CPU. For gaming, you want your CPU at full speed. The “High performance” power plan does this.

To change your power plan:

1. Open the Control Panel. Go to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
2. Choose the “High performance” plan.
3. If you don’t see it, click “Create a power plan” and pick “High performance.”

This will use your battery much faster, so plug in your laptop.

How to Increase FPS on a Laptop by Disabling Visual Effects?

Windows uses cool animations that look nice but use a little bit of power. Turning them off can help. Every little bit of power helps your game run faster.

To change this setting:

1. Press the Windows key and type “performance.”
2. Choose “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.”
3. In the new window, click the button for “Adjust for best performance.”
4. Click Apply. Windows will look more basic, but you freed up some power for your game.

Can I Optimize My Startup Programs to Help FPS?

Many apps start running when you turn on your computer. Programs like Spotify or Discord use RAM and CPU power in the background. Stopping them from starting automatically can help.

To manage startup apps:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
2. Click the “Startup” tab.
3. You will see a list of programs. Turn off anything you don’t need right away. Don’t turn off your antivirus or important system programs.

What In-Game Settings Should I Change to Boost FPS?

This is where you will see the biggest changes. Every game has a graphics menu. You can lower the visual quality to make the game run faster. This reduces the work for your GPU, which means more FPS. Learning how to increase FPS on a laptop is about finding a good mix of looks and speed.

Which Graphics Settings Have the Biggest Impact on FPS?

Some settings use a lot of power. Start by changing these:

1. Shadow Quality: Making good-looking shadows is hard work for a GPU. Turning shadows from “Ultra” to “Medium” or “Low” can give you a huge FPS boost.
2. Anti-Aliasing (AA): This makes the edges of objects look smooth. It looks nice, but it uses a lot of power. Turning it off will give you a big FPS gain.
3. Texture Quality: This changes how detailed things look up close. Lowering it can help if your GPU is struggling. But it can make the game look blurry.
4. View Distance: This controls how far you can see. A lower distance means the GPU has less to draw. This helps a lot in big, open-world games.

What Are Some Lesser-Known Graphics Settings I Can Tweak for More FPS?

Besides the main four, you can change other settings for more FPS:

• Ambient Occlusion (AO): This adds soft shadows that make the game look deeper. It looks good but uses power. Turn it off for more FPS.
• Motion Blur: This blurs the screen when you move fast. Some people like it, some don’t. Turning it off can save a few frames and make the game look clearer.
• Anisotropic Filtering (AF): This keeps things looking sharp from far away. It doesn’t use much power on new GPUs. But you can lower it if you need every frame.

Should I Lower My Game’s Resolution?

Resolution is the number of dots (pixels) on your screen. Lowering the resolution is a very good way to get more FPS. It means your GPU has much less work to do. For example, changing from 1080p to 720p can make a huge difference. The game won’t look as sharp, but it will be much smoother.

How to Increase FPS on a Laptop Using V-Sync?

V-Sync matches your game’s FPS to your screen’s refresh rate. It stops something called “screen tearing,” which looks like the screen is split. But V-Sync can also add a delay to your controls (input lag). It also limits your FPS.

• When to turn V-Sync OFF: If you want the most FPS and the fastest response, turn V-Sync off. This is very important for online games.
• When to turn V-Sync ON: If screen tearing is really bad and it bothers you, turn V-Sync on. It will make the game look smoother but might feel a little slower.

Can I Use Software to Help Increase My Laptop’s FPS?

You can use special software to get even more speed from your GPU. Both Nvidia and AMD have tools that let you change settings for all your games.

What Are the Best GPU Control Panel Settings for Performance?

Your GPU’s control panel is a great tool. You can set it to always choose speed over looks.

For Nvidia Users (Nvidia Control Panel):

1. Right-click on your desktop. Choose Nvidia Control Panel.
2. Go to “Manage 3D settings.”
3. Set “Power management mode” to “Prefer maximum performance.”
4. Set “Texture filtering – Quality” to “High performance.”

For AMD Users (AMD Radeon Software):

1. Right-click on your desktop. Choose AMD Radeon Software.
2. Click the Gaming tab, then Global Graphics.
3. Turn on Radeon Anti-Lag to make controls feel faster.
4. Turn on Radeon Boost. This lowers the resolution when you move fast to boost FPS.
5. Set Texture Filtering Quality to Performance.

How to Increase FPS on a Laptop with Third-Party Tools?

Some apps can help you check and boost your game speed.

• MSI Afterburner: This tool shows your FPS, temperature, and more on your screen while you play. It’s great for seeing if your changes are working.
• Razer Cortex: This is a “game booster” app. It closes other programs when you start a game to free up power. It’s a simple, one-click tool.

Is Overclocking My Laptop’s GPU a Safe Way to Increase FPS on a Laptop?

Overclocking means making your GPU run faster than it was built to. It can increase FPS, but it’s risky for laptops. It makes more heat and uses more power. Laptops already have problems with heat. If you do it wrong, you can crash your laptop or even break it. For most people, it’s safer to use the other tips in this guide.

What About Hardware Upgrades for My Laptop to Increase FPS on a Laptop?

You can’t upgrade laptops as much as desktops. But a few hardware changes can really help your games. They cost money, but they work well.

How Do I Know if My Laptop is Upgradeable?

This is the first thing to check. Most laptops let you add more RAM or a new storage drive (SSD). But you usually can’t change the CPU or GPU. To see what you can upgrade:

• Search for your laptop model online. Look for upgrade guides.
• Use a tool like the Crucial System Scanner. It will check your laptop and show you what parts will fit.

Will Adding More RAM Increase My FPS?

More RAM (Random Access Memory) might not give you a higher top FPS. But it can make your game smoother and stop stutters. RAM is your computer’s short-term memory. If you don’t have enough, your computer slows down.

Most new games work well with 16GB of RAM. If you only have 8GB, an upgrade to 16GB can make your FPS more stable. This is very helpful if you use other apps like Discord while you play.

Can I Get a Major FPS Boost by Switching to an SSD?

Changing from an old Hard Disk Drive (HDD) to a new Solid State Drive (SSD) is a great upgrade. It might not boost your max FPS by a lot. But it makes your whole gaming experience better. Games on an SSD load much faster. In big open-world games, an SSD can stop stuttering. As explained by Stanford’s Computer Science department, SSDs access data much faster. This upgrade makes your whole laptop feel faster.

Final Thoughts on How to Increase FPS on a Laptop

Getting more FPS on your laptop isn’t about one single trick. It’s about using many tips together. Keep your laptop clean and updated. Change your Windows and in-game settings. And think about new hardware if you can.

Start with the free software changes. They are easy and can help a lot. Watch your temperatures to make sure your laptop isn’t getting too hot. And play with your game’s graphics settings. Find the right mix of good looks and smooth speed. Now go and enjoy your higher FPS! 🎉

FAQ – How to Increase FPS on a Laptop