Verified Settings for Gaming Performance on Windows 11

Measure before changing settings

The internet is full of long lists of tweaks claiming to "speed up Windows for gaming." Some of these disable security features, while others have no documented impact. This article focuses solely on settings described on Microsoft's own pages and does not promise that any setting will "increase your frame rate by a specific amount"; the impact varies depending on the game and hardware.

The correct approach is to test each change one by one:

1. Choose the same scene or map in a game you play frequently.
2. Note the frame rate and stutters before making any changes. You can monitor this by opening the Xbox Game Bar with the Windows logo key + G and checking the Performance widget.
3. Change a single setting, restart your computer if necessary, and repeat the same test.
4. If there is no difference or if an issue arises, revert the setting.

Menu names may appear differently depending on your language settings and Windows version. Therefore, we also provide the English name for each setting.

Game Mode

Microsoft's Windows 11 PC gaming page recommends making sure Game Mode is turned on and notes that the feature is enabled by default. With Game Mode on, Windows Update does not install drivers during gameplay and does not show restart notifications. Microsoft states that it can help maintain a more stable frame rate depending on the game and system.

• Path: Settings > Gaming > Game Mode.
• Unless you have a specific reason to disable it, leave it on.

Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS)

According to the introduction on Microsoft's DirectX developer blog, Windows delegates a large portion of GPU scheduling to a dedicated scheduling processor on the graphics card, while Windows still determines priority between applications.

What you need to know about this setting:

• The option only appears if your graphics card and driver support it. Microsoft states that a sufficiently modern GPU and at least a WDDM 2.7 driver are required.
• Microsoft expects the setting to work seamlessly for users without noticeable changes, and does not expect a performance regression either. In other words, it is not presented as a silver bullet that will automatically boost frame rates.
• Path: Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Depending on your Windows version, this option is located under the default or advanced graphics settings section on this page.
• Changes may require a computer restart.

Practical tip: Turn the setting on and play for a few days. If you experience stutters, issues with screen recording software, or any other problems, turn it off. If your measurements show no difference, it does not matter which state you leave it in.

Per-game graphics card selection and optimizations for windowed games

Most laptops feature two graphics processors: the integrated GPU inside the processor and a discrete graphics card. Windows may run certain games on the integrated GPU to save power. Microsoft's optimizations for windowed games page explains how to change this per application:

1. Open the Settings > System > Display > Graphics page.
2. Select the game from the Custom options for apps section. If it is not listed, add the game's executable file.
3. Click the Options button and choose High performance under graphics preference.
4. Click Save and restart the game.

The same page also includes the Optimizations for windowed games setting. According to Microsoft, this setting transitions DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running in windowed or borderless windowed mode to a newer presentation model, reducing frame latency. Enabling Auto HDR also turns this setting on automatically. If a game experiences issues, you can disable it for that specific application through the same app options.

Power mode

Windows 11 determines how much energy the processor and other components consume using the power mode. According to Microsoft's power mode page, there are three options: Best power efficiency, Balanced, and Best performance.

• Path: Settings > System > Power & battery > Power mode.
• On laptops, separate modes can be selected when plugged in and running on battery. Set the plugged-in mode to Best performance while gaming.
• If the power mode cannot be changed, a custom power plan might be selected. In this case, Microsoft recommends choosing the Balanced plan from Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.

The Best performance mode consumes more power. On laptops, battery life will decrease and fans may run more frequently.

Xbox Game Bar background recording

Background recording (Record what happened) continuously records the last few minutes of gameplay so you can save great moments as clips afterward. Microsoft's capture settings page suggests that this feature can affect gaming performance and recommends choosing a shorter recording duration if you notice an impact.

• Path: Settings > Gaming > Captures.
• If you do not record clips, turn off the Record what happened option. If you use it, try shortening the recording duration.
• If you are using other recording software (such as your GPU manufacturer's tool or OBS), do not keep both recording features active at the same time.

Keep your graphics card driver updated

Graphics card manufacturers frequently release driver updates for newly launched games. You can get drivers directly from the manufacturer's website: NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel. Windows Update may also offer drivers.

• On laptops, manufacturers may release custom drivers tailored to your specific device; check the computer manufacturer's support page first.
• If you experience issues after a new driver update, you can roll back to the previous version via Device Manager.
• When Game Mode is active, Windows does not install drivers during gameplay; perform updates outside of gaming sessions.

If you are considering upgrading to a new version of Windows, the Windows 11 26H1 guide covers the version's features, system requirements, and current status.

VBS and Memory integrity: Performance impact and security cost

Virtualization-based security (VBS) uses the Windows hypervisor to create an isolated secure region of memory. Memory integrity (also known as HVCI) is a feature that runs within this environment. According to Microsoft's Device security page, memory integrity makes it much harder for malicious programs to use low-level drivers to hijack your computer.

When the performance impact increases

Microsoft's memory integrity documentation states that this feature performs better on Intel Kaby Lake and newer processors, and AMD Zen 2 and newer processors. These processors feature necessary hardware support (Mode-Based Execution Control and Guest Mode Execute Trap). Older processors emulate this support via software, which Microsoft notes results in a greater performance impact.

In other words, the magnitude of the impact depends on your processor. If you have a modern processor, the gains from disabling memory integrity may be limited. Do not disable it without measuring the difference on your own system.

The risks of disabling it

Disabling memory integrity removes a layer of protection against malware targeting the Windows kernel. On Windows 11 22H2 and later, Windows Security displays a warning when this feature is turned off. Consider the following if you are thinking about disabling it:

• Do not disable it if the computer is shared, or if pirated software, cheat tools, or untrusted drivers are installed. Memory integrity exists precisely to protect against these types of risks.
• If you want to test it, turn it off briefly, measure the performance, and turn it back on immediately if there is no difference.
• When re-enabled, some older drivers may turn out to be incompatible. Microsoft recommends getting updated drivers from the manufacturer in such cases.

Path: Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details > Memory integrity. Changes require a Windows restart to take effect.

To check if VBS is running, type msinfo32 in the Start menu and open System Information. You will find virtualization-based security rows under the System Summary section.

Which setting does what: Summary table

For performance expectations in newly released titles, you can also check out the most anticipated games of 2026 article.

Frequently asked questions

How many frames will these settings add in a specific game?

Microsoft does not provide fixed performance gains for these settings, as results vary based on the game, hardware, and drivers. The only reliable method is to measure performance before and after in the same scene on your own computer.

I cannot see the HAGS option, what should I do?

The option only appears if your graphics card and driver support it. First, update your driver. If the option is still missing, your hardware may not support this feature.

Is it safe to disable memory integrity while gaming and re-enable it afterward?

While it is turned off, the computer lacks this layer of protection. Every toggle also requires a system restart. Therefore, rather than constantly turning it on and off, run a quick measurement first; if there is no meaningful difference, leave the feature enabled.

Last updated: October 9, 2026. Information sourced from Microsoft support pages, the memory integrity documentation on Microsoft Learn, and the DirectX developer blog; menu names and locations may vary depending on your Windows version.