Want more FPS out of that gaming laptop?
Laptop gaming has seen massive growth in recent years. But there is a problem…
On average, gaming laptops only manage to deliver 50-70% of desktop performance. That is a huge gap to make up. Laptop gamers need to do everything in their power to squeeze more frames out of their system.
The good news is that many proven tips and tweaks exist to help supercharge laptop gaming performance. They don’t cost a fortune, but they will feel like a major upgrade. These are the tweaks I recommend to struggling laptop gamers first. Most of them are free and only take a few minutes to apply. Here are the 8 things you can do to eek out the best gaming performance possible out of a laptop.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Laptops Struggle With Gaming Performance
- The Best Settings To Change Right Now
- Cooling Tricks That Actually Work
- Software Tweaks For Instant FPS Gains
- How To Monitor Performance Like A Pro
Why Laptops Struggle With Gaming Performance
Gaming laptops have one major enemy…
Heat.
Desktop PCs have room for large cooling systems. Desktop components are also slower, generating less heat. Laptops have the opposite problem. Very powerful chips packed into tiny chassis with limited cooling options. This creates the perfect environment for thermal throttling problems to destroy performance.
Temperature thresholds are reached and the CPU and GPU start to automatically slow down to reduce heat. Game frame rates drop, stuttering becomes common, and the smooth gameplay we all want becomes a pipe dream. Many laptop gamers have no idea why their system runs great for 20 minutes then becomes a slideshow.
Just as you need to understand game mechanics to master a slot like lil demon gold hit, understanding what causes performance to suffer is the first step towards solving it.
Studies have shown that increasing temperatures by just 5°C can lead to 8-10% lower FPS during gaming sessions. This is significant. The higher the CPU and GPU temperatures are pushed, the more FPS we lose. Every fraction of a degree counts when trying to force the maximum performance out of a laptop.
The Best Settings To Change Right Now
Check these settings first. It’s shocking how many gamers ignore them.
Power Settings
Windows has power settings that can throttle gaming performance without you realising it. Laptops often come with “Balanced” power mode enabled by default. This limits CPU and GPU speeds to extend battery life.
Change to “High Performance” mode when gaming to allow the components to run at full speed. Check for any proprietary software that might be throttling performance too. Battery saver modes and other power-saving apps have been known to cause major slowdowns.
Graphics Settings
Not every game requires max graphics options. Experienced gamers know which settings impact performance the most, so they lower those to gain higher FPS:
- Shadows: Drop from Ultra to High. Visual difference is minimal, but performance boost is significant.
- Anti-aliasing: Reduce from 8x to 4x or 2x.
- Draw distance: Reduce draw distance in open-world games.
- V-Sync: Turn it off. Caps frame rates and adds input lag.
Lowering these settings alone can improve frame rates by 20-40% in CPU and GPU intensive games.
Cooling Tricks That Actually Work
Thermal management is the difference between a smooth gaming laptop experience and a stuttering mess. This is how to keep your laptop cool…
Use A Cooling Pad
Laptop cooling pads are not a gimmick. Research has shown that they can reduce CPU and GPU temperatures by 6-10°C when gaming. This can be enough to prevent throttling and performance drops.
Look for a cooling pad with adjustable fan speeds and good elevation. Raising the laptop lifts it off the surface, allowing more airflow underneath.
Clean Those Vents
A silent performance killer over time is dust buildup. Dust clogs intake and exhaust vents, choking airflow and causing overheating.
Use a can of compressed air every few months to blast the vents out. Hold the nozzle at an angle to push dust out instead of further in. Gamers report temperature reductions of 10-15°C after a proper cleaning.
Mind The Environment
You know those games that overclock laptop cooling fans to max? They’re a joke, because gaming on a soft surface like a bed or couch literally blocks those same vents.
Always game on a hard, flat surface. This lets air circulate freely. Ambient room temperature also plays a factor. The cooler the room, the cooler the laptop will stay.
Software Tweaks For Instant FPS Gains
Correct software settings can unlock performance we didn’t know our laptops had. These tips are free and take effect immediately.
Update GPU Drivers
Old or outdated graphics drivers will leave performance on the table. Both NVIDIA and AMD release driver updates that optimise performance for new games on a regular basis. Check for updates at least monthly.
Close Background Applications
Every open program is eating up system resources. Close unnecessary applications before gaming to free up RAM and CPU cycles. Web browsers with dozens of open tabs are a massive resource hog.
Check the Task Manager and kill processes that are not needed. Startup programs are a big resource drain as well. Most run automatically in the background and are never noticed by the user.
Enable Game Mode
Windows Game Mode is a feature that prioritises gaming performance. It also stops Windows Update from pausing your game while downloading updates.
To enable it, head to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and toggle it on. You can then safely forget it’s there.
Consider Undervolting
Advanced users can also undervolt the CPU to reduce power consumption and heat generation with no performance loss. Tools like ThrottleStop make this easy.
This is a grey area though. Incorrect undervolting settings can cause system instability. I recommend you do your own research for your specific laptop model before attempting this.
How To Monitor Performance Like A Pro
Guessing what the problem is just wastes time. Monitoring apps show you the exact temperature and performance levels inside a laptop in real-time.
Essential Monitoring Software
- MSI Afterburner: Monitor real-time FPS, temperatures, and clock speeds.
- HWMonitor: Track system component temperatures and usage.
- GPU-Z: Provides detailed GPU information.
Look for sudden temperature spikes during gameplay. If either the CPU or GPU hits 90°C or higher, throttling is occurring.
What To Look For
Pay attention to these key performance metrics while gaming:
- GPU temperature: Try to keep this below 85°C.
- CPU temperature: Aim for below 90°C if possible.
- Clock speeds: Look for sudden reductions that indicate throttling.
- GPU usage: Should be 100% or close to it during demanding games.
Low GPU usage with low frame rates typically indicates a CPU bottleneck. This is when the CPU can’t feed enough data to the GPU quickly enough.
Wrapping It Up
Getting more performance out of a gaming laptop does not have to mean expensive upgrades or replacing the system entirely. Easy changes to software settings, cooling solutions, and in-game graphics can have a real and noticeable impact on performance.
To quickly recap:
- Change Windows power mode to High Performance
- Lower key demanding graphics options strategically
- Invest in a quality cooling pad
- Keep vents clean and use hard gaming surfaces
- Update drivers and close background programs
- Monitor temperatures to quickly identify throttling
These changes work best together. A cooler laptop will be able to run faster. Faster laptops will provide smoother gaming. It’s that simple.
Try the easiest and quickest changes first. Many times power setting adjustments and better cooling are all it takes to solve a performance issue. From there, look to fine-tuning graphics options for each specific game.
The goal is not to max out every setting. The goal is to find the best balance between graphics and frame rates. Finding this sweet spot is the key to turning laptop gaming from frustrating to fantastic.
