By Andrey Sidenko
A recent study by DFC Intelligence showed that by mid-2020, the number of people worldwide playing video games had risen to 3.1 billion. The total population of Earth is just over 8 billion so that’s nearly 40% of the world population that play games. 1.5 billion of those play on PC, about 48% of all players.
Nowadays games require higher levels of hardware resources, with performance being the top priority for most gamers. Some choose to assemble their own computers, strictly for their needs, ensuring the games run smoothly, even those that are graphically demanding. However, not all gaming fans have that opportunity. A lot of people will already have a computer or laptop, which in general works for them, except for playing games.
Considering that nearly half of the world’s gamers use PCs, adapting these devices to be able to run games smoothly becomes an important issue.
Kaspersky’s gaming and security experts have prepared a list of hacks that can help to boost the performance of your computer when playing your favorite games. Generally, these tips are divided into two key categories – hard and soft. Of course, these tips cannot turn an old computer into a new and powerful device, but they can help to make it better.
Hard Tips
There are many options for improving performance in the “hard” sphere. Some of the tips relate directly to the computer’s components (for example, a video card, processor, etc.). The other ones will help you figure out some of the additional elements you should pay attention to for better results.
If you decide to build a computer from scratch, the first step is to calculate the budget available for hardware. It’s also a good idea to read reviews of products included in the desired price category. But when assembling a computer, it is important to remember the most important rule of all: all the components need to work in harmony.
For example, if you bought a very powerful graphics card, but have an old or middle-of-the-road processor, then high performance still won’t be achieved with your games, wasting the money you spent on the card.
The next area to look at is cooling. Unfortunately, even the most powerful cooling system might not work if the room temperature is +30°C, so try to make sure the PC is in a relatively cool room. It’s also important to ensure air flow to the system unit. Putting the computer somewhere with no ventilation is not the best option. A computer, like a person, needs to breathe.
One of the most important tips to achieve the best performance from your computer is to choose the right power supply. There are plenty of power calculators allowing you to check which power supply is right for your build (you can find one here). Ideally, your performance margin should be around 25-30%.
Without a proper power supply, even the best hardware will not be able to enter “boost mode” at maximum power. This mode causes the video card, processor, and other components to increase their level of power consumption, while a weak power supply will not be able to provide all components with a sufficient level of energy. As a result, even the most powerful and expensive computer will only work to half of its capabilities.
Another effective tool for gamers is the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). It is a device which provides battery backup and protects gadgets from power failure or overvolting. A small UPS can provide power for a couple of minutes, while large systems have enough power for several hours.
Besides power loss, there is also a voltage issue that can affect your computer. Voltage fluctuates constantly in sockets and some devices, including computers, can be sensitive to this. Online UPS (superior to offline UPS) can help with this issue and has tools to help equalize the voltage to a stable 220V and reduce the stress on the device.
If you decide to buy a UPS, the key thing to bear in mind is that its output power must correspond to the output power of the power supply. For example, if your power supply provides 900V, the UPS also needs to guarantee a minimum of 900V.
Additional help can be provided by influencers who test the optimal gaming settings for various computer elements. However, it is also important to remember that even if a blogger shows an “incredible video card” with which all his games run perfectly on the highest settings, you should not necessarily immediately run out and buy the same card, hoping to receive the same result. Remember the rule of harmony. You should first carefully check the other components of the computer.
Soft Tips
‘Soft’ tips can also help to improve the performance of computer elements and provide them with additional abilities. But gamers should be careful when using these tips to increase performance. Super heavy loads on the system can lead to a variety of adverse effects.
Keep an eye on driver updates. Popular advice on the internet is to always install the latest version of drivers to your PC. But sometimes it can be more effective to turn off the auto-update function and check them manually. Of course, if we are talking about important system or security updates, then you should always install them so the system and device remain protected.
If these are minor updates to the graphics card or other components though, it makes sense to read online reviews or forums from those who have already installed this update and find out what changes the update makes.
If you want to overclock your PC using special programs, pay attention to which manufacturer your processor is from. It is more efficient and reliable to install programs from the same vendor.
Remember that a clean and optimized PC = a happy gamer. After installing programs and drivers, don’t forget to check how many apps automatically start when you turn on your computer. Those may include browsers, messengers, torrents and other programs. On their own, applications do not harm performance, but if you have 5-6 “heavy” apps running at the same time, the effects can be noticeable – even on a powerful PC.
In addition to keeping the external surface of your computer clean, you can take care of the cleanliness of its inside space – the hard drive. If your disk is full to its limit, this can affect the performance of games. Ideally, you should regularly monitor your computer’s status and clean it of unnecessary or obsolete files and programs. A good option would also be to defragment your hard drives.
It’s also good practice to check the status of your security solutions. Update these programs to their latest versions, and scan your PC for malicious objects. Hidden malicious programs can slow down even the most powerful computers.
If you try to use at least a few tips from this list, there is a good chance that your computer will run faster and you’ll find yourself gaming like never before.
Andrey Sidenko is lead web content analyst at Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company. He can be reached online at [email protected] and at his company website is https://usa.kaspersky.com/.
