Each game vendor will specify a minimum and recommended settings for their games. The minimum setting is that required hardware and software specs to make the game work under its basic settings. You can find the compatibility of your system for all popular games using the online tool available here. Just select the game from the drop-down box and start setting. Make sure that you install the ActiveX control (Internet Explorer) or JRE ( in Firefox)when it is prompted. The resulting page will display the compatibility of your system with the selected game, and sometimes suggestions-additional hardware/software perquisites required to run the game.
Another option is to use CPU-Z or GPU-Z to find the detailed features of the processor and graphics card used in the system. In case your computer doesn’t have the required specs as per the game manual, you can use the following techniques free up system sources and speed up games to certain extend.
Upgrade the DirectX version: Microsoft’s DirectX is a library of APIs that is used by game developers for programming their products in Windows environment. The latest version of DirectX ensures compatibility of the game with Windows and underlying hardware architecture. You can download DirectX installer here.
Update graphics cards drivers and software: Drivers works as a link between the software and hardware. If you are using a graphics card, you need to install the drivers supplied by manufacturer, for the computer to detect them and add it to the devices list. The speed and performance of the games are directly proportional to the video card and the processor so having latest drivers would improve the latency of the total system. You can use Windows update or some automatic driver update software like Driver Genius to find and install up-to date game drivers.
Use an Antivirus software that has inbuilt gaming Mode: As you might know, Antivirus software scans every single action and changes in a PC. So they might interfere with files and process initiated by games, and that would lead to slow response and reduction in overall performance. Therefore, we should exit the Antivirus software before playing a game or just switch to another product that comes with gaming mode. For instance,Kaspersky Internet security 2011 comes with gaming mode option. Here what you need is just to click ” activate gaming mode” before starting a game.
Defrag system drives, registry and optimize RAM: Fragmentation of files and registryentries would reduce the speed and performance of games to a great level. To change this the files should be arranged in such a way that the ones accessed more will come at the top of the file system, and this process is known as defragmentation. You can either use default Windows Defragmentation tool or find a freeware alternative to do this. Make sure that you clean all junk files before starting Defragmentation. The optimization of RAM is nothing but clearing unwanted processes from RAM and freeing up the resources for other apps.
Increase system page file: System Page file is a virtual memory backup that can be used at times. The technology treats a portion of hard disk as a virtual RAM in case if there is a deficiency in resources. You can increase or decrease page file by going to Computer Properties> Advanced settings> Virtual Memory.
Disable visual effects: You will find Visual Effects options in the Advanced System Settings menu. Choosing best performance will disable all animations, theme effects, etc. used in Windows interface. It will take you to the classic mode in which games would perform in a better way.
Stop unwanted services and startup entries: Check this article to find the Windows services that you can disable without any issues. Unwanted startup entries can be disabled by going to System Configuration. Press Win key+R> Enter msconfig and move to startup- then disable all unwanted stuff. Make sure to keep entries and services created by Game installers.
Use game optimization software: There are a lot of game optimization software available in the market. One of our favorite programs in this sector is Iobit’s Game Optimizer 2. The advantage of such a software is that we don’t need to perform the aforementioned tasks manually- they will have a Wizard Driven interface that does everything in a matter of seconds. You can buy Game Booster Pro for $9 from the official website or download their free version. Otherwise, just leave a valuable comment on this post. We have two license keys of the Game Booster, that we acquired through their recent FaceBook giveaway. The first and second commentators will win them.
If you are really into gaming, we advise you to upgrade your computer hardware rather than comprising it on visual quality, just for a speed boost. This because freeing up resources doesn’t help much in playing games that have 3D effects and advanced animations.
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