Not all gamers have the computing horsepower required to run all the latest games, with many on the lower end of the spectrum missing out newer games repeatedly.

While it might seem difficult to catch up with the latest trends in gaming on a low end PC, there is still a lot that can be done to make the experience a whole lot smoother.

Playing a game at the optimal FPS-quality mix will allow for a lagless gaming experience and maximum immersion. There are multiple tweaks that can be carried out to achieve this.

Turning All Settings To Low

Games often have ingame settings menus that determine the quality of various things on-screen. This includes the resolution of the image, which vastly increases performance upon being reduced.

All post-processing, anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering, bloom, motion blur and other effects must be turned completely off if there is an option to do so. The quality of the game should also be set to low to decrease the amount of memory paged by the game while running.

Every possible setting must be set to lowest to ensure that there is no performance hit taken while the game ramps up in detail. This is but the first step.

Tweaking Windows To Increase Performance

Windows 10 as a whole consumes a lot of resources. If installing a lower end version of Windows, like 7 or 8, is not possible, then game mode should be enabled on W10 devices for maximum performance.

Another way to go is to also disable all background services except Microsoft’s to prevent background processes from running.

Users can do this by going accessing the Run window by pressing Win+R, where “MSCONFIG” must be typed in. Under the general tab, the option known as “Selective Startup” nust be clicked.

After making sure that the system services are checked, go to the services tab and click on “Hide all Microsoft services” and disable the rest. After a reboot, background processes will be cut down, freeing up resources for games to use.

Using Overclocking Software

Today, one-click overclocking solutions are present on the Internet for every processor and GPU on the market. These applications, when installed, will present users with a GUI to increase the clock speed of the hardware in their PC.

This will offer a marginal performance improvement, with improvements varying between hardwares. In some cases, it is possible to get a performance increase that is similar to the next generation of the hardware.

However, it is important to note that the computer should not be pushed too far, as too much overclocking can greatly reduce the lifespan of the hardware. More recent CPUs and GPUs automatically shut off upon over-overclocking, preventing damage to the components.

Unofficial Mods And Patches

Many popular older titles have many unofficial mods and patches to make them run on lower end hardware. Skyrim, an extremely popular game, has many low-end modifications that allow the game to run on almost anything. Similarly, older Dark Souls titles also feature a fan-made software that optimizes performance greatly, known as DSfix.

A lot of games do have these mods, and it a quick web search for the game you are looking to optimize will give you results for the games. There is also a channel on YouTube called “Low Spec Gamer” who provides a lot of tips and tricks to make your games run a lot smoother.

Use Low Spec Experience By RagnoTech / Modify .ini Files

RagnoTech is a company owned and operated by a single developer aiming to make gaming accessible to users with low-end setups. Low Spec Experience is a free software offered which enables users to optimize their games in one click.

The software usually focuses on reducing settings to their bare minimum beyond what can be done with the settings menu. This is done by offering a GUI that functions in conjunction with the game’s files to reduce graphics options.

It comes without saying that modifying the game’s files comes with a downside of corrupting that copy of the game. While it is possible to simply redownload or reinstall that game, it is important to note that this is a possibility.

.ini tweaking refers to the process of opening up the .ini file of the games’ settings and changing some text regarding options. This includes resolution to be set lower than 640×480, hard-code AA and post-processing options to be turned off, and features not available in settings such as resolution scaling.

The .ini file can be tweaked to greatly improve the performance, albeit at the cost of visual fidelity. As with all subjective things, it is best if gamers find a balance between performance and looks.