How to Make Windows 11 Faster for Gaming

Free up disk space with Disk Cleanup

To free up space with Disk Cleanup, follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu and type Disk Cleanup into the search bar.
2. Click on “Disk Cleanup” when it appears in the search results.
3. Check the boxes next to the types of files you want to delete and click “OK“.
4. Click “Delete Files” when prompted and wait for the process to finish.

Disable auto-startup programs and apps

1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard. Besides, you can also find the Task Manager by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting “Task Manager” from the menu.
2. When the Task Manager menu displays, select More details from the drop-down menu.
3. Now go to the Startup tab and look for the apps that can be disabled.
4. Right-click on the programme you want to disable and choose Disable.
5. Repeat this process for any other programs you want to disable.
6. By disabling the programs and apps you don’t need, you can speed up your computer’s startup time and performance.

Modify Windows 11 Performance settings

If you’re running Windows 11 on a computer that just meets the minimal hardware requirements, there are a few performance settings that are carefully concealed but could make a big impact on the PC’s responsiveness.

To access these settings

1. Open the Control Panel and then search for performance using the Search Control Panel bar in the top-right corner of that window.
2. Click on ‘Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows‘.
3. In the window that appears, go to the Visual Effects tab.
4. From there, you can either select ‘Adjust for best performance‘, which will disable all visual effects, or click the ‘Custom’ radio button and selectively turn off any visual effect that you don’t want.
5. Besides, there are other two options like ‘Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer‘ and ‘Adjust for best appearance.’ The first one is recommended if you don’t know which visual effect to turn off, while the second one should be chosen if your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.
6. After making your changes, click on ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK’.

Defragment memory

Another way to speed up your computer is by defragmenting your memory. Since your computer accesses files in different ways, over time, these files can become scattered across your hard drive. When this happens, it takes longer for your computer to access the files it needs.

How To Defragment Memory on Windows 11

Defragmenting your memory helps to fix this problem by organizing your files so that they are all in one place. You can defragment your memory by using these steps:

1. Open the Start menu, type Defragment & Optimize Drives into the search bar, and select the best match.
2. Select your primary drive from the list of drives and click the Optimize button.
3. Wait for the operation to finish before repeating the preceding steps with the remaining drives.
4. After you’ve defragmented the drives, restart your computer to apply the changes.

You should defragment your memory at least once a month to keep your computer running smoothly.

Disable visual effects

Windows 11 comes with a lot of visual effects that make it look nice. However, all these visual effects come at a cost. They use up system resources, which can slow down your computer.

To disable visual effects in Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings and then Personalization.
2. Select the Colors option. Deactivate the “Transparency impacts” toggle here.
3. Then, from the sidebar, navigate to Accessibility.
4. Select the Visual effects option and uncheck “Transparency effects” and “Animation effects.”
5. After that, hit the Windows key once and search for “View advanced system settings.”
6. Open it and go to the “Performance” section and select “Settings.” Choose “Adjust for best performance” and click OK, and you’re done.

By disabling visual effects, you can free up system resources and speed up your computer.

Disable Restartable apps

Restartable apps are a new feature in Windows 11 that allows you to pick up where you left off after restarting your computer. While this might sound like a useful feature, it can actually slow down your computer as restartable apps use up system resources, even when they’re not in use.

To disable restartable apps, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Accounts section in Settings. Choose one of the Sign-in options.
2. Now, uncheck the box next to “Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign in,” and you’re done.
3. After you’ve disabled restartable apps, your computer will start up faster because it won’t have to load these apps.

Update Windows 11

Microsoft releases updates for Windows 11 on a regular basis. These updates usually include performance improvements and security fixes. You should install these updates as soon as they are available to keep your computer running smoothly.

How to Install Update on Windows 11

To install updates in Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings menu by pressing the Windows + I on your keyboard.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. In the left sidebar, select Windows Update.
4. Click the Check for updates button to check for new updates.
5. If there are any updates available, they will be downloaded and installed automatically.

By keeping your computer up-to-date, you can ensure that it is running at its best.