How to Boost FPS in Any Game: Universal PC Optimisation Guide 2026

Quick Answer

Boosting FPS in any PC game comes down to four pillars: updating GPU drivers, optimising in-game settings, ensuring your OS and background processes are not stealing resources, and matching your hardware''s workload to the right resolution and quality tier.

Every gamer hits a point where their PC feels slower than it should. Whether you''re playing on a brand-new rig that isn''t performing as expected or an older system struggling to keep pace with newer titles, these universal optimisation steps apply across virtually every game released in 2026.

Update Drivers and Windows - Always First

Outdated GPU drivers are responsible for a surprising proportion of FPS complaints. NVIDIA releases Game Ready Drivers timed to major game launches that include per-title optimisations and bug fixes; AMD''s Adrenalin drivers do the same. Check for GPU driver updates before any other step. Windows updates matter too - recent versions of Windows 11 include optimisations to DirectStorage, DLSS, and GPU scheduling that meaningfully affect gaming performance. Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) in Windows Settings under Display > Graphics for a free latency and framerate benefit on supported hardware.

Optimise In-Game Settings Strategically

Not all settings cost the same FPS. Shadows and ambient occlusion are consistently the most expensive settings in modern games - dropping either from Ultra to High often recovers 15–25% framerate with minimal visual impact. Textures are VRAM-bound rather than framerate-bound; keep textures at the highest level your VRAM supports (High for 8GB cards, Ultra for 12GB+). Enable your GPU''s upscaling technology - DLSS, FSR, or XeSS - in Quality mode at 1440p and above. These deliver most of the visual quality of native rendering at significantly lower GPU cost. Anti-aliasing through upscalers is generally better quality and cheaper than TAA at native resolution.

Clean Up Windows Background Processes

Background applications that run invisibly can consume CPU cores, RAM, and even GPU resources. Disable Xbox Game Bar if you do not use it (Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar). Set your power plan to High Performance or use the Balanced plan with a GPU boost via NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Software. Close browser tabs, Discord video, and streaming software while gaming unless your system has 32GB+ RAM. Use Task Manager to identify any processes consuming unusual CPU or disk resources during gaming sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does reinstalling a game actually improve FPS? A: Occasionally - corrupted shader caches or broken game files cause stutters and performance drops that a clean reinstall resolves. Verify game file integrity first through your game launcher before committing to a full reinstall.

Q: Will adding more RAM improve FPS? A: If you are below 16GB, upgrading to 16GB provides meaningful gains in modern titles that aggressively use system memory. Beyond 16GB, the benefit is game-specific - some open-world titles benefit from 32GB, but many competitive games do not.

Q: Does game mode in Windows actually help? A: Windows Game Mode (Settings > Gaming > Game Mode) helps by dedicating more system resources to the game process and reducing background interference. It is worth enabling, though the benefit is most noticeable on systems with limited CPU cores.