Sometimes you feel like your computer runs as slow as a snail...
Windows PC games are among the most system-intensive applications available on the market today. Even if you have a computer loaded with the latest hardware, you may experience low graphical frame rates and system hiccups when you are playing Windows PC games. Here are pointers on how you can improve your system's overall performance so that your Windows PC games will run faster and smoother.
Instructions
1. Close any nonessential active programs before you run your PC game. Common programs, such as web browsers, word processing programs and instant messenger programs, consume valuable memory space and CPU cycles. The one exception to this rule is firewall and anti-virus programs, which should always be running when your computer is connected to the Internet.
2. Turn off any screen savers that may activate when your desktop is idle. Not only do screen savers interfere with PC games that are played Full Screen, they may consume valuable memory space and CPU cycles when running. In Windows XP, right-click on the desktop and then on "Display Settings" in the menu. Then click on the "Screen Saver" tab and select "(none)" from the pull-down menu. In Windows Vista or Windows 7, right-click on the desktop and then on "Personalize" in the menu. Then click on the "Screen Savers" option, and select "(none)" from the pull-down menu.
3. Run Disk Defragmenter on the hard drive where your PC game is installed. According to Windows Help and Support, Disk Defragmenter "rearranges fragmented data so your hard disk can work more efficiently." To access this program in Windows XP, go to your desktop and double-click "My Computer." Right-click the drive where your PC game is installed, and select "Properties." Select the "Tools" tab, and click on the "Defragment Now" button. Select the relevant hard drive, and click the "Defragment" button. To access this program in Windows Vista or Windows 7, click on the Start menu and type "Disk Defragmenter" in the search box. Click on the "Defragment Now" button. Note that this process make take up to several hours depending on the size and the current state of the hard drive.
4. Update and run your anti-virus program to ensure that malware and other harmful programs are not consuming your PC's memory space or CPU cycles. Although anti-virus programs differ in the arrangement of their interface, you can usually find the options to update and run your anti-virus programs by right-clicking on the program's icon in the right-hand corner of the Windows taskbar.
5. Update the software driver of your graphics card to the latest version. The latest graphics drivers often fix performance issues and may help improve the overall performance of your system. If you do not know the manufacturer and model of your graphics card, check in any version of Windows by going to the Start menu, clicking on the "Run" option, and typing "dxdiag," Click on the "Display" tab once the DirectX Diagnostic Tool runs, and note the name and manufacturer of your graphics card. Visit the website of the manufacturer and download the latest drivers for your graphics card.
Tags: graphics card, your graphics, your graphics card, anti-virus programs, Defragment button, Disk Defragmenter
