Use Windows 10 Game ModeIt's already built into Windows 10 and dedicates system resources to gaming.Manage active hoursWindows 10 installs updates based on these settings. Set them up, so your computer doesn't update while gaming.Tweak the visual effects settingsWindows runs background graphics constantly. Upgrade your laptop GPU and RAMLet a technician do the installation if you don't have laptop experience.Disable background Windows servicesTurn off background services to speed up your Windows laptop.
DirectX 12 is a real must-have for anyone serious about playing games on Windows 10. Put simply, DirectX is the application the game uses to communicate with your computer and tell it what to do. Tests have shown an % difference in gaming performance between version 11 and version 12. Windows 10 home has Game Bar and Game Mode applications that let you manage gaming functions and boost your gaming performance. The Game Bar lets you stream video/audio and take recordings/screenshots and you can also check the performance of your CPU and RAM. The Game Mode lets you stream video from PC to mixer without having to download any extra software.
It can also help to minimize computational processes that interfere with gaming applications. A new iteration of the Start menu is used on the Windows 10 desktop, with a list of places and other options on the left side, and tiles representing applications on the right. The menu can be resized, and expanded into a full-screen display, which is the default option in Tablet mode. A new virtual desktop system was added by a feature known as Task View, which displays all open windows and allows users to switch between them, or switch between multiple workspaces. Universal apps, which previously could be used only in full screen mode, can now be used in self-contained windows similarly to other programs.
Program windows can now be snapped to quadrants of the screen by dragging them to the corner. When a window is snapped to one side of the screen, Task View appears and the user is prompted to choose a second window to fill the unused side of the screen (called "Snap Assist"). Microsoft stated that these devices would no longer receive feature updates, but would still receive security updates through January 2023. Microsoft will continue to support at least one standard Windows 10 release until October 14, 2025. Windows 10 received generally positive reviews upon its original release.
Here's a quick and easy way to optimize Windows 10 for gaming using a tool that's built into the system. Game Mode appeared in the most recent releases of the OS and is designed to improve the gaming experience by dedicating more system resources to games. It also prevents other programs, such as Windows Update, from hogging system resources while you're playing. The graphics card works to render still images, or frames, while you're playing a game. The card does it so fast that it's measured by the second, and it works in conjunction with other hardware parts like the RAM, CPU, and GPU to create the full gaming experience.
If there's any sort of stoppage within any of these components, your FPS will start to go down. Most gamers prefer a 60 FPS rate while playing, but most games are actually fine at 30 FPS. This edition is designed for "special-purpose devices" that perform a fixed function . For this reason, it excludes Cortana, Microsoft Store, and all bundled Universal Windows Platform apps . Device Guard is designed to protect against zero-day exploits, and runs inside a hypervisor so that its operation remains separated from the operating system itself. Thus, when examining the Windows 10 Pro vs Home for gaming, make sure you also make a list of the games you plan on playing.
Then, research whether these games support game bar and game mode. While both operating systems support these features, some of your desired games might not. One of the best ways to upgrade your gaming experience is to upgrade your graphics card.
While they can be expensive, having faster GPUs can improve your FPS count significantly, resulting in much smoother gameplay. If your power supply permits, you can also add a second unit of your existing GPU to create a multi-GPU setup for enhanced gaming performance. SysMain is a built-in Windows feature that improves startup times for apps and Windows itself. Indeed, background activity often increases when it is enabled, but turning it off can improve gaming performance on your Windows 10 PC.
Check out our detailed guide on reducing CPU and memory usageto learn how you can turn off SysMain on your computer. Windows 10 Pro is a Windows OS more designed for professional use. Windows 10 Pro comes with most of the same base features of Windows 10 Home, such as the battery save, game bar, game mode, and graphics capabilities. However, Windows 10 Pro has a lot more security features, more virtual machine capabilities, and can support a higher max RAM. There are plenty of fancy visual effects in Windows 10 graphical user interfaces .
Nevertheless, those pretty background graphics, most of which are turned on by default, can affect the available processing power of your PC when a game is running in the foreground. So, one way to optimize Windows 10 for gaming performance is to sacrifice some, or even all, of those settings. The upgrade offer was marketed and initiated using the "Get Windows 10" application, which was first downloaded and installed via Windows Update in March 2015. Third-party programs were also created to assist users in applying measures to disable GWX. The OS restricts software installation to applications obtained from Microsoft Store; the device may be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for a fee to enable unrestricted software installation.
As a time-limited promotion, Microsoft stated that this upgrade would be free on the Surface Laptop until March 31, 2018. Windows 10 S also contains a faster initial setup and login process, and allows devices to be provisioned using a USB drive with the Windows Intune for Education platform. The new Start menu takes after Windows 7's design by using only a portion of the screen and including a Windows 7-style application listing in the first column.
Myerson said that these changes would occur in a future update, but did not elaborate. Windows Phone 8.1 would share nearly 90% of the common Windows Runtime APIs with Windows 8.1 on PCs. If it's an unknown program or file to download onto your system; don't do it! Windows 10 includes several cool features that gamers will appreciate, including the ability to play games across platforms, stream games, and record your gameplay in real time. These are the core differences in Windows 11 Home vs Pro editions. As we've mentioned, most of them revolve around features meant for business users.
Some are designed to protect especially sensitive information, while others have to do with quickly setting up devices for users and managing them remotely. For the average person walking into a store, you're probably going to be just fine with Windows 11 Home. The odds are if you need Windows 11 Pro, you already know you need it and why. In March 2016, some users also alleged that their Windows 7 and 8.1 devices had automatically begun upgrading to Windows 10 without their consent. In June 2016, the GWX dialog's behavior changed to make closing the window imply a consent to a scheduled upgrade.
It was concluded that these users may have unknowingly clicked the "Accept" prompt without full knowledge that this would begin the upgrade. Other critics argued that Microsoft should not have triggered any downloading of Windows 10 installation files without user consent. Unlike previous builds, version 1909 is designed primarily as an update rollup version of 1903, focusing primarily on minor feature additions and enhancements. The full upgrade process is still used for those using builds prior to 1903. 10 product keys, meaning they could be entered during installation to activate the free license, without the need to upgrade first to "activate" the hardware with Microsoft's activation servers. Windows 10 is available in five main editions for personal computing devices; the Home and Pro editions of which are sold at retail in most countries, and as pre-loaded software on new computers.
Home is aimed at home users, while Pro is aimed at power users and small businesses. Enterprise and Education, the other editions, contain additional features aimed towards business environments, and are only available through volume licensing. Windows 10 provides greater integration with the Xbox ecosystem. Windows 10 also allows users to control and play games from an Xbox One console over a local network. Many gamers will appreciate these additional features on Windows 10 Pro because they will make their usage of their devices more efficient. If a gamer is using a computer, for example, then the security features will help keep the computer running smoothly and seamlessly, which will enhance each gaming experience.
While some users might be able to get by without game mode, many users rely on streaming and capturing their gameplay. In fact, this is some gamers sole purpose when purchasing certain games. Yet, given how many games do not pair well with these gaming features, some users might be disappointed by Windows 10 Pro or Home.
Despite increased support for macOS and Linux from game developers, Windows 10 is the go-to choice for most PC gamers worldwide. However, the OS still has a few issues that you need to iron out before it offers you optimal gaming performance. So use this in-depth guide to optimize your Windows 10 computer for the best gaming performance. Once you have done that, check out the best tips and tricks to speed up Windows 10, the best ways to improve battery life of your Windows 10 laptop, and the best mechanical keyboards for gaming. In multi-GPU computers running Windows 10, you can manually specify which graphics card a Windows app/ game should use as default to enhance performance. So setting the high-end dedicated graphics card as the default for your games will optimize gaming performance on your Windows 10 PC.
We have already discussed the subject in great detail, so check out our dedicated article on how to set default GPU for games and apps in Windows 10. Microsoft has been working hard for several generations to improve gaming on their Windows operating system. Windows 10, with DirectX 12, shows an incremental improvement in frame rates over Windows 8 and 7. Windows 10 automatically updates DirectX 12 drivers and the OS, leaving little for the user to configure. However, the introduction of Game Mode in the Creators Update prioritizes gaming for both the CPU and GPU, preventing Windows from using resources while you are playing a game.
Is Windows 10 Home Good For Gaming As we stated earlier, Windows 10 Home is the best version of windows 10 for gaming and will be the optimal choice for the vast majority of gamers. Windows 10 Home has some great features like the Game Bar, Game Mode, and streaming capabilities, along with the ability to run any modern game at max resolution settings. Windows 10 Pro can do anything that Home can do, but also comes with some extra security features. Also, given that Enterprise does not have a retail version, it is usually not a suitable choice for gaming due to price. That being said, if you really want the Enterprise version for all of its extra business features, then you can game on it just fine. Just keep in mind that you have to set the right permissions so users can play games on devices with Windows 10 Enterprise.
The one drawback of the Game Bar and Game Mode is that they cannot be used for a lot of games while playing in full-screen mode. Honestly, this is a pretty big oversight as every time you want to check the game bar you have to minimize the full screen or switch to windowed mode, which can get really annoying, really quickly. Let's hope they change this feature in future versions of the software.
Windows 10 Home also has the Game Mode which boosts performance and lets you stream video from PC to mixer without having to download any extra software. Game Mode minimizes computational processes that interfere with gaming applications. Most users claim Game Mode helps performance, but there is a dedicated anti-Game Mode demographic of gamers. The main reason why is that there are some games that just do not play well with Game Mode, whether it's because they are too large or if they are just built that way. Windows 10 is the best OS for gaming, as Linux has compatibility issues with many modern games and Mac OSX devices lack the computing power to run demanding titles.
That being said, there are several versions of Windows 10, each designed for specific purposes. We are going to cover these OS versions and figure out which is the best version of windows 10 for gaming. The option to defer new features is another helpful feature of Windows Home 10.
System updates can improve the operating system's efficiency, but they also run the risk of mucking with game-specific settings. Auto-updates could overwrite stored game parameters, forcing you to re-enter them manually. Updates may wreak havoc on the gaming routine, especially if you earn your gameplay by streaming or publishing discussion videos.
Game Mode is now available in Windows 10 Home, which improves performance and allows you to stream video from your PC to your mixer without the need to install any additional software. Game Mode reduces the number of computing operations that obstruct gaming apps. Although most users say that Game Mode improves performance, there is a devoted anti-Game Mode gaming audience.
The major reason for this is that certain games just do not work well in Game Mode, either they're too huge or because they are designed that way. As business users often deal with especially sensitive information, there are also some extra security features in Windows 11 Pro. This feature encrypts data stored on your hard drive so no one else can access it. Even if your computer is stolen, your files are protected from users other than yourself.
Another difference that will be noticeable for business users is that Windows 11 Home PCs can't be joined to Active Directory. Active Directory solutions are necessary for managing business devices, such as configuring access to certain resources, deploying apps, and so on. Those are all professional tools, so they don't make sense for most Windows 11 Home users. 10 heavily emphasizes freemium services, and contains various advertising facilities.
Some outlets have considered these to be a hidden "cost" of the free upgrade offer. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows Update does not allow the selective installation of updates, and all updates are downloaded and installed automatically. Users can only choose whether their system will reboot automatically to install updates when the system is inactive, or be notified to schedule a reboot. Version 1703 allows wired networks to be designated as metered, but Windows may still download certain updates while connected to a metered network. The Anniversary Update added Windows Subsystem for Linux , which allows the installation of a user space environment from a supported Linux distribution that runs natively on Windows. The subsystem translates Linux system calls to those of the Windows NT kernel .
The environment can execute the Bash shell and 64-bit command-line programs (WSL 2 also supports 32-bit Linux programs and graphics, assuming supporting software installed, and GPUs support for other uses). Windows applications cannot be executed from the Linux environment, and vice versa. Linux distributions for Windows Subsystem for Linux are obtained through Microsoft Store. The feature initially supported an Ubuntu-based environment; Microsoft announced in May 2017 that it would add Fedora and OpenSUSE environment options as well.
The Windows Runtime app ecosystem was revised into the Universal Windows Platform . These universal apps are made to run across multiple platforms and device classes, including smartphones, tablets, Xbox One consoles, and other devices compatible with Windows 10. On September 30, 2014, Microsoft officially announced that Threshold would be unveiled during a media event as Windows 10. Myerson said that Windows 10 would be Microsoft's "most comprehensive platform ever", providing a single, unified platform for desktop and laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, and all-in-one devices. Despite these concessions, Myerson noted that the touch-optimized interface would evolve as well on 10. System updates can make your OS works more efficiently, but it runs the risk of spoiling parameters specifically set for games.
Another useful feature from Windows 10 Home is the ability to delay system updates. Auto-updates can automatically overwrite the saved game settings so you have to set them in manual. With SSD prices hitting all-time lows, there's no good reason not to ditch mechanical hard drives for good. That's especially true if you are a gamer, given the massive performance gains offered by solid-state drives in terms of read/ write speeds. They not only deliver faster Windows 10 boot times and lightning-fast access to programs, but they also improve your overall gaming performance significantly.
