Whether your PC rig is state-of-the-art or long-in-the-tooth, there are some easy ways to tweak performance for optimal play. What follows are four simple tips for doing exactly that:

1 – Make Use of  Software Optimizers

There are lots of great automatic software-based performance optimizers out there. For instance, if you have an NVIDIA graphics card, one easy way to optimize performance for your games is by installing the NVIDIA GeForce Experience software. Another great option is Razer Synapse. Among their many other features, both of those examples automatically scan your game software and try to choose the best settings that your particular rig can handle. This is a great way to take the guesswork out of optimization. However, the one downside to these tools is that they don’t know how to optimize every game that’s out there, so you’ll still need to manually optimize your environment like shown in our two other tips. Still, this type of software is a great way to help free up resources and automatically download the latest drivers, which are of course another easy way to keep your rig running at its best.

An Example Nvidia GeForce Experience screen. The green checkmark indicates the game is automatically optimized.

2 – Use the Right Monitor

There are tons of monitor options out there. You’ll want to pick a display with a good resolution, fast response time, and a large size for the best, most expansive in-game views. While it may be tempting to get the highest resolution 4K or greater monitors out there, the higher the resolution, the more of a performance hit on your game. That’s why choosing something like 1440p monitors is the perfect compromise between an ideal, high resolution and optimal performance.

3 – Use the Best Accessories

PC gaming accessories, like high-performance keyboards or mice, are no gimmick. Although you don’t have to invest hundreds of dollars, putting a little money into your most important computer interfaces – the ones you use every day for hours on end – is definitely a sound investment. A good gaming keyboard can reduce the time between a finger press and an onscreen action, as well as provide extended features like programmable hotkeys. A good gaming mouse can make a big difference both in comfort and speed, but is also heavily reliant on a good mousing surface. Be sure to choose one that suits your play style.

4 – Always Check In-game Settings

Always go to your in-game settings and optimize for smoother gameplay. The smoother your gameplay, the more successful you’ll be when playing, particularly when playing online, competitive multiplayer shooters. Some settings you can try and tweak are:

• Switch the View Distance to Medium
• Turn Shadows and Anti-Aliasing Off
• Change Textures to Medium or Low
• Change Effects to Medium or Low
• Change Post Processing to Medium or Low
• Turn Off Special Effects like Vsync, Motion Blur, and Grass

While these three major tips alone won’t suddenly turn a low-performance game into a high-performance monster, you can definitely gain noticeable performance improvements. Whether it’s a smoother framerate, fewer graphical tears, or a better online gaming experience, any improvement you can gain is a welcome one that can make using your PC for gaming even more enjoyable.