With the release of Windows 11, gamers have a sleek and modern operating system designed to enhance the gaming experience. However, to achieve the best performance from your games, it's essential to tweak a few settings and make some adjustments. Here’s a detailed guide on how to boost gaming performance on Windows 11.

Enable Game Mode

Windows 11 has a feature called Game Mode, which optimizes your PC for gaming by allocating more system resources to your games. By turning on game mode, the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) will prioritize running games, preventing updates and notifications from running and reducing background resources. To enable Game Mode:

1. Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu. In the list of pinned apps on the Start menu, left-click on Settings.
   or
   Right-click on the Start button to bring up the Power User menu. Left-click on Settings.
2. In the left-hand column, left-click on Gaming.
3. In the right-hand column, left-click on Game Mode.
4. Toggle the Game Mode switch to the On position.

Adjust GPU Settings

Both NVIDIA and AMD provide dedicated software to optimize GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) settings. For NVIDIA users, the NVIDIA Control Panel allows you to adjust settings for individual games, such as turning on or off specific features that could enhance performance. AMD users can use the Radeon Software for similar adjustments. Focusing on performance over quality in these applications can lead to a smoother gaming experience.

You will also find that if you have multiple monitors of the same make/model, the software from AMD and NVIDIA allows you to combine two or more displays into a single desktop. AMD Eyefinity works with AMD Radeon series GPUs, NVIDIA Mosaic works with RTX and Quadro series GPUs

Adjust virtual memory settings

Windows 11 uses a paging file as Virtual Memory to supplement physical RAM (Random Access Memory). When Windows 11 runs out of available RAM, it will move inactive apps to the Virtual Memory (paging file). You can adjust virtual memory settings to improve memory utilization.

How to manage Windows 11 Virtual Memory

Adjust visual effects

Windows 11 provides various visual effects that, while useful for general use, can drain resources during gaming. To adjust these settings:

1. Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu. In the list of pinned apps on the Start menu, left-click on Settings.
   or
   Right-click on the Start button to bring up the Power User menu. Left-click on Settings.
2. In the left-hand column, left-click on System.
3. Scroll down the right-hand column and left-click on About.
4. In the right-hand column, left-click the Advanced system settings link.
5. The System Properties dialog box will appear, and the Advanced tab should be active. If not, left-click on it to bring it up.
6. Left-click on the Settings ... button in the Performance section.
7. The Performance Options dialog box should appear, and the Visual Effects tab should be active. If not, left-click on it to bring it up.

There are four (4) options:

• Let Windows choose what's best for my computer
• Adjust for best appearance
• Adjust for best performance
• Custom (allows you to select which visual effects to turn on or off manually)

Use an SSD for faster load times

When possible, use a Solid State Drive (SSD) rather than a traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD) to install the operating system (Windows 11) and games. SSDs provide significantly faster load times, which can improve your overall gaming experience and reduce waiting times during game startups and level loads.

The optimal gaming system will have two (2) or more drives, one SSD for the OS and games, and one or more HDDs for storage/data. To save space on the drive with Windows installed, you can move your personal folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos) to a second drive (HDD).

How to change the location of personal folders in Windows 11

Use DirectStorage and Auto HDR

Windows 11 supports advanced gaming technologies such as DirectStorage and Auto HDR. DirectStorage simplifies loading large game assets, enabling faster load times and more detailed visuals. Auto HDR enhances games' color range and brightness, making them look better without a significant performance trade-off. Ensure these features are enabled in your settings for an optimal gaming experience.

DirectStorage is a new feature that improves game load times. It works automatically if your PC and game are compatible. You can quickly check if your PC supports DirectStorage: First, open the Game Bar by pressing the Windows logo key + G, select the Gear icon, and select Gaming Features. Auto HDR is a feature in Windows 11 that automatically upgrades the color and brightness levels of Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) games to High Dynamic Range (HDR). This enhances the visual quality of games.

Optimizing gaming performance in Windows 11 involves a combination of system settings, hardware considerations, and personal preferences. Following these tips and making the necessary adjustments can boost your gaming experience, allowing for smoother gameplay, faster load times, and an overall more enjoyable gaming environment. Whether you’re a casual gamer or a competitive player, optimizing your setup will help unlock the full potential of your gaming rig in Windows 11.

Is your Windows 11 computer slow at switching between programs? Are you getting low memory warnings? If so, then you might need to change your Virtual Memory settings in Windows 11.

Most computer users know about RAM (Random Access Memory) and how the more you have, the better your system will run. But do you know what happens when your computer runs out of available RAM for programs?

That is where Virtual Memory (paging file) comes into the picture. Each program requires a certain amount of memory (RAM) to operate. When you have more programs running than available RAM, Windows will utilize the Virtual Memory.

If a program is inactive, Windows can transfer it to the Virtual Memory to free up RAM for other active programs. Then when you switch to that program, Windows will bring it back into the RAM and transfer another inactive program to the Virtual Memory, hence the name paging file.

But with the amount of RAM that computers come with nowadays, many people do not need to worry about Virtual Memory. But there are certain times when you can use to modify the Virtual Memory settings.

But if you are like me and have several programs running simultaneously, customizing the Virtual Memory's size and location can help your computer's performance.

With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft increased the minimum memory requirement from two (2) GB to four (4) GB. But just like Windows 10, the actual memory used when idle is around two (2) GB.

So that means when you have only four (4) GB of RAM, two (2) GB is dedicated to Windows 11. So right out of the gate, you have only 50% of available RAM, and when that is used up, the Virtual Memory kicks in.

So if your Windows 11 computer has between 4 and 8 GB of RAM, you could see your performance increase significantly by customizing your Virtual Memory. If your computer has 8 - 16 GB of RAM, you could get a boost in performance.

If your system has more than 16 GB of RAM, you may or may not see any change in performance. But you would have to modify the Virtual Memory settings and see how your system runs.

Note: Creating a substantial Virtual Memory (paging file) can take a lot of disk space. Also, having the Virtual Memory on an SSD (Solid State Drive) can shorten the drive's life, as Windows 11 is always reading and writing to the Virtual Memory.

Now, if your computer has more than one (1) drive, like most gaming systems, it is recommended to place the paging file on the drive that does not have the operating system.

The calculation for the Virtual Memory comes from early in the history of Windows, when RAM was measured in KB's (kilobyte), not MB's (megabytes) or GB's (gigabytes).

Windows 11 Paging File formula

• 1024 x total amount of RAM = ?
• ? x 1.5 = Initial paging file size
• Initial paging file size x 3 = Maximum paging file size

Take 1024 and multiply it by the total amount of RAM your system has. For example, if your computer has 4 GB of RAM, you would take 1024 and multiply it by 4, which equals 4096. Then multiply 4096 by 1.5, which equals 6144. This is the initial paging file size. Then take 6144 and multiply it by 3, which equals 18432. This would be the maximum paging file size.

How to change the Virtual Memory in Windows 11

The Virtual Memory settings are located inside of the Advanced system settings. We can get there from the About sub-menu of the System category inside of the Settings app. There are several ways to get there.

1. Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu.
2. In the list of pinned apps on the Start menu, left-click on Settings.
3. In the left-hand column, left-click on System.
4. Scroll down the right-hand column and left-click on About.

or

1. Right-click on the Start button to bring up the Power User menu.
2. Left-click on System.
3. Scroll down the right-hand column and left-click on About.

or

1. Press the Windows logo key + X to bring up the Power User menu.
2. Press the letter Y to select System.
3. Scroll down the right-hand column and left-click on About.

or

1. Press the Windows logo key + Pause.

Now you should have the Settings app open to the About sub-menu of the System category.

1. Under Device specifications, make a note of how much installed RAM your computer has.
   
   You will need this for the paging file calculation.
2. Scroll down the right-hand column and left-click on the link labeled Advanced system settings.
   
   The System Properties dialog box will appear.
3. The Advanced tab should be active. If not, just left-click on it to bring it up.
4. Left-click on the Settings ... button in the Performance section.
   
5. Left-click on the Advanced tab of the Performance Options dialog box.
   
6. Left-click on the Change ... button inside of the Virtual memory section.
   
   
7. Deselect the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox.
8. Select the drive you want to manage the paging file on.
9. Select Custom size and enter the initial size and maximum size using the calculation shown above.
10. Left-click on the Set button.
11. Left-click on the OK button.

Check out the video below for more information on setting up your paging file on a computer with multiple drives.

Optimizing Virtual Memory in Windows has always been an easy way to fine-tune the performance of a computer. When I started working with Windows computers in the 90s, the measurement of memory was Megabytes (MB), now it's Gigabytes (GB). The calculation contained in this article is for Windows computers that have 8 GB or less of memory. If your system has 16 GB or more of memory, you can give this Virtual Memory calculation a try, but you might find that letting Windows automatically manage the paging file will work. Give it a try and let us know how you make out in the comments below.

Your computer has two types of memory, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Virtual Memory. All programs use RAM, but when there isn't enough RAM for the application you're trying to run, Windows temporarily moves information that would usually be stored in RAM to a file on your hard disk called a Paging File. The data temporarily stored in the paging file is also referred to as virtual memory. Using virtual memory, in other words, moving information to and from the paging file, frees up enough RAM for running programs correctly.

The more RAM your computer has, the faster your programs will generally run. If a lack of RAM is slowing your computer, you might be tempted to increase virtual memory to compensate. However, your computer can read data from RAM much more quickly than from a hard disk, so adding RAM is a better solution.

If you receive error messages that warn of low virtual memory, you need to either add more RAM or increase your paging file size so that you can run the program on your computer. Windows usually manages this automatically, but you can manually change the virtual memory size if the default size isn't large enough for your needs.

If you have more than one drive in your computer, you can have more than one pagefile. If you have a Solid State Drive (SSD) and a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), I recommend placing the paging file on the HDD, as Windows is continuously reading and writing to the virtual memory. This wear and tear can shorten the life span of an SSD.

How to calculate Windows 10 Virtual Memory / Paging File

There is a formula for calculating the correct pagefile size. The Initial size is one and a half (1.5) x the amount of total system memory. The Maximum size is three (3) x the initial size. So let's say you have 4 GB (1 GB = 1,024 MB x 4 = 4,096 MB) of memory. The initial size would be 1.5 x 4,096 = 6,144 MB and the maximum size would be 3 x 6,144 = 18,432 MB.

How to change Windows 10 Virtual Memory / Paging File

All the information and links you will need are going to be on the System page.

1. Bring up the System page by either:
   
   • Pressing the Windows logo key + Pause
   or
   • Open File Explorer by left-clicking the manilla folder icon on the Taskbar or pressing the Windows logo key + E simultaneously. When File Explorer is open, right-click on This PC and select Properties on the context menu that appears.
2. Make a note of the installed memory (RAM)
   
3. Click on the Advanced system settings link
4. Click on the Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box
   
5. Click on the Settings ... button in the Performance section
6. Click on the Advanced tab of the Performance Options dialog box
   
7. Click on the Change ... button inside of the Virtual memory section
8. Deselect the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox
   
9. Select Custom size and enter the initial size and maximum size using the calculation shown above
10. Click on the Set button

Your computer has two types of memory, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Virtual Memory. All programs use RAM, but when there isn't enough RAM for the program you're trying to run, Windows temporarily moves information that would usually be stored in RAM to a file on your hard disk called a Paging File. The amount of data temporarily stored in a paging file is also referred to as virtual memory. Using virtual memory, in other words, moving information to and from the paging file, frees up enough RAM for programs to run correctly.

The more RAM your computer has, the faster your programs will generally run. If a lack of RAM is slowing your computer, you might be tempted to increase virtual memory to compensate. However, your computer can read data from RAM much more quickly than from a hard disk, so adding RAM is a better solution.

If you receive error messages that warn of low virtual memory, you need to either add more RAM or increase your paging file size to run the program on your computer. Windows usually manages this automatically, but you can manually change the virtual memory size if the default size isn't large enough for your needs.

There is a formula for calculating the correct pagefile size. The Minimum pagefile size is one and a half (1.5) x the amount of memory. The Maximum pagefile size is three (3) x the minimum pagefile size. Let's say you have 2 Gb (2,048 Mb) of memory. The minimum pagefile size would be 1.5 x 2,048 = 3,072 Mb and the maximum pagefile size would be 3 x 3,072 = 9,216 Mb.

How to change the pagefile size in Windows 8

1. Open the System Properties, press the Windows logo key + Pause, or use the Power User menu (Windows logo key + X) and select System.
   
2. If you are going to use the formula above to configure your pagefile, note the amount of installed memory under the System category.
   
3. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
4. On the Advanced tab under Performance, click Settings.
   
5. Click the Advanced tab and then under Virtual memory, click Change.
   
6. Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox.
   
7. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.
8. Click Custom size, type a new size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) and Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK.

Note: Increases in size usually don't require a restart for the changes to take effect, but if you decrease the size, you'll need to restart your computer. It is recommended that you don't disable or delete the paging file.

If your computer lacks the Random Access Memory (RAM) needed to run a program or operation, Windows uses Virtual Memory to compensate. Virtual memory combines your computer’s RAM with temporary space on your hard disk. When RAM runs low, virtual memory moves data from RAM to a space called a paging file. Moving data to and from the paging file frees up RAM to complete its work.

The more RAM your computer has, the faster your programs will generally run. If a lack of RAM is slowing your computer, you might be tempted to increase virtual memory to compensate. However, your computer can read data from RAM much more quickly than from a hard disk, so adding RAM is a better solution.

If you receive error messages that warn of low virtual memory, you need to either add more RAM or increase the size of your paging file so that you can run the programs on your computer. Windows usually manages the size automatically, but you can manually change the size of virtual memory if the default size is not enough for your needs.

Find out how much RAM your computer has

Random Access Memory (RAM) is a general indication of performance that is measured either in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB): the larger the number, the faster some programs will run.

To open the System Properties, press + Pause

In the System section, under Memory (RAM), you can view the amount of RAM your computer has.

Change the size of virtual memory

If you receive warnings that your virtual memory is low, you'll need to increase the minimum size of your paging file. Windows sets the initial minimum size of the paging file at the amount of random access memory (RAM) installed on your computer plus 300 megabytes (MB), and the maximum size at 3 times the amount of RAM installed on your computer. If you see warnings at these recommended levels, then increase the minimum and maximum sizes.

To open the System Properties, press + Pause

In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.

Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change.

Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box.

Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.

Click Custom size, type a new size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK. There is a formula for calculating the correct pagefile size. Minimum pagefile size is one and a half (1.5) x amount of memory. Maximum pagefile size is three (3) x minimum pagefile size. Say you have 4 Gb (4,096 Mb) of memory. 1.5 x 4,096 = 6,144 Mb would be the min. pagefile size and 3 x 6,144 = 18,432 Mb would be the max. pagefile size.

Note:
Increases in size usually don't require a restart for the changes to take effect, but if you decrease the size, you'll need to restart your computer. It is recommended that you don't disable or delete the paging file.