While having the most expensive computer is one way to go to get the best gaming experience, not all gamers have the same resources. For those who don’t have money to burn, here are seven ways to increase the FPS of your PC to improve its gaming performance.

First off, though, you’ll need to know what FPS is.

What Does FPS Mean?

FPS is short for “frames per second.” It measures frame rate or the number of images your computer can show per second. The higher the frame rate, the better the gameplay.

The human eye can process 12 images per second on average. In computer terms, that translates to 12 FPS. The higher the FPS, the smoother the moving graphics.

In computers, the maximum FPS depends on a mix of graphic settings and the systems’ built-in graphics processing unit (GPU) capabilities. To play a game without lags, it helps to ensure an FPS of over 60 throughout gameplay.

Basically, improving a computer’s gaming performance loosely translates to increasing your system’s FPS. You’re now ready to do that with our nifty tips and tricks.

How to Increase the FPS of Your PC

Update Graphic and Video Drivers

All graphics card manufacturers regularly release enhanced graphic and video drivers so all the latest and most popular games run as best as they could on their respective hardware. The best way to keep your PC at its best is to download and install the latest drivers. You can do that through periodic visits to their manufacturer’s website. Make sure that they are compatible with your hardware first, though, and follow the installation steps to a tee so they work as they should. You can also enable auto-update to get alerted to new releases even if you skip manufacturer site monitoring.

Optimize In-Game Settings

While increasing video settings as high as they can go will make games look great, doing so could cause frames to freeze. Lowering them is an easy way to boost your computer’s FPS. The available options depend entirely on each game but you should make adjustments to post-processing and special effects features. If your FPS remains low, try lowering the render distance and texture quality options next.

Reduce Screen Resolution

The higher your screen’s resolution, the more pixels your graphics card needs to render, which translates to lower FPS. The ideal scenario is for games to have the same resolution as your screen. But if you’re still suffering from low FPS after adjusting the game settings mentioned above, you can reduce your screen resolution next.

Modify Graphics Card Settings

Popular graphics cards manufactured by AMD and NVIDIA have control panels that let you modify their performance settings. The first thing you can do is to maximize your power mode. That tells your graphics card to not save electricity or reduce processing power. You can find specific instructions for adjusting control and power mode settings from your card manufacturer’s website.

Close Background Apps

If all else fails, you can make changes manually to your computer settings before gameplay. Prior to that, though, turn off all other apps before launching a game. When that’s done, check out System Tray if you’re using a Windows computer. It lists all the apps that are running in the background. Right-click each icon on the list and close it if it does not have anything to do with your game. Keep your graphics card management and other game-related apps open.

Defragment the Computer Disk

Defragmentation, also known as “defrag” or “defragging,” reorganizes the data stored on your hard drive so related pieces can be put back together easily when needed. It’s like house cleaning for your PC. All things that belong together are put in the same place to keep everything organized and clean. Defragmentation improves computer performance.

Enable Game Mode

Windows 10 has a built-in game mode function, which configures several settings with a single click, optimizing your PC for gaming and maximizing FPS. This method is especially useful for those who are not that tech-savvy.

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The tips and tricks above should help you increase the FPS of your PC to give you the best gaming experience you can have without spending too much time and money.