Windows 11: Boost Performance with Key Settings Tweaks

20 Feb 2026

Windows 11 users can improve system performance by tweaking specific settings, particularly for gaming and startup speed. These adjustments can lead to smoother user experiences and faster boot times.

Optimizing Gaming Performance

To enhance gaming performance, users should enable Game Mode through Settings > Gaming > Game Mode. This setting prioritizes system resources for gaming applications, though it may interfere with some overlays. Additionally, enabling Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS) in Graphics > Change default graphics settings can reduce CPU overhead, improving FPS in CPU-bound games like Counter-Strike 2. Users should also activate Variable refresh rate and Optimizations for windowed games for reduced latency in DirectX 11/12 titles.

Improving System Boot and Performance

Disabling Memory Integrity (HVCI) can yield a 5–20% performance gain, though it reduces core security. This can be adjusted in Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details, requiring a reboot. To further enhance performance, users should disable unnecessary startup apps via Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) > Startup tab and uninstall unused applications through Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

While these manual adjustments can significantly enhance performance, users are advised to avoid over-optimizing with registry hacks or obscure power-plan tweaks unless they are confident in their technical skills.

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