I Tested Multiple PC Game Modes—Here’s What Works Best
For many years, PC gamers have been excited about the idea of ‘game modes’ that promise enhanced performance with just a click. These modes are hidden deep within Windows settings, BIOS, and some third-party applications, all claiming to improve your gaming experience by providing additional frames per second (FPS) and faster responsiveness. Intrigued by these claims, I decided to put various game modes to the test. Here’s my honest review of these features and whether they really improve your PC’s gaming performance.
Baseline Game Performance
To establish a baseline for performance, I tested three popular games: Hogwarts Legacy, The Last of Us Part II, and Fortnite. I used a 1440p setup with top-tier components: an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti Super graphics card, an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X processor, and 32 GB of DDR5-6000 RAM. For monitoring, I utilized tools like MSI Afterburner along with RivaTuner Statistics Server. The results were impressive, with frame rates consistently surpassing 144 FPS. There were small CPU limitations during complex scenes, which is anticipated given the mid-range setup.
Here’s a quick look at the average performance across different games:
| Title | Preset | DLSS Preset | Average FPS | 1% Lows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | Epic | Quality | 165 | 111 |
| The Last of Us Part II | Very High (Maxed) | Frame Generation | 150 | 109 |
| Hogwarts Legacy | Ultra | Quality | 183 | 154 |
Windows 11 Game Mode
The Windows 11 Game Mode is designed to prioritize your CPU and GPU resources and limit background processes while gaming. To see its effect, I re-ran the same tests with the Game Mode enabled. The results were noteworthy.
- Fortnite showed a slight improvement in average FPS, thanks to its focus on multiplayer performance.
- The Last of Us Part II benefited from frame reduction, leading to smoother gameplay.
- Hogwarts Legacy had the least significant improvement since its DLSS already handles the open-world challenges effectively.
Overall, Windows 11 Game Mode does enhance stability for competitive play at 1440p and helps avoid drastic FPS drops.
| Title | Preset/DLSS | Baseline Average FPS | Game Mode Average FPS | % Gain | % Gain (1% Lows) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | Epic (DLSS Quality) | 165 | 170 | +3.0% | +3.6% |
| The Last of Us Part II | Very High (DLSS Frame Gen) | 150 | 155 | +3.3% | +2.8% |
| Hogwarts Legacy | Ultra (DLSS Quality) | 183 | 188 | +2.7% | +2.6% |
MSI Game Boost
Next, I tried the MSI Game Boost, which utilizes AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) to enhance game performance. Enabling this from the BIOS allows the CPU to operate beyond its usual limits. The findings were intriguing:
- Fortnite experienced the most significant uplift due to additional CPU resources, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- The Last of Us Part II saw marginal gains, but the 1% lows became smoother.
- Surprisingly, Hogwarts Legacy achieved an impressive 20.2% increase in average FPS, providing a much smoother experience.
Here’s a summary of the performance improvements:
| Title | Preset/DLSS | Baseline Average FPS | MSI Game Boost Average FPS | % Gain | % Gain (1% Lows) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | Epic (DLSS Quality) | 165 | 180 | +9.1% | +14.4% |
| The Last of Us Part II | Very High (DLSS Frame Gen) | 150 | 151 | +0.7% | +14.7% |
| Hogwarts Legacy | Ultra (DLSS Quality) | 183 | 220 | +20.2% | +20.1% |
Razer Cortex Game Booster
Lastly, I tested Razer Cortex with its Game Booster feature. This software claimed to free up around 3.3 GB of system memory by clearing background processes and prioritizing resources for gaming. Here’s how it performed:
- Fortnite actually saw a drop in FPS, likely due to its fluctuating multiplayer nature.
- The Last of Us Part II benefited very slightly from the extra memory.
- However, Hogwarts Legacy had a significant improvement, showing notable gains in both average FPS and 1% lows.
| Title | Preset/DLSS | Baseline Average FPS | Razer Cortex Boost Average FPS | % Gain | % Gain (1% Lows) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | Epic (DLSS Quality) | 165 | 152 | -7.9% | – |
| The Last of Us Part II | Very High (DLSS Frame Gen) | 150 | 153 | +2.0% | +10.1% |
| Hogwarts Legacy | Ultra (DLSS Quality) | 183 | 206 | +12.6% | +13.0% |
So, What Works Best?
After testing various game modes, it’s clear that each one has its strengths.
- Windows 11 Game Mode is a solid choice for those seeking smoother gameplay without drastic frame rate changes.
- MSI Game Boost shines in CPU-heavy games and can increase FPS without any manual adjustments.
- Razer Cortex is excellent for memory-hungry games and can free up resources effectively.
Ultimately, choosing the right game mode depends on your specific gaming needs. Like your hardware, your software also needs some fine-tuning to reach its best performance.
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Original Text – https://www.xda-developers.com/i-tested-multiple-pc-game-modes-heres-what-works-best/