How to speed up your graphics card and improve your PC's performance?

How to improve the performance of your graphics card? This article will give you some tips to increase the performance of your computer's graphics card.

When you play games on your PC, the element that "draws" everything you see, from the user interface to the sky, trees and mountains in the distance, is the video card, also called GPU.

However, there are a number of factors that can prevent it from working to its full potential. In this guide, we'll give you some tips on how to speed up your graphics card for the best gaming experience.

Note: This guide applies to Windows 10 computers, although some suggestions also apply to macOS. Also, we will strictly focus on optimizing video cards, which are the main component when it comes to running a video game, but not the only one.

Contents

Update or reinstall drivers

It's the first step to accelerating GPU performance, whether your computer has an integrated graphics card or a discrete GPU. As this chip handles most of the visual load, installing the latest drivers should be a priority.

If you are unsure of the drivers installed on your computer, follow these steps in Windows 10:

Step 1: In the search window, type the word Control Panel and press Enter.

Step 2: Select the Device Manager option from the window that opens.

You should see at least one device listed. If your computer has an Intel processor or an AMD video card, you will see a listing for Intel or AMD Radeon. If you also have a standalone video card, you'll see an additional listing for an Nvidia GeForce or AMD Radeon chip.

For this example, our Alienware laptop features an Intel HD Graphics 530 (integrated) and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (discrete). Due to this configuration, games use the more powerful GeForce chip. This is the driver we want to update.

To get new drivers, follow these links:

When installing the driver, use AMD's custom install option which uninstalls the current software package and installs the current version, or Nvidia's clean install option. You might also consider using a display driver uninstaller first, as it does a great job of removing old drivers, but it's not strictly necessary.

If you have Nvidia's GeForce Experience desktop client installed, it usually sends a notification when a new driver is available. If it is not installed, click on the link provided above to download and update it manually.

Update Windows 10 and DirectX

You probably already have the latest version of DirectX, but you should check just in case. DirectX is an API and although there are others like OpenGL or Vulkan, DirectX is the most common for games on Windows. And having the latest version helps to optimize communication between the operating system and the video card.

Older versions also work, but generally having an updated DirectX results in improved performance.

Step 1: Type dxdiag in the taskbar search box and press Enter.

Step 2: The DirectX diagnostic tool appears on the screen under the Default System tab. Locate the version of DirectX listed under System Information, as shown above.

Microsoft updates DirectX through Windows Update. If you are not using DirectX 12, you will need to manually update your computer.

Step 1: Click the Start button and then the Settings icon (it's the gear icon).

Step 2: Select Update & Security.

Step 3: Click on the Windows Update button.

Note: Older graphics cards may not support DirectX12, so if this update does not change your version of DX, this may be the cause.

Overclocking

One way to improve GPU performance is to overclock the chip. This is done by adjusting the frequency and voltage to get extra power from the video card (or the CPU itself).

However, if you are new to overclocking, proceed with caution and read carefully before you begin. Incorrect settings could damage the chip. Also, an inadequate cooler will cause the overclocked GPU to overheat and damage it.

As with CPUs, you can overclock a GPU using desktop software. One solution is MSI's Afterburner which analyzes your GPU and finds the most stable and highest overclock setting. Another is EVGA's Precision X1, although it only supports GTX 10, GTX 16, and RTX 20 series GPUs.

It should be mentioned that practically all modern video cards are ready for overclocking. And this without too much work, provided that the card is properly ventilated and cooled.

Increase maximum power level

As already mentioned, a program like MSI Afterburner can automatically bring the GPU to its maximum stable overclocking speed. This means playing with power and voltage limits: it's possible to increase the performance of your video card with something as simple as raising the power limit.

AMD and NVIDIA cards have two speeds, base speed and overclock speed. And when certain conditions are met – food, temperature, etc. – the GPU automatically increases its clock speed.

Thus, increasing the power limit allows the video card to perform more frequent and regular overclocks.

Note: As with traditional overclocking, before you do anything you need to make sure the video card has a good cooling system. You should also take into account that this will increase its temperature and it will emit more noise.

Step 1: Launch MSI Afterburner.

Step 2: Move the power limit bar from 100 to 110.

Step 3: Check the box below the power limit bar.

Step 4: Launch a video card demanding game.

Step 5: Check video card clock speed with MSI Afterburner.

Step 6: Pay attention to the GPU temperature (that it does not exceed what is considered a safe range). And then repeat the process until the video card has unstable performance.

Afterburner uses the video card's maximum power limit that is set in the BIOS, so as long as you only adjust this number and don't change the other settings, there won't be any issues.

It's not an overclock as such, because you're not increasing the GPU clock speed; you give the video card more room to automatically increase its speed.

Define a fan curve

When you increase the power limit with MSI Afterburner, you will see the temperature increase as well. Temperature is a factor that keeps your video card from reaching its full potential, so it's okay to turn it up a bit.

You just have to take into account the maximum limits of the GPU; the recent RTX 3080, for example, has a maximum operating temperature of 93 degrees Celsius. And you don't want to hit that limit too often, because it will not only reduce the lifespan of the hardware, but will also automatically reduce the clock speed, which results in a loss of performance.

To help control the temperature, you can use a defined fan curve. There are many tools for this, but a good option is to do it in Afterburner:

Step 1: Open MSI Afterburner and click Settings.

Step 2: Select the Ventilation tab.

Step 3: Check the box next to Enable automatic fan control by user-defined software.

Step 4: Adjust the curve to increase the fan speed as the video card temperature also increases. Our recommendation is to reach 100% fan speed before reaching the maximum temperature limit.

For the RTX 3080, for example, the curve should peak around 70 or 75 degrees Celsius. And from there it comes down to checking the temperature of the video card when running a game, also taking into account the noise it generates. The image above represents the curve defined for an RTX 2080.

Clean up your computer

If your graphics card gets too hot, it will need to be encouraged to avoid damaging its delicate components. If the fans and intake filters are covered in dust, there isn't enough airflow to pull the heat away from the components, including the GPU, which can lead to excessive heat buildup.

Your first option is to clean out all of the intake fans with a can of compressed air. Use compressed air to blow dust off the components.

Turn off your computer, unplug the power cord, ground yourself, and remove your computer's side panel.

Note: Resist the temptation to use a vacuum cleaner. Static electricity buildup can damage your computer's components.

For laptops, your only option is to blow dust out of the intake fans. You can use compressed air, but be sure to shut down the computer completely and remove the battery if possible.

Position the slits where the hot air comes out, making sure the compressed air box is vertical, and blow one or two blows of air, depending on the amount of dust coming out.

If you're lucky, these fans are covered with a vent cap that you can easily remove to blow dust directly onto the fans.

Keeping your computer clean is essential to its overall health and performance, whether you're gaming or just surfing the web.

Improves airflow

If cleaning your desktop or laptop helps improve airflow, more may be needed. For desktops, you can provide space in the cabinet for additional fans in the front, top, and bottom.

Additional fans increase the noise level of your computer, but reduce the overall heat level.

For laptops, you cannot install fans. What you can do, however, is purchase a cooling base that fits under your laptop.

Typically two huge 140mm fans are included and blow cool air across the bottom of the laptop. The downside is dust collection, which means you have one more device to keep clean.

Upgrade the cooling system (desktops only)

A good way to increase GPU performance is to install an aftermarket cooler. It could be a heavier air cooler or a more advanced liquid cooling solution, but a lot depends on your graphics card, as not all of them are compatible with coolers.

This is especially true for liquid cooling, where custom circuits require custom water blocks, which can be expensive.

You could also hook up an all-in-one cooler designed for a CPU using something like NZXT's Kraken G12, but that's a pretty advanced process that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Again, do your research before you begin and be aware that your GPU warranty will likely be voided if you remove the original factory cooler.

Note: Some GPUs can significantly improve their cooling by tightening screws, adding washers, or replacing the factory thermal paste. Much depends on your GPU, down to the specific version. Therefore, be careful before making changes that you are not sure are safe and guaranteed.

Adjusting power settings

If you're playing on a laptop, plug it into a power outlet. The GPU and CPU typically slow down when the laptop is unplugged because lithium-ion batteries cannot provide enough power output to ensure maximum performance without ruining battery life.

There may be a setting in the BIOS to disable CPU acceleration, but GPUs have hard-coded instructions to reduce battery consumption that you cannot change.

However, adjusting the power settings on desktops and laptops connected to a power outlet can increase GPU performance.

Step 1: Click the Start button, then the Settings icon (it's the gear icon).

Step 2: Select System.

Step 3: The billboard appears by default. Select Startup/Shutdown/Suspend located on the left.

Step 4: Scroll down and select the Additional power settings link.

On laptops, you can access the same panel by right-clicking the battery icon, located next to the system clock. Select Power Options from the context menu.

Step 5: Select the High Performance option.

If you click on the Change plan settings link, Windows 10 presents a Change advanced power settings link.

Click on it and a pop-up window will appear with a list of all the settings that are in High Performance. Do not change these settings unless you are extremely familiar with Windows 10.

Update of other components

You may have a wonderful GPU installed, but that's only part of the different components of a computer. The processor, memory, storage, and other elements all contribute to a computer's performance. A good processor, for example, can help increase frame rates, especially at lower resolutions.

Remember that while the video card does most of the visual work, it's the processor that does the physics calculations, artificial intelligence, control instructions, lines of code, etc. And as if that weren't enough, it's also the CPU that runs everything that runs outside of the game, like Windows 10 and all of its services. So if you want to get the most out of your video card, you'll need a really good processor.

It is also important to consider the RAM of your computer; the current standard is 16 GB, with 8 GB being the minimum. Saving a little money is always good, but buying cheap parts means sacrificing speed and performance.

If you notice some lag while gaming, it might be time to consider replacing some parts, although that doesn't mean you should always choose the most expensive parts.

The important thing is to make sure that replacing a part does not cause a bottleneck. Video card and processor always go hand in hand when it comes to gaming, and each title may have different requirements for each.

For example, a game with many AI-controlled characters will require more of the CPU than the video card.

The best way to avoid these bottlenecks is to check how your computer's resources are being used using the Windows Task Manager tool.

The "Performance" tab shows CPU, memory, disk, network, and video card usage. If you notice that CPU usage is consistently higher than GPU usage, you probably have a bottleneck.