How to Make a Video Game Stop Lagging on Windows
Method 1 of 3:
Using Task Manager
- Open the game that is lagging.
- Open up Task Manager. This can be done in the following ways:
- On Windows XP and below, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
- On Windows Vista and above, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select it from the list of safety options.
- Right-click the task-bar and select it from the menu.
- Go to the process list. On the top of the Task Manager, there should be a few tabs labeled "Applications", "Processes", "Services", "Performance", and so forth. Select the tab labeled "Processes".
- Select your game, and boost the priority. This can be done by right-clicking on the name of your game (with a .exe at the end) and selecting "High/Above Normal" priority.[1]
- Look at all the currently running processes in your already-opened Task Manager window. Make sure Task Manager is in the expanded view - if it is not, it will have an arrow pointing down at the bottom of the window. Click on the arrow to show all the information available.
- Look at the "Memory" and "Disk" columns. If you have a lot of processes running, the percentage at the top of the column will likely be high.
- Kill any processes which are using up a lot of memory or disk power. To do this, simply click on the offending process and then click the Kill button at the bottom of the window.[2]
- Don't force your computer to kill any processes which the system warns you may cause your system to become unusable. This can permanently damage your computer.
- If the percentage displayed in the disk column remains high but there are few processes using up a lot of disk power running, you may have a problem with your disk drive. Take your computer to a repair shop to get the disk fixed or replaced.
- Play the game. It should be less laggy than before. If you are still having problems, move on to the next method.
Method 2 of 3:
Changing Your Computer's Settings
- Check to see what graphics card or chip you have. To do this, search "
device manager
" in the taskbar and click on the application that appears in the search menu. Then, look for a section called "Video Adapter" or "Display Adapter" and click the drop-down arrow next to it.
Nvidia Cards
- Download the "GeForce Experience" application from the Nvidia website.[3]
- Once the application is installed, select the "games" tab. It will then scan your computer's system files and generate a list of the games you have installed.
- Select the game that's lagging and click Optimize.
Intel Integrated Chips
- Right-click on the desktop screen and click on "Graphics Properties".
- Click on the "3D" option that appears.
- Do all of the following:
- Turn off MSAA.
- Set CMAA to "Override".
- Turn on Application Optimal Mode.
- Set your general settings to "Performance", although be aware that this does chew up battery power.
Method 3 of 3:
Modifying In-Game Graphics Options
- Open the graphics options in the game you are playing. This can be done by pressing the pause button (usually two vertical lines, or, in some cases, the P key). Then, click on Options and find the graphics settings.
- If there is no graphics menu whatsoever, it is probable the game is not graphically intensive and you will have to upgrade your computer to get better performance.
- Change the screen resolution. This will usually be either 1920 X 1080 or 1366 X 768 by default; lower it to 1366 X 768 if your computer is currently running at 1920 X 1080, and 1080 X 720 if your computer is running 1366 X 768.[4]
- In the event that your computer is running a higher resolution than 1920 X 1080, then turn it down to 1920 X 1080.
- If your default resolution is lower than 1080 X 720, you will probably have to replace your computer if you want to play any kind of intensive games (this usually means your computer has either a very small screen or was released pre-2010).
- Lower your graphics settings to medium and resume the game. If the game is still lagging or you're already in medium settings, turn the settings down to low or minimum.
- If your game is still lagging, you will probably have to upgrade your computer.
- Make sure advanced graphics settings like Anti-Aliasing and Vsync are turned off. These should not be turned on if you are trying to avoid lag.
- There is a possibility the game you are playing has other advanced settings, such as detail options or MSAA. If you see these settings, turn them down.
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