How to Increase FPS on Your Gaming PC Without Buying New Parts

A practical step-by-step guide to boosting FPS: Windows and driver settings, in-game options, XMP and EXPO, DLSS and FSR, temperatures, and when an upgrade actually makes sense.

Many gamers feel their PC has become sluggish, with low or unstable frame rates, and the first thought is usually: I need a new graphics card. In reality, a large share of performance problems come from wrong settings, outdated drivers, RAM running below its rated speed, or high temperatures that force parts to slow down.

In this FEEH STORE guide we walk you through it in order: how to find the real bottleneck, which settings actually matter, and how to get the most out of the hardware you already own before spending a single riyal.

Quick Answer

Step 1: Find the Real Problem First

Before changing anything, run an FPS counter and hardware monitor. You can use MSI Afterburner with RivaTuner, the overlay in NVIDIA App or AMD Adrenalin, or the Steam FPS counter. Measure FPS in the same spot in the game before and after each change so you know what actually helped.

If GPU usage is 95% or higher

Your graphics card is the limit, which is normal in most games. The fix is lowering graphics settings or enabling DLSS or FSR.

If GPU usage is low and FPS is still low

The CPU, RAM, or background apps are usually the cause. Lowering graphics will not help much here, so focus on RAM, background tasks, and temperatures. Read our guide on how to find a bottleneck in your PC, and if you are unsure of your specs, see how to check your PC specs.

Step 2: Windows Settings That Make a Difference

Turn on Game Mode

Go to Settings, Gaming, Game Mode and switch it on. It gives the game priority and reduces interruptions from updates and notifications while you play.

Power mode

On a desktop, set the power mode to Best Performance. Power-saving modes keep the CPU at lower clock speeds and hurt frame rates.

Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Under Display, Graphics, Default graphics settings, enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling. On most modern cards it reduces latency, and it is required for Frame Generation on NVIDIA cards.

Close background apps

A browser full of tabs, download clients, streaming tools, and multiple RGB apps all take CPU and RAM. Open Task Manager, see what is using resources, and disable startup apps you do not need.

Keep Windows updated and clean

Updates bring performance and compatibility fixes. If your Windows install is old and cluttered, a clean install can bring your PC back to life. See our guide on installing Windows 11 step by step.

Step 3: Update Your Graphics Driver

GPU makers constantly release drivers optimized for new games, and sometimes an update alone gives a clear boost in a specific title. Download drivers from NVIDIA App or AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, or directly from the official website.

If you notice stutters or problems after an update or after changing your graphics card, use DDU in Safe Mode to fully remove the old driver, then do a clean install of the new one.

Step 4: In-Game Settings That Eat Your FPS

Not every setting has the same impact. Some can be lowered one notch with almost no visual difference while FPS rises noticeably:

Texture quality is tied to your graphics card's memory, and exceeding it causes stutters even when average FPS looks high. For details, see how much VRAM you need for 2026 games.

In competitive games like Valorant, CS2, and Fortnite, enable NVIDIA Reflex or AMD Anti-Lag when available to reduce input lag and make gameplay feel smoother.

Step 5: DLSS, FSR, and Frame Generation

Upscaling renders the game at a lower resolution and then scales it up to your monitor's resolution, giving higher FPS with only a small loss in sharpness. Start with Quality mode, and try Balanced if you need more frames.

• DLSS: exclusive to NVIDIA RTX cards, with excellent quality in recent versions.
• FSR: from AMD; the newest version targets recent Radeon cards, while older versions run on most GPUs.
• Frame Generation: inserts generated frames between real ones. Great for story games when your base FPS is around 50 or higher, but it does not reduce input lag.

We explain these technologies in detail in are DLSS, FSR, and Frame Generation necessary?.

Step 6: Make Sure Your RAM Runs at Its Rated Speed

This is one of the most common things we see in our service: DDR5 rated at 6000 or 6400 MHz running at 4800 MHz because XMP or EXPO is not enabled in the BIOS. Enabling it takes a minute and boosts performance, especially in CPU-heavy games. Read our BIOS settings guide to learn how.

Also make sure your RAM runs in Dual Channel, meaning two sticks in the correct slots according to your motherboard manual. A single stick noticeably reduces performance. If you want to upgrade, a kit like Kingston FURY Beast 32GB DDR5 6400MHz is a balanced choice, and you can read how much RAM you need for gaming.

Step 7: Check Your Monitor Connection and Refresh Rate

A very common mistake: the monitor cable is plugged into the motherboard instead of the graphics card, so the PC runs on integrated graphics. Make sure the cable is in the graphics card ports at the bottom of the case.

Then, in advanced display settings, choose the highest refresh rate your monitor supports, such as 144Hz, 165Hz, or 240Hz, because Windows sometimes leaves it at 60Hz. If you want a faster screen, browse our gaming monitors.

Step 8: Temperatures and Dust

When the CPU or graphics card gets too hot, it automatically lowers its speed to protect itself. This is called thermal throttling, and the result is FPS that drops after a few minutes of play. Clean dust from filters and fans, make sure fans face the right direction, and on older PCs you may need fresh thermal paste.

If your current cooler is weak, check our CPU coolers and case fans, and read high CPU temperature causes and fixes.

Step 9: Storage and Free Space

An SSD does not directly raise average FPS, but it speeds up loading and reduces stutter in open-world games that stream data while you play. Install your games on an NVMe drive and keep around 15 to 20% free space. For example: KLEVV CRAS C910 1TB NVMe Gen4, or browse our NVMe SSDs.

Common Mistakes

1. Lowering resolution instead of using DLSS or FSR, which looks much worse.
2. Running everything on Ultra, even in competitive games.
3. Forgetting to enable XMP or EXPO after building the PC.
4. Plugging the monitor into the motherboard instead of the graphics card.
5. Installing unknown "game booster" apps that often do more harm than good.
6. Ignoring heat and dust until the PC starts shutting down or stuttering.

When Do You Actually Need an Upgrade?

If you have applied every step above and FPS is still below what you want, an upgrade makes sense. This table helps you decide what to upgrade:

Conclusion

Increasing FPS does not start with buying parts. Start by measuring performance, update your driver, tune Windows and game settings, enable XMP and DLSS or FSR, and keep your PC cool and clean. If you still hit your hardware's limits, you will know exactly which part is worth upgrading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do game booster apps increase FPS?

Most of them make no real difference, and some add background processes or ads. Rely on Windows Game Mode and your graphics card's official app instead.

Does updating the graphics driver improve performance?

Often yes, especially with new games, because drivers include optimizations made specifically for them.

Is enabling XMP safe?

Yes. XMP and EXPO are official profiles from the RAM manufacturer that run the memory at the speed it was sold at.

Does Frame Generation really increase FPS?

It increases displayed FPS and smooths motion, but it does not reduce input lag, so it suits story games more than competitive ones.

How many FPS do I need for a great experience?

A stable 60 FPS feels smooth in story games, while in competitive games it is best to get close to your monitor's refresh rate, such as 144 or 240 FPS.