# How to optimize PC performance in Windows 11: settings, step by step

> Optimize PC performance in Windows 11 step by step: power mode, startup and background apps, Storage Sense, visual effects, virtual memory and Game Mode.

- URL: https://computese.com/how-to-optimize-pc-performance/
- Author: Duong Quan Nguyen, CEO, Computese
- Published: 2024-09-06
- Updated: 2026-09-25
- Topics: IT support

## In short
- Optimize a Windows 11 PC by measuring first: Task Manager shows whether the processor, memory or disk is the limit, and each one has its own setting to change.
- The settings that matter most are Power mode (Best performance when plugged in), fewer startup and background apps, Storage Sense for free space, and current Windows and driver updates.
- Leave virtual memory system-managed. The page file raises the commit limit (RAM plus page file); a bigger one does not make a PC faster unless programs are actually reaching that limit.
- You do not need a third-party optimizer. Windows has the same tools built in, Microsoft publishes its own free PC Manager app, and programs that report alarming problems fit Microsoft's definition of unwanted software.

To optimize PC performance in Windows 11, measure first in Task Manager, then change the setting that matches the bottleneck: set Power mode to Best performance, switch off startup and background apps you do not need, let Storage Sense clear temporary files, trim visual effects, keep updates and drivers current, and leave virtual memory system-managed.

Every step below uses tools built into Windows 11, so nothing needs to be downloaded. For each setting you get [the menu path](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/exploring-windows-settings) as of September 2026 (Windows 11 version 25H2), what it actually changes and what it costs, and the guide ends with an honest answer on "PC optimizer" programs. It assumes the PC is already set up; if it is new, work through [setting up Windows on a new computer](https://computese.com/how-to-set-up-windows-for-a-new-computer/) first, and if you only have a few minutes, the [15-minute speed-up checklist](https://computese.com/how-to-speed-up-a-slow-computer/) covers the quickest wins. One caveat comes from [Microsoft's own performance guide](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/performance-optimization/tips-to-improve-pc-performance-in-windows): older PCs may not improve significantly from these steps, and an upgrade may then be the better long-term answer; our guide to [upgrading a PC for better performance](https://computese.com/guide-to-optimizing-your-pc-for-peak-performance/) covers which part to change first.

## Measure first: find out what is actually slow

A PC is held back by whichever resource runs out first: the processor (CPU), memory, the disk or, in games, the graphics processor (GPU). Task Manager shows which one it is.

1. Press **Ctrl + Shift + Esc**, or right-click **Start** and select **Task Manager**.
2. On the **Processes** page, select the **CPU** column header to [sort by processor use, highest first](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/performance/troubleshoot-high-cpu-usage-guidance). Do the same with **Memory** and **Disk**. The processes at the top are the ones using that resource now.
3. Open the **Performance** page to see each resource over time. Under **Memory**, **Committed** shows how much memory Windows has promised to programs against its limit (the virtual memory section explains why that matters).
4. For more detail, open **Resource Monitor**: type `resmon` in the Start menu, or run `perfmon /res`. On its **CPU** tab, sort by **Average CPU** to rank processes by their overall use rather than a single moment.
5. For a written summary, `perfmon /report` [runs the System Diagnostics data collector](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/perfmon) and displays a report of the results.

Then act on what you found:

| What you see                                                   | Where to act in this guide                   |
| -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Apps you did not open are busy right after sign-in             | Startup apps, then background apps           |
| One program keeps the processor busy while you work in another | Efficiency mode                              |
| The system drive (usually C:) is nearly full                   | Storage Sense and cleanup                    |
| **Committed** memory stays close to its limit                  | Virtual memory, and fewer programs open      |
| Usage looks low, but the laptop is sluggish on battery         | Power mode and Energy saver                  |
| Games stutter or run on the wrong graphics processor           | Game Mode and graphics settings              |
| A process you do not recognize sits at the top                 | A malware scan, before anything else (below) |

Malware can consume processor and disk resources like any other program. If something unfamiliar is busy, go to **Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection** and select **Quick scan** before you tune anything.

## Set the power mode for the job

[Power mode](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-the-power-mode-for-your-windows-pc-c2aff038-22c9-f46d-5ca0-78696fdf2de8) decides how Windows balances processor performance against energy use. Open **Settings > System > Power & battery** and, under **Power mode**, choose a mode separately for **Plugged in** and **On battery**:

- **Best power efficiency** saves energy, [partly by limiting background activity](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/power-battery/power-settings-in-windows-11).
- **Balanced** balances performance and battery life.
- **Best performance** lets the processor run at higher performance when it is needed.

Best performance costs power: on a laptop the battery drains faster and the machine can run warmer. A sensible pair is Best performance when plugged in and Balanced on battery.

On a laptop, also look at **Energy saver** on the same page. It switches on when the battery is low, dims the screen and limits background processes, which is why a laptop can feel slower near the end of a charge. That is the intended trade, not a fault.

### Power mode and power plans are not the same thing

Control Panel's **Power Options** still lists power plans ([Microsoft also calls them power schemes](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/device-experiences/powercfg-command-line-options)), and many older guides tell you to pick **High performance**. In Windows 11, the power mode setting sits on top of the **Balanced** plan. [Microsoft's documentation for PC makers](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/desktop/customize-power-slider) describes each mode as a light version of a power plan that holds only settings affecting performance, such as processor power management and power throttling, and the mode selector appears only while Balanced, or a plan derived from it, is active.

So if Power mode is greyed out or will not change, a custom plan is probably selected: open **Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options** and select **Balanced**. The same documentation notes that once you switch to Balanced, the interface offers no way back to High performance; only the `powercfg` command can do that. Use the Best performance mode instead of the old plan.

To check or switch plans from a terminal:

```powershell
powercfg /list              # every power plan, with its GUID
powercfg /getactivescheme   # the plan in use now
powercfg /setactive <GUID>  # switch to a plan from the list
```

## Stop apps from starting with Windows

Apps that start automatically when you sign in [slow the startup itself](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/startup-boot/configure-startup-applications-in-windows), then keep running in the background. Windows gives you two views of the same list:

- **Settings > Apps > Startup** has a switch for each app. Off stops it starting automatically; you can still open it whenever you want.
- **Task Manager > Startup apps** shows the same apps with a **Startup impact** column, which is the better view for deciding. Select an app and choose **Disable**.

Task Manager rates each app from what it measured at startup:

| Startup impact | Processor time and disk activity at startup                         |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| High           | More than 1 second of CPU time, or more than 3 MB of disk activity  |
| Medium         | 300 milliseconds to 1 second of CPU time, or 292 KB to 3 MB of disk |
| Low            | Less than 300 milliseconds of CPU time and less than 292 KB of disk |
| Not measured   | Enabled, but Windows has no data for it yet                         |
| None           | Disabled                                                            |

Start with the High entries you do not need the moment you sign in: chat and meeting apps you open by hand anyway, game launchers, updaters for software you rarely use. Keep your security software, the utilities that make hardware work (touchpad, audio or docking software) and any sync client you rely on.

![Five app tiles with switches sit beside a laptop that is starting up. Three send arrows into it, one is switched off, and the tile sending the thickest, orange arrow is being switched off.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-optimize-pc-performance/startup.9d4b048680-1536.webp)

*Every app that starts at sign-in competes with Windows for the same processor and disk; switch off the heaviest ones you do not need first.*

An app missing from both lists may start from a Startup folder instead. Press **Windows + R**, type `shell:startup` (your account) or `shell:common startup` (every account on the PC), and delete the shortcut of anything you no longer want to start. Deleting the shortcut does not uninstall the app.

If you never use an app at all, uninstall it rather than disabling it: open **Settings > Apps > Installed apps**, select **More options (…)** next to the app, then **Uninstall**. That frees disk space and ends any background activity it had.

## Limit background apps and heavy processes

Some apps keep working when you are not using them, [to sync or to send notifications](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/windows-background-apps-and-your-privacy). For apps from the Microsoft Store, you control this app by app:

1. Open **Settings > Apps > Installed apps**, select **More options (…)** next to the app, then **Advanced options**.
2. Under **Background app permissions**, set **Let this app run in background** to one of:
   - **Always**: the app keeps receiving information and sending notifications, which may use more power.
   - **Power optimized (recommended)**: Windows decides what saves the most power while still allowing notifications and periodic updates.
   - **Never**: the app does nothing in the background.

Desktop programs, the kind installed from a website or a disc and launched from an `.exe` file, do not appear there. Their background behaviour is set in each program's own settings.

For a program that hogs the processor while you work in something else, Task Manager has **Efficiency mode**, [which Microsoft introduced in 2022](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2022/02/16/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-22557/). On the **Processes** page, right-click the process, or select it and use the command bar, and choose **Efficiency mode**. Windows then limits what that process consumes and gives priority to the apps in front of you. It applies to one process, not a whole group, and it is greyed out for core Windows processes, where throttling could slow the whole system. A leaf icon marks processes running in Efficiency mode.

Two smaller habits help as well. Turn off notifications you do not need in **Settings > System > Notifications**, which Microsoft says brings small performance gains. And restart at least once a week, [as Microsoft recommends](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-malware-protection/protect-your-pc-from-unwanted-software): it helps the PC run more smoothly and lets pending updates install.

## Free up disk space with Storage Sense

A nearly full system drive [slows Windows down](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/storage-filemanagement/free-up-drive-space-in-windows) and can stop updates from installing. File Explorer shows the free space under **This PC**, and in **Settings > System > Storage** [the capacity bar turns red](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/storage-filemanagement/manage-drive-space-with-storage-sense) when Windows considers the drive low.

**Storage Sense** cleans up for you. Turn it on in **Settings > System > Storage**, then select **Storage Sense** to decide how it works:

- **Run Storage Sense**: how often it runs. With the default settings it runs when the drive is low on space and removes temporary files.
- **Recycle Bin** and **Downloads**: how long files can sit in the Recycle Bin, or go unopened in Downloads, before they are deleted. By default, old Recycle Bin items are removed after some time, and the Downloads folder is never touched until you choose a period for it.
- **Locally available cloud content**: OneDrive files you have not opened for a while become online-only. That frees space without deleting anything, and since Windows 11 version 22H2 the default for OneDrive is 30 days. Files marked **Always keep on this device** are left alone.

![A drive with a nearly full capacity bar sends loose temporary files and crumpled paper into a bin, triggered by an orange gear with a clock face, while a downloads folder beside it stays untouched.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-optimize-pc-performance/storage.477e8c48ba-1536.webp)

*On its default settings Storage Sense clears temporary files and the old Recycle Bin, and leaves your Downloads alone until you tell it otherwise.*

Three limits are worth knowing. Storage Sense is off by default, although Windows may switch it on for some temporary files when the drive runs low, and tells you when it does. It cleans only the system drive, usually C:. And it runs only while you are signed in and have been online for more than 10 minutes.

For a one-off clean-up, **Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations** lists temporary files, large or unused files, files already synced to the cloud and unused apps, with the space each would free. Within 10 days of a Windows upgrade it also lists the previous version of Windows: deleting it frees space, but it removes your way back to that version and cannot be undone. The older **Disk Cleanup** tool is still available too; search for it from Start and pick the drive.

### Optimize Drives: defragmenting and TRIM

Windows also maintains the drives themselves, [once a week by default](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/storage-filemanagement/defragment-optimize-your-data-drives-in-windows). A hard disk drive is defragmented, so the parts of each file are lined up and quicker to read. A solid-state drive (SSD) is trimmed instead: Windows tells it where it can safely do clean-up work while it is not busy. Search for `defrag`, open **Defragment and Optimize Drives** to see each drive's status, and leave **Scheduled optimization** on. Windows does not defragment an SSD, so there is nothing to change for one.

## Turn down visual effects

Windows 11's visual effects use system resources, and turning them down can make it more responsive. The quickest way is the classic dialog:

1. Select **Start**, type **Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows** and open it.
2. On the **Visual Effects** tab, select **Adjust for best performance**, then **OK**.

Windows looks plainer afterwards, and you can reverse the change from the same tab.

Two related switches live in Settings. **Transparency effects**, in **Settings > Personalization > Colors**, controls [the acrylic blur](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/personalization/personalize-your-colors-in-windows) behind some windows and surfaces. **Settings > Accessibility** has a **Visual effects** page as well.

Set your expectations: effects change how quickly windows open, close and redraw, not how fast a spreadsheet recalculates or a video exports.

## Virtual memory: what it is and why the default is usually right

"Increase your virtual memory" is common advice for a slow PC, and it is usually wrong. Windows keeps a **page file**, a hidden system file on the drive, and uses it to hold modified memory pages that have not been touched for a while, so the RAM they occupied can serve pages in active use. Only data that exists nowhere else on disk, such as text you have not saved yet, can be written there; program files are simply read again from where they are installed.

The page file matters for one number above all: the **commit limit**, which is physical RAM plus every page file. Programs reserve memory against it (the **commit charge**), and when the charge reaches the limit, programs can fail to get memory and the PC can freeze or crash. The page file also gives Windows a place to write a crash dump after a system crash, known as a stop error. Microsoft's [introduction to the page file](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/performance/introduction-to-the-page-file) covers both jobs.

![Memory pages fill two RAM modules; one rarely used page, in orange, moves along a dashed arrow to a dashed area on a drive. One long bracket spans the RAM and that area together.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-optimize-pc-performance/pagefile.88b8a9a914-1536.webp)

*The page file raises the ceiling on memory Windows can promise to programs; it does not make the RAM underneath any faster.*

By default the page file is **system-managed**, and for almost everyone that is the right setting. When the commit charge [passes 90 percent of the limit](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/performance/how-to-determine-the-appropriate-page-file-size-for-64-bit-versions-of-windows), Windows grows the page file, up to three times the RAM or 4 GB, whichever is larger, capped at one-eighth of the drive's size. It also sizes the file for the crash dump setting. A fixed size you pick by hand does neither.

Check before changing anything. In Task Manager, open **Performance > Memory** and read **Committed**, the commit charge against the commit limit. If the charge stays well below the limit even when you are busiest, a larger page file changes nothing. A page file that shows as fully used is not a problem in itself either, as long as the limit is not being reached.

To confirm Windows is managing it, follow [Microsoft's steps](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/fileexplorer/fix-file-explorer-if-it-won-t-open-or-start):

1. Select **Start**, type **Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows** and open it.
2. On the **Advanced** tab, check that **Adjust for best performance of** is set to **Programs**.
3. Under **Virtual memory**, select **Change** and make sure **Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives** is ticked. Select **OK**, then restart if you changed anything.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Do not turn the page file off to save disk space or to "force" Windows to use RAM. Without one, the commit limit falls to slightly less than your installed RAM, and Windows cannot write a crash dump when it needs one. If the commit charge keeps reaching the limit, the answer is fewer programs open at once or more RAM, not a hand-tuned page file.

## Game Mode and graphics settings

**Game Mode** is on by default, in **Settings > Gaming > Game Mode**. While a game runs, it stops Windows Update from installing drivers and sending restart notifications, and Microsoft says it [helps achieve a more stable frame rate](https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/games-apps/game-setup-and-play/use-game-mode-gaming-on-pc), depending on the game and the PC. It works independently of the power mode, so for gaming on a laptop, plug in and choose Best performance as well.

Many laptops have [two graphics processors](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/compatibility/all-about-graphics-processing-units-gpus): an integrated GPU that saves power for lighter work, and a discrete GPU for gaming, design work and video editing. Windows switches between them by task, and you can [override the choice for a single app](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/display-graphics/optimizations-for-windowed-games-in-windows-11):

1. Open **Settings > System > Display > Graphics**.
2. Under **Custom options for apps**, select the app or game, then **Options**.
3. Choose **Let Windows decide (Power saving)**, **Power saving** or **High performance**, select **Save**, and restart the app.

On the same **Graphics** page, under **Default settings**, turn on **Optimizations for windowed games**. It applies to DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running in a window or a borderless window, moving them to a newer presentation model that reduces frame latency and enables Auto HDR and variable refresh rate on displays that support them. If you have turned on Auto HDR, it is already on.

You may also see **Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling** in the graphics settings. It appears only when the graphics card and its driver support it, and it hands most GPU scheduling from a thread on the processor to a dedicated scheduling processor on the GPU. When [Microsoft introduced it in 2020](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/hardware-accelerated-gpu-scheduling/), it said users should not notice significant changes, so treat it as optional rather than as a speed switch.

Some gaming guides also suggest turning off **memory integrity** (**Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details**). Memory integrity is [a virtualization-based security feature](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/hardware-security/enable-virtualization-based-protection-of-code-integrity) that hardens the Windows kernel against malware. Microsoft notes that its performance cost is bigger on processors older than Intel's Kaby Lake and AMD's Zen 2, which emulate hardware features newer chips provide. On anything newer, leave it on. On an older gaming PC it is a trade between frame rate and kernel protection, and since Windows 11 version 22H2, Windows Security warns you while it is off.

## Keep Windows Update and drivers current

Windows updates often include fixes and performance improvements, so an unpatched PC is not an optimized one. Go to **Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates** and install what it finds.

Drivers matter too. [Windows Update installs recommended drivers automatically](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/drivers/automatically-get-recommended-and-updated-hardware-drivers), but optional drivers are not installed until you choose them:

1. Open **Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options** and turn on **Receive updates for other Microsoft products**.
2. Under **Additional options**, select **Optional updates**, choose the driver updates listed, and select **Download and install**.
3. Restart, even if nothing asks you to.

If Windows Update has no driver for a device, get the current one from the hardware manufacturer's website rather than from a third-party driver updater.

Keep the Windows version current as well. As of September 2026 [the current feature update for existing PCs](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/windows11-release-information) is Windows 11 version 25H2 (version 26H1 ships only on new devices), and version 24H2 stops receiving updates for Home and Pro editions on October 13, 2026, so a PC still on 24H2 should move to 25H2. Monthly security updates arrive on the second Tuesday of each month. On a new PC, the first round of updates, drivers and activation is covered step by step in our [Windows setup guide](https://computese.com/how-to-set-up-windows-for-a-new-computer/).

## Do you need a PC optimizer program?

Search for "optimize PC software" and you will find many programs that promise a faster computer. Almost everything they sell, Windows 11 already does:

| What optimizer programs offer      | What Windows 11 has built in                                         |
| ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Junk and temporary file cleaning   | Storage Sense, Cleanup recommendations, Disk Cleanup                 |
| Startup manager                    | Settings > Apps > Startup; Task Manager's Startup apps page          |
| "Game booster" or performance mode | Power mode, Game Mode and per-app graphics preference                |
| Driver updater                     | Optional updates in Windows Update; the hardware maker's website     |
| Disk defragmenter                  | Optimize Drives, weekly by default, with TRIM for SSDs               |
| Memory ("RAM") cleaner             | Windows' own memory management with a system-managed page file       |
| "PC health" scan                   | Windows Security Quick scan; Task Manager                            |
| Registry cleaner                   | No equivalent, and no registry step in Microsoft's performance guide |

The registry is the database of low-level settings for Windows and for the programs that use it. [Microsoft's description of the Registry Editor](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/system-configuration-tools-in-windows) warns that improper changes can cause instability, application errors or even stop Windows from starting. A cleaner that deletes entries in bulk takes that risk on your behalf, for a benefit Microsoft does not list among its ways to improve performance.

Memory cleaners deserve the same skepticism. Windows already moves memory pages that have not been used for a while out of RAM by itself, so that frequently used pages get the space (the virtual memory section explains how). A memory cleaner second-guesses that process, and the free RAM it shows on a gauge is not a measure of speed.

If you want one app that gathers these tools, Microsoft makes one. Its performance guide points to **Microsoft PC Manager**, a free app in the Microsoft Store that cleans up storage, manages startup apps and brings together other built-in Windows tools; its storage clean-up uses Storage Sense. [Microsoft lists it](https://pcmanager.microsoft.com/en-us) as compatible with Windows 10 (build 19042 and later) and Windows 11. It is a convenient front end, not something Windows lacks.

> [!WARNING]
> Be wary of any program whose free scan finds a long list of "problems" and asks for payment to fix them. Microsoft classifies software that makes [exaggerated claims about a device's health](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-xdr/criteria), or misleading claims about files and registry entries, as unwanted software, and Microsoft Defender Antivirus can detect it. In **Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings**, [turn on **Potentially unwanted app blocking**](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/security/protect-your-pc-from-potentially-unwanted-applications) with both **Block apps** and **Block downloads** (the second works in Microsoft Edge).

## The routine in order, with shortcuts

Once the settings are right, keeping a PC fast is mostly a matter of leaving the automatic parts on: Storage Sense, scheduled drive optimization, Windows Update and a system-managed page file. When it slows down, work through the same order. [Most pages open directly](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/develop/launch/launch-settings): press **Windows + R**, type the address and press **Enter**.

| Step | What to check                                | Open it with                                                             |
| ---- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 1    | What is busy: processor, memory or disk      | **Ctrl + Shift + Esc** (Task Manager), then `resmon`                     |
| 2    | Power mode: Best performance when plugged in | **Settings > System > Power & battery**                                  |
| 3    | Startup apps with High impact                | `ms-settings:startupapps`                                                |
| 4    | Storage Sense on, and free space on C:       | `ms-settings:storagepolicies`, `ms-settings:storagesense`                |
| 5    | Cleanup recommendations                      | `ms-settings:storagerecommendations`                                     |
| 6    | Visual effects and virtual memory            | `SystemPropertiesAdvanced`, then **Settings** under **Performance**      |
| 7    | Game Mode and per-app graphics               | `ms-settings:gaming-gamemode`, `ms-settings:display-advancedgraphics`    |
| 8    | Windows and optional driver updates          | `ms-settings:windowsupdate`, `ms-settings:windowsupdate-optionalupdates` |

Across more than a few PCs, this routine stops scaling when it is done by hand. Our [IT support service](https://computese.com/services/it-support/) enrols laptops in one management console, keeps them configured, compliant and patched, and traces recurring problems to their cause so they are fixed at the root rather than reset again next week.

## Key terms
- **Power mode**: The Windows 11 setting (Best power efficiency, Balanced or Best performance) that trades energy use and heat against processor performance, set separately for plugged in and on battery.
- **Power plan**: A named set of power settings, also called a power scheme, managed in Control Panel's Power Options or with powercfg. Power mode is available only while Balanced, or a plan derived from it, is active.
- **Startup impact**: Task Manager's rating (Low, Medium or High) of how much processor time and disk activity an app uses when it starts automatically at sign-in.
- **Efficiency mode**: A Task Manager option that limits how much one process can consume, so Windows gives priority to the apps you are working in.
- **Storage Sense**: The Windows feature that frees space on the system drive automatically by deleting temporary files and old Recycle Bin items; it can also clear old downloads and make unused cloud files online-only.
- **TRIM**: What Windows does to a solid-state drive instead of defragmenting it: it tells the drive where it can safely do clean-up work while it is not busy.
- **Page file (virtual memory)**: A hidden system file that holds modified memory pages Windows has not used for a while, so RAM stays free for active ones. It also backs crash dumps.
- **Commit limit**: The most memory Windows can promise to programs: physical RAM plus all page files. When the commit charge reaches it, programs can freeze or crash.
- **Game Mode**: A Windows setting, on by default, that stops Windows Update from installing drivers and showing restart notifications while you play, to help keep the frame rate stable.
- **Potentially unwanted application (PUA)**: Software that is not malware but can slow a PC, show unexpected ads or install other software. Windows Security can block it.

## Common questions

### How do I optimize my PC for performance in Windows 11?

Start in Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to see whether the processor, memory or disk is the limit. Then set Power mode to Best performance when plugged in, disable startup apps you do not need, turn on Storage Sense, install Windows and optional driver updates, and leave virtual memory system-managed.

### Are there programs that optimize computer performance?

Yes, but you do not need a third-party one. Windows 11 has the same functions built in, and Microsoft publishes a free app, Microsoft PC Manager, that brings them together. Avoid programs whose free scan reports alarming problems and asks for payment: Microsoft classifies that behaviour as unwanted software.

### Does increasing virtual memory make a PC faster?

No. The page file raises the commit limit, which is RAM plus page file; it does not speed anything up. It helps only when Task Manager's Committed figure keeps reaching that limit, and a system-managed page file already grows by itself once the commit charge passes 90 percent of the limit.

### Is it safe to leave Power mode on Best performance?

Yes. It lets the processor run at higher performance when needed, at the cost of more power: on a laptop the battery drains faster and the machine can run warmer. Windows 11 lets you set plugged in and on battery separately, so Best performance on mains power and Balanced on battery is a sensible pair.

### Does Game Mode improve performance?

It helps consistency more than raw speed. While a game runs, Game Mode stops Windows Update from installing drivers and showing restart notifications, and Microsoft says it helps achieve a more stable frame rate, depending on the game and the PC. It is on by default; leave it on.

### Should I turn off memory integrity to speed up games?

Usually not. Memory integrity protects the Windows kernel from malware. Microsoft says its performance cost is bigger on older processors, before Intel Kaby Lake and AMD Zen 2, which emulate features newer chips have in hardware. On a recent PC, keep it on.

## Sources
1. [Tips to improve PC performance in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/performance-optimization/tips-to-improve-pc-performance-in-windows), Microsoft Support
2. [System configuration tools in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/system-configuration-tools-in-windows), Microsoft Support
3. [Guidance for troubleshooting high CPU usage](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/performance/troubleshoot-high-cpu-usage-guidance), Microsoft Learn
4. [perfmon](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/perfmon), Microsoft Learn
5. [Change the power mode for your Windows PC](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-the-power-mode-for-your-windows-pc-c2aff038-22c9-f46d-5ca0-78696fdf2de8), Microsoft Support
6. [Power settings in Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/power-battery/power-settings-in-windows-11), Microsoft Support
7. [Customize the Windows performance power slider](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/desktop/customize-power-slider), Microsoft Learn
8. [Powercfg command-line options](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/device-experiences/powercfg-command-line-options), Microsoft Learn
9. [Configure Startup applications in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/startup-boot/configure-startup-applications-in-windows), Microsoft Support
10. [Windows background apps and your privacy](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/windows-background-apps-and-your-privacy), Microsoft Support
11. [Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2022/02/16/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-22557/), Windows Insider Blog
12. [Protect your PC from unwanted software](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-malware-protection/protect-your-pc-from-unwanted-software), Microsoft Support
13. [Manage drive space with Storage Sense](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/storage-filemanagement/manage-drive-space-with-storage-sense), Microsoft Support
14. [Free up drive space in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/storage-filemanagement/free-up-drive-space-in-windows), Microsoft Support
15. [Defragment / optimize your data drives in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/storage-filemanagement/defragment-optimize-your-data-drives-in-windows), Microsoft Support
16. [Personalize your Colors in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/personalization/personalize-your-colors-in-windows), Microsoft Support
17. [Introduction to the page file](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/performance/introduction-to-the-page-file), Microsoft Learn
18. [How to determine the appropriate page file size for 64-bit versions of Windows](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/performance/how-to-determine-the-appropriate-page-file-size-for-64-bit-versions-of-windows), Microsoft Learn
19. [Fix File Explorer if it won't open or start](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/fileexplorer/fix-file-explorer-if-it-won-t-open-or-start), Microsoft Support
20. [Use Game Mode while gaming on your Windows device](https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/games-apps/game-setup-and-play/use-game-mode-gaming-on-pc), Xbox Support
21. [All about graphics processing units (GPUs)](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/compatibility/all-about-graphics-processing-units-gpus), Microsoft Support
22. [Optimizations for windowed games in Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/display-graphics/optimizations-for-windowed-games-in-windows-11), Microsoft Support
23. [Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/hardware-accelerated-gpu-scheduling/), DirectX Developer Blog
24. [Enable memory integrity](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/hardware-security/enable-virtualization-based-protection-of-code-integrity), Microsoft Learn
25. [Automatically get recommended and updated hardware drivers](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/drivers/automatically-get-recommended-and-updated-hardware-drivers), Microsoft Support
26. [Windows 11 release information](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/windows11-release-information), Microsoft Learn
27. [Microsoft PC Manager](https://pcmanager.microsoft.com/en-us), Microsoft
28. [How Microsoft identifies malware and potentially unwanted applications](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-xdr/criteria), Microsoft Learn
29. [Protect your PC from potentially unwanted applications](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/security/protect-your-pc-from-potentially-unwanted-applications), Microsoft Support
30. [Exploring Windows Settings](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/exploring-windows-settings), Microsoft Support
31. [Launch Windows Settings](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/develop/launch/launch-settings), Microsoft Learn