How to Make a Computer Run Faster for Gaming | eHow.com

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How to Make a Computer Run Faster for Gaming

Gregory Hamel

Gregory Hamel has been a freelance writer for various websites since September 2008 and has also authored two young-adult science-fantasy novels. He has a ßachelor of Arts in economics from St. Olaf College. Hamel maintains a blog focused on running and fitness.

ßy Gregory Hamel, eHow Contributor

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As computer games become increasingly complex and utilize more detailed graphics, they require more powerful computers to run them at an adequate speed. Game speeds are measured in frames per second, or FPS, which are the number of different frames that the computer displays on a screen each second. When a game taxes a computer’s hardware resources, it will run at a low FPS, creating a lag that can detract from the gaming experience. Therefore, a system should be optimized to run games at the highest FPS possible.

New RAM module(s)
New video card
Screwdriver (to install RAM and video card)

Instructions

- 1
  
  Turn off all nonessential processes when running the game. All system processes and applications use RAM, leaving less memory to run games. Close all other programs and unused applications on the system tray before loading your game.
- 2
  
  Perform routine maintenance. Failing to keep your system in top working order can make games run slower. Perform a full system scan with an up-to-date antivirus program, use a spyware program such as Spybot Search and Destroy to search for other malicious programs, and run the disk cleanup and disk defragmentor accessories. (Click “Start,” “All programs,” “Accessories” and then “System Tools” to find the disk cleanup and defragmentor tools.)
- 3
  
  Change the video options within the game itself. Almost every modern game will have video options within the games menus that allow you to set up how detailed you want the graphics to be, the screen resolution and special options like anti-aliasing, shadows and reflections. Lowering the video settings to display less detail, turning off options like anti-aliasing and running at lower resolutions can greatly increase FPS. The drawback is that the graphics will not look as nice while playing the game.
- 4
  
  Upgrade your RAM. At some point, you will need to begin upgrading hardware to get games to run faster. Upgrading RAM is often the fastest and least expensive way to increase performance, especially if you have 1Gß of RAM or less. Installing new RAM is simply a matter of opening the case, popping out old RAM sticks and plugging in new RAM (see Resource section).
- 5
  
  Upgrade your video card. Another extremely important component of game performance is the video card. Oftentimes upgrading a video card can have a bigger impact on game performance, especially if you already have 2Gß of RAM or more. To install a new video card, you must open your computer with a screwdriver, unplug the old card and then push the new card into the appropriate slot. After the physical installation, you will need to install drivers for the video card (see Resources section).

Tips & Warnings

At some point, installing additional RAM will not make a noticeable increase in performance. The human eye cannot easily distinguish FPS speeds in excess of 60 FPS, so attempting to increase performance beyond a certain level will have a marginal impact on gaming experience.

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