Before you spend money on upgrades, it's worth checking that your PC is set up properly. A few common mistakes can leave a perfectly good gaming PC running slower or less smoothly than it should, and most of them take minutes to fix.
This checklist is based on official guidance from Microsoft, AMD and memory makers, credited at the end. Forge PC hasn't measured how much each fix improves performance, because that depends on your hardware and games. None of these checks costs anything.
1. Plug your monitor into the graphics card
This is the most common mistake in new builds. If your PC has a graphics card, the monitor cable must go into one of the card's outputs, which are usually lower down on the back of the case. It shouldn't go into the motherboard's video outputs near the USB ports. AMD's troubleshooting guide tells you to check that the display cable is connected to the graphics card output. The motherboard outputs only work with a processor's built-in graphics.
2. Set the right refresh rate
A high-refresh monitor doesn't always run at its top speed by default. In Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and select the highest rate under Choose a refresh rate. Microsoft's guide explains that the same panel also shows whether your display supports variable refresh rate (VRR).
Check your cable too. Some monitors only reach their highest refresh rate over DisplayPort, and HDMI inputs can be limited to a lower rate. Your monitor's manual or specifications will tell you which.
3. Make sure variable refresh rate is working
VRR technologies such as AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible match the monitor's refresh rate to your frame rate, which reduces stutter and tearing. Microsoft notes that many games use VRR automatically when your display supports it. Check that it's turned on in your monitor's on-screen menu and in your graphics card's control software.
4. Turn on your memory's EXPO or XMP profile
Memory kits are sold with a rated speed, such as DDR5-6000, but they don't run at that speed until you turn on a profile in the BIOS. TEAMGROUP's product pages explain that without XMP 3.0 or EXPO enabled, memory runs at the standard default speed, such as DDR5-4800 or lower. G.SKILL's specifications for its Ripjaws S5 kits, for example, list a default speed of 4,800MT/s and a rated speed of 6,000MT/s.
To fix it, enter your BIOS (usually by pressing Delete or F2 as the PC starts) and look for an option called EXPO, XMP or DOCP. Select the profile, then save and exit. One caveat: AMD's EXPO page says that running memory outside AMD's published specifications counts as overclocking and will void AMD's product warranty, even when enabled through AMD's tools. Most builders accept this, but it's your decision.
5. Use two memory sticks in the right slots
Two sticks run in dual-channel mode, which gives much more memory bandwidth than one stick. If you have two sticks in a board with four slots, they need to go in the right pair. Check your motherboard manual. ramprices.uk's buying guide notes that the usual recommendation is slots A2 and B2. If you only have one stick of memory, adding a matching second one is one of the cheapest upgrades you can make. Our RAM guide explains how much you need.
6. Update your graphics driver
New drivers often include fixes and improvements for recent games. Use the NVIDIA app for GeForce cards, AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition for Radeon cards, or Intel's driver download for Arc cards, and restart when you've finished.
7. Update Windows and your BIOS
Windows updates include fixes for games and hardware, and motherboard BIOS updates can improve compatibility, especially with memory. Our PC upgrade guide explains how to update your BIOS safely. Only update the BIOS using your motherboard maker's official tools and instructions, and don't turn the PC off while it's updating.
8. Install games on an SSD
Games installed on a hard drive load more slowly than on an SSD. If your games are on a hard drive, move them to an SSD. Our best SSD guide has picks at different prices.
9. Check temperatures and clean out dust
If your PC gets slower the longer you play, it may be overheating. Dust-clogged filters and fans reduce airflow. With the PC switched off and unplugged, clean the dust filters and use short bursts of compressed air on the fans and heatsinks. Hold the fans still while you do this. Make sure the case fans are blowing in the right directions. Our best CPU cooler guide can help if your processor cooler isn't up to the job.
10. Check your in-game settings
Finally, check the settings in each game:
Set the resolution to your monitor's native resolution, and the refresh rate to its maximum.
Turn on upscaling, such as DLSS, FSR or XeSS, if you need more frames. Our VRAM guide explains why texture settings matter on cards with 8GB.
If the game has a frame rate limit, set it to your monitor's refresh rate or turn it off.
A note on Windows security settings
Windows 11 is now turning on a security feature called memory integrity on more PCs, and Tom's Hardware's 2023 testing found that the underlying virtualisation-based security can reduce frame rates slightly in some games. We'd recommend keeping it on. You can check it in the Windows Security app, under Device security > Core isolation details.
Our verdict
Before you upgrade anything, work through these checks. The biggest free gains usually come from plugging the monitor into the graphics card, setting the right refresh rate and turning on your memory's EXPO or XMP profile. If your PC is still too slow after that, our upgrade guide will help you decide what to change first.
