1. Check Your Drivers – Make sure you have the latest graphics card driver. Outdated drivers can cause low performance and reduce your gaming experience. You can check your current driver version on your device manager, or run a free scan with driver update software like Driver Booster.
2. Update BIOS – BIOS updates can improve your graphics card’s performance in some cases. It is important to always make sure you have the latest BIOS version for your motherboard. It’s best to use the manufacturer’s own tool for updating the BIOS.
3. Clean Your Computer – Dust build-up can interfere with the cooling of your graphics card, reducing its performance. Use a can of compressed air to clean out the dust from the inside of your case.
4. Ramp Up the Power – Most graphics cards come with factory set default settings, which limit the power and performance. If your GPU is capable of running games at higher resolutions and framerates, then you need to change these settings to optimal levels.
5. Overclock – If your graphics card has an aftermarket cooler, you may be able to overclock it. Overclocking your graphics card can increase its performance by as much as 25%. You will need to research how to do this safely.
6. Upgrade Your Monitor – Low resolution monitors can limit the performance of a graphics card. If you want to take full advantage of your card’s power, you should consider upgrading to a high resolution monitor.
7. Add More RAM – Adding more RAM to your computer can help your graphics card perform better. Having more RAM will allow your graphics card to store larger textures and use faster rendering techniques.
8. Limit Background Programs – Having multiple programs running in the background can drain your graphics card’s resources. Limit what programs are running in the background during gaming sessions.
9. Reduce High Settings – Certain graphics settings can be set too high for your hardware. Try lowering these settings to see if it improves your performance.
10. Install a Second Graphics Card – Installing a second graphics card in a compatible system can boost performance by taking off some of the load from the first card. This isn’t necessary for most users, but can help if you’re playing intensive games.