How to Fix Windows 11 Gaming Performance Worse Than Windows 10

What Causes This?

Windows 11 can feel slower for gaming than Windows 10 when extra background services, startup apps, visual features, and security settings add system overhead. On some PCs, features like Memory Integrity, Virtual Machine Platform, Game DVR, or aggressive power-saving settings can reduce frame rates or increase input lag. Outdated GPU drivers, chipset drivers, or a game running with the wrong graphics settings can make the difference even more noticeable.

Common Symptoms

• Lower FPS in the same games that ran better on Windows 10
• Stuttering, frame pacing issues, or sudden lag spikes
• Higher CPU, RAM, or disk usage while gaming
• Longer game load times or slow alt-tabbing
• Input delay or inconsistent performance during matches

How to Fix It Manually

1. Update your graphics and chipset drivers

   1. Right-click Start and choose Device Manager.
   2. Expand Display adapters, right-click your GPU, and select Update driver.
   3. For best results, install the latest driver directly from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel instead of relying only on Windows Update.
   4. Also install the latest chipset drivers from your PC or motherboard manufacturer’s support page.

2. Turn off unnecessary startup and background apps

   1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
   2. Click Startup apps and disable non-essential items like launchers, chat apps, RGB tools, and update agents.
   3. Then go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps and remove software you do not use.
   4. Open Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings > Background apps if available on your system, and limit apps that do not need to run in the background.

3. Adjust Windows gaming features

   1. Open Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and turn it Off if you do not use it.
   2. Go to Settings > Gaming > Captures and disable background recording.
   3. Open Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and test it On first. If performance is still worse, try turning it Off and compare in the same game.
   4. Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Default graphics settings and make sure Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is set to the option that performs best on your system. Test both states if needed.

4. Use a high-performance power plan

   1. Press Win+R, type control, and press Enter.
   2. Go to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
   3. Select High performance or Best performance if available.
   4. On laptops, keep the charger connected while gaming and set Settings > System > Power & battery > Power mode to Best performance.

5. Reduce security overhead if it is affecting games

   1. Open Windows Security from the Start menu.
   2. Go to Device security > Core isolation.
   3. Check whether Memory Integrity is on. On some gaming PCs, turning it off can improve performance.
   4. Restart your PC after changing it, then test your games again.
   5. If you use virtualization features you do not need, open Turn Windows features on or off from Start and review items like Virtual Machine Platform or Hyper-V.

6. Set the game to use the correct GPU and lower system overhead

   1. Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
   2. Add your game if it is not listed, click it, then choose Options and set it to High performance.
   3. Close browser tabs, overlays, recording tools, and unused launchers before starting the game.
   4. Restart the PC after making these changes so Windows loads with fewer background processes.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

Kudu can scan your Windows 11 setup for common gaming slowdowns like unnecessary startup apps, background services, bloated system settings, and features that add extra overhead. Instead of checking each setting manually, you can use Kudu to quickly apply safe performance-focused fixes and reduce the clutter that often makes Windows 11 feel slower than Windows 10.

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