Modern PC hardware often has more interconnected elements than the average user can keep track of. Sure, experienced gamers may know the XMP/EXPO, Resizable BAR, and GPU power limits, but most users are unaware of these settings. I want to highlight a few other PC configurations that directly impact gaming performance, temperature, noise levels, stability, and security. You may not know these setups exist, or even if you do, you may not consider them worth it. Some users are also overly cautious when it comes to playing with firmware, BIOS settings, and voltage/frequency settings for fear of lasting damage. Fortunately, it is perfectly safe to modify the settings on this list and will almost always provide positive results for your system. The default settings may work, but Without knowing it, you are leaving performance on the table..
bios update
It’s time for you to jump to the latest version.
Your PC’s firmware or BIOS/UEFI is responsible for much of its behavior. You may have interacted with it only a few times, but it monitors the performance, stability, and security of your system in the background. You may have never updated your BIOS since you bought or built your PC, which can easily cause your computer to lag behind comparable systems. Your PC is capable of running faster, but the outdated BIOS acts as a bottleneck. Firmware updates released by Gigabyte and MSI by the end of 2024 it represented a 15-20% increase in gaming performance. Imagine such a boost with a simple BIOS update. Even if you don’t see similar results with a new BIOS version, there could be other unseen benefits.
Manufacturers routinely work to improve the handshake between the BIOS and hardware, leading to better RAM stability at higher XMP/EXPO settings, reduced boot times, and better power state management. All of these optimizations lead to a more consistent PC experience. Even the security of your system depends on having the latest firmware installed. Vulnerabilities like Plundervolt and LogoFAIL have been fixed with firmware updates, so an older version of the BIOS could keep your PC exposed. The fears behind BIOS updates are outdated, as features like BIOS Flashback and Dual BIOS They have eliminated the risk of a failed flash. So there really is there is no excuse to delay BIOS updates for years – you are harming your performance for no reason.
fan curves
Defaults are not worth it
When you get a new PC, the default fan curves are often not the most optimized. They work well for the most part, but without adjusting them a little, the best balance between fan speed and noise levels is not guaranteed. You don’t want your CPU, GPU, or case fans to run too fast that the noise becomes annoying, but you also don’t want to run too slow that your components run too close to their threshold temperatures. This balance is rarely achieved with one of the fan curve presets in BIOS. Whether you select Silent, Standardeither PerformanceThe results will not be as good as what you can achieve with a few minutes of custom adjustment.
You can do this both in the BIOS and in third-party tools. prefer fan controlsince it gives me much more control and functions. You can dial in custom curves for each fan in your system and even have them communicate with each other. You are not required to use a specific temperature sensor for a particular component. That being said, you can start with the BIOS fan setting to see the difference for yourself. Not only will you be able to reduce noise levels, but you will also improve your temperatures and therefore your performance, as your hardware will be able to maintain the acceleration frequency for longer.
AMD PBO and Intel Turbo Boost
It doesn’t hurt to activate it
Automated boost algorithms have always been around for CPUs, but newer additions like Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) for Ryzen CPUs and Turbo Boost/200S Boost for Intel chips often offer truly impressive gains. If you have an AMD Ryzen CPU, make sure PBO is enabled in BIOS. This ensures that your CPU is intelligently adjusting its power and current limits to deliver maximum performance when you need it. the specific PBO settings you need to change It may vary depending on your Ryzen generation, but it’s worth enabling the feature to see if you see tangible gains in gaming and productivity apps. On the Intel side, Turbo Boost and 200S Boost, depending on your CPU family, allow an equivalent performance increase governed by the internal mechanism of the chip. In some cases, you may see elevated thermal temperatures without significant performance improvement. You can then choose to turn off the setting.
CPU and GPU undervoltage
It’s a no-brainer
Undervoltage is universally guaranteed to reduce operating temperatures without affecting performance. Still, the majority people still use their CPU and GPU in the original configurationharming their performance just because they are afraid to alter the voltage settings. Compared to overclocking, CPU undervolting is quite simple. You just need to set a negative voltage offset, perform a stress test to confirm stability, and reduce the voltage further if everything seems fine. You can use the BIOS to adjust the voltage and a program like OCCT to perform stress tests. Some gaming sessions also help determine stability in real-world conditions.
To reduce the voltage of your graphics card, you can use MSI Afterburner or AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition. It involves adjusting the voltage-frequency curve to choose a lower voltage at the same frequency level. You’ll need to take a stress test with OCCT or FurMark, followed by a few play sessions. GPU undervolting is preferred over overclocking as the latter no longer offers significant gains. Low voltage not only reduces temperatures and noise levels, but also increases thermal headroom, allowing the GPU to keep clocks boosted for longer, improving their 1% minimums. Most people should undervolt your GPU before thinking about overclocking he.
A few simple tweaks can give you the PC performance you paid for
Life can get in the way and make you forget to optimize your PC for maximum performance. You might even be happy with your current performance, but a few simple tweaks can improve it even more. Lowering your hardware voltage, enabling PBO/Turbo Boost, adjusting your fan curves, and updating your BIOS can legitimately give you tangible performance gains. They may be basic settings for some players, but most people still don’t take advantage of them all.
