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5 quick ways I boost my Windows 11 laptop's performance
If you've just got a new Windows 11 laptop, you likely want to ensure it's as powerful as possible. While the default settings on Windows 11 are decent, they may not always be the best for extracting every bit of performance possible out of your PC.
Fortunately, if you want to turn your laptop into the most powerful machine it can be, Windows 11 offers several ways to do so by adjusting specific settings, which you can easily access. This also applies to older laptops, not just new ones, so if you have an older laptop that's slowing down, you can try these solutions as well. Here are five ways to boost your laptop's performance that can make a real difference.
Switch your power plan
Make sure your PC is set to Best Performance
The first setting I recommend checking on your laptop to improve its performance is its power plan. Windows 11 offers two types of power modes, one for when your laptop is plugged in and another for when it's on battery. Power modes in Windows 11 help manage how your PC's hardware functions, balancing efficiency and performance.
To access the Power Mode settings on Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Power &Battery. There, you'll see the Power Mode option. If you want your laptop to operate at its highest performance at all times, select Best Performance for both plugged-in and on-battery modes. However, if you'd like to save battery life while your laptop isn't connected to AC power, I recommend choosing either Balanced or Best Power Efficiency when it's on battery. Switching your power plan to Best Performance essentially tells your laptop to operate at its full capacity all the time, which is helpful for gaming and demanding apps.
Disable animation effects
Make Windows 11 snappier
Windows 11 has some visually appealing animations that appear whenever you perform an action, such as opening or closing a window. However, these animations do impact system performance. Turning them off makes opening and closing windows much quicker and helps your PC feel less sluggish.
To disable animations on Windows 11, go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual Effects. From there, you can turn off two options -- Transparencyeffects and Animation effects -- to boost performance. Once you do, you'll immediately notice how much faster windows open and close.
If you want to further customize the visual effects on your Windows 11 PC, type sysdm.cpl into Windows Search. This will open the System Properties menu. From there, select Advanced and click on Performance. A new window will appear, allowing you to disable many Windows visual effects. It's set to "Let Windows choose what's best for my computer" by default, but I recommend changing it to "Adjust for better performance."
Update your graphics driver
Check your GPU driver and optimize games
Another simple way to ensure you're getting the best performance from your PC is by updating its graphics drivers. If your laptop has a dedicated Nvidia GPU, you can do this through the Nvidia app. Similarly, if you have a dedicated or integrated GPU from AMD, you can update it via AMD's Adrenalin app.
If you have an Nvidia GPU, open the Nvidia app and go to the Drivers tab to download the latest version if needed. You can also visit the Graphics tab to fine-tune game settings for optimal performance. Nvidia will automatically suggest the best graphics settings based on your hardware, allowing you to choose a balance between performance and quality or prioritize one. I prefer higher frame rates, so I usually move the slider toward performance.
AMD's Adrenalin app functions the same way as Nvidia's app, letting you download the latest drivers for your AMD GPU and optimize your games. If you have an Intel GPU, you can do the same using Intel Graphics Software.
If you're unsure about what type of GPU you have, go to Settings > System > About, and under Graphics Card, it will display the make and model.
Check your refresh rate
If you have a higher refresh rate display, make sure it's set above 60Hz
If your laptop has a display with a higher refresh rate, double-check to ensure your PC's display settings have it enabled. Many laptops today, including numerous gaming laptops, feature displays with 120Hz, 180Hz, or even higher refresh rates, but sometimes you need to activate it in the settings to experience it fully.
To verify your display's refresh rate, go to Settings > System > Display > AdvancedDisplay. At the bottom, you'll find a setting called Choose refresh rate. When I first got my Asus laptop, it was set to 60Hz when unplugged, so I increased it to 180Hz. It may impact battery life, but it's worth having a buttery-smooth display at all times. You can also try Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR), which automatically adjusts the refresh rate based on your activity, if you want to conserve battery while on the move.
If you have a gaming laptop, you might also find display settings for your refresh rate in its proprietary app, such as Asus Armoury Crate, MSI Center, Razer Synapse, or Legion Space, among others.
Adjust your startup apps and check for Windows updates
Make your PC boot faster, and make sure Windows is up to date
If you have many apps on your PC, chances are some launch automatically when you turn on your computer and run unnecessarily in the background even if you're not using them. I strongly recommend disabling any apps at startup that you don't need immediately, as this prevents them from using memory in the background. Additionally, if your PC takes a long time to start up, this can help speed it up a bit.
To manage your startup apps, open Task Manager. You can do this by searching for Task Manager in Windows Search or by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Then, click the Startup tab and review the apps there that you don't need running at startup. A few apps I've disabled include Copilot, Teams, and the Xbox app. I never use them, so I don't need them running when I boot my PC.
Finally, if you feel that your PC is experiencing performance issues or is running slowly, check to see if your Windows is up-to-date. One time, I experienced an issue where every app took a minute to open on my laptop, and all it took was a Windows Update to fix it. To check if Windows is up-to-date, go to Settings > Windows Update and check for and install any available updates.
