PC Gaming
Why frame times matter alongside frame rate
An average FPS figure can hide an uneven sequence. A frame-time graph shows where the pauses occur.
24 GUIDES
PC Gaming
Performance, storage, networking and troubleshooting.
PC Gaming
Changing graphics settings one at a time
Use a repeatable scene and a saved baseline so you can tell which change helped.
PC Gaming
Resolution and render scale explained
Display resolution and internal render scale describe different stages of the image.
PC Gaming
What to look for when trying game upscaling
Judge an upscaler in motion, and keep frame generation separate while you compare.
PC Gaming
Understanding graphics-memory limits
Memory capacity, allocation and actual pressure are related, but they are not interchangeable readings.
PC Gaming
Finding out what is limiting PC performance
Use changes in workload to test a hypothesis, rather than relying on one utilisation percentage.
PC Gaming
How to assess your gaming PC’s memory needs
Look at the games you play, the applications beside them and the memory your motherboard can actually accept.
Photo: Bretwa · CC BY-SA 4.0
PC Gaming
What an SSD changes in a gaming PC
An SSD can shorten waits and help asset delivery, but it does not replace the graphics hardware that draws each frame.
PC Gaming
Keeping space for game updates
A patch can need room to unpack and rebuild files, even when its download looks small.
PC Gaming
Planning a graphics-driver update
Record the working version, use the hardware maker’s download and leave enough time to test afterwards.
PC Gaming
Recognising shader-compilation stutter
A sudden pause on first encountering an effect can have a different cause from consistently low performance.
PC Gaming
Investigating a hot or noisy gaming PC
Compare temperatures, workload and the kind of noise before changing fan settings or buying a cooler.
Photo: Raimond Spekking · CC BY-SA 4.0
PC Gaming
Planning airflow in a PC case
Follow the route air can actually take through the case, including filters, radiators and the space outside it.
Photo: Jacek Halicki · CC BY-SA 4.0
PC Gaming
Questions to ask before buying a prebuilt gaming PC
Ask for the complete specification and support terms, not just the processor and graphics-card names.
Photo: Brian Wong · CC BY-SA 2.0
PC Gaming
Setting up a gaming laptop at a desk
Treat power, cooling and the display connection as parts of one setup before adding a dock or monitor.
PC Gaming
Backing up PC game saves
Keep a recoverable copy of progress before moving computers, reinstalling Windows or experimenting with mods.
PC Gaming
When verifying game files can help
Verification checks installed game data. It is useful for certain faults, but it does not diagnose the whole computer.
PC Gaming
Checking background apps during gaming
Look for a process competing for a resource at the moment the game slows down, rather than closing everything blindly.
PC Gaming
Managing game downloads on a shared connection
A download schedule or limit can protect a shared connection without requiring a different internet package.
PC Gaming
Ethernet or Wi-Fi for a gaming PC?
Compare consistency where you actually play, including the route between the router and the internet.
Photo: Khairil Yusof from Malaysia · CC BY 2.0
PC Gaming
Ping and jitter: reading connection problems
An average latency value can look acceptable while individual delays vary enough to disrupt play.
PC Gaming
Investigating packet loss in online games
Build evidence about where packets stop arriving before changing ports, buying hardware or blaming a server.
PC Gaming
Checking whether cloud gaming suits your connection
Test the service on your own connection and device before treating it as a replacement for local hardware.
PC Gaming
Keeping notes that make PC comparisons useful
Record enough context to repeat a comparison and keep the individual runs instead of only the best result.