Gaming laptops generally offer lower performance than desktop systems in the same price range — a natural result of a laptop's physical size and power constraints. But most laptop users are running below their laptop's actual capacity, because they're skipping a few critical settings. Unlike desktop-focused guides, this one focuses purely on laptop-specific fixes.
1. Always keep it plugged in
This is the most common and biggest mistake. Nearly all gaming laptops significantly throttle CPU/GPU performance (sometimes by half) while running on battery — a deliberate design choice to preserve battery life. Make sure your laptop is always plugged into its charger while gaming.
2. Set the Windows power plan to "Best Performance"
Laptops are often defaulted to "Balanced" or even "Power Saver" mode. Switching to "Best Performance" via Settings → System → Power & Battery can make a difference even while plugged in.
3. Select "Performance Mode" in the manufacturer software
Manufacturer utilities like ASUS Armoury Crate, MSI Center, Lenovo Vantage, or Razer Synapse usually include a performance mode selector (typically levels like "Silent / Balanced / Performance / Turbo"). Selecting the highest performance mode raises fan speed but also raises thermal limits.
4. Make sure the dedicated GPU (dGPU) is actually being used
Most gaming laptops have both integrated graphics (Intel/AMD APU) and a discrete GPU (NVIDIA/AMD dGPU), switching automatically via a system like NVIDIA Optimus. This automatic selection can sometimes get it wrong. You can manually confirm the game is using the "High-performance NVIDIA processor" via the NVIDIA Control Panel or the laptop manufacturer's software.
5. Use the laptop on a flat, hard surface
Using it on a bed, couch, or carpet blocks the intake vents on the bottom of the laptop and significantly raises temperatures. A hard, flat desk surface (or a laptop stand) is important for airflow.
6. Consider a laptop cooling pad
An external cooling pad with extra fans can drop temperatures by a few degrees, especially on thin/light gaming laptops — meaning less throttling and more stable FPS. See our overheating guide for general warning signs.
7. Clean the internal fans and vents
Because of their cramped internal space, laptops are more sensitive to dust than desktop systems. The general cleaning principles are the same as in our PC maintenance guide, but opening a laptop (especially under warranty) requires more caution — if you're unsure, applying compressed air externally into the vents is a safer starting point.
8. Set resolution and scaling correctly
If you have a high-resolution laptop screen (1440p, 4K) but your GPU struggles at that resolution, lowering the in-game render resolution (without changing the screen's native resolution) usually gives the best balance. DLSS/FSR does this automatically when enabled — see our DLSS vs FSR guide for details.
9. Close unnecessary background apps
Laptops generally have more limited CPU/RAM resources than desktops, so the impact of background apps is felt more strongly. The steps in our Windows optimization guide are especially useful on laptops.
10. Set a realistic expectation
Laptop GPUs generally run at lower power limits than their identically-named desktop counterparts (e.g. a laptop RTX 4070 delivers less FPS than a desktop RTX 4070). Use our FPS calculator to see how much FPS you should expect from your laptop's hardware in specific games, and check whether your actual performance is close to that range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does connecting an external monitor improve performance?
Not directly — performance still depends on the internal dedicated GPU. But it can offer other benefits, like a higher refresh rate or a larger screen.
Can a gaming laptop be upgraded?
On most models, the GPU and CPU can't be swapped (since they're soldered/integrated), but RAM and storage (SSD) are usually upgradeable — which indirectly helps overall performance.
How many years does a gaming laptop stay relevant?
On average, it delivers reasonable performance in current games for 3-5 years. Toward the end of that window, you'll likely need to gradually lower graphics settings.