How to optimize WinXP for gaming?

[awdrifter]

My system can only barely handle the new games anymore, so I'm trying to see if I can squeeze out a few frames out of my current system. So are there anything I can do (other than closing all the other programs) to make the games run smoother? Thanks.

[phelan1777]

My system can only barely handle the new games anymore, so I'm trying to see if I can squeeze out a few frames out of my current system. So are there anything I can do (other than closing all the other programs) to make the games run smoother? Thanks.

try finding a lighter version of XP?

a slimmed down, less bloated version?

Turn down your graphic settings?

Ocing your vid card?

Ocing your CPU?

[awdrifter]

Card and CPU are oc'd to the max. Any good lite very of XP that's specifically modified for gaming? Thanks.

[phelan1777]

Card and CPU are oc'd to the max. Any good lite very of XP that's specifically modified for gaming? Thanks.

I don't personally know of any specifically for gaming.

Try to search here on XS, and or Google?

[Rai_Polo]

Install a dual boot xp/millenium and play your games from millenium. You should get a few more frames. Not sure if it's worth the trouble tho.

[adamsleath]

did xp lite ever reach the shelves?

i tried in the past to systematically turn off various windows services...i never found it made any noticeable difference.

i know exactly where you are coming from...

i reckon the best you can do is a fresh install and only reinstall the apps you absolutely cant live without.

some websites (google) will tell you which extraneous windows services you can opt to turn off....but i dont think it will help you much...when wot you really need is a h/ware upgrade :)

switch to linux and use wine..there's a road i havent travelled...

[phelan1777]

Install a dual boot xp/millenium and play your games from millenium. You should get a few more frames. Not sure if it's worth the trouble tho.

Are you serious??

Win 2K would give him MUCH better performance over that..................

[awdrifter]

But most of the new games doesn't run on any OS older than XP though. I did a bit of searching, there are some custom lite version of WinXP, but they are mostly aimed at folding farm or machines that are really outdated. So I guess I'll live with it for now. Thanks for the replies.

[ExodusC]

You could try and get a copy of Windows Fundamentals.

It's a stripped down version of XP for older machines.

It might be what you are looking for.

[Speederlander]

There is no "tweak" you can do to XP to make your games actually feel smoother. Unless you are running 512 meg of RAM, XP is fast. Picking up 1 or 2 frames by ripping the guts out of the OS is fairly pointless. You are better off adding more RAM or something.

[phelan1777]

RAM is a very good thing for XP, I took a 512 chip out of my laptop to use in another one............and well I wish I didn't.............grrr but I had to, so now I am @ 512 and looking for a 1GB chip.

[awdrifter]

I'm already at 2GB of ram. Here's my spec

AMD X2 4600 @2.81ghz
2GB Mushkin DDR400 @217mhz
Sapphire X1950GT @675/722

It looks like I' pretty much maxed out on my current system then. But I think I'll give Windows Fundamental a try. Thanks for the replies.

[b1lk1]

There is no "tweak" you can do to XP to make your games actually feel smoother. Unless you are running 512 meg of RAM, XP is fast. Picking up 1 or 2 frames by ripping the guts out of the OS is fairly pointless. You are better off adding more RAM or something.

I am with him. Cutting services down will do next to nothing except for benchmarking. You will hardly gain 1-2FPS from a completely stripped down OS and it will probably be limited functionally. If it isn't playing them well enough then either upgrade parts or turn down the settings.

[b1lk1]

switch to linux and use wine..there's a road i havent travelled...

That is a terrible idea. Wine is a slow poorly coded emulator. It will easily run at 1/2 the speed he's seeing now.

[RADCOM]

Bloated windows XP ( that you've had for a few months and installed loads of crap on) feels and runs slower. Try using a dual booted fresh install. You can use nlite to strip out unecessary windows drivers, services and MS bloatware.

[Emerica]

Yeah, you probably haven't reinstalled in a while and it is starting to feel laggy. If you do a clean install you will notice a huge increase in speed. Also try to keep your install clean with only necessary programs, like a poster said previously.