Microsoft Is Throttling 25% of Your FPS (Here's the Fix)

Overview / main claim

The video argues that Windows can “throttle” gaming performance (claimed up to ~25% FPS loss) by running multiple background services (telemetry/diagnostic tasks) and by enabling certain security features that may impact frame pacing.

The host provides a step-by-step “8 switch” guide to disable or adjust features they say are safe (or at least low risk), plus a final “costly” switch they recommend users understand before turning off.

The “8 simple tasks” (technological actions + why)

1) Clear diagnostics “hang trace” folder (diagnostic evidence) - The host navigates to: File Explorer → Windows → Temp → Diagnostics → Health → Default

• If it’s not empty, it may contain hang traces (recordings of what the PC was doing when it stalled).
• This is presented as evidence that Windows builds internal logs about performance stalls.

2) Disable “Windows Health / Optimized Experiences” (desktop vs laptop guidance) - Path: Win+R → services → “Windows Health and Optimized Experiences” - Set Startup type = Disabled, then Stop. - Important nuance: - Desktop: turning it off is framed as low/no loss because the feature is tied to battery behavior. - Laptop: the host recommends leaving it on because disabling it may remove battery-related behavior (dimming/throttling to extend battery).

3) Disable “Background recording” (Xbox Game Bar background capture) - Path: Settings → Gaming → Captures / background recording (turn off background recording). - Rationale: background recording can run every session even if you never hit “Save”.

4) Disable Xbox Game Bar overlay processes after registering games - The host explains Windows uses the Game Bar overlay to learn which apps/games are games. - Steps: - Launch each unrecognized game with the overlay on once. - Then turn off the Game Bar itself. - Claimed benefit: recorder and overlay are separate toggles; turning off Game Bar should stop background processes while Game Mode remains.

5) Disable peer-to-peer update downloads (Delivery Optimization) - Path: Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Delivery Optimization - Turn off “Allow downloads from other PCs.” - Rationale: Windows may pull updates from others and also upload them, using your upload capacity.

6) Disable “Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser” (task scheduler) - Path: Win+R → task scheduler → Microsoft → Windows → Application Experience - Disable Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser. - Claimed symptom target: cases where disk usage spikes (e.g., 100% disk) with no obvious cause. - Rationale: the task catalogs installed programs; the host implies Windows later uses that list for updates/compatibility decisions.

7) Disable “Connected User Experiences and Telemetry” + opt out of optional diagnostics - Services: - Win+R → services → “Connected User Experiences and Telemetry” - Stop, then set Startup type = Disabled. - Diagnostics setting: - Settings → Privacy & security → Diagnostics & feedback - Switch off “Send optional diagnostic data.” - Host claim: this does not break Windows Update or apps and is not destabilizing.

8) Disable “Memory Integrity” (Core Isolation) — the “one with real tradeoff” - Path: - Windows Security → Device Security → Core Isolation details - Turn Memory integrity = Off - Reboot required - How to verify after reboot: - Win+R → system information - Check Virtualization Based Security = Not Enabled - Tradeoff stated: disabling removes a protective security layer; they link it to improved frame pacing/FPS stability.

Performance/bench claims

• The host emphasizes that averages may move only slightly, but stutter/frame-time spikes are the key improvement area.
• For the “Memory Integrity” switch specifically:
  • A lab test on a 40-series GPU is cited with:
    • ~10% average FPS uplift
    • low end up to 15%
  • Other write-ups cited as 15–25% at the low end, with the average barely changing.
• Overall narrative: Windows overhead/telemetry/background workload management is something Microsoft intended to reduce, but the video claims you can do it now using built-in toggles.

Safety / reliability framing

• The host repeatedly claims the first 7 switches are “free” in terms of stability risk (no major app breakage or OS instability).
• The 8th switch is presented as the only meaningful stability/security tradeoff.

Microsoft feature/roadmap context referenced

• The video claims Microsoft is already planning to shrink Windows memory footprint and reduce gaming overhead via background workload management.
• The host lists Microsoft’s stated categories of things Windows cuts when it needs headroom, including examples such as:
  • background apps
  • non-critical update downloads
  • most telemetry
  • scheduled maintenance pushed back

Main speakers / sources

• Main speaker/source: the video host (unnamed) providing the “8 switches” guide and test/bench claims.
• Secondary referenced sources: Microsoft documentation (power saving/workload management) and forum/community reports the host cites (e.g., confirmations about Game Bar overlay vs recorder behavior).