BEST BIOS SETTINGS FOR GAMING PC

Your BIOS is the deepest layer of PC optimization and also the most overlooked. Most gaming PCs run with factory default BIOS settings that prioritize stability over performance — leaving significant FPS and latency gains on the table.

XMP / EXPO — The Most Important Setting

By default, your RAM runs at 2133MHz regardless of its rated speed. Enable XMP (Intel) or EXPO (AMD) in your BIOS under the Memory or OC section. This single change can improve FPS by 10–20% in CPU-bound games and dramatically reduces minimum FPS spikes.

CPU Power Limits

Look for settings called PL1, PL2, Power Limit, or Long/Short Duration Package Power Limit. Setting these to maximum allows your CPU to boost higher for longer. This is particularly impactful for competitive games that heavily load specific CPU cores during combat.

C-States and CPU Sleep Modes

In your BIOS, find C-States, C6/C7 State Support and set to Disabled. This keeps your CPU at full frequency during gameplay and prevents micro-stutters from power state transitions. Note: this increases idle power consumption slightly.

Above 4G Decoding and Resizable BAR

Enable Above 4G Decoding first, then enable Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory. This allows the CPU to access the entire GPU VRAM directly and improves FPS in many modern games by 5–15%.