You don't need unlimited money to transform your gaming PC, in this article we'll go through 11 things you can do to your Gaming PC to scratch that PC Hardware itch. Here's how to boost performance and aesthetics without breaking the bank.

1 - OPTIMISE WINDOWS FOR GAMING (£0)

Nobody can complain about free performance, changing a few Windows settings can give you a small FPS boost in some games. Disabling Startup Bloatware is the main change we recommend: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to bring up the Task Manager, and go to the "Startup Apps" tab. In here you'll see what is Enabled and Disabled at startup, you can Right Click the different applications to either Enable or Disable them, disabling anything you don't need to open at startup will give you a good performance boost!

Enabling Game Mode is also a setting that may get you a small FPS increase in games, go to the Windows Settings and then navigate to the "Gaming" settings page. At the bottom you'll see "Game Mode", open this option and change the slider to "On". This turns off certain processes in the background when Windows detects that you're gaming.

2 - UPDATE GPU DRIVERS (£0)

Graphics Card manufacturers release new drivers periodically which can fix game-specific issues, add new settings and, most importantly, give you a performance boost in games. You'll want to navigate to the driver page for your specific Graphics Card and download the most recent option. For Nvidia you can download the Nvidia App, and for AMD you can use the AMD Adrenaline software, both will notify you when a new driver update is available.

3 - TWEAK IN-GAME SETTINGS (£0)

For our final zero-cost recommendation, tweaking in-game settings seems obvious but some smart changes can change your gaming experience for the better. For competitive games like Valorant and CS2 higher FPS numbers are more important than the game looking as nice as possible, you should lower the texture settings, disable VSync and shadows to low (there might also be some game specific settings that may give you a competitive advantage, a quick Google should tell you!). For single player games, you want textures to be higher, resolution to be set at the maximum your monitor supports and any DLSS/FSR options turned on. Frame Sync tech like GSync and FreeSync are also great for these sorts of games, as it can make the gameplay feel smoother without having a huge FPS number.

4 - CABLE MANAGEMENT! (~£0)

It's no secret that Cable Management can make or break the aesthetics of your Gaming PC, but the perks don't end there. Good Cable Management can also encourage better airflow and cause less dust buildup too. Get yourself a cheap pack of cable ties (or dig out the ones that came with your case!), a pair of side cutters and get managing. Our recommendation is to disconnect all of the cables, run the case and fan cables first, then run the PSU cables in a different "channel" to make future replacement much easier.

5 - DUST CLEANING (£5)

Let's be honest, your PC is probably dirtier than a London Underground bench. We recommend grabbing a can of compressed air and a cheap microfibre. Pay special attention to the CPU Cooler and GPU fans, and making sure to remove all dust filters and cleaning them too. Do this every few months and you'll avoid overheating when summer hits. We've got an article that covers this in depth, you can find it here.

6 - ADD MORE RAM (£50-100)

If your PC stutters when you've got Chrome, Discord and a game open, more RAM could quite possibly be your fix. Double check Task Manager whilst you're gaming to keep an eye on the RAM usage, if it's sitting about ~80% usage then an upgrade would be a good idea! You'll want to check what RAM your PC currently has, if your PC is from UKGC then check your invoice or give us a call, if not you can either take out your current RAM stick(s) and note down the part number, or use CPU-Z to check the specifications of the current RAM. Just a small warning, mixing different speeds and brands can cause issues, so try and match what you already have, or replace it all! Probably worth checking the RAM Support on the webpage of your Motherboard too, just to make sure the new RAM will work as expected.

7 - INSTALL A CHEAP SSD (£35-50)

If you're still using a Hard Drive in 2025 then, firstly, our condolences. Secondly, you'll be pleased to hear that SSDs are at an all-time-low so now is a good time to (finally) upgrade. You can get a 480GB Kingston A400 SATA SSD for around £35, which will cut loading times by a significant amount. You'll need to make sure you've got a SATA cable, a way to mount the SSD in your case, SATA port on your Motherboard and SATA power connector on your PSU. For a little bit more you can get an NVMe drive that clips straight into your Motherboard, but make sure your board has an M.2 slot beforehand.

8 - UPGRADE YOUR COOLING (£5-30)

If your PC sounds like it's about to take off, it might be time to upgrade your cooling. If you're unsure if your temps are okay or not, run through the tests mentioned in our "How to check PC Temperatures" guide. If you've got a PC that uses the AM4, AM5, LGA1700 or LGA1851 socket then the Arctic Freezer 36 is a great choice for ~£30, or if your PC is a bit older you can't go wrong with a Cooler Master Hyper 212 or Deepcool AK400. Some extra case fans would probably be a good idea too, you can get a 5-pack of Arctic P12 fans for £20 which will transform your case airflow (one or two will do a good job too!), make sure you're got somewhere to plug them in to though (buy a few PWM fan splitters if not).

9 - NEW BUDGET PERIPHERALS (£5-50)

If you're still using that £5 mouse from Amazon, there's a good chance it might be holding you back. Check out brands like Marvo and Redragon for budget-friendly options that are still decent quality. If you want to stick with a brand, you can get a Razer Deathadder Essential for £25, and a Logitech G413 TKL Mechanical Keyboard for around £50.

10 - ADD RGB LIGHTING (£5-25)

Let's be honest, RGB makes everything faster. You can get an ARGB case fan for a fiver, Motherboard controlled magnetic-strips for not much more, or even some aesthetic desk lighting fixtures. Try not to go over the top though, we're going for Battlestation, not Blackpool.

11 - REPLACE THERMAL PASTE

If your CPU is running hotter than a Greggs sausage roll then it might be time for a thermal compound replacement. Over time, the stock stuff dries out, causing temps to creep up. You'll want to grab some decent paste (Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, Arctic MX-6 or Noctua NH-H2), the smallest tubes will do the job, some Isopropyl alcohol and some sort of lint free wipes (coffee filters work great!). Clean off the old stuff, apply a grain of rice sized blob and screw the cooler back down evenly. Don't fancy doing it yourself? We offer a full system service that includes a full dust clean, Thermal Paste replacement and OS health check for £70, contact us to get booked in.

There we have it, 11 ways to breathe new life into your gaming rig. Whether you're tweaking settings or swapping parts, you won't need to remortgage the gaff for better performance.

NEED HELP?

Our UK-based workshop offers all optimisations and upgrades mentioned in this article and much more, get in contact with us if you're looking to make some changes, or if you're ready to start fresh, check our our bestsellers!