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Home > Blog > Optimisation Of Your MSI Gaming Laptop For High Performance

POSTED: 09 October, 2024

Optimisation Of Your MSI Gaming Laptop For High Performance

Optimising your MSI gaming laptop might just be the key to getting that edge over your opponents and enjoying smoother gameplay. Whether you're a casual gamer looking for immersive experiences or a competitive player aiming for peak performance, ensuring that your laptop runs at its best is crucial.  

With the right tweaks, you can transform your gaming experience and make sure you're fully prepared to handle any game, no matter how demanding. 

In this guide, we'll walk you through proven strategies to maximise the power of your MSI gaming laptop. From adjusting performance settings to updating drivers and managing cooling systems, you'll learn how to keep your machine running efficiently, even during the most intense gameplay.  

Let’s help you take full advantage of your laptop's hardware and software capabilities, so you can experience the high frame rates, quick load times, and seamless multitasking that every gamer deserves. 

 Why Optimise Your MSI Gaming Laptop? 

Optimising your MSI gaming laptop is more than just a good idea—it’s a game-changer. By fine-tuning your laptop’s settings and keeping everything up to date, you can significantly boost your gameplay, increasing both frame rates (FPS) and overall performance. This means smoother visuals, faster response times, and a more immersive gaming experience. Whether you're playing fast-paced action titles or visually stunning RPGs, a well-optimised laptop can make all the difference. 

For casual gamers, optimisation ensures you can enjoy games without frustrating lag or delays, keeping your experience fun and hassle-free. Meanwhile, competitive gamers know that every millisecond counts and optimising your system could give you that crucial advantage. With improved performance, your MSI laptop gaming sessions will feel more fluid, and you’ll notice faster load times, sharper graphics, and an overall boost in gameplay. 

Moreover, ensuring your MSI Laptop UK is running at its best can prolong its lifespan by preventing overheating and excessive strain on the hardware. Ultimately, optimising your laptop not only elevates your gaming experience but also protects your investment.  

Why settle for average when your MSI laptop can deliver exceptional gaming performance? 

How To Optimise Your MSI Gaming Laptop for the Ideal Performance? 

Let’s have a detailed look at how you can optimise MSI gaming laptop for the ideal performance.  

1-Adjusting Your Laptop’s Settings for Performance 

When it comes to getting the most out of your MSI computer laptop for gaming, tweaking a few settings can make a world of difference. One of the easiest ways to boost performance is by adjusting your power settings to prioritise power over battery life. Let’s walk through how you can optimise your laptop’s settings for smoother, faster gaming. 

Adjusting Power Settings for Gaming 

Your laptop’s default power settings often aim to balance performance and battery life, but for gaming, you want to put performance first. Switching to High Performance mode ensures your laptop uses its full potential during intense gaming sessions. 

Here’s how to do it: 

  1. Open the Start menu and type “Power & Sleep Settings.” 
  2. Click on Additional Power Settings on the right side of the window. 
  3. In the pop-up window, choose High Performance under the “Preferred Plans” section. 
  4. If you don’t see High Performance, click Create a Power Plan on the left, select High Performance, and apply the settings. 

Switching to this mode ensures that your MSI gaming laptop runs at full speed, giving your CPU and GPU the resources they need to run your games smoothly, but keep in mind that this will drain your battery more quickly. 

NVIDIA Control Panel Optimisation 

If your Best MSI Gaming Laptop is powered by an NVIDIA graphics card, you can fine-tune your settings through the NVIDIA Control Panel for even better performance. This lets you prioritise maximum performance in your games while reducing lag and enhancing graphics. 

Here’s how to optimise it: 

  1. Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel. 
  2. Go to Manage 3D Settings on the left. 
  3. In the Global Settings tab, find the Power Management Mode and set it to Prefer Maximum Performance. 
  4. Next, head to Adjust Image Settings with Preview, and select Use My Preference Emphasising: Performance. 

By doing this, your MSI computer laptop will prioritise performance over power-saving, ensuring your GPU is running at its peak. This optimisation helps in reducing lag, giving you smoother and sharper gameplay, particularly during graphically demanding scenes. 

These simple adjustments can make a huge difference, ensuring your laptop performs at its best when you’re gaming. 

2.Boosting Laptop Cooling and Reducing Overheating 

Overheating can really hold back the performance of your gaming laptop MSI, especially during those intense, action-packed gaming sessions. Fortunately, MSI laptops come with some impressive cooling technologies that help keep temperatures in check and performance smooth. Let’s dive into some advanced cooling techniques and accessories that can make a real difference. 

Utilising MSI's Cooler Boost Technology 

MSI's Cooler Boost Technology is a lifesaver when it comes to keeping your laptop cool under heavy load. This advanced cooling system uses dedicated fans and heat pipes to efficiently dissipate heat, keeping your components running at optimal temperatures even during demanding games. With Cooler Boost, you can push your laptop to its limits without worrying about overheating. 

You can also manage your fan speeds manually through the MSI Dragon Center. By adjusting the fan settings, you can prioritise cooling over noise levels, which is especially useful during long gaming marathons. Just open Dragon Center, head to the Fan Speed section, and select Advanced to fine-tune the speeds based on your current gaming needs. 

Cooling Accessories for MSI Laptops 

For additional cooling support, consider investing in an external cooling pad. These accessories provide extra airflow to the bottom of your laptop, which can further reduce temperatures and prevent throttling during long gaming sessions. External cooling pads are affordable and easy to use, making them a great addition for gamers looking to maximise their laptop’s performance. 

Take the MSI Cyborg 15, for example. This model features an enhanced cooling design that’s perfect for long gaming sessions, ensuring your laptop stays cool even during the most intense battles. Combined with a cooling pad, it’s a solid option for keeping everything running smoothly. 

3.Optimising Game-Specific Settings for MSI Gaming Laptops 

Getting the most out of your cheap MSI laptop doesn’t just come down to hardware—adjusting your game-specific settings can also work wonders for performance. Here’s how you can fine-tune your gaming experience using MSI Dragon Center and in-game settings. 

MSI Dragon Center Gaming Mode 

MSI Dragon Center's Gaming Mode is an essential tool for customising your game profiles. It allows you to optimise settings based on the specific game you’re playing, tweaking performance, power usage, and cooling settings for each title. Simply open Dragon Center, select the Gaming Mode tab, and choose a game profile to adjust things like fan speeds and system performance for optimal gaming conditions. 

In-Game Setting Adjustments 

For even better performance, you can tweak your in-game settings. Start by adjusting the resolution, graphics quality, and frame rates. Lowering the resolution or switching from ultra to high settings can significantly boost your laptop’s performance. For instance, if you’re gaming on the MSI Pulse 17, adjusting these settings can help maintain high frame rates and smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual quality. 

By fine-tuning these settings, you’ll ensure your gaming laptop MSI performs at its peak while preventing overheating and maintaining smooth gameplay. 

4.Overclocking Your MSI Gaming Laptop: Pros and Cons 

Overclocking can sound tempting if you’re looking to squeeze every drop of performance out of your MSI gaming laptop. It involves pushing your CPU and GPU beyond their factory-set speeds to improve gaming performance. While it can lead to faster frame rates and a smoother experience, it’s important to know both the benefits and the risks before diving in. 

The Pros of Overclocking 

Overclocking can give your MSI laptop a serious performance boost, allowing you to run games at higher settings or increase FPS without upgrading hardware. This is especially useful for graphically intense games that push your laptop to its limits. By tweaking your CPU and GPU speeds, you can improve processing power and graphics performance, making your laptop feel faster and more responsive during gameplay. 

The Cons and Risks 

However, overclocking comes with its risks. Pushing your hardware too far can lead to overheating, which may cause long-term damage or reduce the lifespan of your laptop. High-end models like the MSI Katana 15 and MSI Pulse 17 have advanced cooling systems, but even these can struggle to handle the extra heat generated by overclocking if not managed properly. This can lead to instability, crashes, or worse, permanent hardware damage. 

How to Overclock Safely 

If you’re set on overclocking, it’s essential to do it safely. You can use MSI Afterburner, a tool that allows you to fine-tune your GPU’s clock speed and voltage. Here’s a simple guide: 

  1. Download and install MSI Afterburner from MSI’s website. 
  2. Launch the app and start by increasing the clock speed in small increments (10-20 MHz). 
  3. Monitor your temperatures using the built-in graph to ensure your laptop isn’t overheating. 
  4. Test your settings by running a game or benchmark, and if stable, you can increase the speed further. 
  5. Once you’ve found a stable overclock, save the settings, and enjoy the boost! 

Remember, overclocking should be done with caution, and you should always keep an eye on your laptop’s temperature to prevent overheating. 

5- Keeping Your Laptop Clean and Efficient 

To keep your MSI laptop performing at its best, it’s important to maintain its overall health by clearing out unnecessary files and managing startup programs. This helps free up system resources and ensures your laptop runs smoothly, which is especially helpful if you’ve noticed a dip in performance or are dealing with a lot of junk files. 

Clearing Unnecessary Files 

Over time, your laptop can accumulate a lot of temporary files, cached data, and other unnecessary clutter that can slow down your system. MSI provides a handy tool called MSI Smart Tool, which helps clean up junk files in just a few clicks. Alternatively, you can use third-party apps like CCleaner to do the job. 

Simply open the tool, select the types of files you want to clear, and run a clean-up. This frees up valuable storage and helps speed up your system. 

Managing Startup Programs 

Too many programs launched at startup can slow down your laptop’s boot time and eat into your system’s resources. To manage this, open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Startup tab, and disable any unnecessary programs from starting when your laptop boots up. 

By managing startup programs, you can reduce the load on your system and improve your laptop’s performance, especially if you’re working with a budget-friendly model with limited RAM. 

Keeping your MSI laptop clean and efficient will not only extend its lifespan but also ensure you’re getting the best value for its price. 

6- Network Optimisation for Online Gaming 

When it comes to online gaming, a smooth and lag-free experience can make all the difference, especially in competitive play. One of the simplest ways to improve your network performance is by switching to a wired connection. While Wi-Fi is convenient, an Ethernet connection provides a much more reliable and stable connection, ensuring faster data transfer and fewer interruptions. 

Advantages of Using an Ethernet Connection 

Using a wired connection eliminates many of the common issues gamers face with Wi-Fi, such as signal interference and dropouts. By plugging your MSI gaming laptop directly into your router, you’ll enjoy reduced latency, meaning fewer delays between your actions and what happens in the game. This can be a game-changer for fast-paced titles where every millisecond counts, giving you a noticeable edge, especially on the best gaming laptop UK options. 

Reducing Ping and Latency 

For those who can’t use Ethernet, there are still ways to optimise your network for online gaming. Tweaks like adjusting your router settings or using software such as MSI Dragon Center’s network optimisers can help reduce ping and improve connection quality. Tools like WTFast also provide a gamer-friendly VPN that optimises your network route, reducing lag and improving stability during gameplay. 

7- Additional Accessories to Maximise Performance 

To take your gaming experience to the next level, consider adding some high-performance accessories that complement your MSI laptop. The right gear can significantly improve your gameplay, comfort, and overall immersion. 

High-Performance Gaming Mouse and Keyboard 

A high-quality gaming mouse and keyboard are essential for competitive gaming. Features like adjustable DPI settings on a gaming mouse can provide you with more precise control, while a mechanical keyboard offers tactile feedback for quicker responses. Pairing these accessories with a laptop like the MSI Cyborg 15 can enhance your in-game performance, allowing you to react faster and more accurately. 

External Monitors for Enhanced Gaming 

An external monitor can also make a big difference. Many gaming monitors offer higher refresh rates (such as 144Hz or 240Hz), which result in smoother visuals and quicker responses in fast-action games. A larger screen can also improve your field of view, allowing you to spot enemies or details more easily. Using an external monitor with the MSI Cyborg 15 can give you a more immersive experience without compromising on performance. 

By optimising your network and adding the right accessories, you can truly unlock the full potential of your MSI gaming laptop, ensuring every session is smoother and more enjoyable. 

Best MSI Laptops for High-Performance Gaming 

If you're looking to unleash the full potential of your gaming experience, we've got you covered with a curated list of the best MSI laptops designed for high-performance gaming. These laptops are equipped with the latest Intel processors, powerful NVIDIA graphics, and ample storage, ensuring you can handle even the most demanding games with ease. Whether you're a casual gamer or a competitive pro, these models provide the perfect balance of power and performance. Plus, all of these incredible machines are available at Box.co.uk, offering top-tier gaming technology at prices that won’t break the bank! 

MSI Laptop 

Key Features 

Best Suited for? 

Games it Can Play? 

Required Upgrades? 

How optimisation affects Gameplay? 

 

Pricing 

MSI Pulse 15 

Intel Core i9, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4070, 15.6" FHD Display 

Hardcore gamers and content creators 

Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty: Warzone, Red Dead Redemption 2 

Minor updates, primarily software (Update drivers and tweak performance settings) 

Improves FPS and reduces stuttering for smoother, ultra-high settings gameplay 

~£1700 

 

 

MSI Katana 17 

Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4050, 17.3" FHD Display 

Gamers looking for a large screen and immersive visuals 

Fortnite, FIFA 23, Valorant 

Software optimisation suggested (Adjust graphics settings and power mode) 

Enhances graphics and frame rate for smoother play on high settings 

~£1300 

 

 

MSI Stealth 16 

Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4060, 16" QHD Display 

Professional gamers and streamers 

Forza Horizon 5, Apex Legends, Assassin's Creed Valhalla 

Requires minor tweaks (Overclock GPU and optimise cooling 

Boosts performance and lowers overheating risks, great for extended sessions 

~£2200 

MSI Cyborg 15 AI 

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4060, 15.6" FHD Display 

Budget-conscious gamers wanting strong performance 

League of Legends, GTA V, Overwatch 2 

Consider upgrading storage to 1TB (Optimise game settings and update drivers) 

Improves load times and gameplay smoothness with optimised settings 

~£1500 

MSI Katana 17 

Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4050, 17.3" FHD Display 

Immersive gaming with large display 

Minecraft, PUBG, Elden Ring 

Needs no major upgrades (Manage power and cooling options) 

Helps maintain high frame rates and prevents overheating in longer sessions 

~£1300 

Final Verdict! 

Optimising your MSI gaming laptop is essential if you want to enjoy the best gaming experience possible. From adjusting power settings and overclocking to reducing overheating and improving network performance, each tweak helps to enhance gameplay, improve frame rates, and make sure your laptop is running at its full potential. Whether you're a casual gamer or someone who competes online, these optimisations can give you a serious edge. 

Ready to take your gaming to the next level? Check out the best budget MSI laptop for high-performance gaming over at Box.co.uk. Whether you’re after the latest models or searching for the best budget gaming laptops, Box UK has a wide range of options to suit your needs. Don’t miss out, find your perfect gaming machine now! 

Happy gaming!