Best BIOS settings for gaming

By Austin Copeland. Austin founded Hypertune in 2022, which is a product of COMPREADY.

Last updated 10 November 2026.

The best BIOS settings for gaming are a short list. Turn on the memory profile, open Resizable BAR where your board and card support it, leave the CPU power limits open enough to boost, keep the fans cooling under load, then save and reboot. Skip random voltage edits unless you know the board.

The settings that matter most:

  1. XMP or EXPO: Load the memory kit profile so RAM runs at its rated speed, not the slow stock speed.
  2. Resizable BAR: Turn on Above 4G Decoding, then Resizable BAR (or Smart Access Memory on AMD), then reboot.
  3. CPU power limits: Prefer the board performance or MultiCore Enhancement profile over a strict Intel Default that caps boost early.
  4. C-states: Leave them on for everyday PCs. Only change them if a known guide for your board says otherwise for a latency test.
  5. Fan curves: Set a curve that keeps the CPU and GPU cool once games load, so boost clocks hold.
  6. Current BIOS: Update when the maker lists support for your CPU, kit or Resizable BAR. Flash from USB and do not cut power.
  7. Undervolt Protection (Intel XTU path): Off when you will undervolt in XTU. On when Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) must stay locked.
  8. Save and exit: Press F10 (or the board Save & Exit), confirm, and let Windows load once before you test FPS.

Set these in BIOS, then Hypertune tunes the rest in Windows. See how Hypertune works. Read the safety page.

BIOS settings for gaming, guide by guide

These five live guides cover the clicks. Use the hub for the short list above. Open the matching guide for your board brand and path.

How to enable XMP

For: Intel boards and kits that ship an XMP profile. About 4 minutes, 2 steps.

Loads your memory kit's factory profile in UEFI so RAM runs at its rated speed. Pick your motherboard brand, enter Advanced mode, open AI Overclock Tuner, and select XMP 1. XMP is a validated overclock; if the PC is unstable, disable it or try a lower profile.

AMD BIOS / EXPO

For: AMD boards using EXPO, DOCP or XMP. About 8 minutes, 4 steps.

Walks through load optimized defaults, Advanced mode, and AI Overclock Tuner so you can set EXPO 1, DOCP or XMP 1 for your kit. On ASUS-style layouts it also sets DRAM refresh interval to 32767, then save and exit with F10.

How to update your BIOS

For: Anyone flashing motherboard firmware before gaming tweaks. About 24 minutes, 12 steps, USB required.

Shows how to find the exact BaseBoard model in Windows, download the maker's latest BIOS, prepare the file (including ASUS BIOSRenamer where needed), copy it to USB, and flash with EZ Flash or the board equivalent. Do not power off during the flash.

Intel XTU BIOS settings

For: Intel PCs preparing UEFI for Intel Extreme Tuning Utility. About 12 minutes, 6 steps.

Enables XMP, sets the board performance profile where offered, unlocks MultiCore Enhancement so power limits are not held back, and turns Undervolt Protection off so you can offset voltage in XTU. Change settings gradually and watch temperatures.

Intel XTU with VBS on

For: Intel PCs that keep Virtualization-Based Security on. About 12 minutes, 6 steps.

Same UEFI prep as the main XTU guide for XMP and power limits, but leaves Undervolt Protection on so VBS stays compatible. Use this path when you need XTU-ready power limits without unlocking undervolt.

After BIOS: Windows power and sync

BIOS gets the hardware ready. Windows still sets how the PC spends power while you play.

On a desktop PC, use the High performance power plan. On a laptop, set Power mode to Best performance while plugged in. Turn GPU scheduling on if the graphics card supports it, then restart and test.

For the lowest input latency, turn V-Sync off, turn G-Sync or FreeSync off, and do not cap FPS. For the smoothest frame pacing, keep V-Sync off in game, turn G-Sync or FreeSync on, and set the cap in-game or in your graphics driver. Starting caps for competitive play: 144 Hz is 139 FPS, 240 Hz is 226 FPS, 360 Hz is 328 FPS, 480 Hz is 424 FPS, and 500 Hz is 439 FPS.

Where Hypertune fits

Hypertune does not change BIOS. Set the BIOS settings above yourself, then Hypertune tunes the rest in Windows.

Hypertune is a Windows app that applies only the features you turn on: CPU Overclocking, GPU Overclocking, Windows Debloating, Network Optimizations, Memory Optimizations, and Game Hub.

Hypertune creates a Windows restore point. To undo a change, open the Restore tab, select the most recent restore point, and select Restore.

Users see up to 60% higher FPS.

See how Hypertune works. Read the safety page.

Questions

Is it safe to change BIOS settings?

Yes, when you change one known setting at a time and save with F10. Stick to profiles the board and memory kit already ship, such as XMP or EXPO. If the PC will not boot, clear CMOS or load optimized defaults and try again.

Does XMP increase FPS?

XMP (or EXPO on AMD) runs your RAM at its rated speed instead of a slow stock speed. That helps most in CPU-bound games. It is not a free FPS boost in every title, but it is the first BIOS change most gaming PCs need.

Do I need to update my BIOS first?

Update when the board maker lists a fix for your CPU, memory kit, or Resizable BAR. Use a USB flash and the maker's tool, and do not cut power while it flashes. A current BIOS makes XMP, EXPO and Resizable BAR more reliable.

What is Resizable BAR?

Resizable BAR (Re-Size BAR on many boards, Smart Access Memory on AMD) lets the CPU talk to the full graphics card memory in one go. Turn on Above 4G Decoding first, then Resizable BAR, then save and reboot. Check that your graphics driver and card support it.

Should I use XMP or EXPO?

Use XMP on most Intel boards and on many kits that only ship an XMP profile. Use EXPO on AMD boards when the kit lists an EXPO profile. Some AMD boards also offer DOCP as the same idea under another name.

Does Hypertune change BIOS settings?

No. Hypertune does not change BIOS. Set the BIOS settings on this page yourself, then Hypertune tunes the rest in Windows.

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