Ways to improve ping in games on Windows 10

Have you ever been in the middle of a decisive battle when suddenly your character starts teleporting around the map or freezes in place? Most likely, high ping is to blame. In simple terms, ping is the response time between your computer and the game server. The lower it is, the faster the events in the game occur, which means you get more enjoyment and less frustration.

Fortunately, you don't have to put up with constant lag. Windows 10 has several built-in tools and simple settings that can help reduce ping. Many of them do not require in-depth technical knowledge and boil down to selecting the right settings in the system and router.

In this article, we will look at the most effective ways to help make your connection more stable. From simple steps, such as closing background programs, to more advanced router settings. Let's start cleaning up your network connection.

Method 1: Optimizing update delivery

For fast and convenient downloading of updates in Windows 10, developers have provided P2P technology, which works on the principle of a torrent. That is, updates are downloaded not from the company's servers, but from the computers of other users who also have Windows 10 installed. This feature is called “Delivery”, and it can run in the background, which causes increased ping in the game, as it can overload the network.

Try disabling this method of downloading updates using the corresponding section in “Settings”:

1. Click on the button “Start” and open the application “Settings”, by clicking on the corresponding icon.
2. Go to the section “Update and Security”.
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4. In the new window, click on the tab “Delivery Optimization”. Set the toggle switch to the inactive state for the option “Allow downloads from other computers”.

This completes the process of disabling update delivery. It is also possible to configure the feature more precisely so that it is not disabled completely. To do this, click on the line “Advanced options”.

A new window will open where the user can configure bandwidth and data transfer settings, reducing the load on the network.

Method 2: Closing applications that overload the network

Another common reason for excessively high ping in games is the parallel operation of applications that use an Internet connection and usually run in the background. For example, if you decide to play an online game while downloading a torrent, it is highly likely that you will not be able to do so comfortably. To close such processes, use the built-in “Task Manager”:

1. Right-click on the bottom taskbar and select Task Manager.
2. In the program window, you need to find out which processes are putting the most load on the network. General information is available on the tab “Performance”. In the left pane, select the connection type you are using to see the bandwidth history — this will help you understand whether any applications with Internet access are actually running in the background (i.e., loading the network periodically rather than once).
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4. Go to the tab “Processes”. To search for programs that use the network, click on the column “Network”, to sort the processes in descending order. Select the problematic software by left-clicking on it, then click on the button “Remove Task”.

Do the same with all processes that are putting too much strain on the network. After that, you can close “Task Manager” and check if the ping in the game has decreased.

Some viruses and miners actively use network traffic, loading the network and slowing down the computer. Even if in “Task Manager” do not have information about such processes, but this does not mean that they do not actually exist. The best way to get rid of malicious utilities is to scan the system for their presence using built-in or third-party tools.

More details:

Methods for removing viruses from a computer running Windows 10

Searching for and removing miners in Windows 10

Method 3: Disabling geolocation

As you know, Windows 10 collects information about the location of the user and their device, but all processes occur in the background and can affect the performance of an unstable network. Some applications, such as And click on the three dots to the right of the add-on name., you need to know the location of your PC, otherwise they will refer to the information log. To reduce ping and improve conditions for online gaming, try temporarily disabling the location detection feature:

1. Through system “Settings” go to the section “Privacy”)..
2. Select the tab “Location” and click on the button “Change” in the central part of the window.
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4. In the window that appears, move the switch to the “Off”.

After that, neither applications nor Windows 10 services will be able to receive information about your location, thus ceasing to overload the network. If completely disabling geolocation does not suit you, fine-tune this feature using the article at the link below.

Method 4: Suspending third-party antivirus software

Antivirus programs also run in the background because when you are actively connected to the Internet, they provide real-time protection, preventing the intrusion of malicious utilities. The software can update its databases in the background, which also affects ping in online games. Try temporarily stopping such software. The algorithm of actions may differ and depends on the application interface: for some, it is enough to simply call the context menu at the icon in the tray, for others, you will have to go to the settings section. Our separate article describes methods for disabling the most common antivirus solutions. If you have a different tool installed that is not listed in the instructions, use the universal method also described in the article.

More details: Disabling antivirus software

To improve ping in games on Windows 10, you first need to stabilize your internet connection: use a cable instead of Wi-Fi, close background programs that steal traffic, and check if the network is overloaded with other devices. System settings can also help — disable auto-updates, prioritize traffic for games through QoS or router settings, and sometimes simply restarting your router. The cleaner the connection and the less interference, the lower the ping and the more stable the game.

Method 5: Update your network card driver

Like any other software or hardware component, your computer's network card needs an up-to-date driver to work stably and connect to the network. If it does not download and install automatically, do it yourself. Not only the standard Windows 10 tools will help you, but also auxiliary utilities or the official website of the card manufacturer. We wrote earlier about ways to update a network card.

More info: Installing software for a network adapter in Windows 10

Unstable network card software can mess up your internet connection, including ping spikes. This will affect not only online games, but also your browser and other apps that need an internet connection.

Instead of (or after) updating, you can try rolling back the drivers to their previous state, as important files may have been damaged during installation or by a virus. To do this, go to Device Manager go to “Properties” the network equipment and on the “Driver” tab, click the “Roll back”, if it is available.

Method 6: Change the game server

Changing servers will help improve ping in a particular game, as they can be overloaded due to the large number of gamers playing at the moment or the unstable operation of the host itself. This is done through the game interface itself, so the algorithm is different everywhere. For example, in World of Tanks, you can connect to any of the available servers when you log into your account. It also shows how busy the server is at the moment. You can also go to the server change menu from the “Hangar.”

In other games, you will have to open the section with available servers yourself and filter them by latency. For example, in Counter-Strike, there is a separate column for this in the server table, and in DOTA 2, there is a link to select a region above the game search button. In most cases, the game itself chooses the best option based on your location. But if, for example, geolocation is disabled in Windows 10, not every game will be able to correctly select a suitable server, and the ping will increase significantly. If possible, choose the server that is closest to you. For example, if you are in Russia, choosing an American server can only cause inconvenience due to high ping.

Method 7: Activating game mode

Windows 10 has a feature “Game Mode,”, which optimizes the system for gaming. In addition, it is designed to simplify streaming, screen capture, and other features. The principle of this mode is that all unnecessary processes in the OS are automatically terminated during gameplay, and after exiting the game, they are restarted. This can help suspend applications that may affect ping. We discussed how to activate this feature in two ways in our separate article.

More info: Enabling game mode in Windows 10

Method 8: Changing the registry

In some situations, changing one of the registry settings that optimizes the TCP protocol may help solve the problem.

1. Open “Registry Editor”, find the tool via ‘Start’ Windows 10.
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3. Expand the directories in the left pane: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile. On the right side of the window, find the parameter “NetworkThrottlingIndex” and double-click on it with the left mouse button.
4. In the field ‘Value’ enter “FFFFFFFF” and save the settings.
5. The next thing to do is to remove the restriction on game traffic usage. To do this, follow the path again through the left panel: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces. In the last folder, find the section with the most parameters: it usually contains information about the gateway, the computer's IP address, and other network information. To do this, click on all the directories in the folder one by one “Interfaces”. Once inside the found folder, right-click on the free area on the right and hover the cursor over the item “Create”, then select “DWORD parameter (32 bits)”.
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7. Assign a name to the new parameter TCPackFreqency and double-click on it to configure.
8. In the value field, enter «1» and save the changes.
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10. In the same directory, create a second parameter in the same way, naming it TCPNoDelay and also setting its value to «1».
11. Then you need to go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSMQ. Create a 32-bit DWORD parameter in the last folder with the name “TCPNoDelay” and with the value «1».

This completes the change of network settings via “Registry Editor” done. Close the tool window, restart your system, and check the ping in games.

As you can see, improving ping in games is not some kind of magic available only to the select few. Most often, it all comes down to basic but important things: a stable internet connection, correct system settings, and a sensible choice of server.

Don't expect miracles from a single method. A comprehensive approach usually gives the best results. Try applying several methods from this article, especially those related to wired connection and closing background programs. You will most likely notice positive changes right away.

The main thing is to start with the simplest and don't be afraid to experiment. Stable and low ping will make any gaming process much more enjoyable, and victories will become more achievable. Good luck on the battlefield!