Performance
Windows Optimizations for Marvel Rivals: 14 Reversible Tweaks
Some of what costs you frames and input lag in Marvel Rivals is not in the game at all. It is Windows deciding to throttle your network adapter, park CPU cores, record your screen in the background, or run the game on the wrong GPU.
There are 14 of these in the RivalsFPS.gg app's Windows Optimizations tab, grouped by what they touch. Each one applies in a click and reverts in a click, and the app records the previous value first so reverting puts back what you actually had.
Start with these two
Most of the list is about consistency, but two of them can change your frame rate outright, and both are fixes for a machine that was set up wrong in the first place.
Max Refresh Rate
A 144Hz or 240Hz panel running at 60Hz is the single largest loss on this page, and it is common. Windows does not always pick the highest rate on its own.
Prefer High-Performance GPU
On laptops, Windows will happily render the game on the integrated chip. If your frame rate looks far worse than your hardware suggests, check this before anything else.
The full list
Network
- TCPNoDelay Disables Nagle's algorithm so packets send immediately instead of batching. Steadier ping in the moments hit registration depends on.
- Network Throttling Off Lifts the background throttling cap Windows applies, so game traffic is never rate-limited behind other apps.
- Update Seeding Off Stops Windows Update sharing your upload with other PCs, which otherwise eats your uplink mid-match.
- Network Adapter Full Power Stops Windows powering your adapter down to save energy and pins Wi-Fi to maximum performance. Matters most on battery.
System
- Windows Game Mode On Prioritizes the game and holds back driver installs and update prompts while you play.
- Background Recording Off Stops the rolling video buffer Windows keeps in the background, which shares your GPU encoder.
GPU
- Hardware GPU Scheduling Lets the GPU schedule its own work instead of leaning on the CPU. Trims a little render latency on supported cards.
- Prefer High-Performance GPU Points Windows at your dedicated GPU. This is the fix for laptops quietly rendering on the integrated chip.
- Max Refresh Rate Sets your monitor to its highest refresh rate. The biggest single win if a panel has been sitting at 60Hz.
Power
- Ultimate Performance Plan Unlocks the hidden power plan so the CPU stops parking cores and dropping clocks mid-fight.
- Power Throttling Off Stops Windows efficiency-throttling background apps, so Discord and capture software keep full speed. Costs battery on laptops.
Input
- Mouse Acceleration Off Disables Enhance Pointer Precision so cursor movement maps 1:1 to the mouse.
- Accessibility Popups Off Stops the Sticky, Filter, and Toggle Keys prompts stealing focus. Any feature you actually use is left alone.
- Xbox Button Popup Off Unbinds the controller's Xbox button from opening the Game Bar overlay. Win+G and capture still work.
Reverting
Every value is snapshotted before its first apply, and a setting that was absent is recorded as absent rather than as a default. That is what lets a revert put back the real prior state. Revert one tweak from its own row, or all of them with Revert All.
A few need a restart to take effect. The app marks those, so you know before you click rather than after.
What this will not fix
If your problem is stuttering rather than latency, start with the stuttering guide instead. VRAM overflow and shader compilation are not OS settings, and no tweak here will touch them.
These 14 also leave the game's own render load alone. Nothing on this page changes how much Marvel Rivals has to draw each frame. If you want the picture itself to cost less, that is graphic packs and the six layer settings above them, plus the app's Quality tab, which needs an NVIDIA graphics card and trades texture quality for FPS in the NVIDIA driver's own Marvel Rivals profile for the length of one launch.
Common questions
Do Windows optimizations actually increase FPS?
Mostly they cut latency rather than raise average FPS. Max Refresh Rate and Prefer High-Performance GPU are the two that can change your frame rate outright, and both are fixes for a machine that was misconfigured. The rest steady your frame pacing and input response.
Are these tweaks safe?
Every value is recorded before it is first changed, including when a setting was absent, so reverting restores the real prior state rather than a guessed default. Each tweak reverts individually, or all at once with Revert All.
Do I need to restart after applying them?
Some of them, yes. The app marks which ones need a restart and tells you before you apply.
Can I apply just one?
Yes. Each tweak is applied on its own, with its own Apply and Revert. Nothing is bundled.
Which ones should I start with?
Max Refresh Rate first, since a panel stuck at 60Hz is the largest single loss. On a laptop, Prefer High-Performance GPU next. After that, the network group if your ping is inconsistent.