Omen Gaming Hub

System overhead—the CPU, memory, and disk resources consumed by background services—is a critical factor for any gaming PC. For Kiwi gamers looking to maximise their system’s potential, understanding and managing these processes can make the difference between smooth, immersive gameplay and frustrating performance bottlenecks. While these services are useful for everyday computing, they can reduce frame rates (FPS), increase input lag, and contribute to overheating during intense gaming sessions.

This guide shows you how to optimise your gaming PC’s performance by safely disabling unnecessary Windows background services. You’ll learn how to identify resource-hungry processes, minimise unnecessary overhead, and properly configure essential features like Windows Game Mode and OMEN Gaming Hub. These techniques work whether you use an HP OMEN desktop, HP OMEN gaming laptop, or a custom-built system featuring Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA components, helping you achieve smoother gaming performance without compromising system stability.

What Are Background Services and How They Affect Gaming

Windows relies on dozens of background services and applications to keep your system running smoothly. While many are critical for security and hardware stability, not all are essential for gaming. Background processes compete with your games for vital resources like CPU, RAM, and disk bandwidth—all essential for achieving peak gaming performance.

For gamers, too many active services can cause:

  • Reduced FPS and fluctuating frame pacing
  • Increased input lag that affects reaction time
  • Higher system temperatures from extra workload
  • Stuttering during critical gaming moments

Common resource-draining services include OneDrive sync, Microsoft Copilot, telemetry collectors, and software updaters. Disabling these can lower system overhead whilst maintaining stability, giving you the competitive edge needed for demanding AAA titles and esports competitions.

Pre-Optimisation Assessment: Check Your System First

Before making any changes, establish a performance baseline to understand your current system behaviour.

Monitor Current Usage

Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and check CPU, RAM, and disk usage to identify which services consume the most resources. Pay particular attention to services that consistently show high usage percentages, as these are your primary targets for optimisation.

Create a Restore Point

Set up a System Restore Point so you can roll back changes if needed. This safety net is essential before making any system modifications:

  1. Search for “Create a restore point” in Windows Search
  2. Click “Create” and name your restore point (e.g., “Before Gaming Optimisation”)
  3. Wait for the process to complete

Measure Performance

Launch your favourite game and log FPS, CPU/GPU usage, input lag, and temperature. Tools like MSI Afterburner or the built-in OMEN Gaming Hub monitoring features provide real-time data. Record these metrics during typical gameplay scenarios to establish an accurate baseline.

This benchmark lets you measure performance improvements after disabling non-essential services. The goal is to optimise your gaming PC for performance without compromising system stability or essential functionality.

Essential Services You Should Never Disable

Whilst disabling some services can free up resources, certain Windows services are critical for stability and security. When optimising your gaming PC, leave the following running:

  • Security services: Windows Defender, Windows Firewall
  • Hardware-dependent services: Plug and Play, Windows Audio, Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
  • GPU drivers: Intel, NVIDIA, AMD graphics drivers and associated software
  • Network services: DHCP Client, DNS Client (essential for online gaming)
  • Windows Update: Critical for security patches and driver updates

Disabling these can cause system crashes, loss of audio, network connectivity issues, or complete system failure. When in doubt about a service’s importance, leave it enabled rather than risking system instability.

Safe-to-Disable Services for Gaming Optimisation

Once essential services are secured, you can disable or adjust less critical services to improve gaming performance.

How to Disable Services:

  1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter
  2. Right-click the service you want to modify and select Properties
  3. Under Startup type, choose Manual or Disabled
  4. Click Apply, then OK

Services Safe to Disable for Gaming:

To free up system resources and enhance your gaming experience, consider disabling these background services:

Windows Search: Constantly indexes files, consuming CPU and disk resources. Disabling it won’t impact gameplay but will free up valuable resources. You can still search for files manually when needed.

Superfetch / SysMain: Though designed to preload applications into RAM, this service often interferes with gaming workloads, decreasing performance. Modern SSDs make this service largely redundant.

Xbox Services: Including Xbox Game Bar and Game DVR, these services enable background recording that can introduce input lag during gameplay. If you don’t use these features, disable them for better performance.

OneDrive Sync: Syncs files to the cloud but can consume significant bandwidth and cause intermittent CPU spikes, impacting gaming performance. Disable during gaming sessions or set to manual sync.

Print Spooler: If you don’t print from your gaming PC, this service is unnecessary and can be safely disabled, freeing up system resources.

Windows Tips: Provides suggestions about Windows features but offers no benefit during gaming sessions.

Remote Registry: Unless you’re accessing your PC’s registry remotely (unlikely for gaming), this service can be disabled.

Optimisation Impact

Disabling these services can reduce CPU usage by 5-15%, ease RAM demand by up to 500MB, and free up disk bandwidth, resulting in steadier frame rates and reduced input lag. Advanced users may prefer setting services to Manual rather than Disabled, so they launch only when required, providing a balance between performance and functionality.

Advanced Windows Gaming Optimisations

Beyond disabling background services, these Windows and OMEN tweaks can further improve performance:

Windows Game Mode

Prioritises CPU and GPU resources for active gameplay. Enable this through Settings > Gaming > Game Mode. This feature allocates more system resources to your game whilst reducing background activity.

Power Plan Settings

Switch to High Performance mode to prevent CPU throttling and ensure maximum power delivery:

  1. Open Control Panel > Power Options
  2. Select “High performance” or create a custom power plan
  3. Adjust advanced settings to prevent processor state from dropping below 100%

Visual Effects

Under System Settings → Performance, select “Adjust for best performance” to reduce overhead from unnecessary visual animations. This frees up GPU resources for gaming.

Disable Startup Programmes

Review your startup programmes in Task Manager and disable non-essential applications. Many programmes add themselves to startup without your explicit permission, consuming resources from the moment you boot your PC.

OMEN Gaming Hub Features:

For owners of HP OMEN gaming systems, the OMEN Gaming Hub provides powerful optimisation tools:

  • Track real-time temperatures and CPU/GPU loads
  • Customise fan curves for efficient cooling
  • Set process priority to ensure games run smoothly
  • Create performance profiles for different games
  • Monitor network performance for online gaming

For OMEN PC owners, combining these optimisations with Intel processors, NVIDIA GPUs, and AMD Ryzen technologies delivers a competitive edge in demanding AAA titles and esports competitions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gaming PC Optimisation

Does disabling services improve FPS?

Yes, disabling unnecessary services can free up CPU and RAM, resulting in higher FPS and smoother gameplay, especially in resource-intensive AAA games. The improvement varies by system but typically ranges from 5-20% depending on how many resource-hungry services were running initially.

Which background processes most affect gaming performance?

Services that sync files (OneDrive), update software (auto-updaters), index files (Windows Search), or handle telemetry are the most common culprits. Additionally, overlay applications like Discord and streaming software can impact performance if left running unnecessarily.

Can I safely restore services if something breaks?

Absolutely. Set the startup type back to Automatic or Manual in Services, or use your restore point. The restore point you created at the beginning of this process will return your system to its previous state if needed.

Will this void my HP warranty?

Disabling non-essential Windows services does not affect your HP warranty. These are standard Windows configuration changes that don’t involve hardware modifications or unauthorised software installations. For details about your specific warranty coverage, visit HP New Zealand support.

How often should I review system services for optimal gaming?

We recommend checking every two to three months, or after major Windows updates. Windows updates can sometimes re-enable services or add new ones, so periodic reviews help maintain optimal performance.

Should I disable antivirus software for gaming?

No, never disable your antivirus or Windows Defender. Instead, configure gaming mode or add exceptions for your game directories to reduce scanning impact during gameplay whilst maintaining essential security protection.

Will these optimisations affect my non-gaming activities?

Some changes, like disabling Windows Search, may require manual file searching. However, most optimisations won’t significantly impact everyday tasks. You can re-enable services when not gaming if needed.

Maintaining Your Optimised Gaming System

After implementing these optimisations, maintain peak performance with these practices:

Regular Updates

Keep your GPU drivers current through manufacturer websites (Intel, NVIDIA, AMD). Updated drivers often include game-specific optimisations and performance improvements.

Periodic Cleaning

Every few months, review your Task Manager to identify new resource-hungry processes. Remove unnecessary programmes and clear temporary files to maintain system efficiency.

Temperature Monitoring

Use OMEN Gaming Hub or similar tools to monitor system temperatures. High temperatures can cause thermal throttling, reducing performance regardless of optimisation efforts. Ensure proper ventilation and consider cleaning dust from cooling systems periodically.

Storage Management

Keep at least 15-20% of your SSD free for optimal performance. Full drives can slow down read/write speeds, impacting game loading times and performance.

Conclusion

Minimising system overhead is one of the most effective ways to improve your gaming PC’s performance. By disabling non-essential background services, optimising Windows settings, and using tools like OMEN Gaming Hub, you can boost frame rates, reduce input lag, and keep your system running cooler under stress.

HP OMEN desktops and gaming laptops are built for serious gamers who demand peak performance in AAA titles. Featuring advanced cooling systems, intelligent component optimisation, and specialised software, they’re designed to enhance your gameplay. These systems benefit significantly from the optimisation techniques outlined in this guide, as their high-performance components can fully utilise the freed system resources.

For Kiwi gamers looking to maximise their competitive advantage, combining hardware excellence with smart software optimisation creates the ultimate gaming experience. Whether you’re competing in esports tournaments, streaming your gameplay, or simply enjoying the latest AAA releases, these optimisations will help your system perform at its absolute best.

Start with the basics—create that restore point, measure your baseline performance, and methodically disable non-essential services. Monitor the improvements, fine-tune your settings, and enjoy the smoother, more responsive gaming experience you deserve.