Documentation / Optimizations / CPU Optimization

CPU Optimization

Maximize processor performance by disabling core parking, setting high-performance power plans, and removing CPU security mitigations that reduce gaming performance.

Optimization Overview

CPU optimization ensures all processor cores remain active and operating at maximum frequency. This provides the largest FPS improvement of any optimization category, especially for CPU-bound games.

Metric Value
Expected FPS Impact +15 FPS average, up to +30 FPS in CPU-bound games
Expected Latency Reduction 2-5ms frame time reduction
Restart Required Yes (required)
Reversible Yes (one-click revert)
Risk Level Medium (disables security mitigations, increases power usage)
Biggest Performance Gain
CPU optimization typically provides the largest FPS improvement of all optimization categories. Most games are CPU-bound to some degree, making this optimization highly effective.

What Gets Modified

Core Parking Disable

Windows normally "parks" inactive CPU cores to save power, putting them into sleep states. When a game suddenly needs those cores, there's a delay waking them up, causing stuttering.

Setting Default Optimized Effect
Minimum Cores Unparked 0-50% of cores 100% of cores All cores always active and ready for game workloads
Core Parking Threshold 50% 100% (disabled) Prevents Windows from ever parking cores

Registry Location: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\CPU

High-Performance Power Plan

Frameshift switches your system to the High-Performance power plan and configures it for maximum CPU frequency.

  • Minimum Processor State: Set to 100% (keeps CPU at max frequency)
  • Maximum Processor State: Set to 100% (no throttling)
  • Processor Performance Boost: Enabled (Intel Turbo Boost / AMD Precision Boost)
  • Processor Performance Core Parking: Disabled globally

Security Mitigations Disable

Windows includes CPU-level mitigations for Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. These protections reduce performance by 5-15% in gaming workloads.

Security Trade-off
Disabling Spectre/Meltdown mitigations slightly increases vulnerability to CPU-level exploits. These attacks require malicious code running on your system. Only disable if you trust all software you run. Can be re-enabled anytime by reverting CPU optimization.

Mitigations Disabled:

  • Spectre Variant 1 (bounds check bypass)
  • Spectre Variant 2 (branch target injection)
  • Meltdown (rogue data cache load)
  • Speculative Store Bypass

Registry Key: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\FeatureSettingsOverride

Processor Scheduling

Optimizes how Windows prioritizes processor time for foreground applications (games) over background tasks.

Setting Default Optimized
Foreground App Priority Normal (26) High (38)
Processor Quantum Variable Short, fixed (gaming responsive)

Expected Results

FPS Improvements by CPU Generation

CPU Generation Average FPS Gain 1% Low Improvement
4-6 core (older i5/Ryzen 5) +10-15 FPS +20-30%
6-8 core (mid-range i7/Ryzen 7) +12-18 FPS +25-35%
8-12 core (high-end i9/Ryzen 9) +15-25 FPS +30-40%
12+ core (enthusiast/workstation) +18-30 FPS +35-50%

Game Type Impact

CPU optimization impact varies by game engine and workload:

  • Battle Royale (Fortnite, Warzone): +20-30 FPS (many players, large map)
  • Competitive FPS (Valorant, CS2): +15-25 FPS (high tick rate, many calculations)
  • MMO (WoW, FF14): +25-35 FPS (many NPCs, complex AI)
  • Strategy (Civilization, Total War): +30-40 FPS (AI calculations, simulation)
  • Single-player AAA: +10-15 FPS (GPU-bound, less CPU intensive)
Learn More: Why Core Parking Hurts Gaming

Core parking was designed to save power on laptops by putting inactive CPU cores to sleep. However, it causes problems for gaming:

  • Wake-up delay: Parked cores take 15-30ms to wake up when needed, causing frame drops
  • Inconsistent performance: Game threads may be scheduled on parked cores, causing stuttering
  • Poor multi-threading: Games that dynamically use cores suffer when cores aren't immediately available

Power consumption: Keeping cores unparked increases idle power draw by 5-15W. For desktop users, this is negligible. Laptop users should consider reverting when on battery.

How to Apply

  1. Benchmark Before

    Run CPU benchmark and test your games to establish baseline FPS. CPU optimization provides the largest improvement, so you'll want to measure it.

  2. Apply CPU Optimization

    Navigate to Optimizations tab, click "Apply" on CPU Optimization. Frameshift will modify power settings, disable core parking, and optionally disable security mitigations.

  3. Review Security Warning

    Frameshift will warn you about disabling security mitigations. Read carefully and click "Proceed" if you accept the trade-off.

  4. Restart System

    CPU optimization requires a restart for power plan and core parking changes to take effect. Save work and restart.

  5. Test Improvements

    After restart, run CPU benchmark again and test games. You should see significant FPS increases and much smoother 1% lows.

Reverting Optimizations
To revert CPU optimization, click the "Revert" button in the CPU Optimization section. Frameshift automatically creates a system restore point before applying each optimization category, so you can also use Windows System Restore if needed.

Power Consumption Impact

CPU optimization increases system power consumption by keeping all cores active and at maximum frequency.

Expected Power Increase

System Type Idle Increase Gaming Increase
Desktop (6-8 core) +10-20W +5-10W
Desktop (12+ core) +20-35W +10-15W
Gaming Laptop +5-10W +3-7W
Laptop Battery Life
For laptop users, CPU optimization significantly reduces battery life (20-30% reduction when unplugged). Consider creating a custom power profile or reverting CPU optimization when running on battery.

Troubleshooting

System Feels Sluggish or Unstable

Rare but possible. Some systems don't handle aggressive power settings well. Solution:

  1. Revert CPU optimization
  2. Update BIOS/UEFI to latest version
  3. Check CPU temperatures (may be thermal throttling)
  4. Try applying again after BIOS update

CPU Temperatures Increased

Expected behavior. Keeping all cores active and at max frequency increases heat output. Monitor temperatures:

  • Under 75°C: Excellent, safe for long-term use
  • 75-85°C: Normal under load, acceptable
  • 85-95°C: High but safe (CPUs designed for this)
  • Above 95°C: Thermal throttling occurring. Improve cooling or revert optimization
Pro Tip
CPU optimization pairs perfectly with GPU and System optimizations for maximum gaming performance. Apply all three together for the best results.
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