Answer

To keep the best in-game performance and experience on Claw, here are some simple principles to follow.

A. Keep the Claw Up-To-Date

B. Apply Optimal Performance Settings

C. Change Windows 11 Services Options

D. Find the Optimal In-Game Settings

 

A. Keep MSI Claw Up-To-Date

MSI regularly releases BIOS firmware, Intel graphics drivers, and MSI Center M software via Live Update.

To have all the needed updates, go to the Live Update page by following the steps.

*For critical updates, a notification will pop out automatically, follow the instructions to get the latest update is recommended.

1. Press "MSI button" or open MSI Center M in the system tray.

    

2. Go to Settings > Live Update, then press "Scan" to check for an update.

    

3. Install the new drivers or BIOS firmware on the list.

    

 

B. Apply Optimal Performance Settings

For MSI Claw's in-game performance with built-in Intel Arc graphics:

1. Leave the User Scenario set to "Balanced" mode.

    (*Note: If the default User Scenario has been changed before, call out the "Quick Setting Button" and go to the User Scenario page to change the setup, or open MSI Center M by pressing the MSI button, and go to User Scenario setup page.)

    

2. Keep the Windows 11 power mode stay at "Balanced".

    Right-click the battery icon in the desktop's notification area (lower right corner) and select "Power and sleep settings".

   

 

C. Change Windows 11 Services Options

Some Windows services (Memory integrity and the Virtual Machine Platform (VMP)) have been known to cause performance issues and FPS loss in games. (reference: Microsoft)

It will be enabled by default on all new Windows 11 devices due to security reasons, however, for gamers, it's recommended to have these features disabled while gaming to have the maximum gaming performance.

Option I. Disable "Memory Integrity"

1. Type "Core isolation" in Windows Search and open the system settings page.

    

2. Click on the switch button to disable "Memory Integrity", and reboot the system to take effect. 

     

 

Option II. Disable Virtual Machine Platform (VMP)

1. Type "Turn Windows features on or off" in Windows Search and open the settings page.

    

2. Turn off “Virtual Machine Platform” and press “OK” to apply the change, and reboot the system to take effect.

    

 

D. Find the Optimal In-Game Settings

PC games usually provide various graphics options to suit multiple grades of GPU that run the game.

By applying different combinations of graphics options (e.g. texture, shades, hair, and light effects...), the system can provide various levels of realistic image presence or higher/lower FPS in-game.

There is no one profile fit-all option, other than finding the one profile that most suits you, follow the guidance below to find the optimal in-game settings for your own.

1. Visit "Claw's Recommended Game Settings" page, find the game title and use the suggested settings in game.

    *This is the simplest and easiest way for applying game settings.

    

 

2. Launch the game by setting "Windowed Borderless" manually for the first time.

    Find the properties tab from the game launcher (In this guide, the Steam is used as an example) and choose windowed mode before launching the game.

    *Note: If multiple gaming devices such as desktops, notebooks, and handhelds have ever launched the same game account, the game launcher such as Steam Cloud could potentially save the in-game graphics settings from the last log-in devices; this design depends on the game developer. The previous setups from other platforms might cause overused VRAM and let the handheld device like Claw run into a game crash at the first game launch. Go to the previous login devices and apply a lower graphics setting before having the account login to other devices to avoid such issues.

    a. Click on the settings button and select “properties”.

   

 

    b. Under "General" tab, type “windowed –noborder” in Launch options, then start the game.

    

    c. If there is no such option in game launcher, find the display settings page in game and change the "Full screen" to "Windowed Borderless".

 

3. Apply different combinations of graphics settings in game.

    Once the game is launched successfully for the first time, go to the settings page, and look for the tab "Graphics" or "Video".

    (Each game might named differently, but they share similar setup options)

    Apply all options to the lowest and raise the texture level gradually until you get the favorite result between the image in-game and the FPS numbers.

    Most commonly settings to modify in game: 

    a. Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (default) or lower at 1280 x 720 to get a bigger image.

    b. Window Mode: Full screen (default) or Windowed Borderless to get smoother gameplay and avoid micro stutters.

    c. Vertical Sync: On (default) or Off to avoid micro stutters.

    d. Ray-Tracing: On (default) or Off to lower the GPU loading for the Intel Arc graphics.

    e. FPS Limit: On with max panel refresh rate (default) or Off to unlock the limit and get the maximum frame rate.

    f. Intel XeSS/AMD FSR: Off (default) or On to get the FPS enhancement with the high image fidelity in-game.

    g. Graphics Preset: Low (default) or gradually set medium, high, and higher until getting the balance between the FPS numbers and the image quality.

 

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