Free frames or just lame? We test it.
The internet is full of "+200 FPS!" tweaks. We actually run them on a real mid-range gaming laptop, three times each, and only call a win if it beats the run-to-run wobble. No vibes. Just frametimes.
Follow @framesorlame
Every test ends with one stamp. The rules are fixed before we run anything, so the gremlin can't fudge it.
Beats the run-to-run spread and gains 5% or more.
Beats the spread, but the gain is under 5%.
Any change is smaller than our normal run-to-run variation. Placebo.
Measurably slower or stutterier than leaving it alone.
Added to any verdict when a tweak costs you security or stability.
What's on the bench. No results yet, and we don't guess them. Each card gets its stamp when the video goes live.
"FPS boost" lists say switch off Windows' Memory Integrity (HVCI) for free frames. We test it across four games, on vs off, and cover what you give up security-wise.
Verdict: pending, the test hasn't run yet.
Lots of gaming laptops have a switch that cuts the integrated graphics out of the loop. Free frames, or totally lame? Same laptop, same method.
Verdict: pending
The tweaks every "speed up Windows" article recommends. Some are judged on FPS, others on boot time, app launch and idle load.
Does trimming startup apps really make boot and post-boot faster?
Turn off the animations. Faster, or does it just feel faster?
On a clean system and with Discord and a browser open, like real life.
Does the Windows setting matter when the laptop has its own performance modes?
Averages, 1% lows and frametime consistency, on vs off.
Classic "SSD tweaks." Boot, cold app launch, idle load and search speed.
What do popular debloaters actually change, and what do they break?
Got a tweak you swear by, or one you think is snake oil? Send it to the lab.
The jokes stay in the intro. The method is boring on purpose.
| Laptop | ASUS ROG Strix G15 |
|---|---|
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (6 GB) |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX |
| RAM | 32 GB |
| Storage | 1.5 TB SSD |
| OS | Windows 11 (build listed in each video) |
Results apply to this laptop. Your hardware, drivers and games may behave differently, so treat our verdicts as a strong hint, not a law of physics.
Frames or Lame is a tiny test lab with one mission: find out which "free FPS" tricks are real and which are internet folklore. Our host is the Frames Gremlin, a cheeky green lab gremlin who has read every "+200 FPS" guide and believes none of them until the graph says so.
We test on the kind of gaming laptop people actually own, not a $4,000 desktop, and we publish the method so you can run it yourself.
Heads-up: the Frames Gremlin's narration is an AI-generated voice. The testing, footage and numbers are real and come from our own bench.
Sponsorships, collabs, tweak tips or "you tested it wrong" emails all welcome.
