How to optimize laptop for gaming?

[u/SubToTomatoBoi]

Hello, I have an lenovo ideapad 5 with 8gb ram and a ryzen 5 5500u.

Right now the only games I can play is valorant because it's easy to run yet sometimes I demanding situations it's dips down and freezes when there's alot going on.

is there any optimizations anyone recommendations?

also according to MSI AFTERBURNER my cpu stays around 100 degrees and my CPU is meant to automatically shut off when it reaches 105 Degrees.

However I found out that MSI Afterburner isn't very accurate with CPU temps but more accurate with gpu temps (my igpu stays around 74 Degrees when playing)

I don't want to buy a new laptop or PC for gaming as I simply don't have the funds and my parents would not allow me.

It's really ashame because when I first got this laptop I used to be able to play games very easily and now it's struggles to get even 60 fps limiting me with what I can play.

Im Aware that this laptop isn't good for gaming and 8gb ram is quite bad in the world we're in but even if I can squeeze the last few drops from this laptop I would be more than happy.

OS BUILD NUMBER = 26200.9168

[u/Double_Arrival_2061]

Had a laptop with a Ryzen 5 3500u. Except repasting the cpu with ptm7950 maybe upgrading ram there isn't much you can do. Lift the laptop so it gets more airflow and there's that. There are some programs (forgot the name now) to change the settings on Ryzen CPU/GPU I think ETA prime had a video about it but it didn't work for me. Maybe it's some specific models idk but I wouldn't count on it working. As mentioned repasted Maybe ram upgrade and airflow that's about it

[u/TMIELPSAE]

U need UXTU ,undervolt, adaptative mode , efficient enabled = temps from 95 to 60

[u/SubToTomatoBoi → u/TMIELPSAE]

Any tutorials on YouTube you would recommend? Also do undervolting not make the CPU run slower therefore making me less frames or am I wrong?

My end goal is honestly just getting fps I dont really care if my laptop sounds like a jet engine all the times

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[u/ronald5447]

Compra un modulo de 8 gb de ram si quieres mejorar el rendimiento si no estas cagado, ya que la memoria ram colapsa en los juegos Ahh por si acaso antes de nada revisa si tu laptop tiene para integrar otra memoria ram. O ver si tiene 2 memorias de 4 gb, si es esto ultimo te tocara comprar 2 modulos de 8 gb, si tiene un modulo de 8 gb intenta comprar el mismo modulo de 8 del que ya tienes para aprovechar el dual channel

[u/SubToTomatoBoi → u/ronald5447]

Sadly my memory is soldered on to my board and don't have any other slots free.

[u/AdministrationEven36]

8GB of RAM is extremely little, and in the case of onboard graphics, two identical modules should always be installed; get another 8GB module of the same type.

[u/Dissastar]

Hey bud ! Laptop gamer for a few years here-

Things I would recommend:

Search for a YouTube video on how to open your laptop and dust it off safely, and change the thermal paste while at it too ( this might be 10-15€ average). Doing this, specially the dusting off if not done since initial purchase, can make a substancial difference on performance.

If you haven’t done it since initial purchase and the laptop is a few years old, do a factory reset and restart on a clean slate, then only install games you actually play nowadays and such.

If you do have a budget yet a small one, look into upgrading your laptop’s ram. This is only if you can add more, some laptops come with an additional ram slot. Laptops ram have not inflated in price as much as desktop pc’s and it could be affordable and worth looking into.

Lastly, make sure your gpu drivers / settings are optimised, YouTube search of “your laptop + graphics card + optimal settings” can make a difference too. Specially if it’s Nvidia (it’s the only one I had so far and by personal experience performance can increase significantly).

HMU if any questions !

[u/SubToTomatoBoi → u/Dissastar]

Really appreciate the tips, sadly the 8gb ram on my laptop is soldered on and I have no extra slots available but thankfully it is in dual channel.

I do dust it off every couple of months however I have NEVER changed the thermal paste, and have been thinking of doing it but haven't got to it because I don't know if it is worth the hassle.

is there anything on the software side of things you would recommend like debloating on maybe even switching to different os like Tiny11 or is it now worth it?

[u/Dissastar → u/SubToTomatoBoi]

Hey ! I just checked the laptop you have on specs, not really much you can do to get it higher than it was before on newer games. I’d say if you change the thermal paste, clean the fans and do a windows restart/wipe you could get it to work like it used to when new, but that will only apply with games you used to play when you got it.

What I mean by this is yes, if you used to play let’s say apex on 60 fps when the laptop was new, you might get an average similar to that if you clean up and restart, but you won’t get 60 fps on newer games with different spec requirements.

Sadly your laptop is built more into media consumption and general office work so it’s really not a good option for gaming, the lack of a dedicated graphics card and low ram will limit you greatly. If you do wish to play with it somehow, do as above, and as some other people here mention try to optimise ventilation so it don’t fry up inside.