Ask Joystiq: What's the best tool to optimize my PC for gaming?

Beginning our weekly series of Ask Joystiq, we start with the one we hear the most. This one comes from bernesto:

"What's the best tool to optimize my PC for gaming?"

This is an easy one. Every game depends on your videocard to pump out the graphics. So, if you want to get the most out of your game, you have to tackle the GPU. We have one word for you — Powerstrip.

The best tool we?ve ever come across to suck your system dry of every game-frame is Powerstrip. Introduced several years ago, the small application is a true wonder of the computer world. It gets into your videocard?s silicon and shifts stuff around like no other utility
can. For instance, you can set the clock speed, activate and deactivate hidden settings for specific cards like Nvidia?s GeForce and ATI?s Radeon series. You can even futz with the fan speed, allowing for some minor (or, yes,
major) overclocking. Oh yeah, overclocking. Almost every card out there can be ticked up a couple of notches and Powerstrip is the app you should use to test the limits (please see the disclaimer below for, well, a disclaimer).
NEVER jump right into this step, since even the slightest miscalculation can fry your card. You should test in small increments, playing through a game for a little while and monitoring the motherboard/card temperature (a feature that?s also included in Powerstrip for some cards). Once you find the optimum setting you can be sure that you have the fastest gaming PC possible. Powerstrip is the only app we know of that can supply that peace of mind.

Some may argue that the current Nvidia and ATI control panels make Powerstrip moot. Not true. Powerstrip offers up to 500 tweaks for today?s (and yesterday?s) cards.

Download the gem here:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download718.html

Enjoy! And read the disclaimer.

Agree with our choice? Disagree? Let us know what your favorite PC tweak is. ANd don?t forget to send us your questions. We?ll do our darndest to dig up the answers. It?ll be tough ? especially with a crowd like you guys!

DISCLAIMER: This utility, like all utilities, can seriously screw up your machine. You?re not dusting off the cobwebs with Powerstrip, you?re chiseling down deep and pulling out a single frame at a time. With this in mind, please read the directions that come with the app carefully, back up the entire system and consider us absolved of any screw ups you may encounter.