The Compy Blackbook

174 entries — the same library that ships inside the app, none invented. Every verdict is graded, every guide carries its undo.

How Compy grades things

Real: It actually does something. A measurable or well-proven effect on your games — worth doing.
Placebo: All hype, no effect. Popular online, but it changes nothing you can measure. We skip these so you don't waste time chasing them.
Risky — refused: Not worth the downside. It might do something, but it brings real tradeoffs — instability, a security hole, or things breaking — so Compy refuses it, or lets you decide with eyes open.

Tweaks — graded honestly (84)

Disable Fullscreen Optimizations Real
Windows Game Mode Real
MSI Mode (Message-Signaled Interrupts) Real
Force HPET / useplatformclock Risky — refused
Disable Core Isolation / VBS Risky — refused
Random registry "FPS boost" hacks Placebo
XMP / EXPO memory profile Real
Resizable BAR / Smart Access Memory Real
Custom fan curves / better cooling Real
NVIDIA Reflex Real
Low Latency Mode (driver setting) Real
AMD Anti-Lag+ (old driver-level version) Risky — refused
VRR + V-Sync + frame cap (the sync stack) Real
FPS cap below refresh rate Real
Frame Generation (DLSS FG / FSR / AFMF) Real
Upscaling (DLSS / FSR / XeSS quality modes) Real
Shader cache size (unlimited / 10 GB) Real
High / Ultimate Performance power plan Real
Disable Game Bar background recording (Game DVR) Real
Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) Real
Disable MPO (Multi-Plane Overlay) Real
Disable telemetry services (DiagTrack etc.) Real
Disable SysMain (Superfetch) Real
Disabling startup apps Real
Disable Windows Search indexing Placebo
Visual effects → best performance Placebo
MMCSS SystemResponsiveness=0 / GPU Priority 8 Placebo
Win32PrioritySeparation foreground boost Placebo
Forcing 0.5 ms global timer resolution Placebo
Core unparking / force all cores active Placebo
Disable C-States in BIOS Risky — refused
Disable / fix the pagefile Risky — refused
Disable Windows Defender Risky — refused
Disable Windows Update entirely Risky — refused
Disable CPU security mitigations (Spectre/Meltdown) Risky — refused
All-in-one debloat scripts / stripped ISOs Risky — refused
Network 'mega-pack' tweaks (Nagle, RSS/RSC, netsh stacks) Placebo
IRQ priority / interrupt affinity hacks Risky — refused
PBO / Curve Optimizer (AMD CPU tuning) Risky — refused
Toggling Secure Boot / CSM Risky — refused
Kernel tweak tools / DLL injectors / 'FPS unlocker' apps Risky — refused
Keeping GPU drivers current Real
Registry "aim" tweaks Placebo
Disabling SMT / Hyper-Threading for gaming Placebo
NVIDIA "Prefer Maximum Performance" power mode Real
Pinning a game to specific CPU cores (affinity) Placebo
Disable memory compression Placebo
Game booster apps (Razer Cortex etc.) Placebo
RAM cleaners / standby-list purgers (ISLC) Placebo
Turning off hardware acceleration in Discord / Chrome Placebo
Changing DNS for lower ping Placebo
Running games as administrator for FPS Placebo
Setting a game to High priority in Task Manager Placebo
Defragging an SSD for speed Risky — refused
GPU overclocking for FPS Risky — refused
Reinstalling Windows every few months for FPS Placebo
Forcing exclusive fullscreen for FPS Placebo
Running MSI Afterburner / an overlay to boost FPS Placebo
Overclocking your monitor for more FPS Placebo
Closing every background app for more FPS Placebo
Disabling audio enhancements for FPS Placebo
Lowering render scale / resolution for FPS Real
Turning off HDR for more FPS Placebo
Disabling mouse acceleration for FPS Placebo
Running RAM in dual-channel (two sticks) Real
Disabling Nagle's algorithm for lower lag Placebo
Disabling Fast Startup for FPS Placebo
Switching to Ethernet for more FPS Placebo
Turning off background recording (Instant Replay) for FPS Real
Setting Windows to your monitor's full refresh rate Real
Buying a bigger power supply for more FPS Placebo
Running a registry cleaner for FPS Risky — refused
Chasing a lower monitor response time for FPS Placebo
Buying more RAM for more FPS Placebo
Needing PCIe 4.0/5.0 for more FPS Placebo
Turning down the heaviest graphics settings Real
Disabling integrated graphics for more FPS Placebo
Buying a pricier motherboard for more FPS Placebo
Updating your BIOS for more FPS Placebo
Manually overclocking your CPU for more FPS Risky — refused
Putting a game on an SSD for more FPS Placebo
Plugging in your laptop for more FPS Real
Switching between Windows 11 and 10 for FPS Placebo
Raising your mouse DPI for more FPS Placebo

Terms — plain English (68)

Tricks — patterns to watch for (14)

The fake deep scan Trick
The invented issue counter Trick
The fake optimization score Trick
Scareware fear-tone Trick
The RAM cleaner sold as a booster Trick
The paid driver-updater subscription Trick
The tweak mega-pack with no undo Trick
The "+40% FPS" claim with no method Trick
The mismatched before/after Trick
The subscription trap on local-only work Trick
"Secret settings Microsoft hides from you" Trick
The bundled-bloat installer Trick
The testimonial wall Trick
Paid one-click "PC optimizers" Trick

Guides — safe, with the undo attached (8)

Set up the VRR sync stack Guide
Cap your frame rate the right way Guide
Clean up startup apps Guide
Set a generous shader cache Guide
Update graphics drivers the right way Guide
Set a sane fan curve Guide
Turn on your RAM's rated speed (XMP / EXPO) Guide
Undervolt your Radeon — cooler and quieter, usually for free Guide