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NVMe vs SATA: does storage affect your FPS?

November 21, 2025 · 11 min read

We measured this on mid and high-end rigs and only kept the tweaks that moved 1% lows, not just the average FPS counter. Here's what survived testing.

Start with a clean Windows baseline

The single biggest source of stutter we see is the OS scheduling background work during gameplay. Lock that down first and every later tweak gets more stable.

Set the power plan to High Performance (or Ultimate), disable startup apps you don't need, and turn off Memory Integrity if you're chasing every last frame — re-test after each change.

  • Power plan → High Performance / Ultimate
  • Disable non-essential startup apps in Task Manager
  • Turn off Game Bar + background recording
  • Set Graphics preference → High Performance for the game's .exe

Verify it actually worked

Never trust the average FPS number alone. Watch 1% and 0.1% lows and frame-time consistency — that's what 'smooth' really means.

Run the same replay or aim-trainer routine before and after, capture with a frame-time overlay, and only keep changes that flatten the graph.

  • Benchmark the same scene before/after
  • Track 1% lows, not just average FPS
  • Watch the frame-time line — flatter is better
  • Change one thing at a time so you know what moved the needle
// The TL;DR
  • Power plan → High Performance / Ultimate
  • Benchmark the same scene before/after
#storage#nvme

Skip the manual work

Bravo applies every tweak in this guide — and hundreds more — in one click, fully reversible. Tuned per game, per rig.

See the tweak packs →