Windows 10 Process Priority for any game

[LadySmoks]

No secret that I play Sims 3, which is under powered, clunky, and generally poorly constructed game. It needs all the help it can get to run half way smoothly.

Too often, the OS eats resources with background tasks, when all YOU want is play whatever game it is that you want to play, and would like Windows to give the game priority.  Also, for some reason, as the game can set it's priority level, devs settle for "normal" level... same as every other process. 

Task manager allows you to change priority of your game to "above normal" or "high", but Windows, and or the game itself, set it back, and your game is again competeing for resources to run at the same level as some random background noise.

I have tried a couple of programs to set task priority. Some old and no longer supported, some were just add-ons with separate UI that when viewed in Windows Task Manager didn't show the same changes applied.

Recently, during a desperate search, I came across the subject on reddit, and a link to another page... here. So, I read the page, downloaded and installed. Only been a few days, but it seems to work, and be a "do it once and forget about it" kind of deal. Nice thing about people here is that you will all read that page for yourselves to make a decision on this tool, but...

My take is it was developed by a gamer who got tired of his/ her game priority being reset. So, he/ she fixed it and shared the fix. I'm not a techie, so easy button is my thing, and this was fairly easy. Start the app, use the search window to find the .exe for your game, set priority and done. I really only have one game, but it appears that you can set as many games as you want... since you only play one at a time, no problems.

Anyway, TS3 remains a slow mess as a general rule when overloaded with CC as mine is, BUT... I do find it a little less slow, less freeze ups, some controls run a bit smoother, and the priority remains at "high", leaving other background noise to fight at "normal" level. And it is an easy button operation that only need be done one time. After set, the game always starts at "high" priority.

I read somewhere that setting to "real time" actually creates a bunch of issues, and this tool does not set that anyway.

Since this is about general gaming, not just TS3 specific, I thought to share.

[Alkpaz]

I don't much need this tool for the games I currently play, but streamlining the system even if my comp is more than capable, it is always a ++. Thanks for the link LS!

[LadySmoks]

1 hour ago, Alkpaz said:

I don't much need this tool for the games I currently play, but streamlining the system even if my comp is more than capable, it is always a ++. Thanks for the link LS!

You're welcome. I imagine the game engines for most games other than TS3 are not nearly so terrible, but with TS3, we need all the help we can get to make the 32 bit, 20 yo game run with mods.

My situation is being a dress maker, I tend to have several hundred individual package files sitting in my game, which is death for TS3, and am always looking for anything that may help. I had read that setting priority to high would help, and it does... for me. But, I must set priority every time I start the game, and lately, it has been resetting with the only notice being that ceratin mouse controls froze the game.

In past, I had tried a couple of add-on programs, that were basically third party Task Manager. They didn't really work as advertised. Then I came across this, and it's an easy button. I still run Task Manager to monitor what is going on, but since setting TS3W.exe to high priority, it starts and remains that way, and runs a bit better.  And I have a mid range 2018 Acer Nitro laptop... not a full desk gaming rig as you and others around here may have. But anything that may help others... I will share. )

And for others who are not so techie, as I, it is easy. )))