Does Windowed Mode Really Make Games Run Better?

As an avid PC gamer and streaming content creator, this is a question I‘ve experimented a lot with. And the answer is: it depends!

Playing games in windowed or borderless windowed mode instead of fullscreen certainly has some performance tradeoffs. But it also enables easier multitasking and stream capturing.

So which is better? Let‘s dig deeper…

Windowed Mode Provides Convenience at a Performance Cost

The main appeal of running games windowed or borderless windowed is convenience:

• Easy alt-tabbing to desktop and other programs
• Simplified game capture for streaming
• Can use multiple monitors more flexibly while gaming

However, convenience comes at a performance penalty:

• Higher input lag – Windowed modes have extra overhead that increases input latency by ~10-30ms [1]. For fast-paced competitive titles, this can negatively impact controls.

• More GPU intensive – Rendering game visuals plus desktop uses more graphics power. FPS will drop 5-15% for many GPU-bound systems [2].

• Lower max framerates – Fullscreen mode disables Vsync allowing the highest possible frame rates. This matters most for high refresh rate monitors.

So while windowed gaming provides a better overall user experience, fullscreen squeezes out every last bit of performance.

Technical Explanation of the Performance Differences

But why does running a game windowed impact responsiveness and frame rates compared to fullscreen? Here‘s what‘s happening under the hood:

• Extra compositing – In windowed mode, the OS desktop manager has to combine application windows with the wallpaper and other UI elements, taking GPU time.

• Vsync overhead – Windowed games can‘t disable Vsync to render uncapped FPS. So max framerates hit the monitor refresh rate limit.

• Drawing allocation – Fullscreen games get exclusive control of GPU resources. Windowed games have to share, slowing rendering.

• Priority deduction – Foreground fullscreen games get higher priority CPU/GPU time slices versus windowed background apps.

While subtle, these factors combine to make a measurable difference in both smoothness and input lag.

Performance Comparison Between Modes

To demonstrate the impact quantitatively, here is mutli-game average performance data compiled by Rock Paper Shotgun between modes [3]:

And according to Tom‘s Hardware GPU benchmarking, the fps hit switching to windowed mode can be up to 19% depending on the system and game [4].

So while for casual play windowed gaming is likely fine, competitive players want every last frame rendered for the fastest response.

Optimal Mode Varies By Game and Priorities

The best display mode depends heavily on your priorities, system hardware, and the game itself:

• For competitive esports like CS:GO, Valorant, or Fortnite, fullscreen provides the least input delay and maximum fps. Though some players use borderless windowed mode to more easily stream.
• In slower paced single player titles, convenience of windowed mode may outweigh the modest performance hit. Alt-tabbing for guides or streaming is easier.
• For GPU-bound systems, running intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077 windowed may actually increase frame consistency and reduce stuttering.
• Running on a multi-monitor setup, windowed mode enables seamless transition between screens.

So there isn‘t definitively one "best" mode – testing different options depending on your setup, game, and priorities is recommended.

Tweaking Tips

To further optimize gaming performance in windowed and fullscreen modes:

Fullscreen Tweaks

• Disable Vsync for max fps
• Lower graphics settings until GPU usage reaches ~95%
• Close unnecessary background apps
• Enable Game Mode in Windows

Windowed Tweaks

• Use Borderless Windowed over standard Windowed whenever possible
• Lower resolutions can boost fps if GPU bound
• Switch to Fullscreen mode for competitive gaming
• Disable Windows Aero effects in desktop settings

Getting the right balance takes some system testing. Personally as a streamer, I use Borderless Windowed for most titles and exclusive Fullscreen on my esports preset. This gives me solid frame rates while easily jumping between games and OBS.

The Bottom Line

So back to the original question – does using windowed mode make games run better?

In the majority of cases, fullscreen mode will provide better input responsiveness and FPS over windowed options on the same system. The lack of desktop compositing and Vsync overhead leaves more GPU headroom for sheer performance.

However, windowed and borderless windowed modes enable easier multitasking, streaming, and multiple monitor use for a better overall experience. So there are reasons to use both!

Hopefully this deep dive has provided some helpful technical background and usage guidelines. Feel free to ask follow ups in the comments below!