Reduce Discord Resource Usage While Gaming
Discord is commonly used alongside games for voice chat, messaging, communities, and screen sharing.
While Discord normally uses a relatively small amount of system resources, certain features can increase CPU, GPU, RAM, or network usage.
This guide covers settings that can help reduce unnecessary Discord resource usage while gaming.
Disable Hardware Acceleration if Discord Is Causing Issues
Discord Hardware Acceleration allows the application to use your GPU for interface rendering and other tasks.
On some systems, this can contribute to additional GPU usage or conflicts while gaming.
To disable it:
Open Discord.
Select User Settings.
Go to Advanced.
Disable Hardware Acceleration.
Restart Discord.
Discord specifically recommends testing with Hardware Acceleration disabled when troubleshooting lag.
If Discord performs worse after disabling it, you can turn it back on.
Disable Animated GIFs
Animated GIFs can increase unnecessary CPU and GPU activity when Discord is open.
Go to:
User Settings > Accessibility
Disable:
Automatically play GIFs when Discord is focused
Play animated emoji
Discord recommends these settings when troubleshooting application lag.
Disable the Discord Game Overlay
If you do not use the Discord overlay while gaming, disabling it can reduce unnecessary background functionality.
Go to:
User Settings > Game Overlay
Disable:
Enable in-game overlay
You can also disable the overlay individually for specific games if you still use it elsewhere.
Disable Unnecessary Notifications
Large numbers of Discord notifications can create distractions and additional background activity.
You can reduce them by:
Muting inactive servers
Disabling unnecessary desktop notifications
Disabling notification sounds you do not need
Using server-specific notification settings
This is especially useful if you belong to many large servers.
Disable Unnecessary Startup Behavior
Discord does not need to launch automatically with Windows unless you want it to.
Disable Discord startup through:
Task Manager > Startup Apps
Find Discord and disable it.
You can still manually launch Discord whenever you need it.
Close Unnecessary Discord Streams
Watching multiple streams or high-resolution Discord screen shares can increase:
GPU usage
CPU usage
Network bandwidth
If Discord is affecting game performance, stop streams that you are not actively watching.
Discord also recommends reducing stream resolution or frame rate when experiencing streaming performance issues.
Reduce Discord Stream Quality
If you are streaming your game through Discord and performance is affected:
Start your Discord stream.
Open the stream quality controls.
Reduce the Resolution.
Reduce the Frame Rate if necessary.
Higher stream quality requires additional encoding and network resources.
Avoid Excessive Server Activity
Large servers with constant GIFs, embedded media, animations, and notifications can consume additional resources.
For servers you do not actively use:
Mute the server.
Disable unnecessary notifications.
Avoid leaving media-heavy channels open while gaming.
Keep Discord Updated
Discord regularly updates the desktop client.
If you are experiencing unusual lag, crashes, or performance issues, make sure Discord is fully updated.
Discord also recommends reinstalling the application if persistent issues continue.
Close Discord When You Do Not Need It
If you are playing a game where you do not need voice chat or Discord functionality, completely closing Discord provides the largest reduction in its resource usage.
Make sure Discord is actually closed from the system tray rather than only closing the main window.
Use EXM Game Mode
EXM Game Mode can help reduce unnecessary background activity while a game is running.
Depending on your configuration, Discord can remain available for voice chat while other unnecessary applications and processes are reduced.
Make sure you do not configure Discord to close automatically if you need it during gameplay.
Check Discord Resource Usage
You can monitor Discord through Task Manager.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Open Processes.
Find Discord.
Check its:
CPU usage
Memory usage
GPU usage
Resource usage will vary depending on whether Discord is idle, displaying animated content, screen sharing, or watching streams.
Should You Remove Discord Files or Services?
Avoid deleting random Discord folders, services, or application files in an attempt to "debloat" Discord.
This can cause:
Failed updates
Missing features
Login problems
Application crashes
Using built-in settings is safer and easier to reverse.
Need Help?
If Discord is causing FPS drops, stuttering, excessive resource usage, or screen-sharing issues, contact EXM Support with your CPU, GPU, affected game, and a description of the issue.