How to Test Your PC Before and After EXM

Want to see what EXM actually changed on your PC?

The best way to measure performance improvements is to test your system before and after applying EXM optimizations under the same conditions.

Looking only at your highest FPS is not enough. Average FPS, 1% lows, frame times, temperatures, system latency, and network performance can all provide a better picture of how your PC is performing.

This guide will show you how to properly benchmark your PC before and after using EXM.

Why Benchmark Before Using EXM?

Every PC is different.

Your performance depends on factors such as:

• CPU

• GPU

• RAM

• Storage

• Cooling

• Windows configuration

• Drivers

• Game settings

• Resolution

• Background applications

• Internet connection

Creating a baseline gives you something accurate to compare against after optimization.

Without a baseline, it can be difficult to determine whether your system actually improved.

Step 1: Restart Your PC

Before running your first benchmark, restart your computer.

After Windows loads:

1. Wait a few minutes for startup applications to finish loading.

2. Close unnecessary applications.

3. Pause downloads and updates.

4. Make sure Windows Update is not installing anything.

5. Close browsers, launchers, recording software, and other programs you do not need.

Try to maintain these same conditions during your after-test.

Step 2: Keep Your Settings Identical

This is extremely important.

Do not change your game's:

• Resolution

• Graphics preset

• Upscaling settings

• FPS limit

• V-Sync settings

• Ray tracing settings

• Display mode

Changing these settings between tests makes the comparison unreliable.

For example, testing at 1440p High before EXM and 1080p Low afterward would not show whether EXM improved performance.

Step 3: Choose a Repeatable Test

The best benchmark is one that can be repeated under nearly identical conditions.

Built-In Game Benchmarks

If your game includes a built-in benchmark, use it.

Built-in benchmarks are useful because the same scene and workload are repeated each time.

Repeatable In-Game Tests

If your game does not have a benchmark:

1. Choose the same map or area.

2. Stand or move through the same location.

3. Test for approximately the same amount of time.

4. Avoid comparing completely different matches.

Multiplayer matches can vary significantly because the number of players, effects, objects, and events constantly changes.

Step 4: Record Your Baseline

Before applying EXM, record your results.

We recommend tracking:

• Average FPS

• 1% Low FPS

• Frame times

• CPU utilization

• GPU utilization

• CPU temperature

• GPU temperature

If possible, run the benchmark three times and use the average result.

This helps reduce normal variation between individual benchmark runs.

Example

Your results will vary depending on your hardware and configuration.

Step 5: Pay Attention to 1% Lows

Average FPS is important, but it does not tell the entire story.

Your 1% lows represent performance during some of the slowest frames produced while gaming.

For example:

Before:

• 240 FPS average

• 110 FPS 1% low

After:

• 245 FPS average

• 145 FPS 1% low

The average FPS only increased slightly, but the improved 1% lows may make the game feel noticeably smoother.

This is why EXM should not be evaluated using average FPS alone.

Step 6: Look at Frame Times

Frame time measures how long your system takes to produce each frame.

Stable frame times generally result in smoother gameplay.

Large frame-time spikes can feel like:

• Stuttering

• Freezing

• Hitching

• Uneven movement

You may notice a smoother experience after optimization even if your average FPS changes very little.

For competitive gaming, consistency can be just as important as maximum FPS.

Step 7: Check CPU and GPU Utilization

CPU and GPU utilization can help explain your results.

GPU Usage Near 100%

If your GPU is already consistently around 95 to 100% utilization, your game is likely GPU-bound.

In this situation, Windows and CPU optimizations may have less impact on average FPS because your graphics card is already the primary performance limitation.

You may still see improvements to system responsiveness, frame consistency, or background resource usage.

Lower GPU Usage

If your GPU is not fully utilized, performance may be limited by:

• CPU performance

• Game engine limitations

• FPS caps

• V-Sync

• Background applications

• Power management

• Drivers

System optimization can sometimes have a larger impact in CPU-limited scenarios.

Step 8: Record Your Temperatures

Record CPU and GPU temperatures during your benchmark.

Performance should not be evaluated without considering temperatures.

Extremely high temperatures can cause components to reduce their clock speeds through thermal throttling.

Try to keep room temperature and cooling conditions similar between your before and after tests.

Step 9: Apply EXM Optimizations

Once your baseline is recorded:

1. Open EXM.

2. Apply the optimizations appropriate for your system.

3. Allow EXM to finish applying changes.

4. Restart your PC.

A restart is important because some Windows and system-level changes may not fully take effect until the computer reboots.

Step 10: Repeat the Exact Same Test

After restarting:

1. Close the same background applications.

2. Open the same game.

3. Use the exact same graphics settings.

4. Run the same benchmark or test.

5. Record the same metrics.

Again, we recommend performing approximately three runs and averaging the results.

You can now compare your before and after numbers.

Give Shader Compilation Time to Finish

Do not immediately assume performance became worse if your game stutters after changing graphics drivers or certain system settings.

Some games may need to rebuild their shader cache.

During shader compilation, you may temporarily experience:

• Stuttering

• Frame-time spikes

• Lower FPS

• Longer loading times

Allow the game to finish compiling shaders before performing your final comparison.

Testing Input Responsiveness

Not every optimization is designed specifically to increase FPS.

EXM also includes optimizations intended to improve system responsiveness and reduce unnecessary latency. EXM includes features targeting Windows, power management, networking, peripherals, timer resolution, background services, and other areas of the system.

When testing responsiveness, pay attention to:

• Mouse responsiveness

• Keyboard responsiveness

• Game input

• Frame consistency

• General Windows responsiveness

Input latency can be more difficult to accurately measure without specialized equipment, so avoid relying solely on how a single test "feels."

Testing Your Network

If you applied EXM network optimizations, test your network separately from your FPS benchmark.

Record your:

• Ping

• Download speed

• Upload speed

• Packet loss

• Bufferbloat

Use the same connection for both tests.

For example, do not compare Ethernet before EXM against Wi-Fi afterward.

Network results can also vary depending on your ISP, router, server location, network traffic, and time of day.

Run several tests before drawing conclusions.

What Should You Expect?

EXM is designed to optimize Windows and system configurations for areas including gaming performance, system responsiveness, latency, networking, and background resource usage.

However, results vary between systems.

Depending on your hardware, you may see improvements in:

• Average FPS

• 1% lows

• Frame-time consistency

• Stuttering

• System responsiveness

• Background resource usage

• Network latency or bufferbloat

You should not expect every PC or game to see the same percentage improvement.

A high-end system that is already heavily GPU-bound may show a smaller FPS difference than a CPU-limited or poorly configured system.

Avoid These Benchmarking Mistakes

For the most accurate comparison, avoid:

• Changing graphics settings between tests

• Testing completely different maps

• Comparing different game updates

• Updating GPU drivers between tests

• Running applications during only one test

• Comparing Wi-Fi against Ethernet

• Looking only at maximum FPS

• Using a single benchmark run

• Testing while Windows Update is running

• Comparing results while shaders are still compiling

The fewer variables you change, the more reliable your results will be.

Performance Became Worse?

If your FPS, frame times, temperatures, or overall system performance became worse after applying EXM, don't panic.

Performance optimizations can behave differently depending on your hardware and configuration.

See our My Performance Got Worse After Using EXM troubleshooting guide for steps to identify the cause, revert changes, and restore your previous configuration.

Need Help Understanding Your Results?

If you're unsure whether your results are normal, contact EXM Support.

When contacting us, include:

• CPU

• GPU

• RAM

• Windows version

• EXM version

• Game tested

• Resolution and graphics settings

• Before and after average FPS

• Before and after 1% lows

• CPU and GPU temperatures

• Screenshots of your benchmark results

Providing consistent before and after results makes it much easier for our support team to evaluate your system.

Excerpt: Learn how to properly benchmark your PC before and after using EXM to compare FPS, 1% lows, frame times, temperatures, system responsiveness, and network performance. exmtweaks.com