Revitalize Your Old Gaming PC With AtlasOS
Your old PC has started showing its age, and you can’t run the latest and greatest games on it. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s time for a costly upgrade. If you’re not dealing with hardware issues, the problem’s not that the PC itself “got old”, but that newer software demands more from it. And this “software” includes the OS itself, Windows.
Let’s see how you may squeeze more life out of your old PC with AtlasOS, boosting its responsiveness and increasing your games' framerates.
What Is Atlasos, and Why Should You Use It?
Despite being originally lighter than their ancestors, both Windows 10 and Windows 11 became increasingly bloated with each update. From ads you don’t care about to apps and services you never use, the latest and fully updated Windows demand more from your PC than before. And the creators of AtlasOS decided to do something about it.
Unlike Linux distributions, which are the base for a whole different software ecosystem and expect you to jump through some hoops torun Windows software and games, AtlasOS is Windows, literally. With AtlasOS, you aren’t installing a new OS on your computer but modifying an existing version of Windows 10 or 11 “to lighten it up” and remove all its fluff.
The project describes itself as “a transparent and streamlined modification of Windows, designed to maximize your system’s performance and optimize latency”. It achieves that by reconfiguring Windows' own installation, prioritizing what’s needed for gaming, and minimizing (or altogether getting rid of) everything else.
You could try micromanaging your PC bychanging the priority level for your programsorautomating CPU thread management with an app like Process Lasso. Or you could tryoverclocking your PCto push it over its usual limits.
Still, AtlasOS may be a better choice for many people. It automatically frees up more resources than you could ever do manually by removing even Windows features & turning off non-essential services. Also, it doesn’t affect your hardware in any way that could potentially damage it.
Despite AtlasOS being Windows and not modifying your hardware settings, some software may still break because of its tweaks. If you’re mostly gaming, browsing, and watching some videos, AtlasOS can make your old PC more responsive. However, we don’t suggest you use it on any PC you use for your work, where you prioritize compatibility and stability.
How to Download AtlasOS
AtlasOS works by modifying your existing Windows installation. Up to the time of writing, it was available for Windows 10, and that’s what we’ll be using for this article.
If you’re using Windows 11, you’ll have to wait for a new version of AtlasOS that’s underway for that OS—it might be available by the time you’re reading this. Otherwise, you’ll have to downgrade to Windows 10 or perform a fresh installation of Microsoft’s previous OS to use it.
Before We Continue, Back Up Your Data
Although AtlasOS doesn’t install a brand-new version of Windows and shouldn’t affect your data or installed apps, it is a radical collection of tweaks for Windows to the point it feels like an alternative OS.
Thus, although your data and apps should be safe, it’s always best to back up everything in such scenarios. It’s even better to alsotake a full OS backup using a tool like Macrium Reflectto ensure you’ll be able to return to your “normal” Windows in case you decide AtlasOS isn’t for you.
Preparing the AtlasOS Setup
During this initial bit, AtlasOS will check your current Windows installation to ensure it doesn’t diverge from what it’s expecting, download updates, and guide you through turning off security measures (to allow it to modify Windows system files and settings).
Installing AtlasOS
Up to now, your Windows installation is (mostly) untouched, and you can still cancel AtlasOS’s installation. We must strongly suggest once more you take a complete Windows OS backup if you haven’t done so yet, to be able to revert the changes that will be applied in the next steps.
The Differences Between AtlasOS and Vanilla Windows
AtlasOS’s difference in responsiveness compared to “vanilla” Windows can be stunning, although that also depends on your hardware. It also has a cleaner aesthetic and feels simpler, closer to the classic Windows XP.
However, not everything is perfect: you might not agree with everything AtlasOS disables, removes, or changes. For example, from now on, you’ll have to manually download and apply updates to your Windows installation, for AtlasOS also removes theWindows Updateoption.
You can feel the difference compared to a “normal” Windows installation, and it’s also apparent if you check the OS’s demands on resources.
In our case, the “vanilla” version of Windows 10 we used before side-grading it to AtlasOS consumed around 8%-10% more resources while idle.
A Leaner Version of Windows
As you’ll see for yourself, AtlasOS’s pros are quite enticing. It feels like a new, cleaner, and snappier version of Windows. It’s what many would expect from a modern version of what many consider Microsoft’s best version of Windows, Windows XP. Your PC will respond quicker, apps will seem faster, and you may also gain some gaming performance.
AtlasOS is perfect for a secondary, older PC, which isn’t crucial for your daily needs. Yes, you will miss some Windows updates that could be useful, and an app here or a game there might fail to run. And yet, if AtlasOS can make your old PC usable again and help postpone an upgrade, that’s a small price to pay.
Building your own PC? Let these best custom PC builder sites help you get started.
If an AI can roast you, it can also prep you for emergencies.
Your iPhone forgets what you copy, but this shortcut makes it remember everything.
I didn’t even know this secret menu existed until recently!
Unlock a world of entertainment possibilities with this clever TV hack.
I plugged random USB devices into my phone and was pleasantly surprised by how many actually worked.
