Accelerating games on Xiaomi: a complete guide to overclocking FPS and fighting lags

Xiaomi smartphones have long gained a reputation for devices with excellent price-performance ratio, but even flagship models like the Redmi K60 Pro or POCO F5 sometimes “brake” in modern games. The reasons are diverse, from overheating of the processor to unoptimized MIUI settings. This article will help you understand how to speed up games on Xiaomi without harming iron – from basic system tweaks to advanced methods of overclocking the GPU.

It's important to understand that not all methods are equally safe. For example, forced overclocking through an engineering menu can shorten the life of a chipset, and turning off background processes sometimes leads to game crashes. We'll look at legal and risky ways so you can choose the optimal balance between performance and stability. Let's start with the simplest settings that are available to every MIUI user.

Why Games Are Slowing Down on Xiaomi: The Main Reasons

Before you optimize your system, you need to understand the root of the problem. 80% of the lags in Xiaomi games are related to:

• 🔥 Overheating of the processor – Snapdragon and Mediatek chipsets begin trottling (reducing frequencies) at temperatures above 45°C.
• 🗑️ Clogged cache – temporary files of games and systems take up memory, slowing down the loading of textures.
• 🤖 Background processes — MIUI strangle RAM Unnecessary applications, taking resources from the game.
• ⚙️ Unoptimized graphics settings – many games automatically choose high settings that do not correspond to the capabilities of the smartphone.
• 📉 Older Firmware - in New Versions MIUI often improve drivers GPU (For example, for the Adreno 730 in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2).

Interesting fact: even low-end models like the Redmi Note 12 with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chipset can deliver a stable 60 FPS to the Genshin Impact at low settings — if you set the system right. But flagships like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra sometimes “suck” due to overheating due to thin body and weak cooling system.

Basic MIUI settings to speed up games

Start with simple tweaks that don’t require root rights or an engineering menu.These settings work on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and up:

1. Activate Performance Mode: Go to Settings → Special Features → Performance Mode and select High Performance. This will turn off some animations and increase the FPS limit.
2. Limit background processes: In Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun disable autorun for all unnecessary programs (social networks, instant messengers, system utilities).
3. Enable Game Turbo: In Settings → Special Features → Game Turbo Activate Mode and Add the Game to the List. This prioritizes CPU/GPU resources for it.
4. Turn it off. MIUI Optimization (for advanced): adb shell settings put global miui_optimization_disabled 1 This command disables unnecessary system services, but can lead to notification bugs.

A critical mistake many users make: they include “Game Turbo”, but forget to add the game itself to the list of priority applications.

Overclocking the GPU and CPU: risks and opportunities

There are ways for advanced users to force the GPU to overclock, but it reduces the life of the chipset and can cause overheating.

1. through the engineering menu (no root)

Enter the dialer code:

##4636##

Go to Phone Information → Battery settings and select Performance. Here you can manually increase the GPU frequency by 10-15%, but this does not work on all models (for example, on the POCO X5 Pro, the menu is blocked).

2. with the help of applications (root required)

Applications like Kernel Adiutor or FrancoKernel allow you to:

• 📈 Increase clock speed GPU (For example, from 800 MHz to 950 MHz for Adreno 640).
• 🔄 Change the governor (frequency control mode) to performance.
• 🧊 Optimize heat generation through undervolting (voltage reduction).

⚠️ Note: Overclocking on Mediatek chipsets (for example, Helio) G99 Redmi Note 12 Pro is more likely to overheat than Snapdragon, with maximum safe frequency gain of no more than 10% of stock values.

Smartphone Cooling: How to Avoid Trottling

Overheating is the main reason why FPS is falling in games, and even if you overclock the GPU, the chipset will force the frequencies to drop above 50°C. Here's how to deal with it:

• ❄️ Use a cooling case – models with a fan (for example, Black Shark Cooler) reduce the temperature by 5-8°C.
• 📱 Remove the case – many users do not know that silicone cases block the heat sink.
• 🔋 Play on charging – when connected to the network, the smartphone limits the maximum brightness and frequency CPU, But it doesn't heat up so much from the battery.
• 🧊 Refrigeration applications — CPU Cooler or Game Booster 4x Faster covers background processes, but their effectiveness is controversial.

Experiment: On the POCO F3 with the Snapdragon 870 chipset, tests showed that the cooling case increased the stable FPS in Call of Duty Mobile from 55 to 60 frames (no drawdowns).Without the case, after 20 minutes of play, the FPS fell to 40 due to trottling.

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Before a long game session, put your smartphone in the fridge for 10 minutes (NOT in the freezer!) This will give you a temperature margin for the first 15-20 minutes of the game.

Optimizing graphics in games: settings for maximum FPS

Many games automatically choose graphics settings that are not appropriate for your smartphone. Manual quality reduction can give an increase in FPS by 30-50%.

Secret trick: PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile can force 90 FPS on even unsupported devices.

1. Download a modified GPU Driver (e.g. Adreno Driver 650 for Snapdragon 865).
2. Set it through ADB Adb shell settings put global force_fps 90
3. In the game settings, select 90 FPS (the option will appear after the restart).

⚠️ Note: On Mediatek chipsets (e.g. Helio) G95) compulsory inclusion 90 FPS Before experimenting, check the reviews for your model in forums like 4PDA.

Castom firmware and cores: extreme measures

If standard methods don't work, you can consider custom firmware.

• 🚀 More aggressive overclocking settings (for example, in ArrowOS you can overclock) GPU 20%).
• 🗑️ Clean Android without any MIUI — There are no background processes that eat RAM.
• 🔧 Custom core support (e.g. FrancoKernel for Snapdragon 888).

Popular Firmware for Gamers:

• Pixel Experience is stable, with optimizations for gaming.

Installation instructions (briefly):

1. Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (you need a Mi Account and wait 7 days).
2. Install TWRP Recovery for your model.
3. Sweep through firmware and GApps (if you need Google services).
4. Optionally: install a custom core for acceleration.

Alternative methods: from cooling to upgrade

If software methods are exhausted, consider:

• 🔄 Replacement of thermopaste - on older models (for example, POCO F1) Thermopaste dries out, which leads to overheating.New paste (e.g. Arctic) MX-4) It can reduce the temperature by 3-5°C.

Economic calculation: replacing the thermopaste costs 500-1000 rubles, and upgrading to the POCO F5 (with Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2) gives a performance increase of 2-3 times. If you play daily, the upgrade will pay off in 6-12 months.

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On smartphones older than 3 years (such as the Redmi Note 9 Pro), overclocking and optimization have minimal effect.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions