Playing Games in FullScreen and Windowed

[nicedreams]

I play games in fullscreen mode, but I know you can play games in Window Mode by pressing ALT+ENTER.

I was just wondering if playing games in Window Mode rather than FullScreen stressed your PC out more or whatever or is the same?

I want to play some games in Window Mode (better performance sometimes), but don't want to stress out my system.

[nomis_nehc]

which games do you get better performance in windowed mode?

I usually play in fullscreen, simply because of habit. One game I did play in windowed mode was Counter-Strike. In CS, you get taken out of the game when someone IM's you, you get taken out and when you go back into the game, you're dead. That annoyed the **** outta me, so I played in windowed mode. That was like 3 years ago though.

[Keldyn]

Just shut off your IM when you play a game. I do.

[lawtai]

Yea, I would play CS in windowed mode too. Most other games I play allow you to use alt-tab to go back to the windows screen, it doesn't seem to stress my computer that much more, but i don't really notice if it does. The computers you have in your sig I would think could handle you going back and forth between the game and windows.

*900 posts!!! :-D*

[deimos]

sometimes i play games like unreal 2 in window mode just so i can IM people and play games at the same time :)

[MEMO.INC]

Age of mithology windowed allways

[MxxCon]

I want to play some games in Window Mode (better performance sometimes), but don't want to stress out my system.

you get better perforumance becuase game window has smaller resolution than when playing full screen...isn't it obvious ;)

[FudgeMonkey]

you get better perforumance becuase game window has smaller resolution than when playing full screen...isn't it obvious ;)

it also depends on what othe progs you have running at the same time, i tend to have more stuff running if i'm in window mode because i'm constantly multi-tasking.

i think the best game i found for window mode was Serious Sam because when you are playing you just double tap right mouse button and it brings up the windows cursor and pauses the game, nice and smooth :)

[nicedreams]

I get better performance in Urban Terror and the graphics look better too for some reason. I usually play it in a bigger res than in games. My desktop is 1280x1024, but play games at fullscreen 1024x768 or 800x600 on Battlefield.

So I guess playing in windowed mode is about the same as full screen as far as stress, since the processor uses 100% usage no matter which mode your in when playing games anyways.

I turn off IMs and most background progs when I play in fullscreen so it doesn't bother my game, and I get better performance.

It's funny...I get a better ping using FRAPS in Urban Terror. Kind of wierd, but seems to be true most of the time.

[JK1150]

when you full screen it only stretches the window basically. so if the window is at 800x600, it will change ur screen res to 800x600 to make it full screen, therefore no it doesn't stress ur PC more, ur monitor.... most likely yes

[Jon]

Errrr running windowed DOES stress the PC more, simply because its drawing the desktop and other apps, as well as running them in the background. Common sense.

I used to run SC4 windowed, but it ctd'd a lot, so dont bother now.

And if you arn't smart enuff to close IM whilst gaming, u deserve ctd's etc!!!!!

You spend huge amounts of money on fancy hardware, but dont bother killing tasks before gaming. Hmm.

[Joel]

Moved here

[Khujo]

you spend huge amounts of money on fancy hardware so you don't have to kill tasks before gaming, personally i'll play a game windowed and have a dvdrip running on my 3rd display and a webpage or im's open on my second.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Errrr running windowed DOES stress the PC more, simply because its drawing the desktop and other apps, as well as running them in the background. Common sense.

I used to run SC4 windowed, but it ctd'd a lot, so dont bother now.

And if you arn't smart enuff to close IM whilst gaming, u deserve ctd's etc!!!!!

You spend huge amounts of money on fancy hardware, but dont bother killing tasks before gaming. Hmm.

lol,

so when you run a game it shuts off explorer et al?

No it doesnt, its still drawing your desktop behind as well a the game window anyway, so it doesnt make a difference

[nvme]

you spend huge amounts of money on fancy hardware so you don't have to kill tasks before gaming, personally i'll play a game windowed and have a dvdrip running on my 3rd display and a webpage or im's open on my second.

no i spend huge amounts of money for fancy hardware so that i can turn all the settings all the way up and play a game at it's full potential

[cocklea]

i played some games in windowed mode, like solitaire, freecell, and minesweeper. It looks better that way.

[nicedreams]

Geez, some of you are speaking retarted or something.

If you play a game in full screen or at all, of course everything in the background is still running. If it's loaded, then it's in ram, same as the game.

I know about the stretching and stuff of resolutions when in full screen also.

I just wanted to know if it stressed your system out in any way playing in windowed mode. It seems like it's the same stress, but dunno.

I used to play UO 3d client in windowed mode and it seemed fine even though it's still 100% usuage.

I play MAME/SNES online in windowed mode, because they say it's better performance and it is.

Some times is just seems easier in some cases to have what ever game it is in windowed mode so you can kind of multitask if needed. Playing a 3 hour of whatever game in fullscreen sucks sometimes, because I want to change what album is playing in winamp and I don't have hotkeys to look around my directories durring a game.

Playing Urban Terror and changing map values when creating maps is cool to do in windowed mode also.

Pretty simple question, but people have to be jerks when answering them.

Thanks for the help to the people that where helpfull. No disrespect to you...

ALL IN ALL... Just wanted to know if it was bad, good or the same... For 3D games mostly. I know it racks the hell out of your card, but just wondering...

[Jon]

Errrr running windowed DOES stress the PC more, simply because its drawing the desktop and other apps, as well as running them in the background. Common sense.

I used to run SC4 windowed, but it ctd'd a lot, so dont bother now.

And if you arn't smart enuff to close IM whilst gaming, u deserve ctd's etc!!!!!

You spend huge amounts of money on fancy hardware, but dont bother killing tasks before gaming. Hmm.

lol,

so when you run a game it shuts off explorer et al?

No it doesnt, its still drawing your desktop behind as well a the game window anyway, so it doesnt make a difference

I didnt say it 'shuts off' explorer now did I.

It DOES run slower, windows has to deal with issues regarding window focus etc (ie you are actively task switching all of the time, unlike when you run a game fullscreen and stay in that focus).

If you play a game in full screen or at all, of course everything in the background is still running. If it's loaded, then it's in ram, same as the game.

Yes but there are more issues than simply running a process, especially when you're discussing visual rendering.

Pretty simple question, but people have to be jerks when answering them

I dont know who that was aimed at, but its not a good way to get noticed / future replies on Neowin.