What is gamemode?
The command gamemoderun %command% is used on Linux to run a game or application with Gamemode, a tool designed to optimize your system for gaming. It tweaks settings like the CPU governor, I/O priority, and more to give your games a performance boost.
How It Works
gamemoderun: This is the command that activates Gamemode.
%command%: This is a placeholder for the actual command used to launch your game or app. It’s commonly used in Steam’s launch options.
Example:
If you’re running a game through Steam, you might add the following to the game’s launch options:
gamemoderun %command%
This ensures the game runs with Gamemode optimizations.
Installation
If you don’t have Gamemode installed, you can install it on Arch Linux using:
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To check if Gamemode is active, run:
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This will show whether Gamemode is running.
What Does Gamemode Optimize?
Gamemode can tweak a variety of settings to improve gaming performance, including:
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CPU Governor:
- Locks your CPU at top speed for better performance.
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I/O Priority:
- Gives your game priority access to your disk, reducing stuttering.
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Process Niceness:
- Makes sure your game gets more attention from the CPU.
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Kernel Scheduler:
- Adjusts how tasks are handled to keep your game running smoothly.
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Screensaver Inhibiting:
- Stops your screensaver from interrupting your game.
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GPU Performance Mode:
- Optimizes your GPU for gaming (supports NVIDIA and AMD, plus overclocking for NVIDIA).
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CPU Core Management:
- Pins or parks CPU cores to improve performance.
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Custom Scripts:
- Lets you add your own tweaks for even more control.
Availability
Gamemode packages are available for Ubuntu, Debian, Solus, Arch, Gentoo, Fedora, OpenSUSE, Mageia and possibly more.
Is It Worth It?
While not all games will see a huge improvement, Gamemode is a simple and effective way to squeeze out extra performance. If you’re a Linux gamer, it’s definitely worth a try!
For more details, check out the Github repository