GameBoost: PGWARE's Game and Internet Tweaker, Two Tools in One
GameBoost is a small Windows utility from PGWARE LLC that applies two sets of Windows tweaks at once: the game-oriented system settings from PGWARE's GameGain and the network settings from its Throttle. It costs $19.30 at checkout through the Buy Now button on this page, while PGWARE's own store at pgware.com sells the same license for $4.99, so buying direct is clearly the cheaper route.
The pitch is simple: pick your Windows version, processor and connection type, drag a slider from "Boost" to "Maximum Boost", click Optimize now, reboot. What you get for that click is the question this page tries to answer honestly, because PGWARE promises higher frame rates and lower ping, and we found no independent test that measured either.
Quick facts
- Developer: PGWARE LLC (pgware.com)
- Version: 3.10.21.2024, which PGWARE's product page describes as recompiled with Delphi 2023 to fix small bugs and improve Windows 11 compatibility
- Platform: Windows only; PGWARE lists Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Windows Server 2012, 2008, 2003, 32-bit and 64-bit
- What it combines: GameGain (memory, CPU priority, disk and graphics settings) plus Throttle (network buffer settings)
- Price: $19.30 one-time at checkout here; $4.99 at PGWARE's own store
- Trial: 30 days, free download from PGWARE
- License: one computer per license
What we checked: the installer from pgware.com is 5.72 MB, an Inno Setup package with no Authenticode code signature; the order page charged $19.30 for GameBoost as a one-time purchase with no renewal, and PGWARE's store listed GameBoost 3 at $4.99, both on November 4, 2026. We did not run the Optimize step or benchmark a game before and after.
Before you buy
- The price gap is large. $19.30 at checkout here versus $4.99 from PGWARE directly (card, AliPay or WeChat Pay on its store page). If you decide to buy, PGWARE's store is the cheaper option.
- The installer isn't code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may show an "unknown publisher" warning when you run it.
- The screenshots PGWARE publishes show the 2013 interface (they read "Version installed: 2.11.25.2013" and offer Windows 8 in the drop-down). The current build may look slightly different.
- If you already own GameGain or Throttle, GameBoost adds nothing you don't have.
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Overview
Windows is a general-purpose operating system, and PGWARE's argument is that its default settings aren't tuned for games. GameBoost changes a batch of registry and system values in one pass: how memory is used, how the CPU prioritizes full-screen programs, hard drive read and write behavior, graphics display speed, and the TCP buffer sizes your network connection uses. PGWARE doesn't publish the list of individual values, so you're trusting its choices.
Two things work in its favor. It never touches game files, so anti-cheat systems have nothing to detect, and a Restore button reverses the changes. Two things work against it: the changes are aimed at problems that modern Windows mostly manages on its own, and the product's own marketing (an "advanced software based over-clocking feature") claims more than a settings tweak can deliver.
GameBoost's main window as shown on PGWARE's site (2013 build): three drop-downs for Windows version, processor and internet type, the Boost to Maximum Boost slider, and the Optimize now and Restore buttons.
Features
One pass covers system and network settings
GameBoost applies GameGain's system tweaks and Throttle's network tweaks from a single window. The extra Internet Type drop-down (Cable/DSL/Wi-Fi and others) is the part GameGain doesn't have: it picks which network buffer profile to write.
A speed slider instead of individual switches
GameBoost gives you a single slider from "Boost" to "Maximum Boost". There are no checkboxes for individual settings, which keeps it simple but means you can't keep the network changes and skip the memory ones.
Restore puts the old values back
GameBoost's Restore button undoes the changes it made. That's the main safety net if a game or your connection behaves worse after a reboot.
Updates from inside the program
GameBoost can find, download and install its own updates. PGWARE says updates within the same major version are free.
The Update GameBoost window (2013 build): three steps to find, download and install a newer version.
Real-World Uses
- An older laptop that stutters in a game. You've already lowered the in-game settings and want to see if a different set of Windows defaults helps. The 30-day trial and the Restore button let you test it and back out.
- An old PC still on Windows XP. This is where PGWARE's network tweaks have the most room to matter, since XP predates the automatic TCP tuning Microsoft added in Windows Vista.
- Someone who wants one button rather than two programs. If you were going to try both GameGain and Throttle, GameBoost is the same work in one install.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
GameBoost suits a curious PC owner with an older machine who wants to try a one-click tweak, keeps a restore point, and judges the result with a frame-rate counter rather than a feeling.
Skip it if your PC already runs your games well, if you're on a recent Windows 10 or 11 install (the network half has little left to tune there), or if you want measurable gains. A graphics driver update, the in-game settings and closing background apps are free and do more. If you only care about online lag, a wired connection beats any registry change. Gamers who prefer a free booster can look at Razer Cortex, the top alternative AlternativeTo lists.
Usage Guide
- Create a Windows restore point first (search "Create a restore point" in the Start menu). GameBoost's Restore button covers its own changes, a restore point covers everything.
- Download the trial from PGWARE and run the installer. Accept the SmartScreen prompt only if the file came from pgware.com.
- Start GameBoost with administrator rights, which it needs to write system settings.
- Pick your Windows version, processor maker and internet type from the three drop-downs.
- Leave the slider on "Boost" for the first try, click Optimize now and reboot.
- Measure: run the same game scene with a frame-rate overlay (Steam, your GPU driver or the game's own counter) and ping the same server before and after.
- If nothing improved, or something got worse, open GameBoost, click Restore and reboot.
Where it falls short
- No published list of the settings it changes, so you can't check or pick them one by one.
- Its compatibility line still names Windows 10 as the newest supported system, even though the latest update note mentions Windows 11 compatibility.
- Frame-rate claims rest on PGWARE's word. Registry tweaks can't add graphics power the hardware doesn't have.
- A bundle means both halves or neither: there's no way to apply only the network part.
What Users Say
Independent reviews are scarce
We couldn't find a hands-on review or user rating of GameBoost on the major review sites. AlternativeTo, where users vote on software, shows no comments or reviews for it, and its listing carries a user-added warning that reads: "Very suspicious. Unabased/impossible claims. Looks like prefab software." That label is a user's opinion, not a test result, but it reflects the general view of game boosters.
What testers say about the two halves
There's more on the parts GameBoost is built from. A 2013 dotTech review of PGWARE's PCBoost found the CPU-priority trick works but the reviewer wasn't convinced it was worth buying. Microsoft's own engineers wrote in 2006 that Windows Vista replaced the manual TCP window setting, the kind of value network tweakers write, with automatic tuning. We cover both in detail on the GameGain and Throttle pages on this site.
The recurring theme: people like that PGWARE tools are simple and reversible; skeptics point out that the promised gains are unmeasured and that modern Windows already does much of this tuning itself.
Comparisons
GameBoost vs buying GameGain and Throttle separately
GameBoost is GameGain plus Throttle in one program. At PGWARE's store each of the three costs $4.99, so the bundle saves you $4.99 there. At checkout here each is $19.30. Either way, only buy the bundle if you actually want both the game and the network tweaks.
GameBoost vs PGWARE's other bundles
PGWARE sells three more combinations, all $4.99 on its store: GameSwift (PCMedik plus GameGain), PCSwift (PCMedik plus Throttle) and SystemSwift (PCMedik, GameGain and Throttle). We don't list those, and the Buy Now button here sells GameBoost only.
Editions and Pricing
| Where you buy |
Price |
License term |
Computers |
| PGWARE store (pgware.com) | $4.99 | One-time, free updates within the major version | 1 |
| Checkout via Buy Now on this page | $19.30 | One-time | 1 |
FAQs
Does GameBoost increase FPS?
GameBoost has no published, independent frame-rate test behind its FPS claims, and we didn't benchmark it. Tweaks to CPU priority and memory settings can, at best, help a little on a PC that's busy with background work; they can't make a graphics card faster. Use the trial with a frame-rate counter and decide from your own numbers.
Can GameBoost get me banned in online games?
GameBoost doesn't modify, patch or inject into game files, according to PGWARE, so anti-cheat software has nothing to flag. It only changes Windows settings.
Does GameBoost lower ping?
GameBoost can't shorten the distance to a game server, which is what sets most of your ping. Its network tweaks change buffer sizes on your PC; on Windows Vista and later, Windows already adjusts the receive window automatically.
Why is GameBoost cheaper on pgware.com?
PGWARE prices its own store at $4.99 per product, while the order page behind our Buy Now button charges $19.30. Both are one-time payments. If price is what matters, buy from PGWARE directly.
Can I use one GameBoost license on two PCs?
A GameBoost license covers one computer. PGWARE's activation checks for the same serial number on several machines and can cancel a license that's shared.
Do I get GameBoost updates for free?
Updates within the same major version of GameBoost are free, says PGWARE, and you install them over the old copy without entering the serial again. A new major version may need a new purchase.
System Requirements
- Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, or Windows Server 2012, 2008 or 2003 (32-bit or 64-bit), as PGWARE lists them; the latest build notes improved Windows 11 compatibility
- Administrator rights to apply the changes
- About 6 MB for the installer
- An internet connection for activation and updates
Conclusion
Verdict: GameBoost is a tidy, reversible one-click tweaker, and that's all it is. The one reason to try it is convenience: two PGWARE tools in one window, with a Restore button. The main reason not to buy it is that its promises (more FPS, less lag) have no independent evidence behind them, and on a current Windows 10 or 11 PC there's little left for it to tune.
If you do want it, test the 30-day trial with a frame-rate counter first, and if the numbers move, buy it from PGWARE's store for $4.99 rather than paying $19.30 at checkout here.
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