Quick Answer
The fastest fix for a heavy RDP
Inside your remote desktop, press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter. Go to the Advanced tab → click Settings under Performance → choose "Adjust for best performance". Click Apply.
That single change disables animations, shadows, and transparency — three things that quietly eat CPU/GPU on RDP. The full walkthrough with screenshots is below.
The 5 Main Steps
Adjust Windows for best performance
Do these inside the RDP session — they only affect your remote desktop, not your local computer.
- 1
Open System Properties
Press Win + R on your keyboard, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter. This opens the System Properties window inside your RDP session.
sysdm.cplIf the Run dialog doesn't appear, search 'View advanced system settings' from the Start menu instead.
- 2
Switch to the Advanced tab
At the top of System Properties, click the Advanced tab. You'll see three sections: Performance, User Profiles, and Startup and Recovery.
- 3
Open Performance Settings
Under the Performance section (the first one), click the Settings button. The Performance Options window will open.
- 4
Choose 'Adjust for best performance'
On the Visual Effects tab, select the radio button for 'Adjust for best performance'. This disables animations, shadows, transparency, and other graphical effects.
All checkboxes will automatically uncheck — that's exactly what you want for the lowest CPU/GPU usage.
- 5
Click Apply, then OK
Apply the changes. Windows will switch to a flat, classic look instantly — your RDP session will feel snappier within seconds.
Heads up:The "Adjust for best performance" preset turns Windows into a flat, classic look. This is purely cosmetic — your apps, files, and settings stay exactly the same.
Recommended Optional
Two settings worth turning back on
After selecting "Adjust for best performance", you can re-enable just these two checkboxes for better usability — the CPU/GPU cost is negligible.
✔ Smooth edges of screen fonts
Re-enable this for cleaner, more readable text. Especially helpful when typing or reading documents for long hours.
✔ Show thumbnails instead of icons
Useful if you regularly browse folders containing images, videos, or design files. Skip this if you mostly work with documents.
What You'll Get
The result: a smoother, lighter RDP
These changes give you four real, measurable improvements immediately after applying.
Lower CPU usage
Disabling animations and transparency frees up CPU cycles for actual work — browsers, IDEs, RDP rendering itself.
Lower GPU usage
No more compositing for fades, shadows, and minimize/maximize animations. The GPU is freed for real workloads.
Smoother RDP responsiveness
Mouse clicks, window drags, and keyboard input feel instant because Windows is no longer redrawing decorative effects.
Reduced bandwidth usage
Fewer screen redraws mean fewer pixels sent over the network — critical on slow or mobile connections.
Bonus
5 more tips to keep RDP fast
The Visual Effects fix is the single biggest win, but stack these on top for the smoothest possible session.