Some users are claiming Discord's default process priorities are causing performance problems in esports games, so I've tested it myself to see what's going on
PC Gamer
by Nick Evanson February 20, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Discord’s process priority settings have come under scrutiny by some users who believe the app negatively impacts gaming performance in esports titles like CS2 and Valorant. Process priority determines how much CPU resources a program receives, with higher priority potentially causing frame rate drops or increased latency in competitive games. Some claim Discord runs at Realtime priority, leading to performance issues, while others suggest setting priorities to Normal for smoother gameplay.
The author of the article conducted tests using CS2 on a high-end PC to assess these claims. In three scenarios—without Discord, with Discord running normally, and with all Discord processes set to Normal priority—the frame times were nearly identical, indicating minimal impact. The slight increase in frame times was only milliseconds, which might not be noticeable in most gaming setups, especially if everyone in a competitive match is using similar hardware.
While the test results show little effect on performance, the article acknowledges that individual experiences can vary based on PC configurations and other factors. Adjusting Discord’s process priorities to Normal is an easy fix for those concerned about potential impacts. However, the author emphasizes that Discord isn’t particularly resource-intensive, and the benefits of altering priorities are likely modest.
The piece also cautions against setting game priorities to High or Realtime, as it may not improve performance and could even destabilize system operations. For most gamers, especially those in casual settings, adjusting Discord’s process priorities is unnecessary unless significant issues arise.
In conclusion, while some users report problems with Discord’s default settings, the evidence suggests these effects are negligible for most players. The article provides a simple solution for tweaking priorities but advises against over-optimizing game processes, highlighting that Discord’s impact on gaming performance is likely overstated in most cases.
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Originally published on PC Gamer on 2/20/2026