Gaming Optimizer vs Magpie

Gaming Optimizer is a free, MIT-licensed Windows app for managing CPU affinity in games and background processes. It can assign games to fast cores and demote background processes, but CPU pinning is off by default and changes do not occur until it is enabled. The app says it restores altered processes and system settings when a game closes. Its dashboard shows CPU and GPU metrics, network activity, ping and jitter, bottleneck classifications and process zones. It detects game launches through WMI and scans Steam, Epic Games, GOG, Ubisoft Connect and EA App libraries. Per-game reports include average and peak CPU and GPU metrics and bottleneck breakdowns, with a cumulative sessions.csv file. An optional setting locks NVIDIA graphics clocks while a game runs and resets them afterward. The maker says there is no telemetry, analytics or update checking; the only outbound connection is a configurable latency ping. It requires Windows 10 version 1809 or Windows 11, an x64 processor and administrator rights. The README describes ZIP distribution without an installer, while the Releases page lists no releases.

Magpie is a free Windows tool for scaling windowed or fullscreen content with built-in algorithms and filters. These include Anime4K, FSR, CRT shaders, and other effects. Effects can be combined, most have adjustable parameters, and users familiar with HLSL can add effects. The WinUI-based interface supports light and dark themes, and the tool supports multiple monitors. Release notes describe a screenshot hotkey that defaults to Alt+Shift+S, with customizable filenames, and SGSR, a lightweight upscaling algorithm designed for 3D content. The FAQ says frame generation is not planned because Magpie focuses on visual quality and post-processing, which can add latency when used for frame generation. Magpie requires Windows 10 version 1903 or later, or Windows 11, and DirectX feature level 11. It is licensed under GPLv3, and downloads are linked from GitHub Releases. The repository says it has no SECURITY.md file and no published security advisories. Magpie is associated with a maker founded in 2021.