Boost Your Steam Deck’s Performance with Cryo Utilities

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Boost Your Steam Deck’s Performance with Cryo Utilities​

If you're looking to get the most out of your Steam Deck, installing Cryo Utilities could be a game-changer. Cryo Utilities is a plugin designed to enhance the performance of your Steam Deck by optimizing the way it handles memory and storage. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to install and configure it to improve your gaming experience.

What is Cryo Utilities?​

Cryo Utilities is a tool that adjusts the swap file settings on your Steam Deck. The swap file is a portion of storage used when the RAM is overloaded. By tweaking this file’s size and how the Steam Deck uses it, Cryo Utilities helps achieve more stable frame rates and overall smoother performance in games.

How to Install Cryo Utilities​

1. Boot into Desktop Mode
   To begin, you’ll need to boot your Steam Deck into Desktop Mode. Press the Steam button, scroll down to the "Power" option, and select "Switch to Desktop Mode."
2. Open Firefox
   Once in Desktop Mode, open Firefox and search for "Cryo Utilities GitHub." This will lead you to the Cryo Utilities GitHub page.
3. Download and Install Cryo Utilities
   Follow the installation instructions provided on the GitHub page. This typically involves downloading the Cryo Utilities plugin and setting it up on your Steam Deck.
4. Set Up Root Access
   Open the terminal (also known as "Console") on your Steam Deck. Change the root access password by typing a new one. This password will be needed for Cryo Utilities later.
5. Launch Cryo Utilities
   After installation, find the Cryo Utilities icon on your desktop and launch the application. You’ll be prompted to enter the root access password you set up earlier.
6. Configure Settings
   Once Cryo Utilities is running, apply the recommended settings. These settings include:

• Increasing the swap file size to 16 GB
• Enabling Transparent Huge Pages (though this may impact performance in some games)
• Reducing the system’s reliance on the swap file by lowering swappiness
• Disabling memory defragmentation The primary improvement here is the reduction in swappiness, meaning your Steam Deck will rely less on the swap file as RAM fills up. Cryo Utilities will also suggest increasing your virtual memory (VM) from 1 GB to 4 GB. This can improve performance but may negatively affect some games, such as Red Dead Redemption 2. If you notice any issues, you can revert this setting back to 1 GB.

1. Fine-Tune and Test
   You can further tweak settings in Cryo Utilities if desired, but starting with the recommended configurations is usually sufficient. If you encounter any issues or if the changes don’t improve performance, you can uninstall Cryo Utilities and return to the default settings.

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