Refine Your Palette----- 
 
Here's a speed tweak that will actually work for all versions of Windows, including Me. Just lower the depth of the color palette you're using. You probably won't be able to tell the difference between a 16-bit (high color) and 32-bit (true color) palette, but you'll definitely notice the difference when you are able to run a 3D game 30 percent faster at a lower color level. And if your graphics driver gives you a 24-bit color option between those two, you can split the difference between display quality and speed. 

Right-click your desktop, and select Properties.

Select Settings from the display options box that appears. Choose your color level and click Apply.

Look under the Advanced button to make sure your refresh rate hasn't changed.