Project Mercury — Automatically Giving the Foreground App More Power
Many people get frustrated when the app they’re actively using feels sluggish because the system is busy handling background processes. Project Mercury quietly tweaks process priorities and CPU affinity so the application in the foreground gets more CPU time and feels more responsive.
There’s nothing complicated here — no bloated settings menus. You run it, and it works. Switch to a different window, and it adjusts priorities accordingly.
Technical Snapshot
| Attribute | Detail |
| Platform | Windows 7/10/11 |
| Primary Function | Raises priority and adjusts CPU affinity for the active window |
| Exclusions | Customizable via a config file to avoid specific processes |
| Interface | No visible GUI — runs silently in the background |
| Format | Portable EXE, no installation required |
| Memory Usage | Very low — usually under 20 MB |
| License | Freeware (lightweight utility) |
How It Usually Plays Out
You open a heavy application or a game, and Project Mercury instantly bumps its CPU priority so it stops stuttering. When you switch focus to another program, it drops the priority back. A simple configuration file allows you to exclude processes that should never be altered.
Notes on Setup
– Download a single EXE file — no installation needed.
– Run it once and it starts working immediately.
– Admin rights are required to change process priority or CPU affinity.
– Fully portable — works from a USB drive.
– Configuration is handled through a plain-text file.
Where It Fits Best
– Gamers, streamers, and creative professionals needing maximum responsiveness in active apps.
– Older or resource-constrained systems where performance gains are noticeable.
– Real-time workloads like DAWs, emulators, or OBS recording/streaming.
– Users who want a “set it and forget it” background tool.
What to Keep in Mind
– Won’t help if the bottleneck is GPU or RAM rather than CPU scheduling.
– Not suited for multi-user or server environments.
– Doesn’t replace full system optimizers like Process Lasso.
– Minimal interface — configuration is manual.
Close Relatives
– Process Lasso — full-featured CPU and process management.
– CPU Priority Tools / nice — manual process priority adjustment.
– Game Booster utilities — similar effect, but often heavier and less portable.