Couple ?'s firewall and mmo's

I don't think so. It is not safe either

To gain performance in playing mmo
- turn off Windows Aero,
- use lower screen resolution or texture quality
- use the "high performance" power plan
- close unnessary programs like messenger, skype, internet browser, mIRC etc...

lol do people still use mIRC?

yes

SwiftIRC is a good network for RuneScape players