which graphics settings cost the most FPS? (2026) — what to lower first

Not all settings are equal. A few eat a big share of your frame rate for a difference you'll barely see; others are nearly free. Here's exactly what…

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Hitbox · Gaming Editor

What to lower, what to keep

Ray tracing — usually the 1 FPS hog. Turn off or down first for a huge gain.

What to lower, what to keep

Resolution — 4K is four times the pixels of 1080p. Use upscaling instead of native 4K.

What to lower, what to keep

Shadows — Ultra→High often saves a noticeable amount with little visible difference.

What to lower, what to keep

Volumetrics (fog, god rays, clouds) — expensive; drop to Medium.

What to lower, what to keep

Keep textures HIGH — they cost VRAM, not FPS (if you have the VRAM).

What to lower, what to keep

Anisotropic filtering 16× and TAA — nearly free. Leave them on.

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which graphics settings cost the most FPS? (2026) — what to lower first

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