PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe best starting point for No Rest for the Wicked is a current game build installed on an SSD, a stable frame-rate cap, and resolution upscaling matched to your graphics card: use DLSS on an NVIDIA GPU and FSR on an AMD GPU. Begin with Quality or Balanced mode at 1080p or 1440p, then switch to Performance Mode or a lower quality preset only when frame pacing, VRAM use, or system-memory pressure remains poor.
There is no official universal FPS gain for each setting, so treat this as a hardware-aware setup procedure rather than a guaranteed benchmark. Your final choice depends on GPU model and VRAM, CPU, RAM, display resolution, and the exact game build.
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Quick-start settings by hardware goal
Use the profile closest to your system, then follow the tuning steps below. Keep the frame-rate cap at a value your computer can sustain in demanding areas instead of chasing a peak number that causes repeated drops.
| Situation | Resolution | Upscaler | Quality mode | First adjustment if performance is poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GPU with adequate VRAM | 1080p or 1440p | DLSS | Quality; Balanced if needed | Use Balanced, then Performance Mode |
| AMD GPU with adequate VRAM | 1080p or 1440p | FSR | Quality; Balanced if needed | Use Balanced, then Performance Mode |
| GPU-limited system | Display native resolution first, then lower internal resolution through the upscaler | DLSS or FSR according to GPU vendor | Balanced or Performance | Lower the upscaler mode before reducing every other option |
| VRAM or system-memory pressure | 1080p is the safer starting point | DLSS or FSR | Balanced | Performance Mode, which lowers texture resolution |
| CPU-limited or stutter-prone system | 1080p or 1440p | Quality first | Quality | Cap FPS below the unstable peak and check background load |
These are starting profiles, not measured performance promises. Test each change in the same demanding location so that weather, enemies, streaming, and camera movement do not make two settings appear different.
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Check the PC requirements before changing graphics options
Steam’s current support requirements list an SSD as mandatory. The game also requires Windows 10 or newer, and Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics is not supported.
| Tier | Operating system | Processor | Memory | Graphics | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Windows 10 | Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | 16 GB RAM | GeForce GTX 1080 or Radeon 5600 XT | 46 GB on an SSD |
| Recommended | Windows 10 or Windows 11 | Intel Core i7-11700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X | 32 GB RAM | GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 5700 XT | 46 GB on an SSD |
Why the SSD requirement matters
An SSD is not merely a loading-time upgrade for this game; it is an explicit requirement. Install the game on an SSD with enough free space for the 46 GB installation and normal operating-system overhead. A 1 TB NVMe SSD gives more room for the game, updates, shader caches, and other applications, but verify the drive’s interface and motherboard compatibility before buying.
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What the recommended tier tells you
The recommended GPU class is an RTX 2060 or RX 5700 XT, paired with 32 GB of RAM and a modern six- or eight-core processor. Systems below that class may still run the game, but upscaling and a conservative frame-rate cap become more important. Meeting the listed minimum does not guarantee a particular FPS target.
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DLSS versus FSR: choose the right upscaler
DLSS for NVIDIA graphics cards
Early Access Patch 2 added DLSS 3.7. If you have a supported NVIDIA GPU, start with DLSS in Quality mode. Quality preserves more detail while rendering internally below the output resolution. Move to Balanced when the GPU cannot sustain your cap, and use Performance only when the lower internal resolution is preferable to an unstable frame rate.
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FSR for AMD graphics cards
Patch 2 added FSR 2.2, and the January 2026 Together update preview lists FSR v3.1.5. The exact version available therefore depends on your installed build. On an AMD GPU, begin with FSR Quality, then try Balanced. The newer build’s FSR version and other optimizations may behave differently from guides written around the 2024 patch.
Do not select an upscaler by brand loyalty alone
DLSS and FSR are vendor-oriented recommendations, not a rule that prevents experimentation. Image quality can vary with resolution, sharpening, motion, and the scene. Compare the same camera view at Quality and Balanced, inspect fine geometry and moving characters, and keep the mode that reaches your target without distracting reconstruction artifacts.
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Set up a stable baseline in the game menu
- Update the game. Install the latest available build before judging performance. Patch 2 and the later Together update work changed rendering, memory, and simulation costs.
- Confirm the installation drive. Move the game to an SSD if it is on a hard disk. Restart the game after moving it so caches and configuration files are recreated cleanly.
- Choose your output resolution. Use 1920×1080 for a lower-end or memory-constrained PC and 2560×1440 when the GPU has headroom. Keep the monitor’s native output where possible and let DLSS or FSR handle the internal-resolution reduction.
- Select the vendor-appropriate upscaler. NVIDIA users should test DLSS first; AMD users should test FSR first. Start at Quality.
- Apply a frame-rate cap. Cap the game at a value it can hold in busy areas. A stable lower cap generally feels smoother than an uncapped rate that repeatedly falls during streaming or combat. If the game menu lacks a suitable cap, use your display driver’s per-game limiter.
- Play a repeatable test. Visit the same area, perform the same camera movement, and observe several minutes of traversal and combat. Record the frame rate, frame-time consistency, GPU utilization, VRAM use, and system RAM use if your monitoring tool provides them.
- Change one variable at a time. Move from Quality to Balanced before changing the whole preset. If memory pressure is the problem, try Performance Mode because it specifically lowers texture resolution.
When to use Performance Mode
Performance Mode is the documented first preset to try when frame pacing, VRAM, or memory pressure is poor. It lowers texture resolution, trading some surface detail for a smaller memory footprint. Use it when you see recurring hitching during traversal, texture detail dropping late, or system and video memory approaching capacity.
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Performance Mode is not automatically the fastest choice
If your GPU is comfortably below its memory limit and your frame rate is already stable, Performance Mode may reduce image quality without solving the real bottleneck. Test Balanced upscaling first for a GPU-limited system, and use the mode that meets your cap with acceptable detail.
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- Cool Comfort: Enjoy a stable surface with our lap desk's dual bolster cushion, designed for comfort and airflow, keeping your lap cool during extended use.
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What to expect after changing it
Texture changes can require a restart or a short period of asset streaming before the result is representative. Compare several minutes of play rather than judging the first menu screen. If stutter remains after memory use falls, the cause may be CPU work, background applications, storage, or a game-build issue rather than texture resolution.
Diagnose the bottleneck instead of lowering everything
GPU utilization stays near maximum
- Keep the same output resolution and switch the upscaler from Quality to Balanced.
- If the cap is still missed, try Performance mode.
- Only then lower the overall quality preset, because a blanket reduction can damage image quality more than a controlled internal-resolution change.
GPU utilization is low while FPS fluctuates
- Check CPU utilization by individual core, not only total CPU percentage.
- Close browsers, recording tools, launchers, and other software that compete for CPU time or RAM.
- Keep a stable cap and test again in the same area. A CPU-limited scene will not be fixed by lowering resolution.
VRAM is full or textures stream late
- Use 1080p as the output resolution while testing.
- Switch from Quality to Balanced and then to Performance if necessary.
- Enable Performance Mode, which lowers texture resolution.
- Close other GPU-intensive applications and avoid running a high-resolution video stream on the same GPU.
System RAM is close to full
- Sixteen gigabytes is the listed minimum; 32 GB is the listed recommendation.
- Close memory-heavy applications before launching the game.
- Leave adequate free space on the system drive for Windows paging and shader caches.
- Do not assume a memory-cleanup utility can repair an engine-level bottleneck; first remove the competing workload and retest.
Frame pacing is uneven despite a high average FPS
- Use a cap below the rate that causes repeated spikes.
- Try Quality or Balanced upscaling rather than uncapped rendering.
- Watch for traversal-specific spikes, which can be related to asset streaming, CPU work, or garbage collection rather than average GPU load.
- Update to the latest build before making a permanent conclusion.
Recommended profiles for common PC configurations
| Configuration | Starting point | Escalation path | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| At or above the recommended GPU and 32 GB RAM | 1440p, vendor upscaler Quality, stable cap | Balanced if the cap is missed; Performance Mode only for memory pressure | Preserves detail while leaving room for demanding scenes |
| Minimum-class GPU and 16 GB RAM | 1080p, vendor upscaler Quality, conservative cap | Balanced, then Performance Mode and a lower quality preset | Reduces internal resolution and texture memory before sacrificing every setting |
| Older CPU with a capable GPU | 1080p or 1440p, Quality mode, capped FPS | Keep resolution if GPU use is low; reduce background CPU load | Upscaling cannot remove a CPU-side limit |
| High-resolution display with limited VRAM | 1080p output or 1440p with Balanced | Performance Mode if textures or frame pacing deteriorate | Higher output resolutions increase pressure on rendering and memory |
| Steam Deck or similar low-power PC | Use the latest build and conservative resolution and cap | Performance Mode if available and required by memory behavior | Patch 2 included Steam Deck texture and memory-budget work, but behavior remains hardware- and build-dependent |
How the major patches affect settings advice
Early Access Patch 2, May 23, 2024
Patch 2 introduced DLSS 3.7, FSR 2.2, and Performance Mode. Moon Studios also documented CPU optimizations, memory-leak fixes, reduced instantiation spikes, improved GPU culling, Steam Deck texture and memory-budget work, and lower CPU and GPU overhead. Those changes are why a guide based on an earlier build may recommend settings that no longer represent the current baseline.
Together update preview, January 22, 2026
The Together update preview lists FSR v3.1.5 and additional work on Unity physics integration, object pooling, fluid simulation, map performance, fog of war, mesh trails, time-of-day transitions, garbage-collection allocations, clipping zones, shadowcasting lights, texture counts, draw calls, and visual effects. These are broad engine and content optimizations, so the same hardware can show different frame pacing after an update.
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Troubleshooting checklist for stutter and low FPS
- Verify the build. Check that Steam has finished downloading updates and that no file verification or shader-processing task is running in the background.
- Confirm SSD placement. If the game is installed on a hard disk, move it to an SSD before evaluating any graphics preset.
- Restart after a major update. Reboot Windows and launch the game again so driver, shader, and memory state from the previous session does not confuse the comparison.
- Use a clean baseline. Set the vendor upscaler to Quality, choose a conservative cap, and disable unnecessary overlays and recording features for the test.
- Observe the limiting resource. GPU saturation points to upscaler or resolution changes; full VRAM points to Balanced or Performance Mode; low GPU use with a busy CPU points to a processor or background-load limit.
- Reduce memory pressure. Close browsers and other large applications, then test Performance Mode if texture or allocation spikes persist.
- Retest after every patch. Keep a short note of your resolution, upscaler mode, cap, and build number. A patch can change the best compromise.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Copying a fixed FPS claim. No official source establishes a universal uplift for each setting, and results vary by CPU, GPU, VRAM, RAM, resolution, and build.
- Running from a hard disk. The published requirements explicitly call for an SSD.
- Using Performance Mode as a universal preset. It lowers texture resolution and is most useful when memory or frame pacing is the problem.
- Lowering resolution when the CPU is the limit. A lower internal resolution cannot remove simulation, streaming, or draw-call work performed on the CPU.
- Judging a patch from one short scene. Traversal, combat, weather, and time-of-day transitions can stress different parts of the engine.
- Changing several options at once. You lose the ability to identify which change improved or harmed frame pacing.
A practical decision tree
- Can the PC hold its cap at native output with Quality upscaling? Keep that configuration; it is the best image-quality starting point.
- If not, is GPU utilization high? Change Quality to Balanced. If the cap is still missed, use Performance mode or lower the output resolution.
- If GPU utilization is low, is a CPU core or system-memory use high? Close background applications, keep the cap conservative, and avoid expecting an upscaler to solve the limit.
- Is VRAM or texture streaming the visible problem? Enable Performance Mode and test at 1080p or Balanced upscaling.
- Did a recent update change behavior? Recheck the same scene with the latest build; patch-level differences can invalidate older recommendations.
Bottom line for a smooth PC experience
Install the game on an SSD, meet the 16 GB minimum or preferably 32 GB recommended RAM level, and start at 1080p or 1440p with a cap your system can sustain. NVIDIA owners should begin with DLSS Quality and AMD owners with FSR Quality. Move to Balanced before dropping the entire preset, and use Performance Mode when texture resolution and memory pressure are the cause of stutter. Because the game continues to receive rendering and simulation optimizations, revisit these choices after major updates rather than treating any single preset as permanent.
Quick Recap
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