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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThere is no universal “best” preset for every PC role-playing game or PC. Start at your display’s native resolution, choose a supported upscaler’s Quality mode if you need more performance, and reduce costly effects one at a time until the game meets your frame-rate target without sacrificing more image quality than you want. Judge changes during representative gameplay, not just in a menu or an easy opening area.
What “smooth” means—and what to aim for
Before changing graphics options, decide what you want to improve. A higher average frame rate can make motion feel more responsive, but smoothness also depends on consistent frame times. Screen tearing and input latency are separate issues: a game can have a high frame rate and still tear, or feel less responsive than expected.
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- Choose a target: Set a frame-rate goal that suits your display and preference; there is no single target supported for every RPG and PC.
- Pick your priority: Decide whether you value native-resolution sharpness, demanding visual effects such as ray tracing, or steadier performance most.
- Keep the test fair: Use the same demanding route or built-in benchmark after each change. A quiet menu is not a reliable performance test.
What the two sets of presets do
Graphics presets and anti-aliasing or upscaling modes are not necessarily the same control. A game’s main graphics preset typically changes a group of visual settings—such as shadows, effects, and other detail levels. An option such as DLSS or FSR2 controls a specific image-processing feature, often including a mode that trades output sharpness for performance. Exact behavior and available labels depend on the game.
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Quality, Balanced, and Performance usually indicate progressively stronger tradeoffs between image quality and frame rate. Epic Games Store’s general guidance describes Quality as favoring a crisper image, with Balanced and Performance making greater image-quality compromises for speed. Do not assume that the same label produces identical results across different games or technologies.
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| Option | What it does | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Main graphics preset | Applies a group of the game’s graphics settings. | Changes may affect several visual features at once; inspect individual settings if you want precise control. |
| Upscaler mode (for example, DLSS Super Resolution or FSR2) | Renders at a lower resolution and reconstructs an image for the selected output resolution. | Quality modes generally preserve more image detail; Performance modes make a larger image-quality/performance tradeoff. |
| DLAA | Applies anti-aliasing at native resolution rather than upscaling from a lower-resolution render. | It is not the same as a DLSS Super Resolution upscaling mode. |
| Frame generation | Generates or inserts additional frames between rendered frames. | It is distinct from upscaling and does not mean input latency has fallen. Support depends on the game and hardware. |
| FXAA | An anti-aliasing method; its cost and image result depend on the game’s implementation. | Do not treat its menu entry as equivalent to an upscaler or assume all anti-aliasing methods have the same performance cost. |
For definitions and implementation caveats, see NVIDIA’s DLSS, Smooth Motion, and Reflex documentation. AMD notes that higher anti-aliasing levels can reduce frame rate, but the effect varies by method and game.
A practical order for tuning graphics
- Set the output resolution. Begin at the display’s native resolution so you have a clear baseline. If performance is short, test a supported upscaler before lowering the display resolution; alternatively, reduce render scale in small increments if the game offers it.
- Start from a normal or high preset, not Ultra by default. Use the preset as a starting point, then tune individual settings. A top preset is not required for a good-looking or playable result.
- Reduce ray tracing first if it is enabled and performance is short. Ray-traced effects can be demanding. Try a lower ray-tracing quality level or turn the feature off, then compare the same gameplay section. Epic Games Store recommends starting ray tracing at Medium and adjusting to balance image quality and performance; the visual impact varies by title.
- Test an upscaler mode. If your game and hardware support one, start with Quality. Move to Balanced or Performance only if you still miss your target and accept the resulting image-quality tradeoff. The available technologies and mode names depend on the game and hardware.
- Adjust shadows or render scale in small steps. Shadow quality is a useful setting to test after ray tracing and upscaling. Lowering resolution or render scale can also reduce rendering workload, but may make the image less sharp. Change one option at a time so you can see whether the tradeoff is worthwhile.
- Change texture quality only when memory is a likely constraint. Textures can use substantial video memory (VRAM), but lowering them is not the first fix for every frame-rate problem. Try one step lower if you see memory pressure, slow texture loading, or texture-streaming problems; otherwise, you may be able to keep higher textures while reducing more demanding lighting or resolution settings.
- Repeat the same test and stop when you meet your target. If performance is already comfortably above your goal, raise image-quality settings gradually or cap the frame rate to a level you want. A frame cap is a preference, not a universal solution.
For a more measured comparison, AMD’s Game Advisor documentation describes collecting gameplay performance data, viewing average FPS and 95th-percentile frame-time information, applying recommendations, and running another report. Feature support depends on the software version and configuration. AMD’s graphics-setting support example uses Adrenalin 23.9.1 and a Radeon RX 7900 XTX, so menus and options may differ on other systems.
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Why the best setting depends on your PC and game
Resolution and ray tracing can have a large effect on rendering workload, while a texture setting may matter more when the GPU is short on VRAM than when raw frame rate is the problem. Anti-aliasing methods also differ in both cost and image result. A setting that helps one bottleneck may do little for another, so use measured, one-change-at-a-time comparisons rather than assuming every slider is an FPS control.
Vendor examples should not be read as promises for other games. NVIDIA’s 2019 Control Graphics and Performance Guide reported that DLSS increased frame rates by as much as 89% in a higher-fidelity mode and up to 197% in lower-resolution Performance modes under its own test conditions. Those figures are specific to Control and that guide’s test context; they are not expected gains for an unspecified RPG or PC. Likewise, its reflection-setting measurements describe particular scenes in Control, not a general benchmark for role-playing games.
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Fix tearing or latency separately from graphics quality
If frame delivery is fast enough but the image tears, investigate synchronization rather than continuing to lower detail. AMD describes VSync as synchronizing frame rate with monitor refresh. If the game feels sluggish despite adequate frame rate, latency is a different concern; NVIDIA describes Reflex as a system-latency reduction feature. Availability and effects depend on game implementation and hardware. Frame generation is not a substitute for lower input latency.
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Sources and scope
- MSI: How to Improve PC Gaming Performance? Graphics Settings That Matter (Jerry James, July 30, 2026), a general guide to common setting impacts, not a test of every RPG or PC.
- Epic Games Store: How to optimize your PC for ray tracing, broad guidance noting that options vary by game.
- AMD: Customize Graphics Settings with AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition and AMD: How to Use Game Advisor Within Radeon Overlay.
- NVIDIA GeForce News: Control Graphics and Performance Guide (Andrew Burnes, August 27, 2019), specific to Control and its test-era context.
- NVIDIA Documentation: DLSS / Smooth Motion / Reflex — NVIDIA Driver Installation Guide.
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