The Tool Desk
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Modern Warfare 4 has more than 800 graphics, control and interface options, so there is no single “best” setting for every system. The profiles and troubleshooting steps below turn Activision’s hardware tiers into practical campaign settings without assuming benchmark results that have not been published.
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Choose a target before changing settings
Your target should be a sustained frame rate, not the highest number shown for a few seconds. Campaign scenes vary substantially, so test in a busy firefight, during traversal and in an effects-heavy set piece. A stable 60 fps usually feels better than a fluctuating 90 fps, while a high-refresh display benefits from a higher and steadier cap.
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| Official tier | Intended result | Processor memory | Graphics class | Video memory | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Entry-level play; exact frame-rate target not stated | 8GB RAM | Radeon RX 470, GeForce GTX 970/1060, or Intel Arc A580 class | 3GB VRAM | SSD with 115GB available |
| Recommended | 90 fps at High settings | 16GB RAM | Radeon RX 6600 XT, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, or Intel Arc B580 class | Not stated in the published tier | SSD; 115GB launch requirement still applies |
| 4K upscaled, high ray tracing | 4K output with high ray tracing; exact frame-rate target not stated | 32GB RAM | Radeon RX 9070 XT or GeForce RTX 5070 Ti class | 16GB VRAM | SSD with update headroom |
Activision describes the recommended tier as a 90-FPS High target and the top tier as 4K upscaled with high ray tracing. Those are different goals: the latter is substantially more demanding. Treat the GPU classes as guidance rather than a guarantee, because driver versions, patches, CPU limits and individual scenes change the result.
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Check the requirements before installing
- Operating system: Windows 10 is the minimum listed by Activision. A current supported Windows build is recommended.
- Graphics API and platform security: DirectX 12 compatibility, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required.
- Memory: 8GB is the minimum, 16GB supports the 90-FPS High tier, and 32GB is specified for the 4K high-ray-tracing tier.
- Drive: install to an SSD with at least 115GB free at launch. Activision warns that updates can require additional space, so do not fill the drive to the exact minimum.
- Launch drivers: the listed versions are AMD 26.7.1, NVIDIA 616.56 and Intel 32.0.101.8974. Later game patches may require newer drivers; use the current driver recommended for your GPU if the game reports a compatibility warning.
A 1TB NVMe SSD leaves practical room for the game, shader data and future updates. The 115GB figure is a launch requirement, not a promise that the installation will never grow.
Apply a safe first pass
- Install the game on the SSD and finish any Windows, chipset and graphics-driver updates. Reboot before the first performance test.
- Open Settings > Graphics from the main menu. Run the game’s automatic hardware configuration once; it provides a useful baseline for your installed GPU and memory.
- Select your monitor’s native resolution and its highest supported refresh rate. Do not lower resolution first if the GPU has not yet been tested with an upscaler.
- Choose the High preset. Ultra-level options often consume resources for small visual gains, while High is the basis of Activision’s 90-FPS recommendation.
- Set the upscaler to Quality. Select DLSS 4.5 for a compatible GeForce RTX card, FSR Redstone for a Radeon card, or XeSS 3 for an Intel Arc card.
- Leave ray tracing disabled for this baseline. Play a demanding campaign section and record the lowest sustained frame rate rather than the menu average.
- Move the frame-rate limit to a value your system can hold consistently. A cap a few frames below the refresh rate can reduce swings and make frame pacing more predictable.
- Change only one setting per test. Keep a short note of the old value, the new value and the scene used, so a bad change can be reversed.
The PC version supports 1080p, 1440p, 4K and ultrawide displays. Its global sharpness slider is separate from the upscaler choice, so use it to correct softness rather than compensating by immediately switching to a lower-quality reconstruction mode.
Three campaign profiles
| Profile | Resolution approach | Upscaler | Ray tracing | Best for | Latency note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | Native monitor resolution | Quality mode matched to GPU vendor | Off initially | Most systems seeking clear image quality and consistent play | Use a normal render path until frame rate is stable |
| Image quality | Native 1440p or 4K when the GPU can sustain the target | DLSS 4.5 Quality on RTX, or the equivalent high-quality AMD/Intel mode | Add reflections, shadows and lighting effects after baseline testing | High-end systems prioritizing detail | Frame generation can add perceived smoothness but may increase control latency |
| Performance first | 1080p or 1440p, depending on headroom | Quality first, then Balanced | Off; reduce it before texture or geometry quality | High-refresh monitors and GPUs below the recommended tier | Prefer a stable native-rendered frame rate when responsiveness matters |
Balanced campaign settings
This is the right starting point for the broadest range of hardware. Keep the High preset, use the highest-quality reconstruction mode that holds your target, and adjust the sharpness slider slowly. Stop when foliage, signage and weapon detail look clear without bright halos around edges. Enable ray tracing only after the non-ray-traced frame rate is stable; otherwise you will not know whether a hitch comes from the base settings or the added lighting workload.
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Image-quality settings
On a high-end system, test native 1440p first and then 4K if the GPU has sufficient headroom. DLSS 4.5 Quality is the starting point for RTX hardware; choose the corresponding high-quality mode in FSR Redstone or XeSS 3 on other GPUs. Add ray-traced reflections, shadows and lighting separately. If one effect causes a large drop, keep the others and disable that effect instead of abandoning the entire ray-tracing mode.
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Performance-first settings
Use 1080p when the GPU is the limiting component, or 1440p when it still has room. Keep Quality upscaling initially, switch to Balanced only when necessary, and reduce ray tracing before lowering textures or geometry. Shadows, reflections, volumetrics and occlusion-related options are the next logical reductions. Their cost depends on the hardware and the game patch, so change them individually and keep the first value that meets your frame-rate target.
Pick the right upscaler
DLSS 4.5 on GeForce RTX
DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution is available in all modes on supported NVIDIA hardware. Start with Quality at 1440p or 4K; use Balanced only if the GPU cannot sustain the target. RTX 40-series cards can add Frame Generation, while RTX 50-series cards can test Dynamic Multi Frame Generation. GeForce RTX systems also have Reflex available, which should remain enabled when offered because it is intended to reduce the delay between input and displayed frames.
FSR Redstone on Radeon
Select FSR Redstone on an AMD GPU and begin with Quality. If the image is still too soft or the frame rate remains below target, compare Balanced mode with lowering an expensive lighting or shadow option. Reconstruction quality varies by scene, so inspect thin geometry, distant foliage and motion during a real campaign encounter rather than judging only a static menu.
XeSS 3 on Intel Arc
XeSS 3 is the natural first choice for Intel Arc hardware. Use Quality, then Balanced if needed. Check fast camera turns and particles for shimmering before deciding that a lower internal resolution is acceptable. The Arc A580 class appears in the minimum tier, while the Arc B580 class appears in the recommended 90-FPS High tier.
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When to use native rendering
Native resolution is useful when the GPU can already hold the desired frame rate and you want maximum fine detail. It is not automatically sharper in every scene than a well-tuned Quality reconstruction mode, and it leaves less performance headroom for ray tracing. Compare both at the same output resolution and in motion.
Ray tracing: add it after the baseline
Ray tracing works in the Campaign, but Activision’s 4K high-ray-tracing tier requires a much stronger GPU, more system memory and 16GB of VRAM than the recommended 90-FPS High tier. That difference is why ray tracing should be treated as an optional quality layer rather than a default switch.
- Establish a stable frame rate with ray tracing off.
- Enable one ray-traced category, such as reflections, shadows or lighting, and replay the same demanding section.
- Keep the effect only if the lowest sustained frame rate remains acceptable.
- If performance falls too far, disable the most expensive effect before reducing texture or geometry quality.
- On RTX 40 or RTX 50 hardware, test the appropriate frame-generation feature only after the underlying render rate is satisfactory.
Frame generation creates additional displayed frames; it does not remove the need for a sufficiently fast base render. If aiming or rapid turns feel delayed, disable it, lower the frame-rate cap, or return to a conventional render path. Reflex should stay enabled on compatible GeForce RTX systems when available.
Settings to tune when performance is low
Shadows and lighting
Shadow quality and ray-traced lighting can affect both GPU load and frame-time spikes. Reduce shadows one step before touching textures when a scene is heavy but still looks sharp. If ray tracing is enabled, test its shadow and lighting components separately so you can retain the visual effect that matters most to you.
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Reflections
Reflections can become expensive in wet environments, glass-heavy interiors and scenes with many moving objects. Lower or disable ray-traced reflections first. If the game exposes a conventional reflection quality option, reduce that one step at a time and verify that water and windows still look acceptable.
Volumetrics
Fog, smoke, dust and light shafts are common causes of sudden GPU load in campaign set pieces. Lower volumetric quality when the frame rate drops mainly during explosions or dense atmosphere. Test an effects-heavy scene rather than a quiet corridor.
Occlusion and geometry
Occlusion-related settings control how the engine shades areas blocked from direct light, while geometry options affect object complexity and draw distance. Reduce occlusion one step if indoor scenes are expensive; reduce geometry only when distant objects or large outdoor spaces are the problem. Keep textures higher when VRAM allows, because texture changes often alter surface detail more visibly than a modest geometry reduction.
Textures and VRAM
The minimum tier lists 3GB of VRAM, and the 4K high-ray-tracing tier lists 16GB. If the game warns about video-memory use, lower texture resolution or texture streaming before cutting every other quality setting. Close GPU-heavy applications and avoid running multiple overlays while testing. A VRAM warning can cause stutter even when the average frame rate looks adequate.
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Anti-aliasing and sharpness
Filmic SMAA T2X is supported. Use the game’s global sharpness slider in small increments with your chosen reconstruction mode. Excessive sharpness produces halos around text, wires and foliage; insufficient sharpness makes the image look muddy. Judge the result while moving, because temporal anti-aliasing artifacts may not appear in a still screenshot.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Diagnose common problems
The frame rate is below target everywhere
- Confirm that the game is using the discrete GPU rather than an integrated adapter.
- Check that the output resolution has not switched to 4K or an ultrawide mode unexpectedly.
- Move from Ultra to High, keep Quality upscaling, and disable ray tracing.
- Lower shadows, reflections, volumetrics and occlusion-related settings one at a time.
- If the result is still poor at 1080p, the system may be below the recommended tier; compare it with the published minimum requirements rather than expecting a 90-FPS result.
Performance is good in menus but stutters in missions
- Repeat tests in a busy firefight or traversal section; menus are not representative.
- Leave free SSD space for updates and shader data.
- Update to a current driver, then restart the game so shaders can rebuild cleanly.
- Watch frame time, VRAM use and system-memory use, not only the average FPS counter.
- Reduce volumetrics and reflections if stutters coincide with smoke, weather, water or glass.
The image looks soft or shimmers
- Return the upscaler to Quality before increasing sharpness.
- Raise the global sharpness slider gradually and stop before halos appear.
- Compare DLSS 4.5, FSR Redstone and XeSS 3 only at the same output resolution and scene.
- Use native rendering when the GPU has enough headroom and temporal artifacts remain distracting.
Ray tracing causes severe drops
That behavior is expected on hardware aimed at the 90-FPS High tier. Disable ray tracing or keep only the least expensive effect, then restore the base frame-rate target. The official 4K high-ray-tracing tier is a separate class of system, not a small step above the recommended profile.
The game will not launch
- Verify DirectX 12 compatibility.
- Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot in firmware if they are disabled.
- Install the game on an SSD with at least 115GB free plus update headroom.
- Check that Windows and the graphics driver meet current compatibility requirements.
- Recheck requirements after a major patch, because Activision notes that specifications can change with updates.
How to test changes without fooling yourself
- Choose one repeatable campaign checkpoint with combat, movement and visible effects.
- Warm the system for several minutes so clock speeds are stable.
- Run the same route twice after each change and use the lower result.
- Record average frame rate, the worst sustained section and whether controls feel delayed.
- Keep resolution, upscaler mode and frame-rate cap fixed while comparing a single quality option.
- After a driver or game update, retest rather than assuming the previous ranking still applies.
No independent benchmark establishes a universal FPS value for these settings. Exact results vary with GPU model, CPU, driver, patch and scene, so a reproducible personal test is more useful than copying a single number from another system.
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What the PC feature set means for campaign players
The PC release is built for 1080p, 1440p, 4K and ultrawide displays and exposes more than 800 customization options across graphics, gameplay, input devices and interface settings. That flexibility is valuable only when changes are made deliberately. Start with the automatic configuration, choose a target, and then alter one setting at a time instead of treating every option as equally important.
Activision describes the game as targeting 90 FPS at Recommended Specs without compromising visual quality, while Blizzard says it is built natively for current-generation PC to improve scale, density, responsiveness and consistency. Those statements describe the design goal; they do not guarantee 90 FPS on every CPU, driver or mission. Your final profile should therefore be the one that keeps frame times stable in the hardest scene you actually play.
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