The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Start by checking the SSD and hardware baseline, then update No Rest for the Wicked before changing graphics settings. For most players, the practical order is: install the newest game build, restart the PC, enable Performance Mode, test DLSS or FSR, lower the settings that increase frame time, and remove common overlay or overclock conflicts. Hitches when entering Sacrament or crossing an area boundary can be streaming stalls rather than a permanently low frame rate. If the game still crashes, verify Steam files and send Moon Studios a reproducible report.
Check the official hardware baseline first
Steam’s current listing gives two reference tiers. Meeting the recommended tier does not guarantee a particular frame rate, because performance changes with the game build, scene, resolution, and settings. The storage requirement is specifically an SSD; an HDD can make loading and traversal hitching worse even when the CPU, GPU, and memory otherwise meet the list.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
| Tier | Operating system | Processor | Memory | Graphics | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Windows 10 | Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | 16 GB RAM | NVIDIA GTX 1080 or AMD Radeon RX 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 | NVIDIA RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT | 46 GB on an SSD |
What this comparison tells you
- If the computer has less than 16 GB of RAM, an older processor, or a graphics card below the minimum tier, reduce expectations before troubleshooting individual settings.
- If the game is installed on a hard disk, move it to a compatible SATA or NVMe SSD before assuming every hitch is a GPU problem. Confirm that the motherboard and available slot support the drive you choose.
- Check the actual Windows version, CPU, GPU, RAM amount, and free SSD space rather than relying on a model name alone.
There is no authoritative universal FPS figure for this game. A machine that passes the recommended list can still show different results in a quiet room, a busy hub, and a newly loaded area.
Update the game before judging performance
No Rest for the Wicked launched in Early Access, and Moon Studios has repeatedly changed streaming, memory, CPU, GPU, culling, and crash behavior. Install the newest Steam build, allow it to finish updating, and restart Windows before comparing performance. Testing an old build can send you toward a setting change that a later patch already addressed.
#1 Best Overall
- This product has been replaced by our latest generation. Please search for the SANDISK Optimus GX 7100 NVMe SSD
- HIGH-OCTANE GAMING. Experience speeds up to 7,250MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write (1-2TB models), with up to 35% faster performance than previous generation.
- PURPOSE-BUILT. Designed for serious on-the-go gamers, with a PCIe Gen4 interface and SANDISK’s next generation TLC 3D NAND.
- MORE TIME TO CLEAR THAT CHECKPOINT. Built with laptops and handheld gaming devices in mind, with up to 100% more power efficiency over the previous generation.
- DO MORE WITH DASHBOARD. Ensure your drive is optimized for prime performance with the downloadable WD_BLACK Dashboard (Windows only).
What the major Early Access updates changed
| Release | Performance or stability work described by Moon Studios |
|---|---|
| Early Access Hotfix 3 — April 22, 2024 | Improved area streaming, made dynamic resolution less aggressive, improved off-screen culling, optimized shaders and particles, fixed a memory/CPU leak, and added CPU improvements. |
| Early Access Hotfix 5 — April 25, 2024 | Optimized fog and shadows, reduced memory allocations, improved asset unloading, reduced CPU-side stutter during asset loading, and reduced mutex contention during streaming. |
| Early Access Hotfix 6 — April 26, 2024 | Reduced memory allocations, optimized shadow rendering, and fixed a crash at the main menu. |
| Early Access Patch 1 — May 3, 2024 | Added broad CPU/GPU improvements plus work on heavy-area traversal, loading and unloading, preloading, culling, pooling, meshes, textures, visual effects, and memory use. |
| Early Access Patch 2 — May 22, 2024 | Added DLSS and FSR, introduced Performance Mode with lower texture resolution to reduce crashes on lower-end machines, optimized CPU and GPU work, fixed memory leaks, and reduced instantiation spikes. |
| The Breach — April 30, 2025; The Breach Refined — June 26, 2025 | Moon Studios linked further fixes and polish driven by player feedback. |
After updating, reproduce the same route or save location once. The first pass can still involve shader or asset work; compare subsequent passes only after the area has finished loading.
Use a lower-load graphics profile
Begin with Performance Mode
Open the game’s graphics settings and select Performance Mode. Patch 2 lowers texture resolution in this mode to reduce crashes on lower-end systems. It is a sensible diagnostic baseline: if crashes or frame-time spikes improve immediately, add visual quality back one setting at a time rather than changing everything at once.
Test DLSS or FSR at a sensible resolution
Patch 2 added both DLSS and FSR upscaling. Start with a Balanced preset; if the GPU is still the limiting component, test a Performance-oriented preset. Upscaling lowers the internal render workload, but it can soften fine detail or introduce shimmering. Compare the same camera view with upscaling on and off, and keep the option that produces steadier frame times without unacceptable image loss.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Lower the settings most likely to affect frame time
When Performance Mode alone is not enough, reduce volumetric fog, shadows, transparency, and effects quality. These settings can create large spikes in scenes with dense effects or lighting. Texture quality is less useful as a first step on a card with adequate VRAM; Performance Mode already applies a texture reduction intended to help memory pressure and stability.
Rank #2
- Ideal for high speed, low power storage
- Gen 4x4 NVMe PCle performance
- Up to 6,000MB/s read, 4,000MB/s write
- Includes Acronis cloning software
- 5-year limited warranty
Use a stable frame cap
Set a cap your system can hold consistently at the monitor’s refresh rate. A stable 60 is usually preferable to an uncapped rate that swings between high and low values, but the appropriate cap depends on the display and the frame rate your hardware can sustain. Change one variable, play the same route, and record whether the hitch frequency changes.
Why No Rest for the Wicked stutters when entering Sacrament
A hitch that appears when entering Sacrament, leaving a hub, or crossing an area boundary is different from a continuously low frame rate. It can occur while the engine streams, unloads, or preloads content and performs CPU-side asset work. Moon Studios’ notes specifically mention area streaming, loading and unloading, preloading, asset-streaming mutex contention, memory allocations, and CPU spikes during loads.
Signs of a traversal or streaming hitch
- The frame rate is acceptable while standing still but pauses briefly at a boundary or during a fast route.
- The hitch happens in the same location each time, especially on the first visit after launching the game.
- Performance improves after the area has been traversed once, or after moving the installation from an HDD to an SSD.
- Lowering resolution has little effect, while Performance Mode or reduced effects makes the pause shorter.
What you can do
- Confirm the game is on an SSD and that the drive has adequate free space.
- Install the latest build so the streaming and unloading fixes are present.
- Use Performance Mode, then test reduced fog, shadows, transparency, and effects.
- Close applications that compete for CPU, GPU, memory, or disk bandwidth while the area loads.
- Repeat the same route after a restart and note whether the hitch is a first-load event or occurs every time.
Do not expect an SSD alone to eliminate an engine-side frame-time spike. It can shorten asset access and reduce storage-related delays, while CPU work, memory pressure, and the game’s streaming behavior can still produce a hitch.
Separate sustained low FPS from a one-time hitch
If the frame rate remains low everywhere, including menus or quiet interiors, treat the problem as a sustained rendering or hardware-load issue. Enable Performance Mode, test DLSS or FSR, lower volumetric fog, shadows, transparency, and effects, and use a stable cap. If only one transition causes a brief pause, prioritize the streaming steps above instead of lowering every setting.
Rank #3
- PCIe 4.0 Performance: Delivers up to 7,100 MB/s read and 6,000 MB/s write speeds for quicker game load times, bootups, and smooth multitasking
- Spacious 1TB SSD: Provides space for AAA games, apps, and media with standard Gen4 NVMe performance for casual gamers and home users
- Broad Compatibility: Works seamlessly with laptops, desktops, and select gaming consoles including ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go, and AYANEO Kun. Also backward compatible with PCIe Gen3 systems for flexible upgrades
- Better Productivity: Up to 2x faster than previous Gen3 generation. Improve performance for real world tasks like booting Windows, starting applications like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and working in applications like Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
- Trusted Micron Quality: Built with advanced G8 NAND and thermal control for reliable Gen4 performance trusted by gamers and home users
Keep a short test log: location, resolution, upscaler mode, Performance Mode status, frame-cap value, and whether the second pass through the same area improves. This prevents a settings change from being mistaken for a patch or first-load effect.
Fix crashes on launch, loading screens, or during play
Verify the Steam installation
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click No Rest for the Wicked and choose Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files and let Steam complete the check.
- Restart Steam and Windows, then test the same action that previously crashed.
Verification replaces damaged or missing files; it does not change your graphics profile or repair unstable hardware.
Update the graphics driver and remove instability
Install the current driver supplied for your GPU, then reboot. Remove any unstable overclock or undervolt and return the CPU, GPU, and RAM to stock settings while diagnosing the game. A system can appear stable in other titles and still fail during this game’s streaming or shader workload.
Disable overlays and recording hooks temporarily
Turn off Steam’s overlay, GPU-driver overlays, chat overlays, capture software, monitoring injectors, and other programs that draw over the game. Also close competing GPU- or CPU-heavy applications. These steps are diagnostic, not a claim that one particular overlay causes every crash; re-enable tools individually after stability returns.
Rank #4
- HUGE SPEED BOOST: Get random read/write speeds that are 40%/55% faster than 980 PRO; Experience up to 1400K/1550K IOPS, while sequential read/write speeds up to 7,450/6,900 MB/s reach near the max performance of PCIe 4.0*
- BREAKTHROUGH POWER EFFICIENCY: Use less power and get more performance; Enjoy up to 50% improved performance per watt over 980 PRO, plus optimal power efficiency with max PCIe 4.0 performance**
- SMART THERMAL CONTROL: Samsung's own nickel-coated controller delivers effective thermal control; With its slim size, 990 PRO is a perfect fit for desktops and laptops that meet the PCI-SIG D8 standard***
- THE CHAMPION MAKER: Up to 65% improvement in random performance enables faster loads for an ultimate gaming experience on PS5 and DirectStorage PC games****
- SAMSUNG MAGICIAN SOFTWARE: Get the most out of your SSD with Samsung Magician's advanced yet intuitive optimization tools; Monitor drive health, protect valuable data, and receive important updates for your 990 PRO
Use Performance Mode for lower-end crash loops
If a crash occurs while loading a demanding area, enable Performance Mode before trying the route again. Patch 2 was designed to lower texture resolution and reduce crashes on lower-end machines. If the crash disappears, test higher settings gradually and stop at the first setting that brings the failure back.
Classify the trigger
- Launch or main menu: verify files, update the driver, disable overlays, and test with stock clocks. Hotfix 6 specifically fixed a main-menu crash.
- Loading screen or area entry: use the SSD and streaming steps, then test Performance Mode and reduced effects.
- After extended play: watch for increasing memory use, close background applications, restart the game, and report whether the crash is time-dependent.
- Only with one save or route: record the exact location and action; do not overwrite the save while troubleshooting if another save is available.
Report a persistent problem with reproducible details
Moon Studios says its official forum is the best place to give feedback, ideas, and bug reports. Steam’s listing also provides Moon Studios support at [email protected] and links to the official forum.
Include enough information for another person to reproduce the failure:
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallOutdated 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 match- Game build number and Windows version.
- CPU, GPU, RAM amount, and whether the installation is on an SSD or HDD.
- Exact trigger: launch, menu, loading screen, entering Sacrament, leaving a hub, combat, or a particular action.
- Last location, frequency, and whether it happens on the first load only.
- Graphics resolution, Performance Mode status, DLSS or FSR mode, frame cap, and the settings changed.
- Whether file verification, a driver update, overlay removal, or stock clocks changed the result.
- Any crash message, log, or screenshot that can be shared safely.
A report that says “it crashes sometimes” is difficult to act on. A report that identifies the route, frequency, build, hardware, and one controlled change gives the developers a useful reproduction path.
Best Value
- SPEED UP PROJECTS. Launch creator applications fast with uncompromising PCIe 4.0 read speeds up to 7,100MB/s,[2] (1TB and 2TB[1] models) and write speeds up to 6,700MB/s[2] (1TB[1]-4TB[1] models).
- CREATE AND STORE MORE. Make more room for your 4K videos and high-resolution images with capacities from 500GB[1] up to 4TB[1] on M.2 2280 built with our trusted 8th generation SANDISK BiCS QLC 3D CBA NAND.
- IT GOES WHERE YOU GO. With an all-new power efficient design, your drive delivers high performance with low power, giving you more time to be productive while on the go.
- UNCOMPROMISED RELIABILITY. With up to 1,200 TBW[3] (4TB[1] model) endurance rating, your drive is designed for creators.
- KEEP YOUR DRIVE UPDATED. Monitor your SSD’s performance and check for updates with the downloadable SANDISK Dashboard application.[5]
SSD upgrade or full PC upgrade?
Choose the smallest change that addresses the measured bottleneck. An SSD is the first hardware consideration when the game is installed on an HDD or when storage activity coincides with area-entry pauses. It cannot guarantee a higher average FPS if the GPU or CPU is already saturated.
| Option | Best fit | What it can improve | What it cannot guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move the game to a compatible SSD | HDD installation, long loads, or storage activity that coincides with traversal hitches | Asset access and loading responsiveness | Removal of all CPU-side streaming spikes or a fixed frame rate |
| Upgrade the GPU | GPU utilization remains high after upscaling and lower settings | Rendering headroom and higher visual settings | Fixing a CPU, memory, driver, or streaming fault |
| Upgrade the CPU or platform | CPU utilization or frame-time spikes remain high in busy areas | Simulation and asset-processing headroom | Fixing corrupted files or overlay conflicts |
| Add RAM | The system has less than the 16 GB minimum or is paging heavily | Memory headroom and reduced pressure from background tasks | A substitute for an SSD or a faster GPU |
Before buying a drive, check whether the motherboard accepts an M.2 NVMe device or requires a 2.5-inch SATA model, and confirm the case, connector, and operating-system migration plan.
Use cloud gaming when the local PC is the limiting factor
Moon Studios announced GeForce NOW support at Early Access launch. A supported cloud session can run the game on remote hardware when a local computer falls below the baseline, but it does not remove every variable.
| Factor | Local installation | Cloud session |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware fit | Limited by the local CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD | Uses the provider’s remote hardware if the game is currently available |
| Latency | Usually limited to local input and display delay | Depends on the network route, distance, and congestion |
| Image quality | Rendered directly at the chosen settings | Compressed stream quality depends on bandwidth and service settings |
| Connection stability | Play does not require a streaming connection after installation | Interruptions, packet loss, or queueing can affect play |
| Storage | Requires the 46 GB installation on local storage | Reduces local storage demand, subject to the service’s catalog and account rules |
| Cost | Uses hardware you already own plus the game | Depends on the cloud provider’s current plan and availability |
Cloud play is a fallback for an unsupported local PC, not a guaranteed cure for every stutter. Test input delay and connection stability during the same areas that cause trouble locally.
A practical order of operations
- Compare your CPU, GPU, RAM, Windows version, and storage device with Steam’s minimum and recommended tiers.
- Move the installation to an SSD if it is currently on an HDD.
- Install the newest game update and restart Steam and Windows.
- Select Performance Mode and test DLSS or FSR.
- Lower volumetric fog, shadows, transparency, and effects, then set a stable frame cap.
- Verify Steam files, update the GPU driver, disable overlays, close competing applications, and remove unstable overclocks or undervolts.
- Re-test the exact Sacrament entrance, hub exit, or loading transition and distinguish a repeatable streaming hitch from low FPS everywhere.
- If the crash or hitch persists, document the build, hardware, location, trigger, settings, and frequency and send the report through Moon Studios’ support or official forum.
- If the local hardware cannot meet the baseline, evaluate a currently available GeForce NOW session as an alternative execution path.
This sequence narrows the cause without promising a frame rate that the official specifications do not guarantee. It also preserves a clear before-and-after record, which makes both personal troubleshooting and developer support more effective.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
