PC Graphics Settings Cheat Sheet: Every Option Explained
This is the page we wish every graphics menu came with: one table per category, every common option listed, what it actually does, what we set it to, and how much frame time it costs. Use it as a reference while tuning any game — the names shift between titles, but the systems behind them do not.
Resolution & Scaling
| Option | What it does | Our setting | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Pixels the game outputs | Native | High |
| Render / Resolution Scale | Internal size before stretching to output | 100% if native holds, else 90% | Very high |
| Dynamic Resolution | Auto-adjusts scale to protect frame rate | Off (fixed is predictable) | Variable |
| DLSS / FSR / XeSS | Renders lower, reconstructs detail | Quality mode when needed | Saves frames |
| Frame Generation | Inserts interpolated frames | Off for shooters, on for cinematic | Smoothness, not latency |
More detail: DLSS modes compared, FSR at 1080p, dynamic resolution explained.
Anti-Aliasing
| Option | What it does | Our setting | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSAA | Multiple samples per edge | 2x–4x at most | Very high |
| TAA | Blends frames to steady edges | On, with sharpening | Medium |
| FXAA | Blurs detected edges | Cheap fallback | Low |
| SMAA | Smarter single-pass edge detection | Good middle option | Low–medium |
Full comparison: TAA vs FXAA vs SMAA.
Textures & Filtering
| Option | What it does | Our setting | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texture Quality | Resolution of surface images | Highest your VRAM holds | VRAM, not frames |
| Anisotropic Filtering | Keeps angled surfaces sharp | 16x, always | Very low |
| Texture Filtering Quality | Sampling quality | High | Low |
Why these are the best value in any menu: texture quality, anisotropic filtering.
Shadows & Occlusion
| Option | What it does | Our setting | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Quality | Resolution and range of shadows | Medium (Low in competitive) | High |
| Shadow Distance | How far shadows are drawn | Medium | Medium |
| Ambient Occlusion | Contact darkening in corners | Medium; off in shooters | Medium |
| Ray Traced Shadows | Physically accurate shadow casting | Off unless headroom | Very high |
Effects & Volumetrics
| Option | What it does | Our setting | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effects / Particle Quality | Spell, smoke and explosion particles | Medium; Low in teamfights games | High in combat |
| Volumetric Fog / Light | Light shafts and haze | Medium | High |
| Reflections | Screen-space or ray traced reflections | Medium; Low in shooters | High |
| Global Illumination | Bounced light, often software-based | Medium; the first big cut on UE5 games | Very high |
| Foliage / Grass | Density of plants | Medium; Low in shooters | High |
| View Distance | How far objects and actors draw | Medium or higher — never minimum | Medium |
Why global illumination is the usual culprit: ray tracing cost vs payoff.
Post-Processing
| Option | What it does | Our setting | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Blur | Smears movement | Off | Low–medium |
| Depth of Field | Blurs out-of-focus areas | Off in play, on for screenshots | Low |
| Bloom | Glow around bright sources | On (part of the art) | Low |
| Film Grain | Adds noise texture | Off | None |
| Chromatic Aberration | Colour fringing at edges | Off | None |
| Sharpening | Edge contrast boost | Low–medium when upscaling | Very low |
Full reasoning: motion blur, why games look blurry.
Frame Rate & Latency
| Option | What it does | Our setting | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frame Rate Cap | Limits frames per second | Your refresh rate, minus a little | Free |
| VSync | Syncs to display, removes tearing | Off for shooters, on if tearing | Adds latency |
| Reflex / Anti-Lag | Trims the render queue | On where offered | Free |
| Reduce Buffering | Fewer queued frames | On in competitive titles | Free |
More: VSync on or off, DLSS and input lag.
If You Only Change Three Things
- Shadow quality down. The biggest frame gain that most players tolerate without complaint.
- Reflections and volumetric fog down. Expensive, and you rarely study them mid-fight.
- Texture quality and filtering up. Almost free, and they are why the image looks sharp rather than mushy.
Rule of thumb: cut what is expensive and rarely noticed; keep what is cheap and constantly seen. That single sentence resolves most settings menus. When in doubt, look at a wall six feet away — if the detail is blurry, you cut the wrong thing.
Disclaimer: All settings recommendations are subjective preference guides only. Results may vary based on individual hardware, game patch version, driver releases and personal visual taste. This is not a guaranteed universal fix. We do not provide any system modification instructions and take no responsibility for any changes you make inside your game. Always adjust game settings gradually to suit your own preference.
FAQ
Which setting gives the biggest FPS gain?
Shadow quality, then reflections and volumetric effects. Render or resolution scale is even stronger but damages the image more, so it should be a last resort before an upscaler.
Which settings should I never lower?
Texture quality and anisotropic filtering, as long as your memory allows them. They cost little and do most of the work of making a game look sharp.
Does turning everything to Low help me aim?
No. Aim benefits from a stable frame rate and clear silhouettes, not from general ugliness. Cutting shadows and effects helps; cutting textures usually hurts.