Setting up Chernobylite graphics for a weak PC

 

How to get stable 60 FPS while waiting for STALKER 2

Perhaps, Chernobylite cannot be called a full-fledged competitor to the upcoming game from GSC Game World , but here you can take a walk through the detailed recreations of the surroundings of the infamous Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The streets of Pripyat and the interiors of buildings are simply striking in their photorealism.

Unfortunately, the new product turned out to be not only beautiful, but also greedy for PC resources. At a high preset in 1080p, it will be possible to play on the popular GeForce GTX 1060, but for maximum settings and the increasingly popular 2K resolution (2560x1440), you will need something like an RTX 2070.

Therefore, especially for owners of weak PCs, we have prepared a detailed analysis of the graphic parameters of Chernobylite and presented the best settings for different configurations.

What kind of computer do you need for Chernobylite (system requirements)?

We studied the tests of the game on different hardware in different resolutions and came to the conclusion that the official system requirements are not far from the truth. But they lack recommendations for playing at 1440p and 4K - we added them based on the tests we studied.

Official minimum system requirements (1080p @ 30 FPS, low preset):

• Operating system: Windows 7 SP1 (64-bit only!).
• Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 / AMD Radeon R7 260.
• RAM: 8 gigabytes.

Official Recommended System Requirements (1080p @ 60 FPS, High Preset):

• Operating system: Windows 7/8/10 x64.
• Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K.
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 570.
• RAM: 16 gigabytes.

For playing at 1440p @ 30 FPS, high. preset (according to tests):

• Operating system: Windows 10 x64.
• Processor: Intel Core i5-7400 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200.
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580.
• RAM: 16 gigabytes.

For playing at 1440p @ 60 FPS, high. preset, WITHOUT DLSS / FSR (according to tests):

• Operating system: Windows 10 x64.
• Processor: Intel Core i3-8100 / AMD Ryzen 3 2200G.
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT.
• RAM: 16 gigabytes.

For 4K @ 30 FPS, hi. preset, WITHOUT DLSS / FSR (according to tests):

• Operating system: Windows 10 x64.
• Processor: Intel Core i5-9400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3500X.
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT.
• RAM: 16 gigabytes.

For 4K @ 60 FPS, hi. preset, WITHOUT DLSS / FSR (according to tests):

• Operating system: Windows 10 x64.
• Processor: Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X.
• Video card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT.
• RAM: 16 gigabytes.

Chernobylite Optimization Tips

Next, we will briefly analyze each setting and give tips on how to increase FPS in Chernobylite. Where applicable, the maximum impact on current performance as a percentage is shown in parentheses .

• "Permission". Set the native screen resolution to make the picture as clear as possible. Most often this is 1920x1080.
• "Windowed mode". It is better to choose full-screen mode so that the system allocates maximum resources for the game itself, without maintaining the desktop.
• "Viewing angle". It is best to leave the standard value to avoid distortion in the standard 16: 9 aspect ratio. If you increase it, then more surrounding space will be removed into the frame, but the performance will also drop accordingly.
• "Geometry quality" (up to 10%). Responsible for detailing distant objects. Medium quality is not much different from ultra if you play on a small monitor at a resolution no higher than 1920x1080. Therefore, you can downgrade.
• Foliage display quality (up to 10%). Responsible for the detailing of vegetation: grass and tree crowns. Significantly affects the quality of the picture. Better to leave it high or at least medium.
• "Draw range" (up to 20%). If you increase the value to 120%, then the game world will be drawn as far as possible. But most of the locations in the game are quite cramped, and on the streets of the city there are thickets and trees everywhere. Therefore, you can safely lower it to 70%. This will noticeably increase FPS and reduce the load on the CPU. The latter will improve the smoothness of the footage.
• "Shadows" (up to 30%). The quality of shadows is traditionally one of the most "voracious" parameters. At low quality, the lighting in general deteriorates greatly, so it is better to leave at least medium.
• "Textures" (video memory consumption up to 6 GB). The quality of textures usually has a noticeable effect on performance only when there is a lack of video memory. For maximum quality in a resolution of 1920x1080, a video card with 6 gigabytes on board is required. If you have less, you will have to downgrade to high (3-4 GB) or medium quality (2 GB).
• "Effects" (up to 20%). Additional visual effects of lighting and particles. During battles, productivity drops to 20%. We recommend downgrading on weak machines to medium quality or even lower.
• Smoothing (TAA - up to 15%, FXAA - up to 10%). Even at maximum FXAA quality, foliage and grass flicker. Therefore, it is better to use TAA. But on outdated video cards this method can be slow - then try FXAA.
• "Anti-aliasing quality" (see above). Maximum TAA quality eats away a noticeable amount of FPS. Can be downgraded to high. It is undesirable to go lower, but it may be necessary on outdated hardware.
• "Contact shadows" (up to 10%). Additional shadows at the joints of objects and in recesses. To calculate them, the central processor is used, so it is better for owners of weak PCs to turn it off.
• Lens flare. Purely cosmetic effect with no performance impact. If you are distracted by glare when the sun or a lantern appears in the frame, turn it off.
• "Chromatic aberration". Light film effect. The image looks cleaner without it, but some players like the effect. Leave it on or off to your liking - no performance impact.
• "Glow" (up to 10%). Increased brightness of illuminated surfaces. Makes the image more natural, but eats away a few frames per second. On a weak video card, it is better to turn it off.
• "Motion blur". Smoother camera rotation by blurring the image. If you don't like this effect, turn it off. There is no performance impact.
• "Depth of field". Simulates the behavior of the human eye when the image outside of the subject in focus is blurred. Can sometimes be distracting in combat. Can be turned on or off to your liking without affecting FPS.
• Resolution Scale. Responsible for the completeness of the render resolution. Better to leave it at 100%. If you lower it, then all the graphics will immediately become less clear.

The final optimal Chernobylite settings for a weak (and not only) PC

IMPORTANT: all recommendations below are for 1920x1080 resolution.

• Optimal settings for a weak PC (GTX 660 / R7 260):
• Windowed mode: full screen.
• Viewing angle: 81 (standard for 16: 9).
• Geometry quality: average.
• Foliage Display Quality: Poor.
• Draw distance: 50%.
• Shadows: low.
• Textures: Medium.
• Effects: low.
• Anti-aliasing: FXAA.
• Anti-aliasing quality: medium.
• Contact Shadows: Disable.
• Lens flare: to your taste.
• Chromatic aberration: to your taste.
• Glow: Disable.
• Motion Blur: Disable.
• Depth of Field: Enable.
• Resolution scale: 100%.

Optimal Settings for Starter Gaming PC (GTX 1060 / RX 570):

• Windowed mode: full screen.
• Viewing angle: 81 (standard for 16: 9).
• Geometry quality: high.
• Foliage Display Quality: Medium.
• Draw distance: 100%.
• Shadows: Medium.
• Textures: ultra.
• Effects: Medium.
• Anti-aliasing: TAA.
• Anti-aliasing quality: medium.
• Contact Shadows: Enable.
• Lens flare: to your taste.
• Chromatic aberration: to your taste.
• Glow: turn on.
• Motion Blur: Enable.
• Depth of Field: Enable.
• Resolution scale: 100%.

Optimal settings for a medium power PC (GTX 1080 / RX 5700):

• Windowed mode: full screen.
• Viewing angle : 81 (standard for 16: 9).
• Geometry quality: ultra.
• Foliage display quality: high.
• Draw distance: 100%.
• Shadows: high.
• Textures: ultra.
• Effects: high.
• Anti-aliasing: TAA.
• Anti-aliasing quality: high.
• Contact Shadows: Enable.
• Lens flare: to your taste.
• Chromatic aberration: to your taste.
• Glow: turn on.
• Motion Blur: Enable.
• Depth of Field: Enable.
• Resolution scale: 100%.

Optimal settings for a pre-top PC (RTX 2080 / RX 6700 XT):

• Windowed mode: full screen.
• Viewing angle: 81 (standard for 16: 9).
• Geometry quality: ultra.
• Foliage display quality: ultra.
• Draw distance: 120%.
• Shadows: ultra.
• Textures: ultra.
• Effects: ultra.
• Anti-aliasing: TAA.
• Anti-aliasing quality: ultra.
• Contact Shadows: Enable.
• Lens flare: to your taste.
• Chromatic aberration: to your taste.
• Glow: turn on.
• Motion Blur: Enable.
• Depth of Field: Enable.
• Resolution scale: 100%.

That's all. Write in the comments if you still have questions about setting up graphics in Chernobylite or if you have technical problems with the game - we will try to help you!