Setting up graphics and optimizing Starfield for a weak PC

 Optimize the new project from Bethesda and enjoy great graphics with special settings that will suit weak, medium, and powerful machines

In Starfield, as in any modern game, users can customize the graphics to their liking or use ready-made presets. We have studied each setting and highlighted the best performance settings in the game that will suit the owners of any hardware.

Unlike Fallout 4 and Skyrim, Starfield is powered by the Creation Engine 2. Improvements in graphics architecture as well as hardware development have allowed Bethesda to get the most out of the engine. Thanks to the huge number of planets, the exploration of the game will be extensive and exciting. Each user will definitely want to adjust the graphic settings in order to get the most out of the game.

What kind of computer is needed for Starfield (system requirements)

Before you purchase the game and set off to explore the thousands of planets in Starfield, it is recommended that you carefully review the system requirements. If your assembly does not meet at least the minimum stated requirements, then no performance settings will save you.

Minimum System Requirements

• Operating system: Windows 10 version 21H1 (10.0.19043) or higher.
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7-6800K.
• RAM: 16 GB RAM
• Video card: AMD Radeon RX 5700 or NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti.
• DirectX: version 12.
• Free space: 125 GB.
• Optional: Requires a solid state drive (SSD).

The minimum requirements allow you to determine if you will run the game in FullHD (1080p) resolution at 30 stable FPS and only with FSR 2.0 scaling enabled. With upscaling disabled, you'll need a much more powerful system to keep your framerate stable.

You will also need a Solid State Drive (SSD) to play Starfield comfortably. When playing on a standard hard drive (HDD), you will encounter lengthy loading and loading times for locations. And considering how large the open world is in Starfield, this could be a major problem for gamers.

The game requires at least a six-core processor, but the craftsmen who conducted various tests advise using an eight-core one. This is due to the fact that in densely populated areas, Starfield heavily uses CPU resources.

Recommended system requirements

• Operating system: Windows 10/11 version 21H1 (10.0.19043) or higher.
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel i5-10600K.
• RAM: 16 GB RAM
• Video card: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080.
• DirectX: version 12.
• Free space: 125 GB.
• Optional: Requires a solid state drive (SSD).

What graphics card do you need to play Starfield comfortably?

Tests show that to maintain 60fps without FSR 2 enabled, you will need an RTX 3070 Ti graphics card . The RX 6700 XT is also a viable option, although some graphics settings may need to be tweaked. At resolutions up to 1440p (2K), the RTX 4070 and RTX 3080 deliver around 60 FPS, with the RX 6950 XT well above that mark.

When gaming at 2160p (4K), even high-end GPUs like the RX 7900 XTX and RTX 4080 struggle to maintain 60 FPS without FSR 2. Only the RTX 4090 allows you to enjoy Starfield in 4K on ultra.

How much video memory do you need for Starfield

Problems with the amount of video memory consumed are widespread among all modern games, but during the tests we were able to verify that Starfield does not have them. Even in high resolution (4K) with additional options enabled, the game does not consume more than 8 GB of video memory. Based on this, we can conclude that 8 GB will be enough to enjoy the new project from Bethesda.

Additionally, we couldn't detect any serious stuttering or stuttering using graphics cards with 8GB of VRAM, which has been an issue in some recent releases like Resident Evil 4 and Hogwarts Legacy.

Is there NVIDIA DLSS technology in Starfield

Even before the launch of the project, it became known that NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology would not be in Starfield. This is due to the fact that AMD is the exclusive partner of the PC game, however, the company said that the technology could be implemented in the future.

Best graphics settings to optimize FPS and performance

The parameters below are relevant for all builds that meet the Starfield minimum system requirements.

Monitor & Resolution (Monitor and Resolution)

• Borderless Full Screen: On. This will give you the best performance as the game limits performance and image quality in windowed mode.
• Window Size (Resolution): User choice.
• Dynamic Resolution: On. If you have a weak PC, you can leave this setting enabled to increase the frame rate but degrade the overall visuals. The setting can cause problems in some games as it switches between partial resolution.
• Render Resolution Scale: 75%. If the game produces low FPS when adjusting the settings, it is recommended to reduce the rendering resolution.
• Graphics Preset: Custom.

Graphics Settings

• Shadow Quality: Medium. If you are trying to achieve a high and stable frame rate, turn off or lower the setting first. On weaker assemblies, shadows can be completely abandoned - this will greatly increase overall performance.
• Indirect Lighting: Medium. You can set a low value similar to the previous parameter.
• Reflections: Medium.
• Particle Quality: Medium. Owners of powerful builds are advised to set this to a high value. The sci-fi game has particle effects all over the place and it really adds to the atmosphere.
• Volumetric Lighting: Medium. If possible, set the value to "High" (High) for the best lighting.
• Crowd Density: Medium. The higher the density of the crowd, the more realistic the cities look. However, as the setting increases, performance may decrease in cities with high population densities, so you may want to lower this setting.

Extra Effects (Additional effects)

• Motion blur (Blur in motion): Medium (Average). On GTX 1650 or lower graphics card models, it is recommended to disable this setting.
• GTAO Quality: Medium.
• Grass Quality: Medium. You can decrease this setting to improve overall performance.
• Contact Shadows: Medium. The setting has little effect on performance, so you can set the value to your taste.
• VSync (Vertical Sync): Enable (On if you don't have a monitor/display that supports VRR or G-Sync).
• Upscaling: FSR2 (if you have a compatible GPU). This allows the game to render at a lower resolution and then use artificial intelligence to scale up and significantly improve performance. FSR 2.0 is not as good as DLSS, especially if you are using an NVIDIA graphics card. Typically, turning this option off will give you the best graphics quality. However, it is recommended to test the game on different values. If you don't notice any difference in quality, feel free to use FSR2 for better performance.
• Sharpening: Default.
• VRS: On
• Film Grain Intensity: Off.

There are still some nuances that need to be specified. For example, the Crowd Density setting at its maximum value uses a large amount of processor resources. If you are using a weak CPU, be sure to lower or disable the setting.

The biggest performance improvements in Starfield come from Shadow Quality, Volumetric Lighting, GTAO Quality, and Contact Shadows, so these are the settings you should use first to optimize your gameplay. Motion Blur also has a decent impact on performance, so disable it if your frame rate is below 60.

The best graphics settings for high-quality pictures

The parameters presented below are relevant for all builds that meet the recommended Starfield system requirements.

Monitor & Resolution (Monitor and Resolution)

• Borderless Full Screen: On.
• Window Size (Resolution): User choice.
• Dynamic Resolution: Off.
• Render Resolution Scale: 100% or higher.
• Graphics Preset: Custom.

Graphics Settings

• Shadow Quality: Ultra. The setting will have a big impact on performance, but it can produce incredibly beautiful images.
• Indirect Lighting (Indirect lighting): Ultra (Ultra). As with shadow quality, indirect lighting consumes a significant portion of your system's resources.
• Reflections (Reflections): High (High).
• Particle Quality (Quality of particles): High (High). Particles really make the game more atmospheric, so set it to high.
• Volumetric Lighting (Volumetric lighting): Ultra (Ultra). If possible, set the maximum value for the best lighting.
• Crowd Density: Medium. The higher the density of the crowd, the more realistic the cities look. However, as the setting increases, performance may decrease in cities with high population densities, so you may want to lower this setting.

Extra Effects (Additional effects)

• Motion Blur: Off. We recommend disabling the setting as it will affect the overall frame rate.
• GTAO Quality: High.
• Grass Quality: High.
• Contact Shadows: Medium.
• VSync (Vertical Sync): Enable (On if you don't have a monitor/display that supports VRR or G-Sync).
• Upscaling: FSR2 (if you have a compatible GPU).
• Sharpening: Default.
• VRS: On
• Film Grain Intensity: Off.

More Performance Tips

There are a few more tweaks and changes to general Windows and NVIDIA settings that can improve frame rates and performance. We hope this will reduce some problems:

• Enable Performance Mode in the NVIDIA Control Panel.
• Turn off the XBOX Game Bar and HDR mode if you are using them.
• Disable your antivirus or add Starfield to your antivirus software exceptions.
• Disable the launch of unwanted applications from the task manager or end background processes.

Also, if you want to increase the framerate and performance of Starfield by making changes to the game, you can turn off the windowed fullscreen and enable zoom.

These parameters will allow you to fully enjoy the game with the owners of any PC. However, we note that the project is quite “heavy” in terms of graphics, even for top-end hardware - running Starfield at maximum settings in high resolution, while achieving a high frame rate is almost impossible.