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For most PCs, start with Hogwarts Legacy’s in-game Run Benchmark, apply its suggested global preset, then adjust one setting at a time to meet your resolution and frame-rate goal. For a performance-first setup, leave ray tracing off and try an upscaler supported by your GPU. Treat the benchmark as a starting point: performance can vary by location, and the best balance depends on your hardware and preferences.
Start with the in-game benchmark
Open the game’s graphics settings and run Run Benchmark. Portkey Games says the tool analyzes your PC and saves a recommended global preset. You can change individual options afterward, so use the recommendation as a baseline rather than a promise of steady performance in every area of the game.
- Run the benchmark and apply its recommended preset.
- Play in a representative area at your normal resolution and observe whether frame rate and image quality meet your needs.
- Change one setting at a time. If performance is the priority, begin with ray tracing off; if the image is already smooth, raise visual settings incrementally.
The game defaults to your active monitor’s resolution. In windowed modes, the resolution and upscaling controls offer alternatives; changing the target resolution can affect performance. Portkey Games’ PC Features FAQ also notes that first-start shader compilation can take several minutes depending on PC configuration and memory. Later launches should take less time.
Choose settings for your target
There is no single best preset for every PC. The publisher’s tiers show the hardware it associates with particular resolution and frame-rate targets; they are targets, not guarantees for every gameplay scene.
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| Target tier | Publisher-listed hardware | Storage | Published target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum / Low | Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400; 16 GB RAM; GTX 960 4 GB or Radeon RX 470 4 GB | 85 GB; HDD supported, SSD preferred | 720p / 30 fps on Low |
| Recommended / High | Intel Core i7-8700 or Ryzen 5 3600; 16 GB RAM; GTX 1080 Ti, Radeon RX 5700 XT, or Intel Arc A770 | 85 GB SSD | 1080p / 60 fps on High |
| Ultra | Intel Core i7-10700K or Ryzen 7 5800X; 32 GB RAM; RTX 2080 Ti or Radeon RX 6800 XT | 85 GB SSD | 1440p / 60 fps on Ultra |
| Ultra 4K | Same listed CPU and memory tier as Ultra; RTX 3090 Ti or Radeon RX 7900 XT | 85 GB SSD | 2160p / 60 fps on Ultra |
These are the publisher’s published PC targets, not independent benchmark results. The official PC specifications list HDD support at minimum and SSD storage for recommended and higher tiers; an SSD is not listed as mandatory for every PC.
Upscaling, DLSS, and anti-aliasing
The PC FAQ lists NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS as upscaling options. It also lists TAA High, TAA Low, and NVIDIA DLAA for use without upscaling. DLAA is an anti-aliasing option, not a frame-rate upscaler.
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If native resolution is too demanding, try an upscaler supported by your graphics hardware and compare frame rate and image stability in the same scene. The reviewed sources do not establish one option as universally best. If you prefer native rendering, compare the available anti-aliasing choices instead.
Portkey Games’ January 30, 2025 PC update added DLSS 4 and NVIDIA Ray Reconstruction, and added Multi-Frame Generation for RTX 50-series GPUs. Those are version- and hardware-specific features, not universal PC options. NVIDIA separately reported an average 4× frame-rate multiplier on RTX 50-series cards when DLSS Multi Frame Generation worked with DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction, compared with traditional brute-force rendering. It also reported up to 210 FPS versus 110 FPS for RTX 50-series players using DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation with ray tracing and maxed settings. These are vendor claims for specified configurations, not expected results for all PCs. NVIDIA’s announcement gives its conditions.
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Ray tracing: when to use it
Ray tracing is off by default. The PC FAQ says it is supported on capable NVIDIA RTX and AMD RX hardware, and warns that it affects both GPU and CPU performance. The FAQ’s original description refers to global quality and individual effect controls; the January 30, 2025 patch later expanded those controls. In current patch-era settings, separate quality controls are available for ray-tracing features other than ray-traced ambient occlusion, along with a ray-tracing geometry quality control that affects the distance and detail of ray-traced geometry. The update also improved reflections and added them to water surfaces, including the Black Lake. The PC patch notes document these changes.
To prioritize performance, keep ray tracing off. If you prefer its visual effects, enable only the effects you value and adjust their quality and geometry distance rather than assuming every ray-tracing option should be maxed. Changing ray tracing requires a game restart: “Enabling or disabling Ray Tracing requires rebooting the game and will impact GPU and CPU performance.”
Other settings and troubleshooting
- VSync and frame rate: VSync is on by default, and the FAQ allows frame-rate adjustment based on your display’s refresh rate. Avoid turning VSync off as a blanket fix; match it to your display and the issue you are seeing.
- Stutters on the first launch: Allow shader compilation to finish. It may take several minutes on first startup depending on the PC and memory; later launches should be faster.
- Unexpected performance after changing resolution: Check the active monitor resolution and the selected upscaling option. The FAQ cautions that changing the target resolution can affect performance.
- Settings do not fix the problem: Re-run the benchmark after major changes and test in the same area so comparisons are meaningful. Official sources reviewed here do not establish unofficial configuration-file edits as supported fixes.
A published third-party preset to compare
PCGamesN’s separately dated guide offers one editorial reference, not a universal prescription. It recommends DLSS or FSR 2 upscaling, frame generation where supported, medium fog, sky, foliage, shadows, and view distance, with high effects, materials, post-processing, texture, and population settings; it recommends ray tracing off. Its stated test system was an RTX 4060, Core i7-11700F, and 32 GB RAM, using a repeatable in-game sequence. The page does not provide frame-rate data or in-game visuals, so use that combination as a comparison point rather than a verified performance promise. Read PCGamesN’s settings guide.
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