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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe most reliable Avowed PC setup is a Custom profile based on High: turn ray tracing off, disable V-Sync, keep motion blur low or off, and choose the upscaler by resolution. Use native resolution at 1080p if your GPU can hold the target, DLSS or FSR in Quality mode at 1440p, and Balanced at 4K as a starting point. If frame pacing remains uneven, lower shadows, view distance and global illumination before reducing texture quality.
There is no single best preset for every graphics card. Average FPS, 1% lows, frame-time consistency and image clarity can point to different choices, and Avowed’s performance behavior has changed in official patches. Recheck the settings after each major update rather than assuming an older configuration still applies.
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Use this baseline first
Start from a Custom profile instead of accepting a preset unchanged. The following combination follows the independent PCGamesN baseline while leaving room for your hardware and display refresh rate.
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| Option | Starting value | Why it is a sensible baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Display mode | Windowed fullscreen | Provides the baseline used in the cited independent testing and makes switching applications more practical. |
| Field of view | 90 | A balanced starting point; a wider view can expose more geometry for the GPU to draw. |
| Ray tracing | Off | It is expensive and the cited guide found the visual improvement relatively subtle, making it the first feature to disable when chasing smoothness. |
| V-Sync | Off | Leaves frame-rate control to your display or driver; use a separate frame cap if you need to match a refresh rate. |
| Motion blur | Low or Off | Preserves clarity during camera movement and avoids adding a post-processing effect while troubleshooting. |
| View distance | High | Retains distant geometry until testing shows that it is a major cause of frame-time spikes. |
| Shadows | High | Medium and Low visibly reduce shadow quality; lower this only after testing heavier settings elsewhere. |
| Textures | High | Texture quality often costs less frame rate than shadows or global illumination, provided your GPU has enough video memory. |
| Shading | High | Part of the high-quality baseline. |
| Effects | High | The guide reports that High avoids blocky edges around objects compared with lower values. |
| Foliage | High | Lower values visibly reduce vegetation quality; reduce it when dense outdoor areas are the problem. |
| Post-processing | High | Maintains the baseline image treatment while you establish frame-time behavior. |
| Reflections | High | Retains the recommended baseline; lower it only if reflective scenes cause a repeatable slowdown. |
| Global illumination | High | Keep it high initially, then reduce it before textures if lighting-heavy scenes produce poor 1% lows. |
These are editorial recommendations from an independent test setup, not a guarantee of a particular frame rate on your computer. Record average FPS and frame-time behavior in the same demanding scene after each change so that a visual improvement is not mistaken for a performance improvement.
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Choose resolution and upscaling together
Upscaling changes the internal render resolution and reconstructs the image at your display resolution. It can increase average FPS, but the best mode depends on the output resolution, GPU architecture and the clarity you will accept in motion. Compare not only the FPS counter but also 1% lows, camera pans, foliage movement and fine geometry.
1080p
Leave upscaling off when the GPU can sustain your target at native 1080p. Native rendering avoids reconstruction artifacts and is usually the clearest option at this resolution. If the GPU cannot maintain a stable frame time, enable an upscaler and test its highest-quality mode before reducing several individual settings. A stable 60 FPS with occasional reconstruction is generally preferable to a higher average with severe stutter.
1440p
Begin with DLSS Quality or FSR Quality. Quality mode preserves more detail than more aggressive modes while reducing the internal workload. Test both when your hardware supports them: neither is universally best, and a patch can change how each behaves. Inspect moving foliage, thin geometry and distant edges rather than judging from a still screenshot.
4K
Start with Balanced upscaling. Native 4K can impose a large GPU load, while Balanced provides a practical first step toward consistent frame times. If the image is too soft, try Quality and then recover performance by lowering shadows, view distance or global illumination. If the frame rate is still unstable, a lower internal resolution with consistent pacing is usually more comfortable than native 4K with repeated drops.
DLSS, FSR and Native AA
Use the option that gives your system the best combination of clarity and frame-time stability. The Steam patch notes specifically added clearer FSR Native AA labeling and corrected behavior when upscaling is disabled. Treat Native AA as an anti-aliasing choice rather than assuming it will provide the same performance as a lower-resolution upscaler. After an update, confirm that the selected mode is still active; one official patch fixed the game defaulting to DLSS on launch.
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Frame generation
If your version and hardware expose frame generation, retune it whenever you change the base upscaler or install a major patch. Generated frames can make motion appear smoother, but they do not remove the underlying render-time work. Evaluate the base frame rate and input response first, then judge generated output in a repeatable scene. Do not use frame generation to conceal severe 1% lows or hitching.
What to lower when performance is uneven
Change one setting at a time and watch frame-time graphs, not only the average FPS. The order below preserves texture detail and targets options that can produce larger GPU or scene-complexity costs.
- Disable ray tracing. Its cost is high relative to the subtle visual change reported in the independent guide.
- Reduce global illumination. This can help in scenes with complex lighting while preserving texture sharpness.
- Reduce shadows. Medium and Low visibly change shadow detail, but they can improve consistency in areas with many lights and objects.
- Reduce view distance. Use this when distant geometry or open outdoor areas cause repeatable drops.
- Reduce foliage. Dense vegetation can be costly, and lower values visibly simplify it.
- Reduce effects. Test this for combat or elemental-heavy scenes; keep High if lower values produce blocky edges that you find distracting.
- Only then consider textures. Texture quality is primarily a memory and image-detail choice. Lower it when you see streaming problems or run out of video memory, not as the first response to every FPS dip.
After each change, revisit the same route, combat encounter or outdoor vista. A setting that improves an indoor average may do little for the outdoor 1% low that actually feels like a stutter.
Official PC requirements and what they do not promise
Obsidian Entertainment’s official requirements page, dated February 28, 2025, lists the following floor and recommended target. Both configurations require Windows 10 or 11, DirectX 12, 16 GB of RAM and 75 GB of storage.
| Tier | Processor | Memory | Graphics | API | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Intel Core i5-8400 | 16 GB RAM | AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or Intel Arc A580 | DirectX 12 | 75 GB |
| Recommended | AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel Core i7-10700K | 16 GB RAM | AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 | DirectX 12 | 75 GB |
The requirements describe a baseline, not a promise of a locked frame rate at a particular preset, resolution or upscaling mode. A system near the minimum may need aggressive upscaling and reduced settings, while a recommended-class system can still show poor frame pacing if drivers, thermals, background processes or a patch are involved.
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SSD requirements and upgrade checks
An SSD is required for Avowed. Faster storage cannot turn an underpowered GPU into a high-FPS system, but installing the game on an SSD is a prerequisite for the supported configuration and can help avoid storage-related streaming bottlenecks.
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Before buying an SSD
- Confirm whether your motherboard has an available M.2 slot and which interface it supports.
- Check the drive capacity after accounting for the game’s 75 GB requirement and your operating system’s free-space needs.
- Verify physical clearance, heatsink compatibility and the motherboard manual’s slot-sharing rules.
- Keep sufficient free space for updates; a drive that is nearly full can complicate patching and general system maintenance.
PCGamesN names the Samsung 990 Pro as one gaming SSD option, but that is an example rather than a universal recommendation. Interface compatibility, capacity and the slot available in your computer matter more than buying a particular model.
Why Avowed may stutter or crash on a capable PC
Stuttering is a frame-time problem, not simply a low average FPS problem. Crashes can also originate outside the graphics preset. Use Obsidian’s support sequence in order, changing as few variables as possible so you can identify the cause.
1. Confirm the hardware and operating system
Compare your CPU, GPU, RAM, DirectX 12 support and storage with the official minimum. Verify that the game is installed on an SSD and that Windows 10 or 11 is up to date. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee a fixed frame rate, but falling below it makes troubleshooting a settings issue less likely to succeed.
2. Update the graphics driver
Obsidian Support states: “If your system meets the minimum requirements, we recommend updating your graphics card drivers to the latest version.” Install the current driver for your GPU. If ordinary updating does not resolve graphics corruption, crashes or persistent instability, perform a clean driver installation as the support guidance advises.
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3. Verify the game files
Use your PC storefront’s file-verification function after a failed update, crash loop or suspected corrupted installation. Let the process finish, then restart the game before changing additional settings.
4. Install Windows updates
Apply pending operating-system updates and reboot. A system that has not restarted after a graphics or Windows update can behave differently from a fully updated, restarted installation.
5. Check temperatures and overclocks
Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures during the same scene where the problem occurs. Return CPU, GPU and memory overclocks to stock settings while diagnosing crashes or erratic frame times. Thermal throttling can look like a graphics-setting problem because clocks fall only after a period of play.
6. Update BIOS for affected Intel generations
Obsidian specifically advises checking for a BIOS update on systems using 13th- or 14th-generation Intel CPUs. Follow your motherboard manufacturer’s instructions and avoid interrupting the firmware update.
7. Use a diagnostic configuration
For a controlled test, disable ray tracing, upscaling and NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency. Obsidian’s support guidance recommends this combination when diagnosing crashes or performance problems. If stability returns, re-enable one feature at a time and test again. This identifies whether a feature interaction, rather than the High preset itself, is responsible.
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Patch-sensitive behavior to check after updates
Official Steam announcements document several changes that can alter a previously tuned setup:
- A 40 FPS option was added.
- FSR Native AA labeling was clarified.
- Behavior when upscaling is off was corrected.
- Elemental and spirit effects were optimized.
- An issue that caused upscaling to default to DLSS on launch was fixed.
After a major patch, open the graphics menu and verify display mode, resolution, upscaler, Native AA state, ray tracing, V-Sync, motion blur and any frame-generation setting. Re-run your own repeatable test route before deciding that a new preset is better or worse. A patch can change both performance and the meaning of a label without changing your hardware.
How to tune for different goals
Highest image quality at a stable target
- Select Custom and begin with the High values in the baseline table.
- Use native 1080p if your GPU sustains the target; at 1440p choose DLSS or FSR Quality; at 4K begin at Balanced.
- Keep ray tracing off unless the visual change is worth its cost to you.
- Measure 1% lows in a demanding outdoor or combat scene.
- If lows are poor, lower global illumination, shadows and view distance in that order before touching textures.
Maximum FPS on a mid-range system
- Keep ray tracing off and motion blur off.
- Choose the resolution-appropriate upscaling mode, then move from Quality toward a more aggressive mode only if frame pacing remains acceptable.
- Lower shadows, view distance, foliage and global illumination while checking the image after each step.
- Keep textures higher than the other reduced settings when memory allows, because their visual benefit is easier to retain while targeting scene-complexity costs elsewhere.
Stable 40 FPS on a living-room display
Use the official 40 FPS option where it fits your display and hardware. Pair it with the High-based Custom profile, then reduce shadows, view distance or global illumination if the game cannot hold the target in demanding scenes. A consistent 40 FPS can be a better experience than an uncapped rate that repeatedly falls through a wide range.
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- Confirm the output resolution has not changed after a patch.
- Check whether the game switched to DLSS on launch or changed the selected FSR mode.
- At 1080p, test native rendering if your GPU has headroom.
- At 1440p, compare DLSS Quality and FSR Quality in motion, not only in menus.
- At 4K, compare Balanced with Quality after frame-time stability is established.
- Keep effects at High if lower settings create visibly blocky edges around objects.
Reading the results correctly
Use four measures for every comparison:
- Average FPS: useful for overall throughput but insensitive to short stalls.
- 1% lows: exposes the slower frames that often define whether movement feels smooth.
- Frame-time stability: reveals spikes and hitching even when the average looks healthy.
- Image clarity in motion: catches reconstruction artifacts, foliage shimmer and softened edges that a still image can hide.
Write down the resolution, upscaler mode, preset, driver version and patch state for each test. Without those conditions, two FPS numbers are not a meaningful comparison. The PCGamesN recommendations came from an independent test setup, so treat them as a starting point rather than a result that every GPU will reproduce.
Quick Recap
A practical final checklist
- Custom profile based on High.
- Windowed fullscreen and FOV 90 as starting values.
- Ray tracing off, V-Sync off and motion blur low or off.
- Native 1080p when the GPU has enough headroom.
- DLSS or FSR Quality at 1440p.
- Balanced upscaling at 4K.
- Lower global illumination, shadows and view distance before textures when frame pacing is poor.
- Verify the game is on an SSD with adequate free capacity.
- Update drivers and Windows, verify files and check temperatures before assuming the preset is at fault.
- For crashes, test with ray tracing, upscaling and NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency disabled, then restore features one at a time.
- Recheck every graphics option after a major patch.
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