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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →There is no single best preset for every Unreal Engine 5 game or PC. First identify whether the CPU, GPU, or memory is limiting performance; then change one setting at a time in the same repeatable scene. If the GPU is the bottleneck, lower render resolution or enable the game’s upscaler first, then test demanding lighting and reflection options such as Lumen.
Find the bottleneck before changing settings
A graphics option helps only if it addresses the part of the system limiting performance. Epic’s profiling guide treats CPU, GPU, and memory constraints as distinct possibilities. A CPU-limited game may gain little from reducing GPU-heavy effects; a GPU-limited game is a better candidate for resolution and graphics-quality changes.
- Choose the game’s built-in benchmark or a repeatable area. Keep the scene, output resolution, and other conditions consistent.
- Check frame time and CPU/GPU utilization, using the game’s overlay or another performance display if available. Look for the component that is consistently under pressure rather than relying on one FPS reading.
- Change one setting, replay the same scene, and compare frame time and image quality. Keep the change only if it improves the result you care about, such as steadier delivery or reaching a chosen refresh-rate target.
Frame time, measured in milliseconds, can make comparisons clearer than FPS alone. Epic’s Scalability and the Developer guide notes: “Milliseconds are more useful than FPS (‘it became 10FPS faster’ is not meaningful, but ‘it became 5ms faster’ is).” Average FPS can also conceal uneven frame delivery, so pay attention to stutters and drops in the same scene.
What to lower first when the GPU is the limit
Resolution scale or upscaling
Reducing the game’s internal rendering resolution is a direct way to reduce GPU work. Look in the graphics menu for a resolution-scale slider or an upscaler such as TSR; a shipped game may offer a different upscaler or no upscaler at all. Epic describes Temporal Super Resolution (TSR) as rendering at a lower internal resolution and using temporal upscaling to produce the output image, with the aim of reducing total GPU frame cost.
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Compare image clarity and temporal artifacts at your actual output resolution. Upscaling results depend on the game’s implementation and settings, so a mode that performs well in one title is not a guarantee for another. If the image becomes too soft or unstable, try a higher quality mode or a less aggressive resolution reduction.
Lumen global illumination and reflections
If the game exposes Lumen quality controls and is GPU-limited, test lower global illumination (GI) and reflection quality. Epic’s Lumen Performance Guide says these are controlled by scalability groups. Its Medium level can use Screen Space Reflections for smooth surfaces and a lower-cost GI approach; lower levels cost less, while Low disables Lumen features. A game may rename, lock, override, or omit these controls.
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Epic’s UE 5.8 guide describes each lower Lumen quality level as costing approximately half as much as the level above. That is a rough engine-level description, not a promised frame-rate gain for a particular game or PC. The same documentation gives an engine reference of approximately 8 ms for Lumen GI and reflections on next-generation consoles at 1080p internal resolution on Epic scalability, relying on TSR for output approaching native 4K. Those figures describe that console scenario, not expected PC performance.
Hardware ray tracing
If a game offers a separate hardware ray-tracing option, test it independently rather than assuming it always improves or worsens performance. Epic’s rendering settings documentation warns that hardware ray tracing can have significant scene-update costs in scenes with more than 100,000 instances. That condition does not establish the effect in every game; the result depends on the scene and system.
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Other graphics settings to test
After resolution and the most demanding lighting options, use the game’s own graphics controls to investigate other possible trade-offs. Epic documents view distance and anti-aliasing among its scalability controls. Many games also expose shadows, foliage, effects, textures, and post-processing, but their labels, implementation, and performance impact vary.
- View distance and foliage: Lowering them can reduce visible detail or change gameplay visibility. Check distant objects and foliage-heavy scenes, not just an empty area.
- Shadows and effects: Lower quality can change shadow detail and the appearance of effects. Compare busy combat or other scenes where those features are prominent.
- Anti-aliasing: A lower setting may change edge quality. If an upscaler also changes anti-aliasing behavior, compare modes at the same output resolution.
- Textures: Lowering texture quality changes image detail. Do not assume it will solve a GPU compute bottleneck; verify the result in the game and reconsider whether memory pressure is involved.
- Post-processing: Test the controls the game actually offers and judge their visual cost alongside any frame-time change.
There is no reliable universal ranking or fixed FPS gain for these options across UE5 releases. Keep only changes that improve performance in your repeatable test without unacceptable loss of clarity or visibility.
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Why Unreal Engine scalability targets are not PC promises
Epic’s UE 5.8 Lumen guide describes its Epic scalability level against a 30 fps console budget and High against a 60 fps console budget; it also describes Medium as targeting Switch 2 and medium-spec PCs. These are engine scalability targets, not a guarantee of those frame rates on a player’s PC. PC components, game settings, scene complexity, and implementation differ, and developers can alter the available options.
If changing graphics settings does not help
Return to the diagnosis rather than lowering every option. The constraint may be CPU load, memory pressure, thermal or power limits, background work, drivers, or a game-specific issue. Epic’s profiling guidance separates CPU, GPU, and memory limits; a graphics preset cannot by itself establish which one is responsible. Use a consistent scene and compare frame time after each change so you can tell whether the adjustment addressed the actual limit.
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