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Best Forza Horizon 5 settings for the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), Forza Horizon 5 runs at roughly 60 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 39FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.

The NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) is a entry-level graphics card with 4GB of VRAM, and Forza Horizon 5 is a moderately demanding game. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it runs well at 1080p — about 60 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings, a clear jump from roughly 39 FPS with everything on High.

Across resolutions you can expect around 60 FPS at 1080p and 60 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 37 FPS at 4K. Forza Horizon 5 offers ray tracing, but the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) isn't built for it, so we leave it off. The biggest free win is FSR upscaling — set it to Quality for a large FPS boost at little visual cost.

ResolutionAll-High FPSOptimized FPS
1080p3960
1440p2460
4K1337
🚀 Biggest free win: enable FSR (Balanced) — about +55% FPS for a small sharpness trade.
Recommended settings
Upscaling — FSRBalanced+55% FPS
Forza Horizon 5 supports DLSS and XeSS. Exceptionally well-optimised - upscaling mainly helps at 4K or on weaker GPUs.
Ray Tracing (Reflections)Offsaves FPS
Ray-traced car reflections - makes paint and chrome look stunning but costs 15-20 percent FPS. Worth it only with headroom.
Environment TexturesUltra-1% FPS
Surface detail - cheap if it fits your VRAM.
Reflection QualityHighbaseline
Screen-space reflections on car bodies and wet roads. A big visual impact - High is the sweet spot.
Night ShadowsOnbaseline
Dynamic shadows from headlights at night races. A moderate cost; Off is a common competitive pick.
World Car Level of DetailHighbaseline
How detailed other cars look at distance. High is fine - barely noticeable at race speeds.
Ground CoverHighbaseline
Grass and foliage density along the road. Easy saving in lush environments.
Anisotropic Filtering16xbaseline
Keeps road markings and tarmac sharp into the distance - effectively free, use 16x.
Shadow QualityHighbaseline
Resolution of car and scenery shadows. High looks great and runs well.
Environment GeometryHighbaseline
Roadside detail and object density. High is plenty at race speeds.
Ambient Occlusion (SSAO)Highbaseline
Soft contact shadows. Low/High is a cheap, good-looking choice.
MSAA2xbaseline
Hardware edge smoothing - heavy at higher steps. 2x is plenty.
Particle EffectsHighbaseline
Dust, smoke and sparks. A small saving during crashes and drifts.

⚡ Fine-tune this for your exact CPU & target FPS →

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) run Forza Horizon 5? See the verdict →

Forza Horizon 5 on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB)
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) get in Forza Horizon 5?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) averages around 60 FPS at 1080p in Forza Horizon 5 — up from about 39 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) run Forza Horizon 5 at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) averages roughly 60 FPS in Forza Horizon 5 — a smooth experience.

What are the best Forza Horizon 5 settings for the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB)?

Turn on FSR (Balanced), keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Reflection Quality and Night Shadows down a notch. The full per-setting breakdown is above.

FPS figures are estimates from a generalized model (hardware tier × game load × per-setting weights), not live benchmarks — real performance varies by scene, drivers and game version.