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Best The Last of Us Part I settings for the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), The Last of Us Part I runs at roughly 60 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 27FPS 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 The Last of Us Part I is a demanding, graphically heavy 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 27 FPS with everything on High.

Across resolutions you can expect around 60 FPS at 1080p and 36 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 21 FPS at 4K. With only 4GB of VRAM, keep textures a notch below max in The Last of Us Part I at higher resolutions to avoid stutter. The biggest free win is FSR upscaling — set it to Quality for a large FPS boost at little visual cost.

ResolutionAll-High FPSOptimized FPS
1080p2760
1440p1636
4K921
💡 The Last of Us Part I: VRAM-hungry — on 8GB cards keep textures at High, not Ultra.
🚀 Biggest free win: enable FSR (Balanced) — about +55% FPS for a small sharpness trade.
Recommended settings
Upscaling — FSRBalanced+55% FPS
The Last of Us Part I supports DLSS, FSR and XeSS. A strong GPU-side boost on a demanding, VRAM-hungry port.
Shadow QualityLow+10% FPS
Shadow resolution and range. High is the value pick over Ultra.
Screen Space ReflectionsLow+7% FPS
Reflections on water and wet surfaces. High is a clean trade.
Bounced LightingOff+6% FPS
Extra indirect light bounce. A meaningful cost for a subtle, pretty effect.
Ambient OcclusionLow+6% FPS
Soft contact shadows. Medium is a cheap, good-looking option.
Dynamic Objects QualityLow+5% FPS
Detail on moving objects and debris. Modest cost; High looks best.
Anti-AliasingOff+3% FPS
Edge smoothing. Cheap; leave it On for a clean image.
Texture QualityUltra-1% FPS
This game is famously VRAM-hungry - Ultra textures want 10GB+. On 8GB cards, High avoids stutter.
Anisotropic Filtering16xbaseline
Keeps angled surfaces sharp - effectively free, use 16x.

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

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) run The Last of Us Part I? See the verdict →

The Last of Us Part I on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB)
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) get in The Last of Us Part I?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) averages around 60 FPS at 1080p in The Last of Us Part I — up from about 27 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) run The Last of Us Part I at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) averages roughly 36 FPS in The Last of Us Part I; turn on upscaling or aim for a locked 60 for the best feel.

What are the best The Last of Us Part I settings for the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB)?

Turn on FSR (Balanced), keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Shadow Quality and Screen Space Reflections 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.