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Best Assassin’s Creed Shadows settings for the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), Assassin’s Creed Shadows runs at roughly 24 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 7FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.

The NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) is a entry-level graphics card with 4GB of VRAM, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a one of the most punishing games to run on PC. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it is a real challenge at 1080p — about 24 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings, a clear jump from roughly 7 FPS with everything on High.

Across resolutions you can expect around 24 FPS at 1080p and 14 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 8 FPS at 4K. With only 4GB of VRAM, keep textures a notch below max in Assassin’s Creed Shadows 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
1080p724
1440p414
4K28
🚀 Biggest free win: enable FSR (Balanced) — about +55% FPS for a small sharpness trade.
Recommended settings
Upscaling — FSRBalanced+55% FPS
Supports DLSS, FSR and XeSS. One of the most demanding recent AAA titles - upscaling is strongly recommended.
Environment QualityLow+14% FPS
Overall world detail, draw distance and geometry quality. The biggest single GPU lever.
Shadow QualityLow+11% FPS
Shadow resolution and range. High is reliable - Ultra adds cost for subtle gain.
Global IlluminationLow+10% FPS
Bounced ambient lighting. Heavy; High over Ultra is a strong saving.
Cloud QualityLow+9% FPS
Detail and layering of volumetric clouds across the Japanese landscape. Moderately expensive for how subtle it is.
ReflectionsLow+8% FPS
Water and surface reflections. High is a solid middle ground.
Vegetation QualityLow+7% FPS
Grass and tree density across the landscape. A real cost in lush areas.
Ambient OcclusionOff+6% FPS
Soft contact shadows. Medium is a safe, cheap saving.
Fog QualityLow+6% FPS
Detail and density of volumetric fog and haze. A solid, low-risk saving.
Water QualityLow+5% FPS
Detail of rivers, sea and reflections. Moderate cost near water.
Anti-AliasingLow+4% FPS
Edge smoothing. Medium/High keeps the image clean cheaply.
Texture QualityUltra-1% FPS
Surface sharpness - cheap if it fits your VRAM. VRAM-hungry at Ultra.

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

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) run Assassin’s Creed Shadows? See the verdict →

Assassin’s Creed Shadows on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB)
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) get in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) averages around 24 FPS at 1080p in Assassin’s Creed Shadows — up from about 7 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) run Assassin’s Creed Shadows at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) averages roughly 14 FPS in Assassin’s Creed Shadows; turn on upscaling or aim for a locked 60 for the best feel.

What are the best Assassin’s Creed Shadows settings for the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB)?

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