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Best The First Descendant 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), The First Descendant runs at roughly 32 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 12FPS 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 The First Descendant is a demanding, graphically heavy game. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it is a real challenge at 1080p — about 32 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings, a clear jump from roughly 12 FPS with everything on High.

Across resolutions you can expect around 32 FPS at 1080p and 20 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 11 FPS at 4K. The First Descendant offers ray tracing, but the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) isn't built for it, so we leave it off. With only 4GB of VRAM, keep textures a notch below max in The First Descendant 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
1080p1232
1440p720
4K411
🚀 Biggest free win: enable FSR (Balanced) — about +55% FPS for a small sharpness trade.
Recommended settings
Upscaling — FSRBalanced+55% FPS
The First Descendant (Unreal Engine 5) supports DLSS, FSR and XeSS plus Frame Generation. The biggest, easiest FPS lever.
Ray TracingOffsaves FPS
Ray-traced reflections and shadows. Heavy and pointless in a fast looter-shooter - keep Off for high refresh.
Global IlluminationLow+13% FPS
Bounced Lumen lighting (Epic uses Lumen) - the heaviest non-RT setting. High over Ultra is a big saving.
ShadowsLow+10% FPS
Shadow resolution and range. Medium/High is standard for fast play.
ReflectionsLow+8% FPS
Reflection quality on water, glass and metal. High is a clean step below Ultra.
EffectsLow+8% FPS
Ability and gunfire effects. Lowering smooths chaotic boss fights.
Post-ProcessingLow+5% FPS
Bloom, motion blur and depth of field. Cheap; set to taste.
VegetationLow+5% FPS
Plants and scenery density. A small, safe gain when lowered.
VisibilityLow+5% FPS
Controls level-of-detail / how far objects, buildings and enemies render before culling. Mild pop-in when lowered.
Shader QualityLow+4% FPS
Material and surface shading detail. High is a clean, cheap trade.
Anti-AliasingOff+3% FPS
Edge smoothing. Cheap; leave On to cut shimmer.
TexturesUltra-1% FPS
Surface sharpness - cheap if it fits your VRAM. High on 8GB cards, Ultra for 12GB+.

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

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) run The First Descendant? See the verdict →

The First Descendant 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 The First Descendant?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) averages around 32 FPS at 1080p in The First Descendant — up from about 12 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) run The First Descendant at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960M (laptop, 4GB) averages roughly 20 FPS in The First Descendant; turn on upscaling or aim for a locked 60 for the best feel.

What are the best The First Descendant 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 Global Illumination and 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.