Best Starfield settings for the NVIDIA GTX 970 (2026)
On a NVIDIA GTX 970 (paired with a balanced AMD Ryzen 3 3300X-class CPU), Starfield runs at roughly 62 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 35FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.
| Resolution | All-High FPS | Optimized FPS |
|---|
| 1080p | 35 | 62 |
| 1440p | 21 | 57 |
| 4K | 10 | 28 |
💡 Starfield: Unusually CPU-bound in cities — a CPU upgrade often helps more than a GPU one.
🚀 Biggest free win: enable FSR (Balanced) — about +55% FPS for a small sharpness trade.
Recommended settings · ✓ tuned to this game’s real menu
Upscaling — FSRBalanced+55% FPS
Starfield supports FSR and (via update) DLSS/XeSS. A big GPU-side boost — though in cities you may still be CPU-limited.
Shadow QualityMedium+5% FPS
Shadow resolution and range. High is the value pick over Ultra.
Indirect LightingMedium+4% FPS
Bounced global illumination. A meaningful GPU cost with a modest visual payoff.
Volumetric LightingMedium+4% FPS
Atmospheric light shafts. Heavy for the look — an easy saving.
ReflectionsHighbaseline
Screen-space reflections on metal and glass. Often subtle in motion.
Crowd DensityHighbaseline
How many NPCs populate cities. This loads your CPU — the main lever in Starfield’s CPU-bound towns.
Particle QualityHighbaseline
Effects and debris. Lowering smooths combat-heavy moments.
Grass QualityHighbaseline
Planet-surface foliage density. A decent saving on lush worlds.
Ambient Occlusion (GTAO)Onbaseline
Soft contact shadows. Cheap; leave On unless you need the frames.
Motion BlurOnbaseline
Camera blur in motion. Nearly free — pure preference.
⚡ Fine-tune this for your exact CPU & target FPS →
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 970
Frequently asked
What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 970 get in Starfield?
With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 970 averages around 62 FPS at 1080p in Starfield — up from about 35 FPS with everything on High.
Can the NVIDIA GTX 970 run Starfield at 1440p?
At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 970 averages roughly 57 FPS in Starfield; turn on upscaling or aim for a locked 60 for the best feel.
What are the best Starfield settings for the NVIDIA GTX 970?
Turn on FSR (Balanced), keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Shadow Quality and Indirect Lighting 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.