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Best S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 settings for the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-13500H (laptop)-class CPU), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 runs at roughly 65 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 43FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.

The NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti is a mainstream 1080p graphics card with 6GB of VRAM, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a one of the most punishing games to run on PC. Paired with the Intel Core i5-13500H (laptop), it runs well at 1080p — about 65 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings, a clear jump from roughly 43 FPS with everything on High.

Across resolutions you can expect around 65 FPS at 1080p and 63 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 48 FPS at 4K. With only 6GB of VRAM, keep textures a notch below max in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 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
1080p4365
1440p2663
4K1448
💡 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heavy Unreal Engine 5 game — upscaling is basically required at 1440p and up.
🚀 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. A heavy Unreal Engine 5 game - upscaling is practically required at 1440p and above.
Texture QualityEpic-1% FPS
Surface sharpness. Heavy on VRAM - High is safe on 8-10GB cards.
Overall QualityHighbaseline
The master quality slider. A step from Epic to High frees significant FPS with little visual loss in motion.
Shadow QualityHighbaseline
Shadow resolution and range. High is the key trade-off point.
Global Illumination (Lumen)Highbaseline
Lumen bounce lighting. Heavy; Medium is a big FPS saver for a subtle visual trade.
ReflectionsHighbaseline
Lumen reflections on water, glass and metal. High is a clean step below Epic.
Vegetation QualityHighbaseline
Grass and vegetation density across the Zone. A real cost in open areas.
Effects QualityHighbaseline
Explosions, fire and anomaly effects. Lowering helps in heavy gunfights.
Environment Draw DistanceHighbaseline
How far the Zone renders at full detail. Mild pop-in when lowered.
Post ProcessingHighbaseline
Bloom, depth of field and motion blur. Cheap; set to taste.
MaterialsHighbaseline
Surface shading detail on weapons and walls. High is a clean trade.
Anti-AliasingHighbaseline
Edge smoothing. Medium/High keeps the gritty world clean cheaply.

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

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti run S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2? See the verdict →

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti get in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti averages around 65 FPS at 1080p in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — up from about 43 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti run S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti averages roughly 63 FPS in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — a smooth experience.

What are the best S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 settings for the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti?

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