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Best Apex Legends settings for the NVIDIA GTX 980 (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 980 (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), Apex Legends runs at roughly 95 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 96FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.

The NVIDIA GTX 980 is a entry-level graphics card with 4GB of VRAM, and Apex Legends is a lightweight, high-frame-rate esports title. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it runs great at 1080p — about 95 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings. That already clears a smooth frame rate on High, so our tuning keeps the visuals as high as possible instead of chasing extra frames.

Across resolutions you can expect around 95 FPS at 1080p and 60 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 53 FPS at 4K. Apex Legends doesn't use upscaling, so the gains come from trimming the heaviest settings below.

ResolutionAll-High FPSOptimized FPS
1080p9695
1440p5860
4K3353
Recommended settings
Texture Streaming BudgetInsane-1% FPS
Texture sharpness, tied directly to your VRAM. "Insane" needs 8GB+ — match it to your card to avoid stutter.
Anti-AliasingTSAAbaseline
TSAA smooths edges cheaply. Some competitive players run None for maximum clarity and a few extra frames.
Sun Shadow DetailHighbaseline
The main shadow setting and a real GPU cost — Low/Medium is the standard competitive pick.
Spot Shadow DetailHighbaseline
Extra dynamic shadows. Disabling is a common FPS boost with little gameplay downside.
Volumetric LightingEnabledbaseline
God-rays and light shafts. Disabling gains frames in smoky, lit areas.
Ambient Occlusion QualityHighbaseline
Soft contact shadows. Cheap to lower; many pros disable it.
Model DetailHighbaseline
Character and weapon geometry detail. Modest cost; High looks best, Medium for frames.
Effects DetailHighbaseline
Explosions and ability effects. Lowering smooths chaotic final rings.
Texture Filtering16xbaseline
Keeps surfaces sharp at angles — effectively free, use 16x.
Sun Shadow CoverageHighbaseline
How wide an area gets sun shadows. Low is a common competitive saving.
Dynamic Spot ShadowsEnabledbaseline
Moving shadows from spot lights. Disabling frees a few frames indoors.
RagdollsHighbaseline
Death-body physics detail. Nearly free; set to taste.

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

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 980 run Apex Legends? See the verdict →

Apex Legends on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 980
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 980 get in Apex Legends?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 980 averages around 95 FPS at 1080p in Apex Legends — up from about 96 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 980 run Apex Legends at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 980 averages roughly 60 FPS in Apex Legends — a smooth experience.

What are the best Apex Legends settings for the NVIDIA GTX 980?

Use a balanced preset, keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Anti-Aliasing and Sun Shadow Detail 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.