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Best Grand Theft Auto V settings for the NVIDIA GTX 980 (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 980 (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), Grand Theft Auto V runs at roughly 69 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 69FPS 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 Grand Theft Auto V is a moderately demanding game. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it runs well at 1080p — about 69 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 69 FPS at 1080p and 64 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 60 FPS at 4K. Grand Theft Auto V offers ray tracing, but the NVIDIA GTX 980 isn't built for it, so we leave it off. The biggest free win is FSR upscaling — set it to Quality for a large FPS boost at little visual cost.

ResolutionAll-High FPSOptimized FPS
1080p6969
1440p4264
4K2460
Recommended settings
Upscaling — FSROff
The Enhanced edition adds DLSS and FSR. A free FPS boost — the original Legacy version has no upscaler.
Ray-Traced ShadowsOffsaves FPS
Enhanced-edition ray-traced shadows. A nice touch but a real cost — keep Off for high FPS.
Texture QualityVery High-1% FPS
Surface detail — cheap if it fits your VRAM. Very High is fine on modern cards.
Reflection QualityHighbaseline
One of GTA V’s heaviest settings — reflections on cars, water and windows. High over Ultra is a big saving.
Grass QualityHighbaseline
Countryside grass density. "Very High" famously tanks FPS for a small visual gain — High is the sweet spot.
Shadow QualityHighbaseline
Shadow resolution. High looks great and runs well.
Extended Distance ScalingMidbaseline
How much extra detail pops in at distance — partly CPU-bound. Lower it if you are CPU-limited.
Ambient OcclusionNormalbaseline
Soft contact shadows. Normal is a cheap, good-looking choice.
Post FXHighbaseline
Bloom, depth of field and light shafts. High is plenty.
TessellationNormalbaseline
Adds rounded detail to surfaces. Normal is a low-impact saving.
Anisotropic Filtering16xbaseline
Keeps roads and pavement sharp into the distance — essentially free, use 16x.
MSAA2xbaseline
Hardware edge smoothing — one of GTA V's heaviest options. 2x is plenty; 8x tanks FPS.
Reflection MSAA2xbaseline
Smooths edges inside reflections. Off or 2x for a clean FPS saving.
Particles QualityHighbaseline
Explosions, smoke and sparks. High is a cheap, good-looking choice.
Water QualityHighbaseline
Ocean and pool detail. A small saving with little visible change inland.
Soft ShadowsSoftbaseline
How softly shadow edges blur. Soft is the natural-looking middle ground.
Extended Shadows DistanceMidbaseline
How far shadows render into the distance. Lower it for an easy gain.

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

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 980 run Grand Theft Auto V? See the verdict →

Grand Theft Auto V on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 980
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 980 get in Grand Theft Auto V?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 980 averages around 69 FPS at 1080p in Grand Theft Auto V — up from about 69 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 980 run Grand Theft Auto V at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 980 averages roughly 64 FPS in Grand Theft Auto V — a smooth experience.

What are the best Grand Theft Auto V settings for the NVIDIA GTX 980?

Use a balanced preset, keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Reflection Quality and Grass 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.