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Best The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) settings for the NVIDIA GTX 980 (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 980 (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) runs at roughly 69 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 51FPS 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 The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) is a demanding, graphically heavy game. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it runs well at 1080p — about 69 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings, a clear jump from roughly 51 FPS with everything on High.

Across resolutions you can expect around 69 FPS at 1080p and 61 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 48 FPS at 4K. The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) 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
1080p5169
1440p3161
4K1748
🚀 Biggest free win: enable FSR (Quality) — about +35% FPS for a small sharpness trade.
Recommended settings
Upscaling — FSRQuality+35% FPS
The Next-Gen update adds DLSS, FSR and XeSS. A big GPU-side boost, especially with ray tracing on.
Ray Tracing (GI / Reflections / Shadows)Offsaves FPS
Ray-traced global illumination and reflections — beautiful but very heavy. Turn Off for big FPS; pair with upscaling if you want it.
Texture QualityUltra-1% FPS
Surface sharpness — cheap if it fits your VRAM. Keep it Ultra on 8GB+ cards.
NVIDIA HairWorksOffbaseline
Physically simulated hair and fur. Surprisingly costly (especially on monsters) — most players leave it Off or Geralt-only.
Foliage Visibility RangeHighbaseline
How far grass and bushes render — a real cost in the open world. High is a great trade.
Shadow QualityHighbaseline
Shadow resolution and range. High looks nearly identical to Ultra.
Grass DensityHighbaseline
How thick the grass is. Lowering is an easy saving in fields.
Detail LevelHighbaseline
Overall world geometry detail and draw distance.
Ambient Occlusion (HBAO+)HBAO+baseline
Contact shadows for depth. SSAO is a cheaper alternative to HBAO+.
Water QualityHighbaseline
Water detail and reflections. Modest cost.
Anisotropic Filtering16xbaseline
Keeps the ground sharp into the distance — essentially free, use 16x.
Number of Background CharactersHighbaseline
How many NPCs fill towns like Novigrad — a CPU lever in crowded cities.
Terrain QualityHighbaseline
Ground geometry and tessellation detail. High looks great and runs well.
Light ShaftsOnbaseline
God-rays through trees and windows. Cheap; nice atmosphere.
Anti-AliasingOnbaseline
Edge smoothing. Cheap; leave it On unless you want a sharper image.
Motion Blur / DoF / BloomOnbaseline
Post-processing effects bundle. Nearly free; pure preference.

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

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 980 run The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen)? See the verdict →

The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 980
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 980 get in The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen)?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 980 averages around 69 FPS at 1080p in The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) — up from about 51 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 980 run The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 980 averages roughly 61 FPS in The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) — a smooth experience.

What are the best The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen) settings for the NVIDIA GTX 980?

Turn on FSR (Quality), keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like NVIDIA HairWorks and Foliage Visibility Range 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.