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Best S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 settings for the NVIDIA RTX 3060 (12GB) (2026)

On a NVIDIA RTX 3060 (12GB) (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-13500H (laptop)-class CPU), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 runs at roughly 67 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 50FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.

The NVIDIA RTX 3060 (12GB) is a mainstream 1080p graphics card with 12GB 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 67 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings, a clear jump from roughly 50 FPS with everything on High.

Across resolutions you can expect around 67 FPS at 1080p and 61 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 56 FPS at 4K. The biggest free win is DLSS upscaling — set it to Quality for a large FPS boost at little visual cost.

Resolution	All-High FPS	Optimized FPS
1080p	50	67
1440p	30	61
4K	17	56

💡 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 DLSS (Quality) — about +35% FPS for a small sharpness trade.

Recommended settings

Upscaling — DLSSQuality+35% 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 RTX 3060 (12GB) 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 RTX 3060 (12GB)

Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA RTX 3060 (12GB) get in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA RTX 3060 (12GB) averages around 67 FPS at 1080p in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — up from about 50 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA RTX 3060 (12GB) run S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA RTX 3060 (12GB) averages roughly 61 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 RTX 3060 (12GB)?

Turn on DLSS (Quality), 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.