For smoother performance in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered on PC, first turn off ray tracing or path tracing if enabled, then disable HairWorks. If frame delivery still falls short, lower foliage visibility range and shadow quality; after that, try a lower output resolution or a supported upscaling mode. Change one option at a time and compare in the same scene. There is no published setting-by-setting benchmark for Remastered version 5.0, so the amount each change helps depends on your PC and the scene.
Start by identifying which version you are tuning
CD PROJEKT RED announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered in September 2026, with new PC features and changed system requirements. Its additions include path tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 with Ray Reconstruction, AMD FSR 4, Intel XeSS 2.0, and ray-traced HairWorks. Older settings advice may still suggest useful options to test, but it cannot establish their performance cost in version 5.0. CD PROJEKT RED’s Remastered announcement gives the feature context.
Performance varies with the scene, PC configuration, graphics settings, and output resolution, according to CD PROJEKT RED’s current system-requirements information. Its QA targets are not all measured under identical rendering conditions: RT Minimum, RT Recommended, and Path Tracing use DLSS, FSR, or XeSS set to Auto; the Path Tracing configuration also enables Frame Generation. Higher resolution significantly affects FPS, so treat those system-level targets as configuration-specific rather than as a direct comparison of individual settings.
Which graphics settings should you lower first?
Use this sequence as a practical starting point, not a guaranteed ranking by frames per second. The current official sources do not publish controlled, per-setting FPS differences for Remastered version 5.0.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches#1 Best Overall
- Fearless ROG Design – The G700’s dual-glass chassis showcases iconic ROG design with the ROG Slash and Aura Sync RGB lighting. Its 58L capacity supports triple-slot GPUs.
- Unstoppable Power – Equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD PCIe 4.0 storage for seamless gaming and multitasking.
- Optimized Thermals – Stay cool with a quad-fan system, while dust filters and efficient airflow ensure long-term reliability.
- Advanced Connectivity – Game without lag with 2.5Gbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, and versatile ports. Dolby Atmos audio and AI noise cancellation enhance sound and communication.
- Ready for Upgrades – Designed with tool-less access, easily swap out components, ensuring future-proof performance for years to come.
-
Turn off ray tracing or path tracing
If either is enabled and smoother frame delivery matters more than advanced lighting, test with it off first. Remastered adds Path Tracing, and CD PROJEKT RED’s Path Tracing QA configuration uses upscaling and Frame Generation. The available information does not establish how many frames per second disabling these features will recover on your system. See the Remastered feature announcement and requirements and testing notes.
-
Disable HairWorks
HairWorks adds detailed animated hair and fur, so turning it off trades some hair and fur detail for a potentially lighter workload. In a historical Witcher 3 test, NVIDIA GeForce reported that action sequences could lose 15–20 frames per second with HairWorks enabled. That figure comes from NVIDIA’s 2015-era testing; it is not a benchmark for Remastered version 5.0. NVIDIA’s Witcher 3 graphics guide explains the feature and its test context.
Rank #2
CyberPowerPC Gaming PC, AMD Ryzen 5 5500, Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB- System: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6GHz 6 Cores | AMD B550 Chipset | 8GB DDR4 | 500GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD | Windows 11 Home
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB Graphics | 1x HDMI | 1x DisplayPort
- Connectivity: 4 x USB-A 3.2 | 4 x USB-A 2.0 | 1 x LAN | WiFi 5 | Bluetooth 5.0 | 7.1 Channel Audio
- Tempered Side Case Panel | Custom RGB Lighting | Keyboard and Mouse
- 1 Year Parts & Labor Warranty, Free Lifetime Tech Support
-
Reduce foliage visibility range and shadow quality
If performance remains uneven, lower foliage visibility range and shadow quality next. These are among the PC Ultra+ controls identified by CD PROJEKT RED. Expect changes to how far foliage is visible and to shadow detail, but no current reviewed source quantifies the FPS cost or benefit of either option. The official graphics-settings description lists these controls.
-
Lower output resolution or try a supported upscaler
If the earlier changes are not enough, test a lower output resolution or an upscaling mode supported by your hardware. Lower resolution can improve FPS, but the image will be less detailed at the output size. Supported options vary: the Remastered PC feature list names NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 with Ray Reconstruction, AMD FSR 4 (with Frame Generation and Anti-Lag 2 on Radeon RX 7000 Series and newer, and FSR 2 on unsupported GPUs), and Intel XeSS 2.0 with Frame Generation and Low Latency. Compatibility and available modes depend on hardware; compare the modes offered in your game rather than assuming one is universally best. See the feature announcement and requirements notes.
Recommended Free Tools
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Rank #3
WIWB Gaming PC Desktop, GeForce RTX 3050 8GB GDDR6, AMD Ryzen 7 4700LE- 8-Core 16-Thread Processing Power – Powered by the Ryzen 7 4700LE processor with Zen 2 architecture, delivering 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock up to 4.2GHz. Effortlessly handle multitasking, streaming, content creation, and demanding applications simultaneously without slowdowns.
- GeForce RTX 3050 8GB Graphics – Equipped with 8GB GDDR6 dedicated VRAM and real-time ray tracing support. Experience smooth 1080p gaming at 55-60 FPS in AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, 70+ FPS in Fortnite, and 90-100 FPS in Apex Legends with DLSS enabled. The 8GB buffer handles modern game textures comfortably – a step above 6GB variants
- High-Speed Memory & Storage – Paired with 16GB of DDR4 3200MHz dual-channel RAM (16GB), the PC ensures responsive multitasking—whether streaming while gaming or editing videos. It also includes a 512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD for lightning-fast boot times, quick game loads, and ample storage for your game library, creative projects, and files.
- Next-Gen WiFi 6 Connectivity – Stay connected with the latest WiFi 6 technology for faster speeds, lower latency, and improved network efficiency. Whether you're gaming online, streaming 4K content, or joining video conferences, enjoy stable, high-speed wireless connectivity.
- Ready-to-Use Value Desktop – Pre-built and ready to go right out of the box. Perfect for gamers, students, content creators, and home office users seeking reliable performance without the hassle of building a PC themselves. The mature AM4 platform with DDR4 memory offers excellent value and proven stability.
-
Test the remaining Ultra+ controls individually
If you still need to tune, test background characters, grass density, texture quality, terrain quality, water quality, and detail level one at a time. CD PROJEKT RED identifies these among the PC Ultra+ controls, but the reviewed sources do not establish their relative performance costs in the current release. The official settings description lists the options.
How to test changes without guessing
-
Choose a repeatable scene
Use the same location and repeat the same short route or action sequence for each comparison. Scene complexity affects performance, so changing locations between tests makes it harder to tell whether a graphics setting helped.
Rank #4
msi Codex Z2 Gaming Desktop, AMD R7-8700F, RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5, 2TB SSD- POWERHOUSE 8-CORE GAMING PERFORMANCE — Driven by the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F with 8 cores and 16 threads, boosting up to 5.0 GHz for smooth, responsive gameplay and the ability to handle AAA titles, streaming, and background tasks all at once
- NEXT-GEN BLACKWELL ARCHITECTURE — The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is powered by NVIDIA's cutting-edge Blackwell GPU architecture, delivering a massive generational leap in rasterization and ray tracing performance so you can experience your games the way they were meant to be played.
- Simplistic Design: Enjoy the latest generation of Windows 11 Home for your everyday needs. *MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business use.
- Cool While Gaming: In conjunction with an ARGB fan Air Cooler, the Codex R2 features four system cooling fans; three in the front and one in the rear to pull in cool air and push heat out of the PC.
- Turn on the Bright Lights: With the built-in RGB lighting, take your gaming experience to the next level by pressing the MSI LED button to cycle through lighting options. Customize lighting even further with MSI Center software.
-
Change one option at a time
Record the starting setting, change only that option, and compare performance and image quality in the same scene. If several options change together, you will not know which one caused the difference.
-
Keep resolution and rendering modes in view
Note output resolution and whether upscaling or Frame Generation is active. CD PROJEKT RED’s published QA targets use different rendering conditions, so an FPS comparison is meaningful only when you know what was enabled.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Best Value
KOTIN Prebuilt Gaming PC RTX 5070 12GB, Ryzen 7 9700X, 32GB DDR5, 1TB SSD- POWERED BY RTX 5070 12GB + RYZEN 7 9700X - The GeForce RTX 5070 12GB GDDR7 graphics card pairs with an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 9700X processor to drive smooth 1440p and 4K gameplay, giving this gaming PC the headroom for modern titles, streaming, and creative work.
- 32GB DDR5 6000MHz MEMORY & 1TB NVMe SSD - 32GB of high-speed DDR5 memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive deliver quick load times, smooth multitasking, and generous storage, keeping this prebuilt gaming desktop responsive under heavy workloads.
- BUILT-IN 11.3-INCH Smart DISPLAY - An integrated smart screen shows real-time CPU and GPU temperatures, usage, and weather while you play, adding a distinctive and functional touch to your battlestation.
- 850W 80+ GOLD POWER SUPPLY, 360MM LIQUID COOLING & WiFi 7 - An 850W 80 Plus Gold certified power supply provides stable, efficient power with headroom for future upgrades, while a 360mm AIO liquid cooler, WiFi 7, and an ARGB mid-tower case keep the Ryzen 7 CPU cool and connected in a clean build.
- READY TO PLAY OUT OF THE BOX - Arrives fully assembled and tested with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, so your prebuilt gaming computer is ready to set up in minutes. Assembled in the USA, and backed by a one-year limited warranty and lifetime free technical support.
-
Keep or undo the change based on your priority
If the improvement is not worthwhile for the visual trade-off, restore the previous setting and test another. Your preferred balance may differ depending on whether you value stable frame delivery, native resolution, or advanced lighting.
What the available performance evidence can—and cannot—tell you
The current official requirements information describes expected FPS targets from QA tests, but its listed system configurations do not isolate the cost of each graphics option. Its RT and path-tracing targets use upscaling set to Auto, and the Path Tracing configuration also uses Frame Generation; other listed configurations use native resolution. Those results therefore should not be read as a controlled, setting-by-setting comparison. The requirements page also notes that results vary by scene, configuration, settings, and output resolution. See CD PROJEKT RED’s requirements notes.
The only specific per-option figure in the sources reviewed here is NVIDIA GeForce’s historical HairWorks result: 15–20 FPS lost in action sequences during its 2015-era testing. It does not show what HairWorks costs on Remastered version 5.0 or on a particular PC. NVIDIA’s guide is useful as historical context, not as a current benchmark.
When an in-game setting is not the issue
CD PROJEKT RED states that an SSD is required for the Remastered release’s latest technical enhancements, citing faster load times, smoother asset streaming, and improved overall performance. That is a system requirement, not evidence that changing storage is the targeted fix for a frame-rate problem. Check the official requirements page for the requirement details.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
