Quick-Start: The 5 Settings That Fix 80% of FPS Problems

If you just want the fastest path to smoother gameplay, do these five changes first. They’re the highest impact with the lowest “visual pain.”

1. Use Fullscreen (exclusive) if available
2. Fullscreen typically gives you the most consistent frame pacing and reduces weird stutter that can appear in borderless modes.
3. Turn VSync Off (then use VRR or a frame cap instead)
4. VSync can add latency and sometimes makes frame time spikes feel worse. If your display supports VRR (G-SYNC/FreeSync), rely on that.
5. Pick an upscaler and commit to it (DLSS / FSR / XeSS / TSR)
6. Upscaling is not optional in Borderlands 4 if you want high FPS with good visuals. Choose one and set it to Quality first, then drop to Balanced if needed.
7. Lower Volumetric Fog and Volumetric Clouds first
8. These are classic performance-heavy settings. Dropping them from High/Very High to Medium/Low often gives a big FPS lift.
9. Set Foliage Density and HLOD/LOD range to Medium
10. Open-world scenes are where performance collapses. Cutting foliage and distant detail (LOD/HLOD) stabilizes FPS in the worst areas.

After these, test the same location for a few minutes so you can feel real differences instead of guessing.

Know Your Bottleneck: GPU-Limited vs CPU-Limited vs VRAM-Limited

Smooth FPS isn’t just “more frames.” It’s consistent frames. Your bottleneck decides which settings matter.

You’re GPU-limited if:

• FPS rises a lot when you lower resolution or enable upscaling
• GPU usage is high most of the time
• Big fights with lots of effects tank FPS

You’re CPU-limited if:

• FPS barely changes when you drop resolution
• FPS dips in crowded open-world areas, busy towns, or heavy combat AI moments
• GPU usage looks lower than expected while FPS is still low

You’re VRAM-limited if:

• You get micro-stutters when turning quickly or entering new areas
• Texture pop-in gets worse
• FPS is “okay,” but frame time spikes hit constantly
• You’re using high textures on a GPU with low VRAM

What this means in practice:

• GPU-limited → prioritize upscaling, volumetrics, shadows, reflections
• CPU-limited → prioritize LOD/HLOD, foliage, crowd/scene complexity settings
• VRAM-limited → prioritize texture quality and texture streaming speed

Before You Touch Graphics: Do These “No-Brainer” Stability Steps

These aren’t “magic tweaks.” They’re the foundations that prevent wasted troubleshooting.

• Install the game on an SSD
• Borderlands 4 is built expecting SSD-level streaming. Putting it on a slow drive increases hitching and asset pop-in.
• Update your GPU drivers
• Borderlands 4 has had driver-focused optimizations and shader-related stutter issues. Updated drivers reduce headaches.
• Reboot after big patches
• This sounds basic, but it matters. Some performance problems get worse after long sessions or after patch installs until you restart.
• Close overlays you don’t need
• Steam overlay, Discord overlay, recording overlays, “performance overlay” apps—each can introduce micro-stutter on some systems.
• Don’t test settings in the first 2 minutes of launching
• Borderlands 4 can stutter while compiling shaders or streaming assets. Give it a short warm-up run before you judge anything.

Shader Stutter: Why It Happens and How to Reduce It

Borderlands 4 (like many modern Unreal Engine games) can stutter when shaders are compiling—especially after updates or big settings changes.

Here’s what shader stutter looks like:

• short hitches when you enter a new area
• stutters when a new effect appears for the first time
• frame pacing that “settles down” after a while

How to reduce shader stutter without doing anything risky:

• Let the game “warm up” for 10–15 minutes after a patch or big graphics change.
• Avoid changing multiple settings constantly. Each change can trigger new shader work.
• Increase shader cache space (if your driver allows it). A larger cache can reduce re-compilation.
• Clear stale shader caches only when needed. If performance suddenly gets worse after an update, clearing old caches can help—but don’t do it every day.

Most importantly: don’t chase perfection in the first 60 seconds. Your goal is stable performance over time.

Display Settings That Matter Most (Fullscreen, FPS Cap, VRR, VSync)

These settings affect “feel” as much as raw FPS.

Display Mode

• Fullscreen is usually best for stable frame pacing.
• Borderless/windowed fullscreen is convenient, but can be slightly less consistent on some setups.

VSync

• If you have VRR, keep VSync Off in-game and let VRR handle tearing.
• If you do not have VRR and tearing bothers you:
• try VSync On, but expect extra input latency
• or use a frame cap to reduce tearing while keeping latency lower

Frame Rate Cap

A smart cap often feels smoother than “uncapped,” especially if your FPS bounces.

• For a 60Hz display: cap at 60 (or 58–59 for some VRR setups)
• For a 120Hz display: cap at 120 (or 117–119)
• For 144Hz: cap at 141–142 (common “VRR sweet spot” behavior)

The goal is to cap slightly below your maximum stable FPS so your frame times don’t spike.

Upscaling 101: DLSS vs FSR vs XeSS vs TSR

Borderlands 4 supports multiple upscaling options. Pick based on your GPU and what looks best to you.

DLSS (NVIDIA RTX GPUs)

• Best choice for many RTX users.
• Start with Quality.
• Move to Balanced if you need more FPS.
• Avoid Ultra Performance unless you’re desperate (image quality can suffer).

FSR (AMD GPUs and works on many GPUs)

• Great universal option.
• Start with Quality, then Balanced.
• If you’re using frame generation (see below), FSR often pairs well with it.

XeSS (Intel GPUs, also works on others)

• Can be a solid option if DLSS/FSR looks weird on your system.
• Test it in a busy area before deciding.

TSR (engine-based)

• Usually a reliable fallback.
• Not always the best performance, but can look clean and stable.

Your “best” upscaler is the one that keeps enemies readable during motion. Borderlands fights are fast—blurry motion makes aiming and target priority harder.

Frame Generation: When It Helps and When It Hurts

Frame generation can make Borderlands 4 feel dramatically smoother—especially at 120Hz+—but it’s not a free win.

When frame generation helps most:

• Your base FPS is already decent (think roughly “playable,” not struggling)
• You want smoother camera motion for 120Hz/144Hz displays
• You’re GPU-limited and upscaling alone isn’t enough

When frame generation can feel worse:

• Your base FPS is too low (frame gen can amplify input lag perception)
• You’re CPU-limited (frame gen won’t fix CPU stalls)
• You have heavy stutter (generated frames don’t hide real hitches)

Best practice:

• First, get a stable base FPS with upscaling and settings.
• Then turn on frame generation.
• If input feels “floaty,” reduce settings further so base FPS rises, or turn frame gen off.

Also remember: different GPUs support different frame generation features. Don’t force it if it creates worse control.

The Biggest FPS Killers in Borderlands 4 (Set These First)

If you want maximum FPS per visual impact, focus on the heavy hitters. These are the settings that typically cost the most in open-world shooter scenes.

Volumetric Fog

• Set to Low or Medium for smoothness.
• High/Very High can be brutal in foggy zones and big fights.

Volumetric Clouds

• Set to Low or Medium.
• Clouds plus fog plus lighting stacks performance cost.

Foliage Density

• Set to Low or Medium.
• Open-world areas with lots of vegetation are where FPS often collapses.

HLOD/LOD Loading Range

• Set to Medium first.
• Going “Far” can cost CPU and GPU in large vistas.

Shadow Quality / Directional Shadows

• Set to Medium if you need frames.
• Shadows are expensive in dynamic scenes and often don’t change gameplay clarity much.

If you only want one “quick preset”: Medium for volumetrics/shadows/foliage/LOD with an upscaler on Quality is the best “looks good, runs good” starting point.

Texture Quality, VRAM, and Texture Streaming Speed

Textures don’t usually hit raw FPS first—they hit smoothness first.

Texture Quality

• If you have 8GB VRAM, Medium textures are often safer for consistency.
• If you have 10–12GB VRAM, High textures can be stable.
• If you have 16GB+ VRAM, Very High is more realistic.

Texture Streaming Speed

This setting affects how aggressively the game loads textures as you move.

• If you see texture pop-in or stutter when turning quickly, increase streaming speed (if VRAM allows).
• If you’re VRAM-limited and stuttering, lowering textures can help more than lowering everything else.

Rule of thumb:

• If your FPS is okay but the game feels “hitchy,” treat it like a VRAM/streaming problem first.

Geometry Quality and HLOD: The “Open-World Tax”

Borderlands 4’s biggest performance dips often show up in:

• large outdoor areas
• high-visibility vistas
• busy settlements
• combat moments with lots of enemies + effects

That’s why geometry and LOD settings matter so much.

Geometry Quality

• Medium is a great balance.
• Low can noticeably reduce world detail.
• High/Very High is for stronger GPUs and CPUs.

HLOD Loading Range

• Near/Medium reduces distant complexity and stabilizes frame times.
• Far can look better, but costs performance in the worst scenes.

If you’re CPU-limited, lowering HLOD range is one of the best “smoothness” moves you can make.

Foliage Density: The Sneaky CPU + GPU Drain

Foliage costs you twice:

• GPU cost (drawing lots of geometry)
• CPU cost (managing scene complexity)

If your FPS dips in outdoor fights, do this:

• drop foliage one step
• test again
• repeat until frame time spikes calm down

You’ll often gain stability without feeling like the game “looks worse,” because Borderlands’ art style stays strong even with reduced foliage.

Volumetric Fog and Clouds: The First Place to Trade Quality for FPS

These two settings are the most common “why is my FPS dying?” cause in modern games.

A clean tuning approach:

• Start both on Medium
• If you need more FPS, drop fog to Low first
• Then drop clouds to Low
• If you’re still struggling, consider turning one of them very low/off (if the game allows)

This is a high-value trade because:

• You preserve textures and geometry (the parts you actually stare at)
• You reduce heavy atmospheric rendering cost

Shadows, Lighting, Reflections: Where to Get “Free” Frames

Once volumetrics and foliage are controlled, go after these:

Shadow Quality

• Medium is usually the sweet spot.
• Low boosts FPS and stability, especially in busy areas.

Directional Shadow Quality

• If you have a separate setting, lowering it can reduce spikes outdoors.

Lighting Quality

• Medium is a safe performance target.
• If you’re struggling, lowering lighting can help, but test carefully—some lighting changes affect readability.

Reflections Quality

• Low/Medium is often enough.
• High reflections can cost more than the visual gain is worth during combat.

Shading Quality

• Medium is usually fine.
• Dropping it can help on weaker GPUs.

The goal is always the same: maintain clarity during gunfights while cutting the “pretty but expensive” extras.

Anti-Aliasing: Why “Off + Upscaling” Often Works Best

Borderlands 4 lets you use upscaling and anti-aliasing together, but you don’t always need both.

If you’re using DLSS/FSR/XeSS/TSR:

• Try setting Anti-Aliasing to Disabled/Off (if available)
• Let the upscaler handle smoothing edges

Why this can feel better:

• You reduce processing overhead
• You avoid “double smoothing” that can look overly soft
• You keep the image sharper during motion

If the game looks too jagged, then re-enable AA at a modest level. Always test by spinning the camera and aiming at moving enemies.

Post-Processing and Motion Blur: Make the Game Feel Faster

These settings don’t just change visuals—they change how readable the game feels.

Motion Blur

• For competitive-feeling smoothness: set Motion Blur Off or very low.
• Motion blur can hide stutter, but it also hides enemies.

Post-Processing Quality

• Medium is a safe spot.
• Low can boost performance and reduce visual noise.
• Very High can add “cinematic” effects that look great in screenshots but clutter fights.

If your goal is smooth gunfights, prioritize clarity over cinematic effects.

Input Latency: The “Feels Smooth” Settings (Reflex, Low Latency, VSync)

Smooth FPS isn’t enough if input feels delayed.

NVIDIA Reflex

• Turn it On if you have it.
• Reflex is designed to reduce system latency in GPU-bound scenarios.

VSync

• Turning VSync On can increase input lag.
• If you have VRR, avoid VSync and use a smart FPS cap.

Frame Generation

• Can add a “floaty” feel if base FPS is low.
• Raise base FPS (lower settings or resolution) to make it feel better.

A simple feel-first setup:

• Reflex On
• VSync Off
• VRR On (if supported)
• FPS cap slightly below your refresh rate

Recommended Settings Preset: Smooth 60 FPS (Most PCs)

Use this as your baseline “looks good, runs smooth” setup:

• Display Mode: Fullscreen
• VSync: Off
• FPS Cap: 60 (or 58–59 with VRR)
• Upscaling: DLSS/FSR/XeSS/TSR on Quality
• Anti-Aliasing: Off/Disabled (if using upscaling)
• HLOD Loading Range: Medium
• Geometry Quality: Medium
• Texture Quality: Medium (High if you have plenty of VRAM)
• Texture Streaming Speed: Medium/High (based on VRAM)
• Anisotropic Filtering: 4x
• Foliage Density: Low/Medium
• Volumetric Fog: Low/Medium
• Volumetric Clouds: Low/Medium
• Shadows: Medium (Low if needed)
• Reflections: Low/Medium
• Post-Processing: Medium
• Motion Blur: Off/Low

Then test in a busy outdoor area and a heavy fight. If it stays stable, you’re done.

Recommended Settings Preset: 90–120 FPS (High Refresh Monitors)

This is the “fast and clean” profile.

• Upscaling: Quality → Balanced (if needed)
• Frame Generation: On (only after base FPS is stable)
• HLOD Loading Range: Medium
• Foliage: Low
• Volumetric Fog: Low
• Volumetric Clouds: Low
• Shadows: Low/Medium
• Reflections: Low
• Post-Processing: Low/Medium
• Motion Blur: Off
• FPS Cap: 117–119 (for 120Hz) / 141–142 (for 144Hz)

If your FPS still bounces hard, you’re likely CPU-limited—reduce HLOD and foliage further before lowering textures.

Recommended Settings Preset: “I Want It Pretty” (But Still Smooth)

If you prefer visuals but don’t want stutter:

• Upscaling: Quality
• Frame Generation: Optional (use if base FPS is already strong)
• Textures: High (only if VRAM supports it)
• Texture Streaming Speed: High
• Geometry: High
• HLOD: Medium/Far (test—this can be expensive)
• Shadows: High (drop if dips happen)
• Volumetric Fog/Clouds: Medium (avoid Very High if you care about FPS)
• Foliage: Medium
• Reflections: Medium

This is the profile for players who value atmosphere but still want the gunplay to feel clean.

Troubleshooting: Sudden FPS Drops, Hitching, and “It Gets Worse Over Time”

If Borderlands 4 runs fine… then gets worse after an hour, treat it like a stability/streaming issue.

Try these in order:

• Restart the game (yes, really).
• Lower Texture Quality one step.
• Lower Texture Streaming Speed one step (if VRAM is overflowing).
• Lower Volumetric Fog.
• Play 10–15 minutes after changes before judging (shader rebuilding can cause temporary stutter).
• Clear shader caches only if a patch obviously broke performance (not as a daily habit).
• Reduce overlays and background apps.
• Verify the game files if crashes started after an update.

If crashes are happening:

• Avoid extreme overclocks.
• Check GPU temps (thermal throttling can look like stutter).
• Make sure you have enough free disk space on the SSD (low space can worsen streaming behavior).

Windows Settings That Help Without Becoming “Tweak Hell”

Keep it simple. These are the Windows changes most likely to help without breaking anything.

• Game Mode: On
• Power Mode: Balanced or High Performance (especially on desktops)
• Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling: test it
• On some systems it helps; on others it doesn’t. If stutter gets worse, turn it off.
• Disable background recording if you don’t use it
• Game Bar capture and background recording can add overhead.
• Keep your SSD healthy
• If your SSD is nearly full, performance can degrade. Leave breathing room.

NVIDIA Tips (App / Control Panel)

If you’re on NVIDIA, focus on stability and latency:

• Use the latest Game Ready Driver.
• Enable Reflex in-game (if available).
• Use a reasonable shader cache size (bigger can help reduce repeated compilation).
• Avoid forcing aggressive “max performance” overrides unless you know why—stable clocks matter more than peaky clocks.
• If you’re using DLSS: start with Quality, then Balanced.

Most importantly: don’t stack too many “optimizations” at once. Make one change, test, then move on.

AMD Adrenalin Tips

For AMD users, the main wins are:

• Use FSR in-game and start at Quality.
• If you turn on frame generation, make sure base FPS is already stable.
• Keep driver updates current—modern games can change behavior dramatically with driver improvements.
• If you feel micro-stutter, check that your system isn’t VRAM-limited and lower textures first.

If your PC is strong but performance still feels inconsistent, your biggest win is usually: reduce volumetrics + lower foliage + tune HLOD.

Laptop-Specific Tips (Where Most “Bad FPS” Stories Come From)

Laptops can run Borderlands 4 well, but only when they’re allowed to.

• Plug in power. Battery modes can crush performance.
• Set your laptop to a performance power plan.
• Make sure the game is using the dedicated GPU (not the iGPU).
• Watch thermals. If the laptop overheats, it will throttle and stutter.
• Use upscaling. Native resolution on laptop screens can be brutal.
• Lower volumetrics and shadows first—these create heat and GPU load fast.

If your laptop is borderline, prioritize stability:

• 60 FPS stable feels better than 90 FPS bouncing with spikes.

Console Tips: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S Best Settings

Consoles are simpler than PC, but you still have choices that matter.

Performance Mode vs Quality Mode

• Performance Mode targets smoother gameplay (commonly 60 FPS).
• Quality Mode favors resolution/visuals (commonly 30 FPS).

If you care about gunfeel and co-op chaos:

• Choose Performance Mode almost every time.

If you care about screenshots and slow exploration:

• Quality mode can be fine—but it will feel less responsive in fights.

VRR on Console: The “Free Smoothness” Toggle

If your TV/monitor supports VRR:

• Turn VRR on in console settings.
• VRR can smooth out small dips below target FPS so they feel less harsh.

VRR isn’t magic—it won’t fix big stutters—but it helps with the common “58–60 FPS bounce” feel.

FOV Slider on Console: How to Use It Without Losing FPS

A wider FOV looks great and helps awareness, but it can cost performance because the game has to render more on-screen.

Best approach:

• Increase FOV slowly.
• Test in a busy area and a heavy fight.
• If performance dips annoy you, reduce FOV a little.

If you’re sensitive to frame drops, keep FOV closer to default and prioritize smoothness over maximum visibility.

Motion Blur and Camera Settings on Console

If the game offers these options on console:

• Lower or disable motion blur for clarity.
• If you have a “performance” camera smoothing option, keep it minimal.

Borderlands combat is about fast target acquisition. Clarity makes fights easier and can make lower FPS feel more playable.

Split-Screen Console Tips (Smooth Co-Op at Home)

Split-screen increases the rendering workload. If you want the cleanest experience:

• Use Performance Mode.
• Keep FOV moderate.
• Reduce motion blur if available.
• Expect dips in the busiest fights—split-screen is simply heavier.

For the best session flow:

• Do quick inventory breaks together so one player isn’t stuck in menus while the other is fighting.

BoostRoom: More Time Playing, Less Time Stuck

Performance tuning is worth it—but it can also eat your gaming time. If your goal is to spend your sessions actually playing (leveling, gearing, farming, and building a strong setup) instead of constantly troubleshooting, BoostRoom can help you stay on track.

BoostRoom is ideal when you want:

• Faster catch-up so you can stay co-op ready with friends
• Less time stuck in slow progression bottlenecks
• More time in the fun loop: builds, boss fights, weekly content, and endgame

Smooth FPS helps you enjoy Borderlands 4. BoostRoom helps you enjoy more of Borderlands 4.

FAQ

What’s the single best setting for more FPS in Borderlands 4?

Volumetric Fog (and then Volumetric Clouds). These often give the biggest FPS gain per visual cost.

Should I use DLSS or FSR?

Use DLSS on NVIDIA RTX GPUs if it looks good to you. Use FSR if you’re on AMD or if it looks cleaner on your setup. Start with Quality and only drop to Balanced if needed.

Does frame generation reduce input lag?

Frame generation usually improves smoothness, but it can feel more delayed if your base FPS is too low. Get stable base FPS first, then enable frame generation.

Should I cap FPS or leave it uncapped?

If your FPS bounces a lot, a cap usually feels smoother. Cap slightly below your monitor refresh rate for the best VRR behavior.

Why does the game stutter after a patch?

Shader caches and streaming behavior can change after updates. Let the game warm up, avoid constant setting changes, and consider clearing stale shader caches only if performance stays bad.

What if my FPS won’t improve even on low settings?

You may be CPU-limited. Lower HLOD/LOD range and foliage density, close background apps, and make sure the game is on an SSD.

What’s the best console mode for Borderlands 4?

Performance mode is best for gunplay, co-op chaos, and responsive aiming. Quality mode is better for visuals if you’re okay with lower frame rate.

Does increasing FOV hurt performance on console?

It can. Wider FOV means more objects on-screen, which can reduce FPS. Increase gradually and test.