STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl graphics settings
Optimal STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl graphics settings according to the FPSHQ model: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 holds 60 FPS at 1080p on the Medium preset (≈69 FPS); entry-level cards like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB should use Low at 720p (60–95 FPS). For 144 FPS at 1080p you need NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080-class performance on the Low preset (≈144 FPS). Source of the numbers: FPSHQ model estimate (not a measurement); data as of Oct 14, 2026. (model accuracy)
Which preset to choose in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl: 60, 120 and 144 FPS
For each GPU class — the best combination of resolution and preset at which average FPS is not below the target. Entry and mid classes start from 1080p, high-end from 1440p, enthusiast from 4K.
| GPU class | 60 FPS | 120 FPS | 144 FPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level GeForce GTX 1060 6GB |
720p · Low 60–95 | — | — |
| Mid-range GeForce RTX 3060 |
1080p · Medium ≈69 | 720p · Low ≈122 | — |
| High-end GeForce RTX 3080 |
1440p · High ≈70 | 1080p · Low ≈144 | 1080p · Low ≈144 |
| Enthusiast GeForce RTX 5080 |
4K · Ultra ≈63 | 1440p · High ≈134 | 1440p · Medium ≈157 |
Calculated without a CPU bottleneck (like test benches). ● — value from a real measurement. "—" — target not reachable for the class even on low.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl FPS by preset (1080p)
| Graphics card · 1080p | Low | Medium | High | Ultra | Ultra + RT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | 41–65 | 32–52 | 27–43 | 23–38 | 13–22 |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | 85 | 69 | 58 | 49 | 28 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 | 144 | 118 | 99 | 84 | 49 |
| GeForce RTX 5080 | 226 | 208 | 191 | 161 | 101 |
DLSS, FSR and XeSS in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl: DLSS, FSR, XeSS
The game supports: DLSS, FSR, XeSS. The calculation uses FPSHQ model general upscaling factors (Quality ×1.35, Balanced ×1.55, Performance ×1.85) — not a measurement in this game. Resolution 1440p, High preset. The multipliers apply to the graphics card limit: the final FPS is capped by the CPU (the reference test-bench CPU) and the game's frame cap.
| Graphics card | No upscaling | Quality | Balanced | Performance | Available on the card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | 12–19 | 17–26 | 19–30 | 23–35 | FSR, XeSS |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | 41 | 55 | 63 | 76 | DLSS, FSR, XeSS |
| GeForce RTX 3080 | 70 | 94 | 108 | 127 | DLSS, FSR, XeSS |
| GeForce RTX 5080 | 134 | 173 | 190 | 210 | DLSS, FSR, XeSS |
DLSS works only on NVIDIA RTX cards; FSR and XeSS work on cards from any vendor. Frame generation is not included.
How do I increase FPS in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl?
model estimate Per the FPSHQ model, a GeForce RTX 3060 at 1080p delivers 49 FPS in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl on Ultra, 58 on High, 69 on Medium and 85 on Low: dropping from Ultra to Medium gives +41% frames, to Low +73%. The fastest way to raise FPS is to lower the 3–4 heaviest settings from the list below, then enable upscaling, and only then reduce the render resolution. Source of the numbers: FPSHQ model estimate (not a measurement). (model accuracy)
- GeForce RTX 3060 · 1080p Ultra
- 49 FPS
- GeForce RTX 3060 · 1080p Medium
- 69 FPS
- FPS gain: Ultra → Medium · GeForce RTX 3060
- +41%
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl runs on Unreal Engine 5 and is a demanding title (load index 78 of 100). Unreal Engine 5 shapes which graphics settings hit FPS hardest — we break them down below.
As a competitive shooter, stable high FPS matters more than visuals here. Turn off motion blur, lower shadows and effects — low input lag and smoothness give a real edge in firefights.
The developers of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl recommend a GPU around Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti / Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT. If yours is weaker, follow the tips above; if stronger, you can raise settings and resolution without losing smoothness.
How much FPS does DLSS give in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl?
Per the FPSHQ model, a GeForce RTX 3060 at 1440p High delivers 41 FPS in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl without upscaling, 55 FPS with DLSS Quality (+34%) and 76 FPS in Performance mode (+85%). Upscaling factors are generic model coefficients, not a measurement in this game; frame generation is not included. The game supports: DLSS, FSR, XeSS.
Officially confirmed by the vendors: DLSS Multi Frame Generation, FSR Upscaling (FSR 4), AMD FSR 3, XeSS. DLSS, FSR and XeSS in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl — details
What to do outside the game
- Update your GPU drivers to the latest version.
- Close background apps (browser, Discord overlay).
- Turn on Windows Game Mode and the High performance power plan; keep a laptop plugged in — on battery the GPU runs at a reduced power limit.
- If FPS fluctuates, cap it slightly below your monitor's refresh rate (in-game or in the driver panel) — frame pacing gets smoother and the GPU stops running flat out.
- If nothing helps — lower the render resolution.
Steps are general practice; the numbers above come from the FPSHQ model (GeForce RTX 3060), not a measurement on your PC.
What to lower first in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has ray tracing — start with it if FPS is short, then go down the list from the top.
- Ray tracing (RT) big FPS impact
RT reflections, shadows and global illumination load the GPU more than any raster setting. If FPS is short, turn RT off or keep just one RT effect. - Volumetric effects (fog, clouds, light) big FPS impact
Volumetric fog and clouds are computed every frame; dropping them from max to medium usually gives a solid gain with little visual difference. - Shadow quality and distance big FPS impact
Shadow map resolution and draw distance are among the most expensive raster settings, especially in open worlds. Medium is a sensible compromise. - Reflections (SSR) noticeable impact
High-quality screen-space reflections noticeably load the GPU; on medium the difference shows mostly on water and glossy surfaces. - Ambient occlusion noticeable impact
Adds depth to the scene. Heavy variants (HBAO+, RTAO) can be swapped for simpler SSAO. - Draw distance and level of detail noticeable impact
Affects both the GPU and the CPU (more objects per frame). If you are CPU-bound, start here and with crowd/foliage density. - Anti-aliasing noticeable impact
MSAA and supersampling are very heavy; TAA or the upscaler's anti-aliasing (DLAA/FSR Native AA) give a comparable image for less. - Texture quality depends on VRAM
Barely affects FPS as long as VRAM is sufficient; when VRAM runs out you get stutters and texture pop-in. GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB of VRAM — you can max out textures, it costs almost no FPS. - Post-processing (motion blur, depth of field, film grain) almost no impact
Cheap in FPS and mostly a matter of taste; motion blur is often turned off for clarity. - Anisotropic filtering almost no impact
Almost free on modern GPUs — keep it at 8x–16x.
These are general rules for most games: the exact impact of each setting depends on the engine and the scene. FPS numbers on this page are FPSHQ unified model estimates for whole presets.
FPS measurements and aggregated data in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Our database has 0 independent measurements for this game (0 of them from users; approved submissions: 0) and 186 rows of aggregated review data, labelled separately. A sample is shown below.
| Graphics card | Resolution | Preset | Average FPS | 1% low | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 5090 | 1080p | Ultra | 217 | 169 | aggregated review data |
| GeForce RTX 4080 Super | 1080p | Ultra | 146 | 114 | aggregated review data |
| Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 1080p | Ultra | 142 | 111 | aggregated review data |
| Radeon RX 7900 XT | 1080p | Ultra | 117 | 91 | aggregated review data |
| Radeon RX 9070 | 1080p | Ultra | 108 | 84 | aggregated review data |
| GeForce RTX 5070 | 1080p | Ultra | 105 | 82 | aggregated review data |
| Radeon RX 7900 GRE | 1080p | Ultra | 97 | 76 | aggregated review data |
| Radeon RX 7800 XT | 1080p | Ultra | 90 | 70 | aggregated review data |
| Radeon RX 6800 XT | 1080p | Ultra | 75 | 58 | aggregated review data |
| GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | 1080p | Ultra | 70 | 55 | aggregated review data |
| GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 1080p | Ultra | 60 | 47 | aggregated review data |
| Intel Arc B580 | 1080p | Ultra | 63 | 49 | aggregated review data |
| Intel Arc A770 | 1080p | Ultra | 54 | 42 | aggregated review data |
| Radeon RX 6600 | 1080p | Ultra | 42 | 33 | aggregated review data |
Which CPU you need for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
At high FPS the CPU becomes the limit. In the FPSHQ model the CPU ceiling depends on its Gaming Score and on the game's demand (STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl: 78/100).
| Target | Gaming Score | Popular CPU example |
|---|---|---|
| 60 FPS | ≥ 2,370 | Core i5-3470 |
| 120 FPS | ≥ 4,740 | Core i3-13100 |
| 144 FPS | ≥ 5,688 | Ryzen 7 8700F |
Gaming Score is the CPU gaming index in the FPSHQ catalog. The minimum is set so that the model's CPU ceiling does not drop below the target.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl system requirements
- Min. GPU
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB / Intel Arc A750
- Rec. GPU
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti / Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
- Min. RAM
- 16 GB
- Rec. RAM
- 32 GB
More on STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
What graphics settings should I use in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl on the GeForce RTX 3060?
On the GeForce RTX 3060 in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl the optimal choice is 1080p with the Medium preset — the FPSHQ model gives ≈69 FPS. For more frames lower shadows and volumetric effects or enable upscaling.