Since its early March release, Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced has been among the most played games on Steam. Last we checked, it ranked 12th with a peak concurrent player count of 128K, three spots higher than the original. Our optimization guide covers each of its graphics settings with performance and visual differences. This add-on guide focus on lower-end hardware, including the RTX 3060 and the Core i5-12600K.
Windows/System Settings to Optimize
- Enable Resizable BAR.
- Turn on Game Mode.
- Enable Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) and Windowed Optimizations.
- Use the Windows “High Performance” power profile and set your GPU power management mode to the same.
- Disable Memory Integrity. Windows Menu->VBS->Device Security.
- Ensure you use the proper XMP/EXPO memory profile (if available).
- Overclock your GPU if you’re narrowly missing the 60 FPS mark.
- Here’s a guide with more detailed instructions.
Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced PC System Specs
Min
- OS: Windows 10 (Latest SP)
- CPU: Intel Core i7-4770|AMD FX-9590
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630|AMD Radeon RX 6400
- Storage: 105GB SSD
Rec
- OS: Windows 11
- CPU: Intel Core i5-9600K|AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- Memory: 16GB Dual-Channel
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060|AMD Radeon RX 6600XT
- Storage: 105GB NVMe SSD.
Our Test Setup
| Motherboard | CPU | GPU | Memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSI PRO B760-VC WIFI IV ($150) | Intel Core i5-12600KF ($140) | NVIDIA RTX 3060 12 GB ($267) | 16 GB x2 D5 ($75) |
Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced: Low-end Benchmarks
Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced runs well on the GeForce RTX 3060. The game averages 75 FPS at 1440p using the “RT Maximum” quality with DLSS (quality) upscaling. The lows are consistent, with 1% percentile of 69.
Frame rates exceeding 100 FPS are achievable by reducing the ray tracing levels, including Ray Traced Global Illumination (Very High) and Ray Traced Reflections (High). The upscaling preset is set to “Balanced.” This produces stable 100 FPS+ gameplay with the averages approaching 110 FPS.
Gamers playing at 1080p should have no trouble hitting 100 FPS at the maximum quality settings with quality or balanced upscaling. Older CPUs might require lowering the “Extended Shadow Scaling” or “Extended Distance Scaling” values.
The frame pacing is mostly consistent with minor spikes around 180 or 360 degree turns. Older CPUs may produce messier graphs, and should be dealt with accordingly.
VRAM Usage & CPU Bottlenecks
Like the Legacy Edition, GTA 5 Enhanced limits the average frame rates to ~120 FPS using ray tracing, and ~170 FPS without it. This limitation (courtesy of the audio engine) is fixable on the original version, but not the enhanced edition, yet. As long as you’re running below 140 FPS, you should have an enjoyable experience with minimal stuttering or frame pacing issues.
GTA 5 Enhanced uses under 7 GB VRAM at 1440p “RT Maximum” quality settings, so users with 8 GB GPUs shouldn’t have any issues. 6 GB should suffice for 1080p “RT Maximum.”
Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced: Best Settings for Low-end PC
| Graphics Settings | RTX 3060 | RTX 3060 Ti | RTX 4060 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1440p | 1440p | 1440p | 1440p | 1440p | 1440p |
| FPS Target | 75 FPS | 100 FPS+ | 85 FPS | 110 FPS+ | 60 FPS | 100 FPS+ |
| Ray Tracing | On | On | On | On | On | On |
| Ray Traced Shadows | Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High |
| Ray Traced Reflections | Ultra | High | Ultra | Very High | Ultra | High |
| Ray Traced Global Illumination | Ultra | Very High | Ultra | Very High | Ultra | Very High |
| Ray Traced Ambient Occlusion | Ultra | High | Ultra | Ultra | Ultra | Ultra |
| Scene BVH Quality | Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High |
| Upscaling (DLSS/FSR) | DLSS Quality | DLSS Balanced | DLSS Quality | DLSS Balanced | DLSS Quality | DLSS Balanced |
