What are the most impactful graphics settings in GTA V for performance?

GTA V's Extended Distance Scaling and Extended Shadow Distance sliders are the two settings with the highest performance impact in the open world. Setting both to minimum from maximum can recover 25–35 FPS on mid-range hardware with minimal visual change at street level. Grass Quality and Soft Shadows are the next most expensive. The game has an Advanced Graphics section with MSAA, Reflection MSAA, and High-Resolution Shadows — all three should be disabled on hardware near the minimum spec. Importantly, GTA V's benchmark mode (accessible from the graphics settings screen) provides accurate in-game performance data across different presets.

Is GTA V still worth optimizing in 2025, and does it support modern upscaling?

GTA V remains one of the most-played PC games globally despite launching in 2015, largely due to GTA Online's active player base and an enormous modding community. The base game does not support DLSS, FSR, or XeSS natively — it predates these technologies. However, community mods such as QuantV, NaturalVision Evolved, and others add DLSS/FSR support alongside visual overhauls. The Enhanced Edition (PS5/Xbox Series X) features introduced in 2022 are not present in the PC version. For pure performance, GTA V responds well to driver-level upscaling via NVIDIA Image Scaling (NIS) in the GeForce control panel even without native game support.

Can I Run Grand Theft Auto V on RTX 3050?

Grand Theft Auto V FPS Benchmark and Performance Analysis

GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3050Game: Grand Theft Auto VUpdated: Mar 30, 2026

For most players, NVIDIA RTX 3050 is a solid match for Grand Theft Auto V. Expect roughly 89 FPS at 1080p high — smooth for most players. Grand Theft Auto V can behave very differently depending on settings and GPU headroom. This estimate shows where NVIDIA RTX 3050 lands and how to tune it for smoother gameplay.

Grand Theft Auto V FPS Benchmarks on RTX 3050

Resolution	Settings Preset	Avg FPS	1% Low FPS	Verdict
1080p	Competitive (Low)	111 FPS	74 FPS	Very Good
1080p	High	89 FPS	59 FPS	Good
1440p	High	66 FPS	42 FPS	Playable
1440p	Ultra	50 FPS	32 FPS	Playable
4K	High	38 FPS	23 FPS	Low

Benchmarks are estimated by our performance engine. Actual results may vary.

Not your CPU?Run this benchmark with your own CPU pre-loaded and see your exact frame rate.

Try with my CPU →

Best Settings for Grand Theft Auto V on RTX 3050

89+FPS1080p Competitive

Display Mode: Fullscreen
Resolution: 1920×1080
V-Sync: Disabled
Texture Quality: High
Shadow Quality: Medium
Anti-Aliasing: FXAA
Effects Quality: Medium
Post-Processing: Medium
Ambient Occlusion: Disabled

Performance Analysis

At 1080p high, our model places NVIDIA RTX 3050 near 89 FPS in Grand Theft Auto V. At 1440p, that typically translates to around 66 FPS with similar quality targets. This places the card in the entry tier for this title, with a smooth experience profile. NVIDIA RTX 3050 provides smooth gameplay in Grand Theft Auto V, with enough headroom for visual tweaks.

Grand Theft Auto V continues to endure as a legendary sandbox experience, offering a hugely populated map full of complex driving physics and civilian AI. To meet the minimum system demands, your PC should have a NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB / AMD HD 4870 1GB. For optimal performance and smooth rendering, it’s recommended to play with a NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB / AMD HD 7870 2GB.

NVIDIA RTX 3050 supports DLSS 3 Super Resolution. Enabling DLSS Quality mode in Grand Theft Auto V can recover 20–35% frame rate with minimal visual difference, which is especially useful if you're targeting 60+ FPS at 1440p.

Use a medium/high mix and prioritize stable frame times over peak FPS spikes.
Use selective ray tracing (shadows/reflections) and avoid ultra RT presets.
Disable heavy post-processing options first for easy gains

NVIDIA RTX 3050 lands in a smooth position for Grand Theft Auto V. Dialing in the right preset makes a noticeable difference at this performance level.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most impactful graphics settings in GTA V for performance?: GTA V's Extended Distance Scaling and Extended Shadow Distance sliders are the two settings with the highest performance impact in the open world. Setting both to minimum from maximum can recover 25–35 FPS on mid-range hardware with minimal visual change at street level. Grass Quality and Soft Shadows are the next most expensive. The game has an Advanced Graphics section with MSAA, Reflection MSAA, and High-Resolution Shadows — all three should be disabled on hardware near the minimum spec. Importantly, GTA V's benchmark mode (accessible from the graphics settings screen) provides accurate in-game performance data across different presets.
Is GTA V still worth optimizing in 2025, and does it support modern upscaling?: GTA V remains one of the most-played PC games globally despite launching in 2015, largely due to GTA Online's active player base and an enormous modding community. The base game does not support DLSS, FSR, or XeSS natively — it predates these technologies. However, community mods such as QuantV, NaturalVision Evolved, and others add DLSS/FSR support alongside visual overhauls. The Enhanced Edition (PS5/Xbox Series X) features introduced in 2022 are not present in the PC version. For pure performance, GTA V responds well to driver-level upscaling via NVIDIA Image Scaling (NIS) in the GeForce control panel even without native game support.