4 graphics settings I stopped maxing out, even with an RTX 4090

Maxing out graphics settings on an RTX 4090 was once a breeze, as most games defaulted to Ultra. However, four years later, with the release of the RTX 5090 and more demanding AAA titles, I've had to make compromises to achieve higher frame rates. Path tracing, while visually stunning, is too taxing on my GPU, so I only enable it briefly to assess its impact on the game's appearance.

Cyberpunk 2077's RT Overdrive and Black Myth: Wukong's Full Ray Tracing are examples of when I turn it off to maintain high frame rates. Ray-traced reflections and shadows can enhance visuals, but their performance cost is often not worth the slight improvement in image quality. I opt for Medium settings and use DLSS upscaling when necessary.

Shadows, while important, are one of the most GPU-intensive settings. I choose High quality for a good balance between performance and visual quality, as the difference between High and Ultra is subtle. Volumetric effects, like sunlight through fog and clouds, add atmosphere to games but can be dialed down to High without noticeable loss of quality.

Dense vegetation, while immersive, can be a performance drain, so I sacrifice some grass and bushes for a few extra frames. Ultimately, sacrificing a few visual details is a small trade-off for maintaining higher frame rates and preserving my budget for future upgrades.