The star citizen settings affect performance most are the graphics options that demand more from your system, especially upscaling and volumetric clouds where those options are available. Test these first as candidates, not as a guaranteed fix: the FPS change depends on your hardware and the scene you’re in. Related reading: Best Star Citizen Settings for Better FPS: A Balanced Baseline.
Treat this as a comparison, not a universal preset. For example, a cloud setting or upscaling mode that looks like a worthwhile trade on one setup may not suit another; compare both the frame rate and the image you want to keep. The goal is to see which individual changes matter on your PC, rather than assume one combination works for every player.
The sections below focus on the options with the strongest potential impact, the visual trade-offs to watch for, and a consistent way to compare them. Once you’ve tested them, use the balanced-settings guide for a baseline or the FPS workflow if performance remains low.
Which graphics options can make the biggest difference?
Upscaling can improve performance at the cost of image clarity, while volumetric clouds are another setting to consider when comparing graphics options. [1] Upscaling modes such as DLSS or FSR offer different trade-offs: Quality mode is described as clearer, while Performance mode may look softer. [1] Treat those as possible effects, not a promise of a particular FPS gain on your system.
Volumetric clouds change the look of cloud-filled scenes, and turning them down or off is suggested as a way to reduce their graphics load when those options are available. [1] The available cloud options can vary by game version, so check what your current settings menu offers before comparing them.
Other options named as potentially demanding include high resolution without upscaling, high shadows in busy areas, heavy reflections, and extreme object or terrain detail in cities. [1] These settings affect different parts of the image: resolution affects overall image detail, shadows shape lighting, reflections add reflective surfaces, and object or terrain detail affects the scene’s visible elements. Try a small change—such as lowering reflections or choosing a less aggressive upscaling mode—and judge whether the visual trade-off is worth it for your play.
How can you compare settings fairly?
Pick a repeatable test scene and keep your location, camera view, and gameplay conditions the same for each run. For example, compare settings while standing in the same spot and looking toward the same part of a busy landing area; changing the view can change what the game has to render.
Change one option at a time, then compare both FPS and image quality. If you adjust two options together, you will not know which change affected performance or clarity. Note whether the image looks softer, loses detail, or remains acceptable to you alongside the FPS reading.
Repeat each test in a comparable scene before deciding whether to keep the change. A single pass can be misleading if the scene or gameplay shifts, so run the same comparison again under similar conditions. Keep a simple note of the option, the visual difference, and the FPS result so you can review the trade-off later.
Use the same approach for each option you want to evaluate, rather than changing several settings between runs. Once you have compared them, keep the changes that suit your own performance and image-quality preferences.
Why can the results vary?
The same graphics setting can affect two systems differently, and its impact can also shift as you move through the game. A change that seems helpful in one situation is not a guaranteed fix for every session.
Your system changes the outcome
Lowering graphics settings does not always improve performance: it can shift more work to the CPU, depending on the setting and system. [2] So if a graphics change barely helps—or seems to make things worse—don’t assume you missed a magic toggle. Treat the result as specific to your setup, rather than a promise for another player’s PC.
For example, a setting change that helps in a busy landing zone may have a different effect when you’re flying elsewhere. Performance guides identify demanding options such as clouds, shadows, reflections, and detailed objects, but that doesn’t mean changing one will help equally in every situation. [1]
One scene isn’t the whole session
A single test can’t tell you how a setting will feel across every activity. You might notice a change while crossing a city, then see a different result in a quieter area; use your own play sessions to judge whether the trade-off holds up.
Keep expectations practical: no individual option guarantees a performance boost. Look for a change that makes a useful difference on your system without making the image harder to enjoy, and be ready to undo it if the benefit doesn’t carry into your usual gameplay.
What should you do after testing?
The best next step is to test the options that matter most on your own system, then keep the mix that gives you the visual quality and performance you want. A change that looks worthwhile in one situation may feel less useful in another, so judge it by how the game plays for you.
After your comparisons, use the pillar article for a balanced settings baseline rather than trying to build a full preset from scratch. If performance is still low, follow the FPS workflow for broader troubleshooting; that gives you a clear next step beyond changing graphics options. To go further, see How to Increase FPS in Star Citizen: A Troubleshooting Workflow.