1. Check System Requirements
Before jumping into any other workarounds or settings adjustments, you should ensure that your PC specification is compatible enough or not. We’ve mentioned the system requirements below that you can check out.
Minimum:
- OS: Windows 7 SP1/8/10 (64bit)
- Processor: Dual-Core 2.2 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 10.1 level video card: AMD Radeon 77XX / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660. The minimum supported resolution for the game is 720p.
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 17 GB of available space
Recommended:
- OS: Windows 10/11 (64bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 3600 or better
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 11 level video card or higher and drivers: Nvidia GeForce 1060 and higher, Radeon RX 570 and higher
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 95 GB of available space
2. Get a Minimum of 60 FPS with Optimal Graphics Settings
If you’re using an outdated or low-end PC configuration then tweaking the graphics settings in the War Thunder game might help you to achieve increased FPS count.
Please Note: If your PC configuration and graphics card is powerful enough then you can change the following graphics settings according to your preference. You can also try switching each graphics option to different levels and check if the gaming visuals and FPS counts are good enough or not. While the low-end or entry-level PC users should follow the same tweaks to get a maximum number of frames per second, though visuals will be decreased.
- VSync – Off
- Window Mode – Fullscreen
- Resolution – 1920 x 1080 or Native
- Graphics Preset – Custom
- Anisotropy – Off or 4X
- SSAA – None
- Anti-Aliasing – None
- Texture Quality – Low
- Shadow Quality – Minimum
- Render Resolution – 50 to 60
- Small Shadows – None
- Terrain Quality – None
- Terrain Deformation – High
- Tree Range – None
- Tire Tracks – None
- Particle Density – None
- Water Quality – Low
- Grass – None
- Cloud Quality (in flight) – Medium
- Clouds (on ground) – Medium
- SSAO Quality – None
- Reflections Quality – None
- Displacement – None
- Render – Auto
- Nvidia Highlights – Off
- VR Mode – Off
- Shadows – On
- Object Shadows – On
- Shadows on effects – Off
- Advanced shore – Off
- Haze – Off
- Soft Particles – Off
- Terrain Far Details – Off
- Lens Flares – On
- Suspension Animation – On
- Detailed Foliage – Off
- JPEG Screenshots – According to your preference
- High Dynamic Range (HDR) – Off
3. Adjustments for Nvidia Control Panel
You can head over to the Nvidia Control Panel application and try performing the following adjustments to ensure your game will run slightly better without screen tearing.
- V-Sync (Vertical Sync) – OFF
- Tripple buffering – ON
- Maximum pre-rendered frames – 1
4. Update Graphics Drivers
You should try checking for the graphics driver update on your Windows PC and installing the latest version to ensure no update is pending at your end. An outdated or missing graphics driver can trigger issues with properly functioning graphics-intensive programs. To do that:
- Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list to open the interface.
- Now, you’ll need to double-click on Display adapters to expand it.
- Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name you’re using to bring the context menu.
- Next, click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
- The system will automatically check for the available update.
- If an update is available, it’ll automatically download and install the latest version.
- Once done, make sure to restart your PC to apply the changes.
If you can’t find any pending updates then just head over to the official website of the Nvidia website below and search manually for the latest update. If a new version is available for the graphics card, just download the driver and install it on your PC. You can jump to the link below to do so:
5. Switch to Dedicated GPU
Sometimes the game may run with the integrated HD graphics on the PC that comes with the processors to handle minimal graphics tasks. But if you’re using an external Nvidia graphics card then make sure to switch the War Thunder game to the dedicated GPU by following the steps below.
- Right-click on the desktop screen to open the context menu.
- Now, click on Nvidia Control Panel to open it.
- Head over to 3D Settings > Select Manage 3D Settings.
- Open the Program Settings tab > Choose War Thunder from the drop-down menu.
- Next, select the preferred graphics processor for this program from another drop-down menu.
- Finally, your Nvidia GPU should show as High-Performance Nvidia Processor.
- Save the changes and reboot the PC.
6. Verify and Repair Game Files
The chances are high that somehow your game files are missing or corrupted on the PC which eventually conflicts with the game running properly. You may not receive errors or warning messages that’s why you won’t understand what’s going on. It’s better to perform repairing game files on the PC. To do so:
- Launch the Steam client > Click on Library.
- Right-click on War Thunder from the list of installed games.
- Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
- Once done, just restart your computer.
7. Try Disabling Overlay Apps
Sometimes a couple of applications may come with an additional overlay app that basically helps the streamers or gamers a lot. However, these overlay apps can eventually conflict with the game files to run smoothly and may cause several issues like FPS drops, black screen issues, lags, glitches, etc. You should try disabling the overlay apps manually before launching the game again to cross-check if the game is running with higher FPS or not. To do so:
Disable Discord Overlay:
- Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
- Select Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
- Click on the Games tab > Select War Thunder.
- Finally, Turn Off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
- Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.
Disable Xbox Game Bar:
- Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.
Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:
- Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
- Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
- Finally, restart the PC to apply changes, and launch the game again.
Disable Steam Overlay:
- Open the Steam client on the PC > Click on Library.
- Right-click on War Thunder from the left pane > Select Properties.
- Now, click on General > Turn OFF the ‘Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game’ option.
There are some other overlay apps that can cause trouble for you something as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, etc. You should turn them off as well.
8. Update War Thunder
Mostly an outdated game patch version may trigger multiple potential issues with the game running as well as smoother gameplay. You should install the latest update to make the game compatible with fewer bugs whatsoever. To do that:
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
- Click on War Thunder from the list of installed games on the left pane.
- Now, the client will automatically search for the available update.
- If there is an update available, you’ll see the Update option.
- Just click on it and wait for a couple of minutes until the game update completes. [Depends on the storage space and internet connectivity]
- Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes
Bonus: If you don’t want to mess with the in-game graphics settings, you can open the Nvidia GeForce Experience app. Then click on Optimize to get the optimized War Thunder Settings immediately without manually adjusting graphics options.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.
