Best NVIDIA Control Panel Settings for Gaming in 2026
SHORT ANSWER
The NVIDIA settings that matter are: Power management mode set to Prefer maximum performance, Low Latency Mode Ultra only in games without Reflex, Max Frame Rate capped about three below your refresh, Texture filtering quality set to High performance, Shader Cache Size at 10 GB or Unlimited, Monitor Technology set to G-SYNC Compatible, Preferred refresh rate at Highest available, and Vertical sync off unless you run G-Sync.
At a glance
| Where | NVIDIA Control Panel > Manage 3D settings, or the NVIDIA app |
|---|---|
| Apply | Globally, then override per game where needed |
| Most useful setting | Power management mode: Prefer maximum performance |
| Most misconfigured | V-Sync and G-Sync combination |
| Reversible | Yes - Restore Defaults button in the panel |
Key takeaways
- Power management mode set to Prefer maximum performance is the most reliably useful setting in the panel.
- Low Latency Mode Ultra and in-game NVIDIA Reflex do the same job. Use Reflex where it exists and leave the driver setting off for that game.
- The correct G-Sync configuration is: G-Sync on, V-Sync on in the driver, V-Sync off in game, frame cap about three below refresh.
- Texture filtering quality set to High performance is one of the few remaining image-quality trades worth taking in competitive games.
- Several settings people still recommend - triple buffering, FXAA, DSR - do nothing useful for a modern competitive setup.
Quick setup
- 1
Open Manage 3D settings and work in Global Settings first
Set your baseline globally so new games inherit it, then add Program Settings overrides only where a specific title needs different behaviour.
- 2
Set Power management mode to Prefer maximum performance
The most reliably useful setting in the panel. It stops the GPU dropping clocks between frames, a common source of inconsistent frame times in CPU-bound games.
- 3
Set Low Latency Mode to Ultra globally
Then override it to Off per game for any title with in-game NVIDIA Reflex - they do the same job and Reflex does it with better information.
- 4
Take the texture filtering trade
Texture filtering Quality to High performance, with Anisotropic sample optimization and Trilinear optimization on. Set Shader Cache Size to 10 GB or Unlimited while you are here.
- 5
Configure G-Sync correctly
Enable G-Sync for full screen and windowed mode, set Monitor Technology to G-SYNC Compatible, set Vertical sync to On in the driver, turn V-Sync off in game, and cap frames about three below your refresh rate.
- 6
Set Max Frame Rate as a fallback limiter
About three below your refresh rate, for games with no reliable in-game limiter. Set Preferred refresh rate to Highest available at the same time.
Where these settings live now
NVIDIA has been consolidating its software: the NVIDIA app now hosts driver updates, per-game profiles and an increasing share of what used to live only in the classic NVIDIA Control Panel. The 3D settings themselves are the same regardless of which interface you use them from.
Set these globally first under Manage 3D settings > Global Settings, then add per-game overrides under Program Settings only where a specific title needs different behaviour. Global first is the right order because it means new games inherit a sensible baseline.
The settings that matter
| Setting | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Power management mode | Prefer maximum performance | The most reliably useful setting here. Stops the GPU dropping clocks between frames, which is a common source of inconsistent frame times in CPU-bound games where GPU load is low. |
| Low Latency Mode | Ultra - but only for games without Reflex | Does the same job as NVIDIA Reflex at the driver level. If a game has in-game Reflex, use that and set this to Off for that title; running both is redundant and occasionally worse. |
| Max Frame Rate | About 3 below your refresh rate | A driver-level frame cap that stays inside the VRR window. Use this when a game has no reliable in-game limiter. |
| Monitor Technology | G-SYNC Compatible | Enables variable refresh on a FreeSync or G-Sync Compatible panel. Also confirm G-Sync is enabled under Set up G-SYNC. |
| Preferred refresh rate | Highest available | Prevents games that request a lower refresh from getting it. Cheap insurance against the 60 Hz problem. |
| Vertical sync | Off - or On if you use G-Sync | With G-Sync plus a frame cap below refresh, V-Sync On in the driver acts as a safety net at the top of the VRR range and adds no latency because you never reach it. Without G-Sync, leave it off. |
| Texture filtering - Quality | High performance | Reduces filtering work across the whole scene. One of the few remaining image-quality trades worth taking in a competitive title. |
| Texture filtering - Anisotropic sample optimization | On | Part of the same trade. Small gain, negligible visual cost at gameplay distances. |
| Texture filtering - Trilinear optimization | On | As above. |
| Shader Cache Size | 10 GB or Unlimited | A larger cache means fewer shader recompilations, which means less stutter after driver updates. Costs disk space and nothing else. |
| Threaded optimization | Auto | Let the driver decide. Forcing it on or off helps in a small number of older titles and hurts in others. |
| Background Application Max Frame Rate | On, around 30 FPS | Caps frame rate when a game is not focused. Useful if you alt-tab during matchmaking - it stops an unfocused game consuming the whole GPU. |
| Ambient Occlusion | Off | Driver-level AO is expensive and games handle this better themselves. |
| Antialiasing - FXAA | Off | A driver-level post-process blur. Modern in-game anti-aliasing is strictly better. |
| DSR Factors | Off | Renders above your native resolution and downsamples. The opposite of what you want in a competitive game. |
| Triple buffering | Off | Only applies to OpenGL titles and adds latency where it does apply. |
The correct G-Sync configuration
This is the most commonly misconfigured combination in PC gaming, and getting it wrong costs you either tearing or a frame of latency. There is one correct arrangement.
- Set up G-SYNC in the control panel: enable it, and select 'Enable for full screen and windowed mode'.
- Monitor Technology under Manage 3D settings: G-SYNC Compatible.
- Vertical sync in the NVIDIA Control Panel: On. This is the safety net, not a limiter.
- V-Sync in the game: Off. Always.
- Frame cap: about three below your refresh rate, set in game if possible, otherwise via Max Frame Rate in the driver.
- NVIDIA Reflex in game: On + Boost.
Frequently asked questions
Should Low Latency Mode be Ultra or Off?
Ultra for games that do not have NVIDIA Reflex, Off for games that do. They perform the same function - shortening the render queue - and in-game Reflex does it with better information about the engine's workload. Running both is redundant and occasionally produces slightly worse results than Reflex alone. Set the global default to Ultra and override to Off for your Reflex-supporting titles.
What is the correct V-Sync setting with G-Sync?
V-Sync On in the NVIDIA Control Panel, V-Sync Off in the game, and a frame cap about three below your refresh rate. The cap keeps you inside the variable-refresh window so driver V-Sync never actually engages - it exists only as a safety net against the occasional frame that would exceed the range and tear. You get tear-free output with no added latency.
Does Prefer maximum performance actually help?
Yes, and it is the most reliably useful setting in the panel. It stops the GPU from dropping clock speeds between frames, which matters most in CPU-bound games where GPU utilisation is low and the driver would otherwise decide the card can idle. The visible effect is more consistent frame times rather than a higher average. The cost is higher idle power draw and slightly more heat.
What should I set Shader Cache Size to?
10 GB, or Unlimited if you have the disk space. A larger shader cache means fewer recompilations, which means less stutter after driver updates and when returning to a game you have not played recently. The only cost is disk space. This is one of the genuinely free settings in the panel.
WRITTEN BY
Frost Live
Frost Live is the founder of Frozen Tweaks and the creator behind the FrozenTweaks optimization guides. He has spent years testing Windows, GPU driver and in-game settings on competitive titles including Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Fortnite, Apex Legends and Call of Duty, and turned the tweaks that survived that testing into the Frozen Tweaks optimizer.
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