GTA V dates from 2013 but can still overwhelm a modern PC. A few settings have far more impact than all the others combined. Identifying them can recover substantial performance without visible quality loss.
We do not quote specific frame rates because they depend on the system, resolution and scene. We describe each setting's impact, which remains consistent across systems.
Ordered by impact
Disable it or use no more than 2×. MSAA is extremely costly here, while the visual difference above 1440p is small.
Anti-aliasing renders the scene at a higher resolution and scales it down. The cost grows faster than the visible benefit.
Use High rather than Very High. The difference is only visible when standing still and looking at the ground.
The highest setting draws individual blades far into the distance, which is invisible while driving.
Use Normal or High. Very High renders the scene again for each reflection.
Every other building in Los Santos has glass, making reflections much more costly in the city than in the desert.
Use AMD CHS or Softer. The highest settings mainly add processing cost.
Softening shadow edges is calculated for every light source in the scene.
Use High rather than Very High. Very High mainly adds blur effects.
It changes bloom and depth-of-field strength, not image sharpness.
Use about two thirds of the slider. Higher values mainly deepen drops while driving quickly through the city.
Every additional car and pedestrian taxes the processor. Average frame rate falls little, but minimums fall sharply.
At maximum, this is usually the largest hidden performance cost in the game, while adding almost nothing in the city.
If the system misses the target refresh rate, V-Sync halves the frame rate. A limiter is usually preferable.
GTA V streams texture blocks during play. On a slow drive this causes stuttering transitions that resemble low performance but are not frame-rate drops.
An outdated Script Hook does not only crash at startup; sometimes the game runs while performance falls severely.
Record the original settings so you can restore them.
Disable MSAA first. Measure, then continue.
Lower grass and reflections by one level each, then measure again.
Only then adjust population density and draw distances.
Measure in the same place, preferably while driving through the centre rather than in a static scene. The desert produces far higher frame rates and distorts the result.
An outdated Script Hook after an update often appears as a performance drop rather than a crash. The mods guide explains what to do.