Crimson Desert GTX 1660 Super - Get 60 FPS in 3 Sec Only
Are you also facing this problem like me? The thing is, When I first launched Crimson Desert on my GTX 1660 Super, the game delivered a straight 25 FPS.
A gorgeous open world transformed into a massive slideshow, using the Cinematic preset. Then it happened that I was genuinely frustrated because the game looked absolutely cinematic, but was literally impossible to play.
I was very angry about this, Because I didn't understand anything then I spent 2-3 days researching, toggling each setting individually, noting FPS and discovered some things that surprised me.
This guide is the result of my research. If you also own a GTX 1660 Super, this article is just for you. Because I put a lot of effort into it.
What Is GTX 1660 Super's Position in Crimson Desert?
That's right, the GTX 1660 Super officially falls into the Low tier spec of Pearl Abyss. This means that their expectation is that this card will deliver 30 FPS at 1080p on Low settings. And honestly, that's exactly what happens at default settings.
One important thing is, no one can play comfortably at 30 FPS. So I went after 60 FPS and it's possible, you just need to know some specific settings tricks and tips.
One more thing you should know is that, according to the official specs, the GTX 1660 Super is placed in the Low tier, where the target is only 1080p/30 FPS. The Recommended tier requires an RTX 2080.
So this means is, we're technically below the recommended specs but that doesn't mean the game won't be enjoyable.
The Biggest Discovery Which Surprised Me
That's absolutely true, this is something I tested myself, and honestly didn't expect:
It is better to keep Ray Tracing ON on GTX 1660 Super.
Yes, you heard that right. The thing is, I thought turning off RT would result in a big jump in FPS but in actual testing, there was only a 1-2 FPS difference.
Then I did some research and found out that this happens because the GTX 1660 Super does not have dedicated RT cores, but the game engine does not use RT as heavily on this card. The Real thing is, keeping RT on is a better deal you get better image quality without sacrificing any FPS.
You might be surprised to hear this, but it's true. Another big trap I found was to never set the Lighting Quality to Max. I have noticed one thing, many people think that Max setting will be the best, but in reality Max setting performs worse than Cinematic.
I've often seen around a 36% FPS drop and visually there's not much difference. I recommend always keeping Ultra or Cinematic.
Best Settings for GTX 1660 Super 1080p 60 FPS Target
This is most important because I have personally tested and confirmed these settings. I am also telling you the reason behind each setting, because nothing will be learnt by blindly copying.
Resolution - Keep it at 1920x1080 Native. One important thing to remember is, don't try 1440p on this card, as even 30 FPS will be difficult there.
Upscaling - First, turn on FSR Quality Mode. This is the most important setting for the GTX 1660 Super. Another thing, the reason why the GTX 1660 Super doesn't have DLSS support is because DLSS 2+ requires dedicated Tensor cores, which this card doesn't have.
But FSR AMD's upscaling solution also works on Nvidia cards. FSR Quality mode can provide 15-20% extra FPS without much quality loss. That's Great. This is one of the best free performance boosters, remember my words, do not ignore it at all. Because it is the best for you.
Lighting Quality - Keep it on Ultra, not Max. As mentioned above, the reason is that the Max setting is a trap.
Use Ultra, not Max. As mentioned above, the Max setting is a trap. Ultra offers the best noise-to-quality ratio. One more thing Ultra offers the best noise-to-quality ratio.
Ray Tracing - Most importantly, keep Ray Tracing on. The reason for this has been explained above it only makes a difference of 1 FPS, so it's better to keep it on.
Ray Reconstruction - You should turn it off. Because This feature is only available on the RTX 4000 series and above. It's not supported on the GTX 1660 Super, so it's best to leave it off.
Shadow Quality - Listen to me carefully, set it to Medium. Lowering the Shadow quality provides a noticeable FPS boost and makes little difference visually.
Texture Quality - It's most important that you keep this high because it may seem counter-intuitive, but texture quality has almost zero impact on FPS.
And The GTX 1660 Super has 6GB of VRAM, which is plenty for 1080p textures. The thing is, lowering the textures can make the game look very ugly without any FPS benefit. So remember these settings.
Foliage Density - You should lower it because it's a heavy setting for the GTX 1660 Super. Lowering it gives an 8-12% FPS boost.
Outdoors, the grass will appear a little less, but the good news is that there will be no difference in the gameplay. Apply these settings carefully.
Model Quality - You should set it to Medium because the game's characters and objects will have less detail, but you won't notice it while playing. This setting has benefits for you.
Reflection Quality - You should set it to Medium because these high reflections look beautiful in screenshots, but the difference is barely noticeable in gameplay. So you keep it set on medium only.
Motion Blur - You should keep this off, as it doesn't increase FPS, but the game feels smoother without motion blur especially in combat. So it is better to keep it off.
Depth of Field - You should also turn this off. For the same reason, it looks a little better in cutscenes, but it's better to keep it off during gameplay. I always keep it off.
VSync - You should also keep this off because VSync adds input lag and caps FPS. One more important thing is that if you have screen tearing problem then turn on Fast Sync in Nvidia Control Panel.
Windows Level Tweaks Do This Too
You'll be surprised to hear that, beyond settings, there are some system-level things that make a big difference and that new gamers often ignore.
First - Now listen carefully and follow my Tips first install the game on an SSD. Crimson Desert's BlackSpace Engine provides real-time texture streaming.
One important thing to note is that if installed on an HDD, texture pop-ins and micro-stutters occur, which cannot be fixed by any in-game settings. An SSD is mandatory for this game.
Second - Now You go to your Nvidia Control Panel, then select your GPU, and set the Power Management Mode to Prefer Maximum Performance.
I've noticed that often by default Nvidia cards are in balanced power mode, which can throttle the GPU when gaming. Apply this setting carefully and correctly.
Third - Most importantly, close your background apps. The Discord overlay, the Xbox Game Bar all those browser tabs they all use RAM and CPU.
Remember my point, keeping this off while gaming can also give 3-5 FPS. I close all background apps while playing game.
Most Important - First of all, confirm that the RAM of your system is 16GB. Because Crimson Desert officially recommends 16GB.
Now one more thing If you have 8GB then the game will run but there will be frequent stutters which cannot be fixed by settings. This means that it is very important for your system to have 16GB of RAM.
FPS Drops in Indoor Scenes This Is Normal
Now listen to me carefully. It's honestly important to state this FPS drops in indoor scenes, sewers, and dark areas in Crimson Desert are normal behavior.
It's absolutely true that this isn't just a problem with the GTX 1660 Super, one more thing I've noticed that even RTX 4080 users see drops in indoor scenes.
Now the question in your mind will be why does this happen? I found out the reason for this is that in indoor scenes the game calculates more lighting samples for dark environments, and this is heavy on both CPU and GPU.
One important thing is that you'll get 60+ FPS in the open world, expect 45-55 indoors. This is acceptable because the Crimson Desert game will feel smoother with FSR.
One more Thing - Now, listen to me, you'll notice some noisy shadows and flickering lighting indoors. Because this is a limitation of the GTX 1660 Super.
One more thing, the feature that fixes this issue Ray Reconstruction is only supported on newer GPUs. Pearl Abyss, the creators of Crimson Desert, have talked about patches in the future, but sadly, for now it's going to be like this.
Is GTX 1660 Super Worth Playing Crimson Desert On?
This is an honest question that I thought about myself before. After my experience, I'm telling you the truth. Yes, it's worth it.
Because The outdoor open world consistently delivers 60+ FPS, making for a genuinely smooth and enjoyable experience.
For one thing, its combat is smooth. However, it does drop in some indoor scenes, but thankfully those moments are brief.
It's true that Crimson Desert looks very good visually at these settings definitely comparable to the PS5, even better in some areas.
Now listen to me carefully, if you have GTX 1660 Super, then there is no need to upgrade for Crimson Desert. Because The game can be enjoyed with these settings because these are the best settings. These settings work 100%. All These very useful for you.
FAQ
Q1. Can GTX 1660 Super run Crimson Desert at 60 FPS?
Ans. The answer is yes, but only with optimized settings. The default Cinematic preset will result in 25-28 FPS, which is unplayable.
One more thing With the settings above especially with FSR Quality mode you'll get consistently 60+ FPS outdoors and 45-55 FPS indoors. To be honest, overall it is an enjoyable experience. Try once.
Q2. Should I use DLSS or FSR on GTX 1660 Super in Crimson Desert?
Ans. My Answer is, you can't use DLSS on a GTX 1660 Super because this feature is only available to RTX cards that have dedicated Tensor cores.
Most importantly thing you can simply use FSR, which is AMD's upscaling solution but works perfectly on Nvidia cards too.
This is true FSR Quality mode gives the best balance between quality and performance. My advice to you is to definitely turn it on.
Q3. Is Ray Tracing worth keeping on for GTX 1660 Super?
Ans. The answer is yes, and the thing is, it sounds weird, but in testing the difference between RT on and off was only 1-2 FPS on this card.
So that's why keeping RT on is a better deal you get slightly better lighting quality without making any meaningful FPS sacrifice. My advice to you is to keep Ray Reconstruction off because it is not supported on the GTX 1660 Super.
Q4. Why does Crimson Desert look noisy and flickery in dark areas on my GTX 1660 Super?
Ans. The thing is, this is a hardware limitation of the GTX 1660 Super. The Crimson Desert game engine uses low lighting samples in indoor dark areas, which causes noise and flickering.
Now, the important thing is that the Ray Reconstruction feature that fixes this issue only works on the RTX 4000 series and above.
Sad news It's not supported on your card. But one more thing is that Pearl Abyss may fix this at the engine level in future patches, but for now a little noise is normal This means that its solution has not been given officially yet. This is sad news.
Q5. Should I upgrade from GTX 1660 Super to play Crimson Desert better?
Ans. Listen to me carefully If you have the budget, the RTX 3060 or RTX 3060 Ti would be a solid upgrade. Because The reason is that it comfortably delivers 60+ FPS at 1080p Cinematic and also supports DLSS.
which the GTX 1660 Super lacks. One more important thing, if you can't upgrade right now, Crimson Desert is a genuinely enjoyable experience even on a GTX 1660 Super with the settings I mentioned above. All these settings are the best, it is very useful for you.
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