Modern Warfare 3 Best PC Settings: High FPS & Optimization

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is out, and it’s essential to ensure that we have the best settings in place. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the display, graphics, and view settings available in the Modern Warfare 3 menus. Remember that the optimal settings can vary from person to person, but I’ll share my preferred options for optimal multiplayer experience.

Modern Warfare 3 System Requirements

Before we go ahead and start adjusting our system’s settings, we want to ensure that our computer meets the requirements for running Modern Warfare 3. So, I’ve gathered the minimum and recommended PC requirements for MW3 to ensure my system is up to the task.

I’ve tested various settings for Modern Warfare 3, and the ones below offer the best combination of visuals and smoother framerates for an optimized multiplayer experience.

Best MW3 Display Settings

To achieve optimal performance and visuals in Modern Warfare 3, I recommend starting by configuring your Display Settings to match your computer’s capabilities. Make sure the game runs at your monitor’s native resolution. You could opt for 1440p if you have a stronger GPU, but 1080p is optimal. Also, avoid 4k resolution, as the visual benefit is not worth the overall frame drops.

Best MW3 Graphics Settings

Although NVIDIA’s graphics cards are widely popular, I’ve tested that you can enjoy a smooth Call of Duty experience with various other GPUs. It’s essential to tweak the settings to match your system’s specifications. I believe every PC player can make Modern Warfare 3 look and play exceptionally well by following the optimized graphical settings I provided below.

Here are the recommended PC graphics settings for the game:

Render Resolution (100)

 I always make sure to set this to 100 to ensure the game runs at the highest quality my monitor can handle. It’s all about those crisp visuals.

Dynamic Resolution (Off)

 I prefer to turn dynamic resolution off. I like a consistent and sharp image, so this setting keeps things steady.

Upscaling / Sharpening (FidelityFX CAS)

FidelityFX CAS is my go-to for sharpening the game without sacrificing frame rates. It’s a nice visual boost.

Anti-Aliasing (SMAA T2X)

SMAA T2X works well for me, reducing jagged edges and delivering a smoother look.

VRAM Scale Target (90)

 I find that setting this to 90 is a good balance to ensure smooth performance.

Texture Resolution (Low)

 If I want to give my FPS a boost, I go with a lower texture resolution. It’s a trade-off with texture detail, though, as you can see in the comparison provided below.

Depth of Field (Off)

 Turning off depth of field improves performance and clarity in the game, giving a competitive advantage and reducing motion sickness for some players.

Detail Level Quality (Low)

 When I need a performance boost, reducing the detail level to low helps while still keeping the game looking decent.

Clutter Draw Distance (Short)

 Shortening this distance improves performance by not rendering clutter too far away. In the first picture, you can see the resolution and detail of distance are low, causing fewer fps drops.

Particle Resolution (Very Low)

Setting this to Very Low makes explosions and effects look mediocre, but its worth the fps boost it gives.

Bullet Impacts (On)

I’ve noticed that realistic bullet impact effects during multiplayer is a huge help.

Shader Quality (Low)

Lowering shader quality helps with performance, and it’s often not very noticeable during gameplay.

On-Demand Texture Streaming (On)

 Turning this off can be great if you have enough VRAM since it reduces texture loading times.

Local Texture Streaming Quality (Low)

For a performance boost, I set this to low; it streams textures at a lower quality level.

Shadow Quality (Very Low)

Reducing shadow quality helps keep FPS up without significantly impacting gameplay. As you can see in the comparison provided below, it’s not much of a difference, and you won’t even notice it much in a fast-paced game like COD: Modern Warfare 3.

Screen Space Shadows (Off)

I disable this for better performance by eliminating certain dynamic shadows.

Ambient Occlusion (Off)

It’s not always noticeable, so turning it off improves FPS without losing much depth. As you can see, the difference in the right picture (On) isn’t much different than it is off.

Screen Space Reflections (Off)

 Disabling these reflections keeps the game running smoothly. In the left picture, the resolution of the reflection is much lower, causing less strain on your GPU and resulting in better FPS.

Static Reflection Quality (Low)

 Lowering this setting affects static reflection quality, which might not be too noticeable.

Tessellation (Off)

 I prefer to keep Tessellation off to maintain performance.

Terrain Memory (Min)

 Reducing terrain memory saves resources without a significant visual impact.

Volumetric Quality (Low)

 Lower volumetric quality balances performance and visuals well.

Deferred Physics Quality (Off)

Disabling this can provide a small performance boost.

Weather Grid Volumes (Off)

 Turning these off helps maintain performance during bad weather conditions.

Water Quality (Water Caustics)

I find “Water Caustics” a good balance between visuals and performance for water quality.

Nvidia Optimization For Modern Warfare 3

If you’re running Modern Warfare 3 on an Nvidia graphics card, there are some additional settings to consider.

First, make sure you’ve properly configured any advanced features like upscaling. Once those are set up, you can enhance performance and visuals by making some adjustments in the Nvidia Control Panel.

These tweaks can provide an extra boost to the game’s overall visual quality and help maintain stable performance, just as we’ve explored earlier in this guide.

For In-depth guide: Read Our Best Nvidia Settings For Gaming

Windows 10 Optimizations For Modern Warfare 3

All the optimizations I’ve covered so far should make a significant difference in your Modern Warfare 3 FPS. These are the key Windows settings and the ones that matter most. However, if you’re running the game on a less powerful PC, these Windows 10 optimizations can give you an extra 15-20% FPS boost.

Don’t worry; these Windows optimizations won’t affect your system negatively; they’re geared towards speeding up and fine-tuning your PC for gaming. Most of the settings we’ll adjust are just extra stuff, so you won’t miss out on anything crucial.

Enable Ultimate Performance

By default, Windows 10 uses a balanced power plan with various power limits. To unleash the full potential of your CPU, switch to the Ultimate Performance Plan. Here’s how I did it:

1. Open Command Prompt with Administrator Privileges.

2. Paste the following code: powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61
   

   

   CMD for Windows High Performance – [Image captured by eXputer]
3. After running the code, you’ll see the “Ultimate Performance” option.
   

   

   Windows Ultimate Performance Enabled – [Image captured by eXputer]
4. Go to Start > Edit Power Plan > Power Options.
5. Checkmark “Ultimate Performance,” and you’re good to go.

Maximize GPU Usage For Modern Warfare 3

In Windows 10, you can prioritize your game’s GPU usage to achieve an impressive FPS boost. Here’s what I did:

1. Go to Start, type, and open “Graphics Settings.”
2. Click “Browse” and add “modernwarfare3.exe.”

   

3. Set its graphics preference to “High.”
4. Click “Save” when you’re done.

Clear Temp Folder

Cleaning the temporary folder can help remove leftover files from uninstalled or deleted applications, keeping your PC clean and potentially boosting performance.

1. Go to Start and type “Run,” then enter %temp%.
   

   

2. Select all files with CTRL + A, right-click, and delete any leftover files.

Disable Hardware Acceleration 

Disabling hardware acceleration can be a game-changer for smoother gaming experiences. This feature is often found in various applications, including web browsers and communication tools like Discord. It shifts the application’s processing load to your CPU and RAM, which might seem efficient, but it can strain your resources during gaming. 

Get Rid Of Unnecessary Background Applications and Services

One common issue affecting your Modern Warfare 3 FPS is having applications like Chrome and Firefox running in the background, consuming a substantial portion of your system’s memory. This not only impacts the memory available for your game but also puts a strain on your CPU. To ensure peak performance in Modern Warfare 3, I’ve developed a habit of always closing unnecessary browsers and software before diving into the game. 

Disabling Xbox Bar

To optimize your Windows 10 settings for a smoother Modern Warfare 3 gaming experience, focus on managing the Xbox Game Bar and background notifications that can be distracting and resource-intensive. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

1. Open Xbox Live Settings.
2. Navigate to the Game Bar Tab, Captures Tab, and Game Mode Section.
3. Disable all settings in these three tabs. These features are known culprits for impacting game performance and causing interruptions.

My Takeaway On Modern Warfare 3 Optimization

I’ve implemented the changes we discussed, which have enhanced my gaming experience in Modern Warfare 3.

Currently, the game’s performance can be a bit chaotic since it’s still new, but thanks to the settings and optimizations I’ve shared, things are looking much better.

It’s worth mentioning that during my benchmark tests, I discovered that certain settings appeared to have no impact, almost as if they weren’t working correctly. If you’re not following this in-depth guide, I strongly advise experimenting with each setting, but be prepared for a potentially frustrating experience.