Note: This article reflects technical best practices from the writer’s perspective and does not necessarily reflect the views of Hone.
You walk into downtown Boston. Your framerate drops from 60 to 25. The game stutters. Loading screens take forever. Your GPU is barely working while your CPU maxes out one core.
This guide shows the best Fallout 4 performance mods that actually fix the Creation Engine’s problems. You will learn the technical reasons behind the Boston FPS drops, which mods to install first, and how to configure everything for stable 60 plus FPS gameplay.
Fallout 4’s Performance Problems
The Creation Engine has fundamental flaws that expensive hardware cannot fix alone
Primary Bottleneck
CPU
Downtown Boston drops to 25 FPS because the engine poorly uses CPU cores. Draw calls spike when Pre-Combined mesh data breaks. Your GPU sits idle while one CPU core maxes out.
CPU ImpactCritical
Secondary Issue
VRAM
Vanilla textures waste VRAM on high resolution assets that do not improve visuals proportionally. Ultra settings calculate shadows for every blade of grass, crippling even high end GPUs.
GPU ImpactModerate
The Best Fallout 4 Performance Mods Installation Order
Mod Dependency Hierarchy
Install in this exact order for maximum stability
1
Foundation Layer
!
F4SE
Framework
!
Address Library
Framework
★
xSE PluginPreloader
Framework
2
Engine Fixes
!
Buffout 4
Stability
!
Unofficial Patch
Bug Fix
★
High FPS Physics Fix
Physics
3
Memory Management
★
Baka Scrapheap
Memory
4
World Optimization
★
Boston FPS Fix
PreVis
Insignificant Object Remover
Clutter
5
Textures and Assets
Vivid Fallout 1K/2K
Textures
FAR
LOD
⚠️Critical Installation Order
If you install mods out of order, F4SE plugins will not load correctly. Buffout 4 requires Address Library. Boston FPS Fix must load before worldspace edits. Skip steps and you will crash.
Essential Fallout 4 Performance Mods Explained
Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE)
Required
F4SE enables community developers to write low level patches that access game memory and functions unavailable in the Creation Kit. Without F4SE, none of the critical stability mods like Buffout 4 or High FPS Physics Fix can function. This is the absolute first mod you install.
Installation
Extract to game root folder. Launch via f4se_loader.exe, not the default launcher. For convenience, rename Fallout4Launcher.exe to Fallout4Launcherold.exe, then rename f4se_loader.exe to Fallout4Launcher.exe. This lets you launch through Steam.
Address Library for F4SE Plugins
Required
Bethesda updates break F4SE plugins because memory addresses change between versions. Address Library provides version independent offsets that plugins use to find the correct memory locations dynamically at runtime. Without this, every official patch breaks your entire mod setup.
Why This Matters
Before Address Library, modders had to update every plugin manually after each game patch. Now plugins reference the library instead of hardcoded addresses, making them future proof against official updates.
xSE PluginPreloader F4
Essential
This utility loads F4SE plugins before the game finishes initializing. Buffout 4 technically works without it, but the preloader ensures critical stability features activate immediately at launch, before any potential crashes can occur during the loading process.
Buffout 4
Required
The most critical stability mod available. Buffout 4 fixes dozens of engine bugs, improves memory handling, and dramatically reduces crashes to desktop. It also includes a comprehensive crash logger that writes detailed reports when crashes do occur, essential for diagnosing problems in complex mod lists.
What It Replaces
Buffout 4 consolidates the functionality of multiple older mods including Achievements Enabler, Auto Gamepad Switch, and Faster Workshop. It provides better performance and fewer conflicts than running those separately.
Configuration Required
If using Baka Scrapheap, you must disable Buffout 4’s memory manager in the Buffout.toml config file. Set MemoryManager = false to prevent conflicts between the two memory management systems.
High FPS Physics Fix
Required
The Creation Engine ties physics calculations and game speed to framerate. Above 60 FPS, objects fly through walls, NPCs walk at super speed, and scripts break. High FPS Physics Fix decouples physics from framerate, stabilizing gameplay at any refresh rate and enabling smooth high refresh rate gaming.
Bonus Feature
This mod also speeds up loading screens dramatically by disabling VSync only during loads. Edit the INI file and set EnableVSync=false and DisableBlackLoadingScreens=true for instant loading on fast SSDs.
Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch
Essential
Fixes thousands of bugs Bethesda never addressed including quest failures, floating objects, broken navmeshes, and script errors. This is not a performance mod but a stability prerequisite. It must always load near the top of your load order to prevent conflicts with other mods.
Boston FPS Fix
Required
Downtown Boston runs terribly because broken Pre-Combined mesh data forces the CPU to process thousands of individual objects instead of optimized mesh blocks. Boston FPS Fix regenerates the Pre-Vis and Pre-Combined data specifically for the worst performing downtown cells, restoring proper optimization.
The Technical Explanation
Pre-Combined meshes merge hundreds of small static objects like trash, rocks, and railings into single optimized draws. When any mod moves even one object in a cell, the engine disables the entire optimization for that cell. Boston FPS Fix rebuilds this data for downtown, recovering 10 to 20 FPS on average.
Why Not Previsibines Repair Pack
PRP regenerates data globally, offering better coverage but causing massive compatibility issues with any mod that edits the worldspace. Boston FPS Fix targets only the critical downtown cells, making it safer for large mod lists. Use PRP only if you have a small, curated setup.
Insignificant Object Remover
Essential
This mod physically removes tiny debris, small pebbles, and non essential clutter from the worldspace. Each of these minute objects contributes a wasteful draw call and CPU overhead. Removing them reduces the total number of objects the engine must track and render every frame.
FAR (Faraway Area Reform)
Recommended
Optimizes distant object meshes and Level of Detail rendering. Vanilla LOD is inefficient and wastes resources rendering complex geometry for objects that appear tiny on screen. FAR simplifies these distant meshes without noticeably affecting visual quality, freeing up GPU and CPU cycles.
Vivid Fallout All in One 1K or 2K
Essential
Replaces vanilla textures with optimized versions that use significantly less VRAM while maintaining or improving visual quality. The 1K version is best for GPUs with 4GB VRAM or less. The 2K version balances quality and performance for mid range cards with 6 to 8GB VRAM.
VRAM Savings
Vanilla textures are poorly compressed and waste VRAM on unnecessarily high resolutions for objects you rarely look at closely. Vivid Fallout intelligently scales texture resolution based on object importance, often cutting VRAM usage by 30 to 40 percent.
No Ugly Plants And More
Recommended
A modernized version of Insignificant Object Remover that targets specific performance taxing vegetation assets like excessive vines, shrubs, brambles, and dense grass patches. These assets consume draw calls without adding meaningful visual value to most scenes.
Fog Remover
Recommended
Eliminates heavy volumetric fog effects that require significant GPU resources to render. While this changes the game’s atmosphere slightly, it provides measurable performance gains in foggy exterior cells and underground areas where fog is densest.
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Memory Management Configuration for Stability
The Creation Engine has strict hardcoded limits on the script heap memory pool. When you run complex or script heavy mods, the game exhausts this memory pool and crashes. Baka Scrapheap expands the script memory limit, providing headroom for large mod lists. However, both Buffout 4 and Baka Scrapheap offer memory management functions, creating a potential conflict.
The correct configuration is to use Baka Scrapheap for its specialized script memory expansion while disabling Buffout 4’s competing memory manager. You keep Buffout 4 active for its superior crash detection and logging features, but defer the memory expansion task to Baka Scrapheap.
Buffout.toml Configuration
[Compatibility]
F4EE = true
# Enables compatibility with Looks Menu and other F4EE dependent mods
[Patches]
MemoryManager = false
# CRITICAL: Set to false when using Baka Scrapheap
# This prevents memory management conflicts between the two mods
AchievementsWithMods = true
# Enables Steam achievements even with mods active
⚙️Configuration File Location
The Buffout.toml file is located in Data/F4SE/Plugins/ inside your Fallout 4 installation directory. Edit it with any text editor like Notepad. Save the file and restart the game for changes to take effect.
BethINI Configuration for Maximum Performance
Fallout 4’s built in graphics presets are terrible. The Ultra preset activates absurdly expensive features like calculating shadows for every blade of grass in a massive radius around the player, crippling even high end GPUs. Manually editing INI files is tedious and error prone. BethINI is the community standard tool that provides a safe, vetted interface for optimization.
Download BethINI, run it, and select Fallout 4 from the game list. Apply the Recommended tweaks, then choose a preset no higher than High. The specific settings that matter most are Shadow Distance, which should be set to Medium or lower, and God Rays Quality, which should be Low or Off. These two settings alone often recover 15 to 25 FPS in outdoor areas.
Performance Impact: Before and After Optimization
Vanilla Ultra
Downtown Boston FPS22
Diamond City Exterior35
Loading Screen Time18s
Crash FrequencyHigh
Optimized Setup
Downtown Boston FPS55
Diamond City Exterior60
Loading Screen Time2s
Crash FrequencyRare
Critical INI Settings
[Display]
iShadowMapResolution = 2048
# Lower to 512 for massive FPS boost (vanilla uses 4096)
fShadowDistance = 3000.0000
# Reduces the radius for shadow calculations
iVolumetricLightingQuality = 0
# Disables God Rays entirely (set to 1 for Low quality)
[General]
bPreCulledObjectsEnabled = 1
bUseCombinedObjects = 1
# Keep these at 1 for Pre-Vis optimization (set to 0 only for debugging)
Installation Timeline and Load Order
Step by Step Installation Process
1
Install F4SE Framework
Download F4SE from the official site. Extract all files to your Fallout 4 root directory. Verify f4se_loader.exe is in the same folder as Fallout4.exe. Launch the game once via f4se_loader.exe to confirm it works.
2
Add Address Library and Preloader
Install Address Library for F4SE Plugins using your mod manager. Then install xSE PluginPreloader F4. These must be active before any F4SE plugins load. Restart the game to verify no errors appear.
3
Deploy Core Stability Mods
Install Buffout 4, Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch, and High FPS Physics Fix. Load UFO4P near the top of your load order. Configure Buffout 4’s INI to disable MemoryManager if using Baka Scrapheap. Test the game thoroughly for crashes.
4
Install Memory Management
Add Baka Scrapheap. Double check that Buffout 4’s memory manager is disabled in the TOML config file. Launch the game and play for at least 30 minutes to confirm memory stability. Check for errors in the Buffout crash log folder.
5
Apply World Optimization
Install Boston FPS Fix. This must load before any mods that edit downtown Boston’s worldspace. If you have mods that move objects in downtown cells, you may need compatibility patches. Test performance in downtown Boston specifically.
6
Optimize Textures and Assets
Install Vivid Fallout 1K or 2K, Insignificant Object Remover, FAR, and any other texture or mesh optimizations. These load after world fixes. Monitor VRAM usage and adjust texture quality if you see stuttering or texture pop in.
7
Configure BethINI Settings
Run BethINI, apply Recommended tweaks, select High preset or lower. Manually set Shadow Distance to Medium and God Rays to Low or Off. Disable VSync. Save and close BethINI. Launch the game and benchmark your performance.
📋Version Downgrade Recommendation
The Next Gen update broke many mods and introduced new bugs. For maximum stability and compatibility, downgrade to version 1.10.163 using a downgrade patcher. Most performance mods were designed and tested on this version, and major modding guides still use it as the stable baseline.
Diagnosing Broken Pre-Vis and PreCombine Issues
If you see flickering objects, disappearing buildings, or performance drops in specific cells after installing mods, you likely have broken Pre-Vis or PreCombine data. Visual symptoms include the world blinking, seeing into the void beneath the ground, or objects popping in and out of existence as you move.
To confirm a Pre-Vis problem, edit your Fallout4.ini file under the General section. Add or change these lines to bPreCulledObjectsEnabled=0 and bUseCombinedObjects=0. This completely disables the Pre-Vis system. If the flickering stops, you have confirmed that a mod is breaking PreCombine data. Check your load order for mods that edit the worldspace and ensure Boston FPS Fix or PRP loads after the Unofficial Patch but before worldspace mods.
Benchmarking Your Performance Improvements
Do not rely on feeling to judge performance gains. Create dedicated save files in known problem areas like downtown Boston near Faneuil Hall, Diamond City exterior, and the elevated highway near Mass Fusion. Apply mods sequentially, load these test saves, and record your average FPS using the in game console command cl off to disable the UI, then take screenshots of your FPS counter.
Compare FPS before and after each major mod or configuration change. This methodical approach confirms which changes actually improve performance and which do nothing or make it worse. If crashes occur, Buffout 4’s crash logger writes detailed reports to the My Games/Fallout4/F4SE/ folder. Read these logs to identify the exact plugin or script causing the crash.
Conclusion
Optimizing Fallout 4 is a systematic process, not a collection of random fixes. Start with the F4SE foundation, add Buffout 4 and High FPS Physics Fix for core stability, configure memory management correctly with Baka Scrapheap, then deploy Boston FPS Fix to eliminate the downtown bottleneck. Texture optimization and BethINI configuration come last, after stability is proven. Skip steps or install mods randomly and you will crash. Follow this layered approach and you will achieve stable 60 FPS gameplay even in downtown Boston.
FAQ
What are the best Fallout 4 performance mods
The essential mods are F4SE, Buffout 4, High FPS Physics Fix, Baka Scrapheap, Boston FPS Fix, and BethINI for configuration. These fix engine bugs, stabilize physics, expand memory, and rebuild broken Pre-Vis data that causes the Boston FPS drops.
Why does my FPS drop in downtown Boston
Broken Pre-Combined mesh data forces the CPU to process thousands of individual draw calls instead of optimized mesh blocks. The Creation Engine is CPU bound and poorly uses multiple cores. Boston FPS Fix regenerates the optimization data, recovering 10 to 20 FPS on average.
Do I need to downgrade Fallout 4 for mods
Yes, for maximum stability downgrade to version 1.10.163. The Next Gen update broke many F4SE plugins and introduced new bugs. Most performance mods were designed for the legacy version and major modding guides still use it as the stable baseline.
How do I install F4SE correctly
Extract F4SE to your Fallout 4 root directory where Fallout4.exe is located. Launch the game via f4se_loader.exe, not the default launcher. For convenience, rename Fallout4Launcher.exe to Fallout4Launcherold.exe, then rename f4se_loader.exe to Fallout4Launcher.exe to launch through Steam.
What is Buffout 4 and why do I need it
Buffout 4 fixes dozens of Creation Engine bugs, improves memory handling, and includes a crash logger. It replaces multiple older mods and dramatically reduces crashes to desktop. Without it, you will experience frequent crashes especially with large mod lists.
Should I use Previsibines Repair Pack or Boston FPS Fix
Use Boston FPS Fix for large mod lists. It targets only the critical downtown cells with minimal compatibility issues. Previsibines Repair Pack regenerates data globally which offers better coverage but requires extensive patching for any mod that edits the worldspace.
What are the best BethINI settings for performance
Apply Recommended tweaks, use High preset or lower, set Shadow Distance to Medium, lower shadow resolution to 2048 or 512, set God Rays Quality to Low or Off, and disable VSync. These changes alone often recover 15 to 25 FPS in outdoor areas.
How do I fix Fallout 4 crashes with mods
Install Buffout 4 for its crash logger, ensure Address Library is active, disable Buffout 4’s memory manager if using Baka Scrapheap, and check load order for conflicts. Read the crash logs in My Games/Fallout4/F4SE/ to identify the exact mod or script causing crashes.
What texture mods improve Fallout 4 performance
Vivid Fallout All in One 1K or 2K replaces vanilla textures with optimized versions that use 30 to 40 percent less VRAM. Use the 1K version for GPUs with 4GB VRAM or less. The 2K version balances quality and performance for mid range cards.
Can I run Fallout 4 at 144Hz or higher refresh rates
Yes, with High FPS Physics Fix installed. The Creation Engine ties physics to framerate so above 60 FPS the game breaks without this mod. High FPS Physics Fix decouples physics from framerate, enabling stable high refresh rate gameplay at 144Hz or higher.
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