Best Farming Simulator 25 Settings for Maximum FPS

Muhib Nadeem / October 17, 2025 / 13 min read
Note: This article reflects technical best practices from the writer’s perspective and does not necessarily reflect the views of Hone.

You drop your settings to High. Frame rate stays locked at 45 FPS. GPU usage sits at 60 percent. One CPU core maxes out while the RTX 4080 waits idle. Welcome to the GIANTS Engine 10.

This guide shows the best Farming Simulator 25 settings for maximum FPS on PC. You will learn which settings destroy performance, how to fix the CPU bottleneck, why DLSS fails but FSR 3 Frame Generation works, and advanced game.xml tweaks that push draw distance beyond the UI limits.

Best Farming Simulator 25 Settings: Understanding the GIANTS Engine 10 Bottleneck

The single threaded CPU architecture explains why your RTX 4080 sits at 60 percent usage while FPS tanks.

⚙️

CPU Bottleneck Symptoms

  • 1
    One CPU core at 100 percent while others idle at 30 to 40 percent
  • 2
    GPU usage stuck between 40 and 70 percent despite low FPS
  • 3
    Micro stutter when entering new areas or AI workers activate

→ Lower draw distance and object counts

🎮

GPU Bottleneck Symptoms

  • 1
    GPU usage at 95 to 100 percent consistently
  • 2
    FPS increases significantly when lowering resolution or shadow quality
  • 3
    DLSS or FSR upscaling provides 20 plus percent FPS boost

→ Lower graphics settings and enable upscaling

Quick Settings to Maximize FPS in Farming Simulator 25

Farming Simulator 25

Maximum FPS Priority

1
Enable FSR 3 Frame Generation
Switch Anti-Aliasing to FSR 3 and turn on Frame Generation. Provides 40 to 100 percent FPS boost regardless of hardware.
+40-100% FPS
2
Lower Object Draw Distance to 70 to 100 Percent
The biggest CPU load setting. Dramatically reduces main thread stress and eliminates pop in stutter.
+15-30% FPS
3
Disable Foliage Shadows
Individual crop and tree shadows generate massive draw calls. Turning this off provides instant FPS boost.
+10-20% FPS
4
Set Max Mirrors to 0 or 1
Each active mirror re renders the entire scene. Setting to zero eliminates this massive overhead.
+5-15% FPS
⚠️Max Shadow Lights Bug
Setting Max Shadow Lights to 10 breaks Shadow Quality. The engine cannot apply Very High or Ultra settings and defaults to Medium. Set this to 9 to allow maximum shadow quality to work correctly.

Complete Settings Breakdown for Maximum FPS

Performance Impact by Setting

Setting Name Max FPS Value Performance Impact Key Technical Insight
Texture Resolution Low / Medium High Game uses 5 to 6 GB VRAM at 1080p. Essential for cards with less than 8 GB VRAM.
Texture Filtering Anisotropic 16x Negligible Modern GPUs have zero performance cost. Never lower this setting.
Shadow Quality Low High One of the most GPU intensive settings. Lower for large FPS gains.
Foliage Shadows Off Very High Generates massive draw calls for individual plants. Disable for instant boost.
SSAO Quality Off Medium Post process depth effect. Off for max FPS, Medium for balanced visuals.
Object Draw Distance 70-100% Very High Heavily loads single CPU core. Primary cause of stuttering and low FPS.
LOD Distance 70-100% High Controls object complexity at distance. Reduces pop in stutter when lowered.
Max Mirrors 0 or 1 Very High Each mirror re renders entire scene. Doubles or triples rendering load.
Max Shadow Lights 9 Bug Related Setting to 10 prevents Very High shadow quality from applying correctly.
Post Process AA FSR 3 FPS Boost Enable Frame Generation for 40 to 100 percent FPS increase.

FSR 3 Frame Generation vs DLSS vs DLAA Performance Comparison

Farming Simulator 25 includes multiple anti aliasing and upscaling technologies. Understanding when each one works and when they fail is critical for maximizing FPS.

FSR 3 + Frame Gen
  • Compatibility All GPUs
  • FPS Boost +40-100%
  • CPU Bottleneck Works Great
  • Input Lag Minimal
  • Image Quality Good
DLSS Upscaling
NVIDIA Only
  • Compatibility RTX Cards
  • FPS Boost 0-25%
  • CPU Bottleneck Ineffective
  • Input Lag Low
  • Image Quality Excellent
DLAA
NVIDIA Only
  • Compatibility RTX Cards
  • FPS Boost +2%
  • CPU Bottleneck N/A
  • Input Lag None
  • Image Quality Best
FSR 3 Frame Generation Impact
+70% Average FPS Boost
💡Why DLSS Fails in FS25
DLSS reduces GPU workload but the game is CPU bottlenecked. Your GPU already has spare capacity waiting for the maxed out CPU thread. Reducing GPU load further provides zero FPS gain. FSR 3 Frame Generation works because it inserts interpolated frames between real frames, bypassing the CPU bottleneck entirely.

Hardware Tier Settings Profiles for Different Systems

💻
Low Spec
GTX 1050 Ti / RX 470
8 GB RAM
Target: 30-60 FPS @ 1080p
🖥️
Mid Range
RTX 3060 / RX 6700 XT
16 GB RAM
Target: 60-90 FPS @ 1440p
🚀
High End
RTX 4080 / RX 7900 XTX
32 GB RAM
Target: 60-100 FPS @ 4K

Low Spec Profile Settings (GTX 1050 Ti / RX 470)

Low Spec

Core Graphics Settings

  1. Resolution: 1920×1080
  2. Texture Resolution: Low (Essential for 4 GB VRAM)
  3. Texture Filtering: Anisotropic 16x
  4. Shader Quality: Low
  5. Shadow Quality: Low
  6. Foliage Shadows: Off
  7. SSAO: Off
Result: Prevents VRAM thrashing and stuttering on 4 GB cards.
Low Spec

Distance and Objects

  1. Object Draw Distance: 70%
  2. View Distance: 70%
  3. LOD Distance: 70%
  4. Max Mirrors: 0
  5. Max Tire Tracks: 100%
Impact: Drastically reduces CPU main thread load.
Low Spec

Critical FPS Booster

  1. Post Process AA: FidelityFX Super Resolution 3
  2. FSR 3 Mode: Quality or Balanced
  3. FSR 3 Frame Generation: On
Game Changer: Users report FPS jumping from 30 to 90 plus with this setting alone.

Mid Range Profile Settings (RTX 3060 / RX 6700 XT)

Mid Range

Balanced Quality Settings

  1. Resolution: 2560×1440
  2. Texture Resolution: High
  3. Shader Quality: High
  4. Shadow Quality: Medium or High
  5. Shadow Distance: Medium
  6. Foliage Shadows: Off
Balance: Good visuals with smooth high refresh rate performance.
Mid Range

Distance Optimization

  1. Object Draw Distance: 125 to 150%
  2. Max Shadow Lights: 9 (Critical for shadow quality)
  3. Max Mirrors: 1
Why: Provides good world detail without overwhelming the CPU.
Mid Range

Anti Aliasing Choice

  1. Path A (Max FPS): FSR 3 + Frame Generation On
  2. Path B (NVIDIA RTX): DLAA for maximum clarity
Recommendation: FSR 3 for high refresh. DLAA if native FPS already meets target.

High End Profile Settings (RTX 4080 / RX 7900 XTX)

High End

Maximum Quality 4K

  1. Resolution: 3840×2160
  2. Graphics Profile: Very High / Ultra
  3. Max Shadow Lights: 9 (Essential for Ultra shadows)
  4. Foliage Shadows: On (if FPS target met)
  5. Object Draw Distance: 200%
Result: Maximum visual fidelity at 4K resolution.
High End

Upscaling for 4K

  1. Post Process AA: DLSS (NVIDIA) or FSR 3 (AMD)
  2. Upscaling Mode: Quality
  3. Frame Generation: Optional (to push beyond 60 FPS)
Why: At 4K the GPU becomes bottleneck. DLSS and FSR are highly effective here.
High End

Advanced Draw Distance

  1. Can push distance beyond 200% via game.xml edits
  2. RTX 4070/3080: LOD 3.0, Foliage 3.0
  3. RTX 4090/4080: LOD 4.0, Foliage 4.0
Warning: Extreme performance cost. Only for screenshot enthusiasts.

Advanced game.xml Configuration Tweaks

The game.xml file in Documents\My Games\FarmingSimulator2025 exposes advanced engine controls not available in the UI. These tweaks unlock performance monitoring, remove FPS caps, and extend draw distances beyond slider limits.

Enable Developer Console and FPS Counter
XML
<development> <controls>true</controls> <!– Change from false to true –> </development>
Extend Draw Distances Beyond 200 Percent
XML
<gameSettings> viewDistanceCoeff=“3.000000” <!– Default 2.0, try 3.0 to 4.0 –> lodDistanceCoeff=“3.000000” <!– Default 2.0, try 3.0 to 4.0 –> foliageViewDistanceCoeff=“3.000000” <!– Default 2.0, try 3.0 to 4.0 –> </gameSettings>
⚠️Extreme Draw Distance Warning
Pushing viewDistanceCoeff above 3.0 massively increases CPU load and VRAM usage. Expect stuttering and performance degradation on any system. Only recommended for screenshot purposes, not actual gameplay.

NVIDIA and AMD Driver Settings for Farming Simulator 25

NVIDIA

Critical Shader Cache Setting

  1. Open NVIDIA Control Panel
  2. Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings
  3. Select Farming Simulator 25
  4. Shader Cache Size: 10 GB or 100 GB
Critical: Default cache is too small. Causes severe stuttering from constant shader recompilation.
NVIDIA

V-Sync Configuration

  1. In game V-Sync: Off
  2. NVIDIA Control Panel V-Sync: Fast
Why: Fast Sync eliminates tearing without adding input lag. Best of both modes.
NVIDIA

Avoid GeForce Experience

  1. Do not use Optimal Settings feature
  2. May fail to detect FS25 or provide bad config
  3. Manual settings yield superior results
Confirmed: Multiple user reports of optimization errors or suboptimal performance.
AMD

Radeon Software Settings

  1. Disable global Radeon Boost
  2. Disable HYPR-RX
  3. These features can conflict with in game settings
Recommendation: Use in game FSR 3 instead of driver level overrides.
AMD

FSR 3 Priority

  1. Enable FSR 3 and Frame Generation in game
  2. This is the most powerful performance tool available
  3. Works on NVIDIA cards too
Impact: 40 to 100 percent FPS boost universally reported.
Both

Update Graphics Drivers

  1. Always use latest drivers for FS25
  2. Day one drivers often have critical optimizations
  3. Check manufacturer website directly
Frequency: Check for updates monthly or when major patches release.

Troubleshooting Stuttering and Low GPU Usage

Fixing Persistent Stuttering

Stuttering in Farming Simulator 25 has two primary causes. Shader compilation stutter happens during the first 10 to 15 minutes of gameplay after a fresh install, driver update, or settings change. The game compiles shaders on the fly as new objects and effects are encountered. This is a CPU intensive process that interrupts frame pacing. The solution is patience combined with the shader cache tweak.

Load into your save and play normally for 10 to 15 minutes. Drive around the map and encounter different vehicles and areas. The stuttering will be pronounced initially but gradually subsides as the shader cache populates. To prevent recurring issues, set NVIDIA Control Panel Shader Cache Size to 10 GB or higher. This provides persistent storage for compiled shaders, minimizing recompilation in future sessions.

CPU bound stutter persists after the shader cache burn in period. This type appears when entering dense areas, activating multiple AI workers, or when the engine loads distant LODs. The CPU main thread cannot keep up with the game logic and draw call submission. The solution is lowering CPU intensive settings. Reduce Object Draw Distance, View Distance, and LOD Distance sliders to 70 to 100 percent. This cuts the number of objects the CPU must track per frame, directly alleviating the bottleneck.

Understanding Low GPU Utilization

Many users observe low frame rates while monitoring tools show GPU usage at only 50 to 70 percent. This creates confusion and leads to assumptions of broken hardware or poor optimization. The reality is neither. This is the visible symptom of a CPU bottleneck in a single threaded game engine.

The GPU renders frames as fast as the CPU delivers rendering commands. When one CPU core is maxed out processing game logic, it cannot feed the GPU fast enough. The GPU spends significant time idle, waiting for the next frame instructions. This is not a GPU problem. Upgrading the graphics card will not increase FPS in this scenario. The performance ceiling is set by the CPU, not the GPU.

Software solutions involve lowering CPU intensive settings as described above. Hardware solutions require upgrading to a CPU with superior single threaded performance, meaning higher clock speeds and higher IPC. This is the only hardware upgrade that meaningfully increases performance when CPU bottlenecked in Farming Simulator 25.

Conclusion

Farming Simulator 25 performance is dominated by two factors. The GIANTS Engine 10 single threaded CPU architecture creates a bottleneck that no GPU upgrade can solve, and FSR 3 Frame Generation bypasses this limitation to provide massive FPS gains. Start by enabling FSR 3 with Frame Generation for an instant 40 to 100 percent boost. Lower Object Draw Distance to 70 to 100 percent to reduce CPU thread stress. Disable Foliage Shadows for another large gain. Set Max Shadow Lights to 9 to fix the shadow quality bug. Configure NVIDIA Shader Cache to 10 GB or higher to eliminate compilation stutter. These steps address the root causes of poor performance and deliver smooth gameplay across all hardware tiers.

FAQ

What are the best settings for Farming Simulator 25 FPS

Enable FSR 3 Frame Generation, lower Object Draw Distance to 70 to 100 percent, disable Foliage Shadows, set Max Mirrors to 0 or 1, and set Max Shadow Lights to 9. These settings provide the largest FPS gains by reducing CPU bottleneck and GPU load.

Why is my GPU usage low in Farming Simulator 25

The GIANTS Engine 10 is single threaded and CPU bottlenecked. One CPU core maxes out processing game logic while the GPU waits idle for rendering commands. This causes low GPU usage despite low FPS. Upgrading the GPU will not help. Lower CPU intensive settings like draw distance or upgrade to a CPU with better single core performance.

Does DLSS work in Farming Simulator 25

DLSS provides minimal FPS gains in most scenarios because the game is CPU bottlenecked, not GPU bottlenecked. DLSS reduces GPU workload but the GPU already has spare capacity. Use FSR 3 Frame Generation instead, which bypasses the CPU bottleneck and provides 40 to 100 percent FPS boost.

How do I fix stuttering in Farming Simulator 25

Set NVIDIA Shader Cache Size to 10 GB or higher in Control Panel to prevent shader compilation stutter. Lower Object Draw Distance, View Distance, and LOD Distance to 70 to 100 percent to reduce CPU bottleneck stutter. Play for 10 to 15 minutes after settings changes to populate the shader cache.

What is FSR 3 Frame Generation in FS25

FSR 3 Frame Generation inserts interpolated frames between real rendered frames, effectively doubling FPS without requiring the CPU to process additional game logic. This bypasses the single threaded CPU bottleneck and provides 40 to 100 percent FPS boost. Works on all GPUs including NVIDIA cards.

Should I set Max Shadow Lights to 10 in FS25

No. Setting Max Shadow Lights to 10 triggers a bug that prevents Very High and Ultra shadow quality from applying correctly. The engine defaults to Medium quality instead. Set this to 9 to allow maximum shadow quality settings to work properly.

How much VRAM does Farming Simulator 25 need

The game uses 5 to 6 GB of VRAM at 1080p maximum settings. GPUs with 4 GB VRAM like GTX 1050 Ti experience severe stuttering and texture thrashing. Lower Texture Resolution to Low or Medium on cards with less than 8 GB VRAM to prevent performance issues.

What CPU is best for Farming Simulator 25

CPUs with high single core clock speeds and high IPC perform best. AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 9 7950X3D with large L3 cache are excellent choices. Intel Core i7 13700K and i9 13900K also work well. Core count matters less than single thread performance for this engine.

Can I edit game.xml to increase draw distance

Yes. Edit Documents\My Games\FarmingSimulator2025\game.xml and change viewDistanceCoeff, lodDistanceCoeff, and foliageViewDistanceCoeff from 2.0 to 3.0 or 4.0. This extends draw distance beyond the in game 200 percent limit but causes brutal performance impact and severe stuttering on most systems.

Why does Farming Simulator 25 run poorly on high end PC

The GIANTS Engine 10 is single threaded and CPU bottlenecked. Even RTX 4090 systems experience low FPS because the game cannot utilize modern multi core CPUs efficiently. One CPU core processes all game logic while the GPU sits idle. Enable FSR 3 Frame Generation and lower draw distances to work around this architectural limitation.

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Muhib Nadeem

Muhib Nadeem

I grew up on frame drops, boss fights, and midnight queues. Now I write about games with the same energy I once saved for ranked.

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