How can I reduce stuttering in RDR2 on lower-end systems?

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a visually stunning game, but its demanding graphics can cause stuttering on lower-end systems. To reduce stuttering and improve performance, you need to optimize both in-game settings and your system configuration. Start by lowering the most resource-intensive settings, such as texture quality, shadow quality, and water physics. These settings have a significant impact on performance, especially on systems with limited GPU or CPU power.\n\nBegin by accessing the in-game settings menu. Navigate to the Graphics tab and adjust the following settings: set Texture Quality to Medium or Low, Shadow Quality to Low, and Water Physics Quality to Low. These changes will reduce the strain on your GPU, allowing for smoother gameplay. Additionally, disable advanced features like MSAA (Multi-Sample Anti-Aliasing) and TAA (Temporal Anti-Aliasing), as they can cause significant performance drops on lower-end systems.\n\nNext, focus on resolution scaling. Lowering the resolution scale to 90% or 80% can drastically improve performance without making the game look too blurry. This reduces the number of pixels your GPU needs to render, which is especially helpful for systems with weaker graphics cards. If your system struggles with maintaining a stable frame rate, consider playing in windowed or borderless windowed mode, as this can sometimes reduce stuttering compared to full-screen mode.\n\nAnother critical step is to optimize your system''s background processes. Close any unnecessary applications running in the background, such as web browsers or streaming software, to free up CPU and RAM resources. You can also adjust your system''s power settings to prioritize performance over energy savings. On Windows, go to Control Panel > Power Options and select the High Performance plan. This ensures your CPU and GPU are running at their maximum potential.\n\nFor players experiencing stuttering during specific in-game activities, such as riding through dense forests or entering towns like Valentine or Saint Denis, consider reducing the Population Density and Variety settings. These settings control the number of NPCs and animals in the game world, which can heavily impact performance in crowded areas. Lowering these settings will reduce the load on your CPU, resulting in fewer frame drops during intense moments.\n\nFinally, keep your graphics drivers up to date. NVIDIA and AMD regularly release driver updates that optimize performance for specific games, including Red Dead Redemption 2. Visit the official website of your GPU manufacturer to download the latest drivers. Additionally, consider using tools like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software to automatically optimize your game settings based on your system''s hardware.\n\nBy following these steps, you can significantly reduce stuttering and enjoy a smoother Red Dead Redemption 2 experience on lower-end systems. Remember to experiment with different settings to find the perfect balance between performance and visual quality for your specific setup.