TBOOST

Borderlands 4

Low-end PC guide: FPS boost, lag and stutter fix

Borderlands 4 FPS boost guide

Borderlands 4 config file

Free. The download link appears after a short wait.

Put it in
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Borderlands 4\Saved\Config\Windows
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Replace the existing file, then start the game.

Unreal Engine 5.5.4 runs Borderlands 4, and its minimum GPU is an Nvidia RTX 2070 or an AMD RX 5700 XT. This guide gives you a free Engine.ini, the in-game settings to change first and fixes for stutter on a weak PC.

Can you run Borderlands 4 on a low end PC?

  • CPU: Intel Core i7 9700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
  • RAM: 16 GB
  • VRAM: 8 GB
  • Storage: 100 GB on an SSD
  • OS: Windows 10

If your PC is below these specs, the game may run poorly even with this config. The config lowers the work your GPU has to do, but it can’t make up for missing hardware.

Best Borderlands 4 settings for low end PCs

  • Use the Low preset first, then change the items below.
  • Upscaling: Pick TSR, FSR 3.1 or XeSS 2. They work on any GPU. DLSS 4 needs an Nvidia RTX card. RX 9000 series cards can get FSR 4 through the AMD driver (Adrenalin 25.9.1 or later), so older cards should stick to the first three.
  • Upscaling quality: Lower the quality preset if you need more FPS.
  • Ray tracing: Ray tracing is limited in this game, and its lighting uses software Lumen. If you see a ray tracing option, turn it off.
  • Frame rate cap: Set it to 60. If your PC can’t hold 60, set it to 30.
  • V-Sync: Turn it off. It locks your frame rate to your monitor’s refresh rate.
  • Window mode: Pick borderless windowed.

Borderlands 4 Engine.ini location and install

  1. Download the zip with the button above. Unzip it and find the Engine.ini file.
  2. Close Borderlands 4 completely, including any launcher that is still running.
  3. Press Windows + R, paste %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Borderlands 4\Saved\Config\Windows and press Enter. If the folder doesn’t exist, start Borderlands 4 once, close it and try again.
  4. If the folder already has an Engine.ini, rename it to Engine.ini.bak. This is your backup.
  5. Copy the new Engine.ini into the folder.
  6. Start the game.

What the config changes

The file changes only the settings listed here.

Post-processing

  • Motion blur is off.
  • Depth of field is off.
  • Color fringing at the edges of the screen is off.
  • Lens flares are off.
  • Film grain is off.
  • Sharpening is set to 0.6.

Lighting and reflections

  • Ambient occlusion, screen space reflections, subsurface scattering, contact shadows and capsule shadows are off.
  • Light shafts are off.
  • Volumetric fog uses a coarser grid.

Shadows

  • Shadow quality is set to 2.
  • Shadow resolution is capped at 1024.
  • Shadows reach a shorter distance.
  • Small objects stop casting shadows at a larger size.

Draw distance and foliage

  • View distance is set to 80 percent of the default.
  • Detail mode is set to 1.
  • Anisotropic filtering is set to 4.
  • Grass and foliage density is set to 60 percent.

Lumen, Nanite and virtual shadow maps

  • Lumen reflections are off.
  • Lumen mesh distance field tracing is off.
  • Nanite detail is set lower.
  • Virtual shadow maps use a lower resolution for directional and local lights.

The streaming settings turn on async loading and turn off forced garbage collection, for smoother loading and fewer hitches when you move between areas.

How to fix Borderlands 4 stuttering and FPS drops

Borderlands 4 is an Unreal Engine 5 game, so the first launch compiles shaders. Let that finish, and expect hitches for the first few minutes.

If you can, install the game on an SSD. The game needs 100 GB of storage on an SSD.

Then work through the basics on Windows:

  • Close background apps, such as browsers and overlays from launchers.
  • Update your GPU driver from the official site: Nvidia, AMD or Intel.
  • On a laptop, plug in the power cable and set the power mode to best performance.

Undo the changes

Delete Engine.ini from the folder. If you made a backup, rename Engine.ini.bak back to Engine.ini instead. The game rebuilds its defaults.

Borderlands 4 FAQ

Where is the Borderlands 4 Engine.ini file?

Borderlands 4 keeps it in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Borderlands 4\Saved\Config\Windows. Press Windows + R, paste the path and press Enter. If the folder isn't there, start the game once, close it and check again.

Can Borderlands 4 run on a low end PC?

Borderlands 4 needs at least an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, with 16 GB of RAM and 8 GB of VRAM. Below that, the game may run poorly even with the Engine.ini file, because the file lowers GPU load but can't replace missing hardware.

Which upscaler should I use on an older GPU in Borderlands 4?

Pick TSR, FSR 3.1 or XeSS 2, since they work on any GPU. DLSS 4 needs an Nvidia RTX card, and FSR 4 needs a recent AMD card, so older GPUs should skip those two.

How do I fix Borderlands 4 stuttering?

Let the first launch finish, because Unreal Engine 5 compiles shaders and causes hitches for the first few minutes. Install the game on an SSD, close background apps and update your GPU driver to cut stutter.

Is it safe to undo the Borderlands 4 Engine.ini changes?

Yes. Delete Engine.ini from the config folder, or rename your Engine.ini.bak backup back to Engine.ini. The game then rebuilds its default settings, so nothing is permanent.