Mafia Definitive Edition is a stunning remake of the classic open-world action game Mafia. With its realistic city, compelling story, and film-quality cinematics, it’s easy to see why the game has received widespread critical acclaim. However, Mafia Definitive Edition also has some hefty system requirements that can make it challenging to play on low-end PCs.
If you’re running an older or budget PC build, you may encounter issues like low frame rates, stuttering, sudden fps drops, and input lag. But don’t worry, with some tweaking of the graphics settings and system optimization, you can get Mafia Definitive Edition running smoothly even on low-end hardware.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the steps to optimize Mafia Definitive Edition for the best performance on a low-end PC. Our goal is to help you achieve a minimum of 30 fps gameplay so you can enjoy this stellar remake without all the technical headaches. Let’s get started!
Update Your GPU Drivers
The first thing you should always do when trying to boost game performance is to update your graphics drivers. Outdated drivers can severely impact fps and cause glitches or crashes.
For Nvidia GPUs, head to Nvidia’s website and download the latest Game Ready Driver. For AMD cards, get the latest Adrenalin drivers from AMD’s site. A driver update can sometimes resolve many performance issues right off the bat.
Configure the GPU Control Panel
After updating drivers, you need to configure some settings in your GPU’s control panel:
Nvidia
- Open Nvidia Control Panel
- Go to Adjust Image Settings with Preview
- Set it to Performance mode
- Go to Manage 3D Settings
- Add MafiaDefinitiveEdition.exe to the program settings
- Set Power Management Mode to Prefer Maximum Performance
- Turn Vertical Sync to Off
AMD
- Open Radeon Software
- Go to Gaming > Graphics
- Set Texture Filtering Quality to Performance
Tweaking these settings prevents your GPU from downclocking and lets Mafia tap into its full power.
Optimize the .exe Files
Mafia Definitive Edition uses two main .exe files – MafiaDefinitiveEdition.exe and Launcher.exe. You need to optimize them as follows:
- Right-click each .exe file, go to Properties > Compatibility
- Tick Disable Fullscreen Optimizations
- Click Change High DPI settings
- Enable Override high DPI scaling behaviour
- Select Application from the drop-down under Scaling performed by
This forces Windows to stop messing with the .exe files so Mafia can run without interference.
Next, go to Windows Graphics Settings and set each .exe to High-Performance mode. This makes the game a priority for your GPU.
Windows Settings Tweaks
A few quick settings changes in Windows can also help boost gaming performance:
- Go to Power Options and set the plan to High Performance
- Search for Graphics Settings and disable Game Mode
- Use Disk Cleanup to remove unwanted temp files
- Try CPU Core Parking Manager to improve CPU speeds
Laptop users should ensure their Nvidia GPU is set as the preferred graphics processor in the Nvidia Control Panel.
Software Optimization
Background apps like Discord, Spotify, Chrome etc. can hamper game performance. Set them to close when you launch Mafia to free up resources.
Also, make sure to disable unnecessary startup programs using Task Manager. The fewer programs running in the background, the better.
In-Game Graphics Settings
Now comes the fun part – dialing in Mafia Definitive Edition’s graphics settings for max fps:
- Set Resolution to minimum 1980×1080
- Select Fullscreen mode
- Turn VSync Off
- Disable Depth of Field and Motion Blur
- Set Geometry Detail, Vegetation to Low
- Use Low on Lighting, Shadows, Reflections
- Minimize Anti-Aliasing
These tweaks will drastically improve fps. You can then experiment with nudging some settings up if your fps is stable above 30.
Additional Tips
Here are some extra optimizations for a smoother Mafia experience:
- Set Refresh Rate to max monitor refresh rate if using Fullscreen
- Install the game on an SSD if possible
- Close background software and tabs when playing
- Avoid using alt-tab during load screens
With these steps, Mafia Definitive Edition should run quite smoothly even on a low end PC build. While you may have to sacrifice some graphical bells and whistles, the core Mafia experience remains intact.
Hopefully this guide has helped you get Mafia running smoothly on your budget or older PC. Let us know if you have any other optimization tips for Mafia!
FAQ
How well will Mafia run on my PC?
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Conclusion
Mafia Definitive Edition is easily one of the best remasters of all time. With incredible action sequences, an engaging plot, and breathtaking cinematics, it’s a title no gamer should miss. Hopefully this guide has helped you get Mafia running smoothly on your budget or older PC.
While you may have to turn down the graphics, the excellent gameplay and immersive mafia story remains untouched. And with some smart optimizations, you can enjoy fluid 30fps+ gameplay even on low-end rigs. So fire up Mafia Definitive Edition, take a ride through Lost Heaven, and experience this masterpiece for yourself – no console required!
