Mafia: The Old Country – PC Optimization Guide
Posted by Karan Parmar | August 9, 2025
This PC Optimization Guide for Mafia: The Old Country is the result of my own hands-on testing and tweaking. I’ve gone through every major graphics setting to find the sweet spot: the best balance between FPS and visual quality. Whether you’re on a powerful gaming PC or a mid-range setup, you’ll find step-by-step recommendations, benchmarks, and side-by-side comparisons to help you enjoy the game exactly as the developers intended: just smoother and faster.
PC Specs & Test Bench
Tested On:
- CPU: Intel Core I5-13600K @ 5.10 Ghz (6 P-cores + 8 E-cores)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8GB (Desktop)
- RAM: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz
- SSD Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 1TB NVMe M.2 5000MBps
- Resolution: 1080p / 1440p
Ultra vs Optimized – Comparison
Performance Results:
- 1080p Ultra – Native DLAA – 34 FPS avg
- 1080p Ultra – DLSS 4 Quality – 42 FPS avg
- 1080p Optimized – Native DLAA – 52 FPS avg
- 1080p Optimized – DLSS 4 Quality – 68 FPS avg
- 1440p Ultra – Native DLAA – 18 FPS avg
- 1440p Ultra – DLSS 4 Balanced – 38 FPS avg
- 1440p Optimized – Native DLAA – 36 FPS avg
- 1440p Optimized – DLSS 4 Balanced – 55 FPS avg
Visual Fidelity Comparison:
My Recommended Optimized Settings
| Graphics Settings | Ultra | Optimized | Reason |
| Anti Aliasing & Upscaling | NVIDIA DLSS | NVIDIA DLSS | Best Image Quality |
| Upscaling Mode | NATIVE (DLAA) | Quality Mode (1080p) Balanced Mode (1440p) Performance Mode (2160p) | Sharper Visuals & Higher FPS |
| Frame Generation | OFF | OFF | Avoids Input Lag and Visual Artifacts |
| Motion Blur | ON | OFF | Clearer Image, No Unnecessary Blur |
| Global Illumination | Epic | High | Big FPS Gain, Minor Quality Loss |
| Shadows | Epic | Medium | Minor Visual Drop, Good FPS Boost |
| Reflections | Epic | Epic | Maintains Visual Fidelity |
| View Distance | Epic | Far | Better Performance with Minimal Detail Loss |
| Textures | Epic | Epic | No Performance Cost on Modern GPUs |
| Foliage | Epic | Medium | Keeps World Detail, Minor Visual Drop |
| Effects | Epic | Epic | Maintains Visuals, Minor FPS Impact |
| Post Processing | Epic | Medium | Reduces FPS Load with Little Visual Change |
Performance Insights
Mafia: The Old Country is a very demanding title, so don’t expect high frame rates on mid-range systems without optimization. Lowering shadows and global illumination by one or two levels can yield significant FPS gains while keeping the visuals close to Ultra.
- Performance varies depending on the environment; indoor and close-quarter areas provide noticeably better frame rates, while the open world is far heavier on performance.
- The DLSS 4 upscaler offers image quality comparable to native resolution but with a significant FPS boost, making it highly recommended for this game.
- Frame generation doesn’t noticeably increase input latency on a 180 Hz display, but visual quality suffers; fast motion introduces artifacts and a softer image. On 60 Hz displays, latency may be more noticeable.
- Occasional texture pop-in or slow texture loading can occur, especially when moving quickly through dense environments. Using faster storage (NVMe SSD) may reduce this.
- This game is RAM-heavy: you’ll want at least 16GB, but 32GB is recommended for smoother streaming and fewer hiccups.
- Disabling Motion Blur improves clarity in driving and shooting without affecting performance.
- VRAM management is impressively efficient, with usage staying under 8 GB even at 1440p.
- As a UE5 title, it’s surprisingly free of micro-stutters or major frame spikes, which makes gameplay feel smoother overall.
Watch the Optimized Settings in Action
Reading settings is one thing, but seeing the difference in real time makes all the impact. That’s why I’ve put together a full benchmark video of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater using my optimized settings across different GPUs.
If you’re unsure whether your system can handle Snake Eater smoothly, this video is the perfect companion to the written guide, giving you both the numbers and the visuals to make the best settings choice.
Closing Summary
Mafia: The Old Country is a technically ambitious UE5 title that delivers moments of stunning, AAA-level visual fidelity, especially during story-driven sequences and certain lighting conditions. But its presentation can be inconsistent, with some environments or textures looking flat compared to others, breaking that high-end immersion. Performance-wise, the game is demanding on the GPU, particularly in its open-world sections, which are heavier to render than indoor or close-quarter areas. With the right settings adjustments, you can retain much of the game’s cinematic atmosphere while significantly improving frame rates and stability. The optimized configuration provided above keeps visual quality close to Ultra in its best moments while smoothing out performance dips in busier or more demanding areas. Whether you’re navigating crowded city streets under dynamic lighting or racing through the countryside, these tweaks ensure a more fluid, enjoyable experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.
Buy the Game
You can purchase Mafia: The Old Country from the following official platforms:
Support the developers and step into the brutal origins of the Mafia, where loyalty is tested and power comes at a price.
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