Is Ray Tracing Worth Enabling Or Does It Ruin Frame Rates

In modern gaming, few technologies have sparked as much debate as ray tracing. Promising cinematic lighting, realistic reflections, and immersive shadows, it’s often hailed as the future of graphics. But with that leap in visual fidelity comes a steep cost: performance. Many gamers face a tough choice—enable ray tracing for stunning visuals or disable it to maintain smooth frame rates. The answer isn’t universal; it depends on your hardware, display setup, and personal priorities. Let’s explore whether ray tracing is truly worth enabling or if it inevitably ruins your gaming experience.

Understanding Ray Tracing: Beyond the Hype

Ray tracing simulates the physical behavior of light. Unlike traditional rasterization, which approximates lighting and reflections using pre-calculated effects, ray tracing calculates how individual light rays interact with surfaces in real time. This means accurate reflections on curved car bodies, dynamic shadows that shift with moving objects, and ambient occlusion that enhances depth perception.

The technology has roots in film production, where rendering a single frame can take hours. Real-time ray tracing in games is a monumental achievement, made possible only recently by dedicated hardware like NVIDIA’s RTX series and AMD’s RDNA 2/3 GPUs with ray acceleration units.

However, this realism comes at a computational price. Each ray must be traced from the camera through each pixel and bounced off multiple surfaces to determine color and brightness. Even with hardware acceleration, the GPU workload increases significantly—especially when combined with high resolutions and frame rate targets.

“Ray tracing changes how we perceive virtual spaces—it’s not just about prettier graphics, but more believable worlds.” — Mark Szymanski, Senior Graphics Engineer at Insomniac Games

Performance Impact: How Much Do Frame Rates Drop?

The most common complaint about ray tracing is its impact on frame rates. In many titles, enabling ray tracing—even at medium settings—can reduce performance by 30% to 50%, depending on the implementation and hardware.

Consider these real-world examples:

Game	GPU	Resolution	RT Off (FPS)	RT On (FPS)	FPS Drop
Cyberpunk 2077	RTX 4070	1440p	78	49	37%
Control	RTX 3080	4K	60	38	37%
Resident Evil Village	RTX 4060 Ti	1080p	92	68	26%
Alan Wake 2	RTX 4080	1440p	60	30	50%

These numbers show a consistent trend: ray tracing exacts a heavy toll. High-end GPUs fare better, but even flagship cards struggle to maintain 60 FPS at 4K with full ray tracing enabled. Mid-range systems often require DLSS, FSR, or lowering other graphical settings to compensate.

Tip: Use upscaling technologies like DLSS (NVIDIA) or FSR (AMD) to recover lost performance. Often, combining ray tracing with quality or balanced presets restores playable frame rates.

When Ray Tracing Adds Real Value

Not all implementations are equal. Some games use ray tracing thoughtfully, enhancing immersion without overwhelming the GPU. Others apply it inconsistently, offering minimal visual gain for massive performance loss.

Games where ray tracing shines:

• Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Realistic city reflections and soft shadow cascades make New York feel alive.
• Control – RT reflections in polished surfaces and glass create a surreal, otherworldly atmosphere.
• Alan Wake 2 – Ray-traced global illumination transforms dark environments with natural light diffusion.
• Resident Evil Village – Accurate shadows and lighting amplify horror tension in dimly lit areas.

In these titles, ray tracing isn’t just cosmetic—it alters mood, depth, and believability. The difference is immediately noticeable, especially on larger monitors or HDR displays.

Conversely, some games implement ray tracing poorly. Reflections may flicker, lighting updates slowly, or the effect is limited to one element (like shadows) while others remain rasterized. In such cases, the performance hit outweighs the benefit.

Mini Case Study: Upgrading for Ray Tracing

Daniel, a PC gamer using an RTX 2060, upgraded to an RTX 4070 primarily to enjoy ray tracing at 1440p. Before, he played Cyberpunk 2077 at 60 FPS with ray tracing disabled. After the upgrade, he enabled “High” ray tracing and activated DLSS Performance mode. His average frame rate climbed to 58–62 FPS, with far greater visual fidelity. He described the experience as “transformative”—especially in rainy night scenes where neon signs reflect realistically on wet pavement.

His takeaway: Ray tracing became worthwhile only after upgrading both GPU and adopting upscaling. On older hardware, it remained unplayable.

Hardware Requirements: Who Can Run It Smoothly?

Running ray tracing smoothly isn’t just about having a powerful GPU—it’s a system-wide challenge. Here’s what you need for a balanced experience:

1. Modern GPU: NVIDIA RTX 30-series or newer (preferably 40-series), or AMD RX 6000/7000 series with strong ray tracing units.
2. Sufficient VRAM: At least 8GB, but 12GB+ recommended for 1440p and above with RT enabled.
3. Fast CPU: A bottlenecked CPU will negate GPU gains. Intel Core i5/i7 12th gen+ or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and up.
4. RAM: 16GB DDR4/DDR5 minimum; 32GB ideal for multitasking and large game assets.
5. Upscaling Support: DLSS, FSR, or XeSS to offset performance loss without major image degradation.

Without these components, enabling ray tracing often leads to stuttering, low frame pacing, and disappointment. Gamers with entry-level or last-gen hardware should prioritize frame rate stability over visual enhancements.

Tip: If you own an RTX card, always enable DLSS. For AMD users, FSR 3 with frame generation offers similar recovery potential.

Do’s and Don’ts of Enabling Ray Tracing

To help you decide whether to turn ray tracing on, here’s a practical checklist based on real-world testing and expert recommendations.

Action	Recommendation	Reason
Enable ray tracing on a 1080p monitor with a GTX 1660	❌ Don’t	Lacks RT cores; performance will drop below 30 FPS in most titles.
Use ray tracing + DLSS Quality on RTX 3070 at 1440p	✅ Do	Balances visual fidelity and performance effectively.
Enable full ray tracing at 4K without upscaling	❌ Don’t	Even RTX 4090 struggles to maintain 60 FPS consistently.
Try ray tracing in competitive multiplayer games	❌ Don’t	Lower frame rates hurt reaction time; visuals matter less than responsiveness.
Use ray tracing in narrative-driven single-player games	✅ Do	Enhances storytelling and emotional immersion.

Step-by-Step Guide: Optimizing Ray Tracing Settings

If you’re committed to trying ray tracing, follow this sequence to maximize results:

1. Assess your hardware: Confirm your GPU supports ray tracing and has sufficient VRAM.
2. Update drivers: Install the latest graphics drivers for optimal RT performance.
3. Launch the game: Start with ray tracing disabled and all settings maxed out.
4. Baseline performance: Record average FPS during a demanding scene.
5. Enable ray tracing: Activate the lowest RT preset first (e.g., “On - Low”).
6. Monitor impact: Re-test FPS. If drop exceeds 25%, proceed to next step.
7. Activate upscaling: Enable DLSS (Quality or Balanced) or FSR (Balanced or Performance).
8. Adjust resolution scaling: Lower internal resolution slightly if needed to regain target FPS.
9. Evaluate visuals: Compare screenshots with and without RT. Is the improvement noticeable?
10. Finalize settings: Choose the best balance between smooth gameplay and visual quality.

This methodical approach prevents frustration and helps you avoid blindly sacrificing performance for negligible gains.

FAQ: Common Questions About Ray Tracing

Does ray tracing work on all games?

No. Ray tracing must be implemented by developers. Only select titles support it, and the quality varies widely. Check official system requirements or community benchmarks before assuming compatibility.

Can I enable ray tracing on a non-RTX GPU?

Some AMD and integrated Intel GPUs support software-based ray tracing, but performance is extremely poor. Hardware-accelerated RT, available only on dedicated RT cores (NVIDIA) or ray accelerators (AMD), is required for playable frame rates.

Is ray tracing worth it for 60Hz monitors?

Possibly. If you value visual fidelity over responsiveness, and play story-rich games, then yes. However, if you notice stutters or dips below 60 FPS, the smoother experience without RT may feel better despite lower realism.

Conclusion: Balancing Beauty and Performance

Ray tracing is not inherently good or bad—it’s a tool. Whether it’s worth enabling depends on your goals. For competitive players chasing every millisecond, it’s a liability. For enthusiasts with high-end rigs playing cinematic single-player adventures, it can elevate the experience to near-filmic quality.

The key is balance. Blindly turning on ray tracing without upscaling or proper hardware leads to disappointment. But when paired with DLSS, FSR, and thoughtful settings adjustments, it becomes feasible—even enjoyable—on a growing number of systems.

As game engines mature and hardware becomes more efficient, the performance gap will narrow. Until then, treat ray tracing as a luxury feature: optional, impactful, and best enjoyed when your setup can handle the load.

🚀 Ready to test ray tracing in your favorite game? Try it with upscaling enabled, compare frame rates, and decide for yourself. Share your findings with the community—your experience could help others find their perfect balance.