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How to boost FPS in Mafia II: Definitive Edition

Getting the best performance out of a PC video game is often a long and painful undertaking, but you’ll be glad you went through the stress when your efforts finally pay off. In this article, you’ll find different tweaks and settings to apply to get Mafia II: Definitive Edition to run smoothly on your system.

Check the game’s system requirements

If you’re going to achieve the best performance when playing Mafia II: Definitive Edition on your PC, then you must apply the best settings for your PC. To do that, you need to know the graphics settings that your computer can handle and check them against the game’s minimum and recommended requirements. We’ll be providing you with all the information you need alongside a guide that will help you check your system’s configuration.

Minimum Requirements

Operating System: 64-bit Windows 8.1

CPU: Intel i5-2500K; AMD FX-8120

System Memory: 6 GB of RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB; AMD Radeon HD7870 2GB

Storage: 50 GB of available space

Sound Card: DirectX-compatible

Operating System: 64-bit Windows 8.1

CPU: Intel i7-3770; AMD FX-8350

System Memory: 6 GB of RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 4GB; AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB

Storage: 50 GB of available space

Sound Card: DirectX-compatible

You can follow the steps below to check your system’s specs:

  1. Click the Start button or press the Windows logo key.
  2. From the Start menu, click on the gear icon right above the power icon.

Note that you can also press the Windows and I keys simultaneously to launch the Settings application.

  1. After the Settings application appears, click on the System icon.
  2. Once you see the System interface, scroll down to the bottom of the left pane, and then click on About.
  3. Afterwards, head to the main window under the About tab and check your system’s specs under Device Specifications. This is where you’ll find your CPU’s make, model, and architecture and the size of your system memory, among others.
  4. If you want to check how much storage you have, double-click on This PC on your Desktop and navigate to Devices and Drives. If you don’t have the This PC icon on the Desktop, press Windows + I, then go to the left pane of the File Explorer window and click on This PC.
  5. To check your graphics card’s details, follow the steps below:
  • Punch the Windows and R keys at the same time to launch the Run dialog box. You can also right-click on the Start button and select Run.
  • Once you see Run, type “dxdiag” (without the quotes) into the text box and click on the OK button or press the Enter key.
  • After the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window appears, go to the Display tab and check your graphics card’s details, such as its make, model, and driver version.

Run the game as an administrator

A lack of admin privileges may be preventing the game from running properly. This has been an issue with many video games, and it may be the cause of the problem here as well. If you run the game as an administrator, Windows will allow it to access any protected system file or folder that it needs to run properly.

Make sure you log into a user account with admin rights before you apply this tweak. Since you’re using the Steam or Epic Games client to run the game, you have to adjust the properties of its EXE file. The steps below will show you how to locate the file and perform the necessary actions:

  1. Open a File Explorer window by using the Windows + E keyboard shortcut.
  2. After the window shows up, go to the left side and click on This PC.
  3. Go to the right pane and double-click on the C drive.
  4. Once the drive opens, head to the Program Files (x86) folder and click on it.
  5. Next, open the Steam folder.
  6. After the Steam folder shows up, locate the Steamapps folder and double-click on it.
  7. Now, open the Common folder, then look for the game’s folder and open it.
  8. If you choose a custom folder when installing the game, then you won’t find its installation directory by following the steps we’ve shown you above. You have to follow these steps instead:
  • Launch the Steam client.
  • After Steam opens, find your way to the top of the window and click on Library below the Menu tab.
  • Once your game list appears, head to Mafia II: Definitive Edition and right-click it.
  • From the context menu, click on Properties.
  • Now, head to the right side of the window and click on Local Files.
  • Navigate to the Local Files tab and click on the button that reads, “Browse Local Files.” The game’s folder should appear.
  1. If you installed the game via Epic Games, you should find its folder in C:\Program Files\Epic Games or C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games. If the game isn’t there, you can create a shortcut for it by following these steps:
  • Open the Epic Games launcher.
  • Once the program shows up, go to your Library.
  • Go to Mafia II: Definitive Edition and click on the three dots.
  • From the context menu, select Create a Shortcut.
  1. Now, locate the game’s EXE file or shortcut, depending on the method you followed, right-click it, and then click on Properties from the context menu.
  2. After the Properties dialog window shows up, head to the Compatibility tab.
  3. Under the Compatibility tab, check the box beside “Run this program as an administrator” and click on the OK button.
  4. You can now run the game and check for the performance problem.

Adjust the game’s settings

Check your current graphics settings and make sure you’re using options that your system can handle. You can go for low settings if your computer’s specs are close to the minimum requirements. If you have decent specifications, go for medium settings. Note that you can only max out the settings if your PC’s specs surpass the recommended requirements by far.

If your PC’s configuration is on the low side, apply these settings:

Global Settings: Custom

Window Mode: Fullscreen

V-Sync: Off

Anisotropic Filtering: 1x

Shadow Quality: Low

Geometry Detail: Low

HBAO: Off

Vignette: Off

Chromatic Aberration: Off

MSAA: Off

Post AA: Off

Frame Rate Limit: 60

Update your graphics card driver

Graphics card driver issues are responsible for many game-related problems. You may be experiencing the lags because your driver is obsolete or damaged. You can easily get rid of the problem here by installing the updated version of the driver.

Before you install the update, make sure you remove the current version, as it could be corrupt. The following steps will walk you through the process of uninstalling the GPU driver:

  1. Press the Windows logo and S keys simultaneously to launch the search box. You can also do that by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the taskbar.
  2. After the search function opens, type “device manager” (without the quotes).
  3. Click on Device Manager on the results list.
  4. Once you see the Device Manager window, locate the Display Adapters category and click on the arrow beside it to expand it.
  5. After that, right-click on your graphics card.
  6. Select Uninstall Device from the context menu that pops out.
  7. The Uninstall Device dialog box will now come up.
  8. Make sure the checkbox beside “Delete the driver software for this device” in the confirmation dialog box is checked before you click on the Uninstall button.
  9. Now, wait back and allow Windows to uninstall the driver software.

Once your PC comes up, go ahead and install the latest version of your GPU’s driver. Make sure you take the right steps. If you don’t know what to do, we’ve provided detailed steps that will guide you.

Use the Windows Update utility

Windows Update does a fine job when it comes to updating the drivers of those devices that Microsoft supports. You should run it to check if there are pending updates for your system. The following steps will show you what to do:

  1. Launch the Settings application by punching the Windows logo key and clicking on the gear icon in the Start menu or by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting Settings in the Quick Access menu. You can also use the Windows + I keyboard combo to summon the app faster.
  2. After the home page of Settings shows up, click on the Update & Security label.
  3. Once the Update & Security interface comes up, remain in the Windows Update tab and click on the Check for Updates button.
  4. Now, allow the utility to download all the updates available for your PC, especially if there’s a feature update on the list.
  5. Once the updates finish downloading, click on the Restart Now button to prompt Windows Update to restart your computer and install them.
  6. Your computer will now reboot several times as the updates are being installed.

Once the process completes, launch Mafia II: Definitive Edition and check the game’s performance.

Use the Device Manager

The steps below will show you how to use the Device Manager to update your graphics card driver:

  1. Use the Windows + S keyboard combination to summon the search function beside Start.
  2. Once it shows up, type “device manager” (without the quotes) into the text box, and then choose Device Manager from the Results list.
  3. Once the Device Manager window comes up, expand the Display Adapters drop-down.
  4. Right-click your graphics card and select Update Driver.
  5. Click on “Search automatically for updated driver software” in the Update Driver window.
  6. Allow Windows to fetch the driver and install it.
  7. Reboot your system and check for the performance issue in Mafia II: Definitive Edition once the process completes.

Use an automated program

If you want to do yourself the favor of avoiding the stress that comes with going through the Device Manager, then you have to go for a program such as Auslogics Driver Updater. You’ll also be escaping the worry of wondering whether the Windows Update utility will be able to download and install the right driver.

Auslogics Driver Updater is designed to handle everything as far as driver-related issues go. It carries out routine scans to find problematic or outdated device drivers in your system. Once found, these problematic drivers will be replaced by their updated versions. A trait that makes the tool stand out is that it only downloads and installs drivers that are approved by device manufacturers.

Another great thing is that whenever the program performs an update, you have the option to back up the replaced driver so that you can easily roll back in the future.

Use the Steam client

You can use the Steam client to update your display driver. The application will either offer to help you download and install the driver or point you to the manufacturer’s website, where you can install it. The steps below will walk you through the process:

  1. Launch the Steam client.
  2. Once the client opens, go to the top of the window and then click on Steam.
  3. From the drop-down menu, click on “Check for driver updates.”
  4. After that, the Steam client will check your display card’s details. It will help you install the driver automatically or direct you to the website of the card’s manufacturer, where you can download and install the driver.

Optimize your system for better performance

By improving your PC’s general performance, you’ll also be boosting performance in the game. The steps below will show you how to choose performance-based settings in Windows:

  1. Double-click on any folder on your desktop or click on the folder icon in the taskbar to open a File Explorer window. You can also use the Windows + E keyboard shortcut to summon File Explorer.
  2. After File Explorer appears, go to the left sidebar, right-click This PC, and then click on Properties.
  3. Once the System window opens, go to the left pane and click on “Advanced System Settings”.
  4. After the “System Properties” window appears, click on the “Settings” button under “Performance”.
  5. Once you see the “Performance Options” dialog window, stay in the “Visual Effects” tab, select “Adjust for best performance,” and then click on the OK button.
  6. Click on the OK button in the System Properties dialog.
  7. Now, check for the performance issue in Mafia II: Definitive Edition.

Tweak your graphics card to boost the game’s performance

You can use the program provided by your graphics card manufacturer to tweak how the card processes the game. This could help you boost the game’s performance, especially if the graphics card isn’t fine-tuned to handle the game by default. We’ll be showing you the settings to apply in the NVIDIA Control Panel and AMD Radeon Settings.

NVIDIA Control Panel

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run or use the Windows + R keyboard combo to summon the dialog box.
  2. After Run appears, type “control panel” (without the quotes) into the text field and hit the Enter key.
  3. Once Control Panel opens, go to the “View by” drop-down in the top-right corner of the window and click on “Large icons.”
  4. Click on NVIDIA Control Panel.
  5. Once the NVIDIA Control Panel opens, navigate to the left pane of the window and click on “Adjust image settings with preview” under 3D Settings.
  6. Next, go to the right pane of the window and choose the radio button for “Use my preference emphasizing.”
  7. Move the slider to Performance.

Important note: If your system has high-end specs, you can select the “Let the 3D application decide” option instead.

  1. Return to the left pane of the NVIDIA Control Panel and click on Manage 3D Settings under 3D Settings.
  2. Navigate to the right pane and head to the Program Settings tab.
  3. Go to the “Choose a program to customize” drop-down menu and choose Mafia II: Definitive Edition. If you can’t find the game in the drop-down menu, click on the Add button to the right. Now, go to the game’s installation folder once the dialog pops up, and then double-click its executable file.
  4. You can now select Mafia II: Definitive Edition.
  5. Now, configure the following settings for the game:
    • Maximum Pre-Rendered Frames: 1
    • Power Management Mode: “Prefer maximum performance”
    • Texture filtering – Anisotropic sample optimization: Off
    • Texture filtering – Quality: High Performance
    • Texture filtering – Trilinear Optimization: On
    • Threaded optimization: On
    • Vertical Sync: Fast
  6. Click on the Apply button, then close the NVIDIA Control Panel and check for the performance problem in Mafia II: Definitive Edition.

AMD Radeon Settings

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run or use the Windows + R keyboard combo to summon the dialog box.
  2. After Run appears, type “control panel” (without the quotes) into the text field and hit the Enter key.
  3. Once Control Panel opens, go to the “View by” drop-down in the top-right corner of the window and click on “Large icons.”
  4. Click on AMD Radeon Settings.
  5. Once AMD Radeon Setting appears, go to the top-left corner of the window and click on Gaming.
  6. After you get to the Gaming tab, click on the Global Settings button.
  7. Go to the “Anti-aliasing mode” drop-down menu and select “Override application settings” to prompt AMD Radeon Settings to take control of Anti-Aliasing over Mafia II: Definitive Edition.
  8. Go to the “Anti-aliasing level” drop-down and select 2X.
  9. Turn on “Anisotropic Filtering Mode.”
  10. Set the “Anisotropic Filtering Level” option to 2X.
  11. Choose Performance in the Texture Filtering Quality drop-down menu.
  12. Set “Wait for Vertical Refresh” to Always Turned Off.
  13. Navigate to the Tessellation Mode drop-down and select “Override application settings.”
  14. Set Maximum Tessellation Level to 32X or below.

Make sure the game is running on your dedicated graphics card

Gamers whose computers use two graphics cards found out that forcing the game to run on their dedicated cards could get rid of the performance problem. If you have such a system, try that and check if you see any result. We’ll be showing you how to force the game to run on your dedicated GPU via the Settings application and via the proprietary program of your video card.

NVIDIA Control Panel

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run or use the Windows + R keyboard combo to summon the dialog box.
  2. After Run appears, type “control panel” (without the quotes) into the text field and hit the Enter key.
  3. Once Control Panel opens, go to the “View by” drop-down in the top-right corner of the window and click on “Large icons.”
  4. Click on NVIDIA Control Panel.
  5. Once the program opens, go to the left pane and click on “Manage 3D Settings” under the 3D Settings tree.
  6. Switch to the right pane, and under the General tab, click on “High-performance NVIDIA processor” in the Preferred Graphics Processor drop-down menu.
  7. Next, go to the Program Settings tab.
  8. Click on the “Choose a program to customize” drop-down menu, then select Mafia II: Definitive Edition. If you can’t find the game, click on Add, then go to the installation folder of Mafia II: Definitive Edition and double-click its executable file.
  9. Now, go to the “Select the preferred graphics processor for this program” menu and select “High-performance NVIDIA processor.”
  10. Click on the Apply button to save your changes, then check for the performance problem.

AMD Radeon Settings

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run or use the Windows + R keyboard combo to summon the dialog box.
  2. After Run appears, type “control panel” (without the quotes) into the text field and hit the Enter key.
  3. Once Control Panel opens, go to the “View by” drop-down in the top-right corner of the window and click on “Large icons.”
  4. Click on AMD Radeon Settings.
  5. Once AMD Radeon Settings shows up, navigate to the top of the window and click on “System”.
  6. Go to the top-right corner of the System interface and click on “Switchable Graphics”.
  7. You’ll see the “Running applications” view by default once the “Switchable Graphics” interface appears. If Mafia II: Definitive Edition is open, it should be visible.
  8. Click on the game, and then choose “High Performance” from the menu that drops down.
  9. If you don’t see the game, navigate to the top-right corner of the “Switchable graphics” interface and click on Running Applications.
  10. Click on “Installed Profiled Applications” on the next page.
  11. Locate Mafia II: Definitive Edition and change its Switchable Graphics option to “High Performance”.
  12. If the game still doesn’t show up, go to the top-right corner again and click on the “Browse” button. Once the Browse dialog pops up, find your way to the game’s installation folder and add it.
  13. You can now change its option to High Performance.

Settings

  1. Right-click on your desktop and click on “Display Settings” in the context menu.
  2. Once the “Display” interface of the Settings app shows up, go to the bottom of the window and click on “Graphics Settings”.
  3. After the “Graphics Settings” screen appears, go to the drop-down menu under “Choose an app to set preference” and select “Classic App”.
  4. Now, click on the “Browse” button, then go to the installation folder of Mafia II: Definitive Edition and double-click on its EXE file.
  5. Once the game’s icon appears, click on it, then click on “Options’.
  6. Next, select “High Performance” in the dialog box that pops up and click on the “Save” button.

Conclusion

There are other things that you can do to increase the speed of your system and, by extension, boost the game’s performance. One of those things is installing Auslogics BoostSpeed. The program helps declutter your hard drive and get rid of other elements that are negatively affecting your system’s speed.

If you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, you can use the comments section below!