Stray on PC – how to fix crashes and increase FPS

Technical problems and graphics settings of the new cat hit

The new game from Annapurna Interactive turned out to be less demanding on hardware. The adventures of the lost cat are cheerfully rendered even on the popular GeForce GTX 1060 with high graphics settings. However, it was not without technical problems.

In this comprehensive guide, we will first display the real system requirements (except official ones) of Stray on PC, then we will deal with crashes and other common bugs, and at the end we will determine the best graphics settings for maximum performance without noticeably degrading the picture.

What kind of computer do you need for Stray (system requirements)?

We studied the tests of the game on different hardware at different resolutions and came to the conclusion that the official system requirements are not far from the truth:

The game can load up to 12 processor threads, but effectively uses no more than 8. At the same time, high performance per core is not required if there are at least 6 cores / threads. Therefore, modern Intel Core i5 or old Core i7 can be considered the minimum processor requirement for Stray, as well as AMD Ryzen 5 of any generation. However, for a stable 60 FPS at high settings at 1080p, you will need a GeForce GTX 1070 or Radeon RX 590 graphics card.

Unfortunately, the official system requirements only target 1080p (1920×1080). Therefore, below we have compiled recommendations for the remaining resolutions, based on the tests studied.

For 1080p @ 30 FPS game play, max. preset (according to tests):

  • Operating system:Windows 10 (64-bit only!).
  • Processor:Intel Core i7-6700 / AMD Ryzen 5 1400.
  • Video card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 570.
  • RAM:8 gigabytes.

For 1080p @ 60 FPS game play, max. preset (according to tests):

  • Operating system:Windows 10 x64.
  • Processor:Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X.
  • Video Card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 / RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 590 / RX 5600 XT.
  • RAM:8 gigabytes.

How Stray goes to the GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) – the most popular graphics card among Steam users

For game play at 1440p @ 30 FPS, max. preset (according to tests):

  • Operating system:Windows 10 x64.
  • Processor:Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X.
  • Video Card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 / RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 590 / RX 5600 XT.
  • RAM:12 gigabytes.

For playing at 1440p @ 60 FPS, max. preset (according to tests):

  • Operating system:Windows 10 x64.
  • Processor:Intel Core i5-9400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3500X.
  • Video Card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 / RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT.
  • RAM:12 gigabytes.

For 4K @ 30 FPS game play, max. preset (according to tests):

  • Operating system:Windows 10 x64.
  • Processor:Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X.
  • Video Card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 / RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT.
  • RAM:16 gigabytes.

For 4K @ 60 FPS game play, max. preset (according to tests):

  • Operating system:Windows 10 x64.
  • Processor:Intel Core i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.
  • Video Card:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 / RTX 3070 / AMD Radeon RX 6800.
  • RAM:16 gigabytes.

Stray technical issues

Doesn’t run on Windows 7

The game is not designed to run on operating systems older than Windows 10. In addition, a 64-bit OS is required.

Won’t start / freezes on startup / black screen / vcruntime140_1.dll error

  1. Download and install RuntimePackThis is a complete set of all libraries necessary to run games.
  2. Verify the integrity of the game files on Steam:
  3. start Steam;
  4. go to the “Library”section ;
  5. right- click onthe game name ( Stray ) in the list on the left and open the properties;
  6. in the “Local files”tab, click “Verify integrity of game files” ;
  7. wait for the process to complete.

III. Disable antivirus, MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner and other similar software.

“Not enough memory” error

Your PC is running out of RAM. The best solution is to increase the amount of RAM to at least 8 gigabytes. Increasing the swap file probably won’t help. Also, be sure to close your browser before launching any game. Especially if it has a large number of open tabs.

Error 0xc0000001 / 0xc0000005 in Stray

This is a problem with Windows system files. Some of them may be damaged. Perform a system restore or reinstall Windows. To check and repair corrupted system files, open a command prompt and type “sfc /scannow” (without quotes).

Error 0xc000007b

Reinstall or update your video card drivers. It is advisable to do a clean install to reset unsuccessful settings.

Stray slows down / lags / low FPS

  1. Update video card drivers:
  • NVIDIA GeForceThe site itself will select the appropriate drivers. Just click Search and then Download Now . After the download is complete, run the downloaded file and follow the instructions in the installer.
  • AMD RadeonScroll down to Search for your product and select your graphics card under Graphics . Click the Submit button . On the page that opens, click LMB on your version of Windows and click “Download” . Once the download is complete, run the downloaded file and follow the instructions in the installer.

Important: Be sure to restart your computer after updating your drivers.

  1. Lower the quality of the effects. Let’s take a closer look at the graphics options below.

Stray graphics settings / how to increase FPS (frame rate) in the game

  • “Full screen”. Choose between standard windowed mode, borderless windowed mode (similar to full screen in appearance), and true (“exclusive”) full screen. For maximum performance, it is better to choose the latter option so that the system allocates maximum resources to the game itself, without maintaining the desktop. But if you sometimes need a second monitor during the game (for example, OBS or a browser is open there), then borderless windowed mode will come in handy – it will allow you to freely move the mouse cursor between screens.
  • “Permission”. It’s best to always specify your display’s native resolution here. For standard monitors, this is usually 1920×1080 (Full HD). And for modern TVs – 3840×2160 (4K).
  • “Resolution Scale”. For a monitor with a resolution no higher than 2560×1440, it is better to leave 100%. It’s worth lowering only on TVs with a resolution of at least 3840×2160 – TVs can smooth out a lower resolution, and the picture on the monitor will become too soapy. It is possible that DLSS or FSR will appear in Stray later, which will improve the quality of upscaling.
  • “Max. frame frequency”. If you play from the keyboard, then this option will help smooth out the video sequence without increasing the input lag, when you want to get a beautiful picture, and the FPS is far from stable 60. You can set 30 frames here and in such a leisurely game like Stray, it will still be comfortable to play.
  • “Graphic memory usage”. Here you just need to make sure that the value on the left does not exceed the value on the right. This will save you from freezes and other signs of unstable framerate. Luckily, the game doesn’t consume more than 4.5 gigabytes of VRAM, even at 4K.
  • “Vertic. sync.”. Can be enabled when playing with a gamepad. The increased input lag on it will be imperceptible, and the video sequence will become even smoother than with a simple frame rate limit – the frame rendering time will be aligned, and not just their maximum number is limited.
  • Motion Blur. Can help smooth out animations and character movements during unstable FPS. But it is better not to turn this effect on the maximum. Little effect on performance.
  • “Sharpness”. On some displays, the picture in the game may look too fuzzy. This setting will help fix this. Adjust by eye. Almost no effect on FPS.
  • Effect quality. The most “gluttonous” parameter in the game! And the only one that significantly affects performance. Despite the name, it is responsible for the quality of shaders. Already at medium quality, the surfaces become less natural, and the materials become more plastic. Therefore, it is better not to fall below average and this will immediately give an increase of 20-25% in productivity!
  • Shadow quality. Shadows in linear adventures with small locations are often easy on modern graphics cards, but older ones (GeForce GTX 900 series / Radeon R9 200 or earlier) are usually harder. Therefore, choose the quality based on the relevance of your graphics adapter.
  • texture quality. Textures are usually adjusted based on the amount of video memory. If your video card has no more than 2 gigabytes, then you will have to downgrade to medium quality (or even low – check the “Graphics Memory Usage” setting). And the owners of 3-gigabyte video cards can already set high.
  • Mesh quality. A mesh is a mesh – this is how object models are called in three-dimensional graphics. Thus, this option is responsible for detailing objects – the number of polygons. But not in the foreground, but on the remote. The maximum available quality depends more on the processor than on the video card. If you have a modern Core i5 / Ryzen 5 or an old Core i7, then you can leave it at high quality.
by Abdullah Sam
I’m a teacher, researcher and writer. I write about study subjects to improve the learning of college and university students. I write top Quality study notes Mostly, Tech, Games, Education, And Solutions/Tips and Tricks. I am a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

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