To check whether your PC can run a game, compare the game’s official minimum and recommended requirements with your Windows version, CPU, RAM, graphics card, storage, and any listed feature or security requirements. Minimum specs indicate a lower compatibility threshold—not guaranteed smooth performance or a particular frame rate.
Find the game’s official requirements
Open the game’s store listing or publisher page and note both the minimum and recommended PC requirements. Steam lists requirements on each game’s Store page, and Epic Games Support directs players to the game description. Start with the listing for the exact game; requirements can differ between titles and releases.
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Keep the two tiers separate. A PC might meet minimum requirements without meeting recommended requirements. Record every item the listing names, including operating system, CPU, memory, graphics card, storage, DirectX or other graphics features, and any special security conditions.
Find your PC’s specifications in Windows
Use Settings for the essentials
- Open Start > Settings > System > About. Check the processor, installed RAM, system type (including whether Windows is 64-bit), and Windows version. If the labels differ, search Windows for About your PC.
- For a detailed inventory, press Windows key + R, type
msinfo32, and press Enter. In System Information, review System Summary for the operating system, processor, and memory. - In System Information, expand Components > Display to see graphics-adapter details. This is also the route Epic Games Support gives for finding the video card.
Microsoft documents these Windows routes in its PC specification guide. Menu names can vary by Windows version.
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Check graphics and drivers with DirectX Diagnostic Tool
Press Windows key + R, enter dxdiag, and open the Display tab to identify the graphics hardware and driver details. Microsoft describes DxDiag as a way to inspect gaming-related graphics information; Steam Support also recommends it for checking the card and driver version. Its driver guidance explains the inspection steps.
Use Task Manager for a live view
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and select Performance to view live CPU, GPU, memory, and disk graphs. These graphs show activity, not a substitute for the component models and capacities you need to compare with the game’s requirements. Microsoft includes this route in its Windows guide.
Compare the requirements with your PC
Work through the game’s list one item at a time. Compare exact model names and stated capacities rather than relying on a brand name or a rough guess about a model number.
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- Operating system and architecture: Verify that your Windows version and 32-bit or 64-bit system type meet the listing.
- Processor: Compare your CPU model with the one listed. If the models do not match, look for a reliable comparison for those specific CPUs instead of assuming one is faster based on its name.
- RAM: Compare installed memory with the stated requirement.
- Graphics: Match the GPU model, and compare any listed VRAM capacity or graphics feature requirement. Integrated graphics can perform worse than dedicated graphics; Steam notes that integrated graphics may lead to lower performance.
- Storage: Check that you have enough available space for the game.
- Other conditions: Check any named DirectX level, graphics feature, Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, or other requirement. A game’s requirements can include conditions beyond processor and memory.
Epic’s system-requirements guide likewise advises comparing the PC’s operating system, processor, memory, and video card with the game description.
Interpret the result without overpromising
Report the result by tier: whether the PC appears to meet minimum requirements, recommended requirements, both, or neither. Meeting minimum requirements does not promise high FPS, maximum settings, or smooth play. Steam cautions that meeting requirements alone does not guarantee high frame rates, while Epic says a system that only meets minimums probably will not run at the highest settings. See Steam’s performance troubleshooting guidance.
A DirectX runtime version on Windows also does not prove that the graphics card supports every hardware feature a game needs. Steam explains that the GPU may lack a required feature level even when the DirectX runtime is installed. Compare the game’s stated graphics requirements with the actual GPU, as described in Steam’s DirectX and Pixel Shader guidance.
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Drivers matter too: outdated graphics drivers can affect performance even when the card meets or exceeds the listed requirements. Check the driver version and date in DxDiag and consult the GPU maker’s official driver information if an update appears necessary.
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Some games or anti-cheat software also require Secure Boot or TPM 2.0 to be supported and enabled. Check whether the game listing names these conditions; Steam describes ways to check their status through Steam System Information, Windows, or BIOS in its Secure Boot and TPM guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do when your PC is close to the line
A requirements list is a compatibility guide, not a benchmark. If a CPU or GPU is close to the listed model and the match is unclear, seek comparisons for those exact parts and, when possible, gameplay evidence for the same game and similar hardware. Do not infer equivalent performance from manufacturers or model-number patterns alone.
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If you already own the game and it launches, you can observe performance in play rather than treating the spec comparison as an FPS prediction. Steam’s in-game overlay performance monitor can display FPS and CPU, GPU, and system RAM activity; see Steam’s overlay monitor guide. Actual results can vary with settings, drivers, game version, resolution, and the rest of the PC configuration.
If you identify a shortfall, determine which component or requirement is responsible before considering a change. Any hardware upgrade must be compatible with the particular PC; no single upgrade is necessary for everyone.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsQuick Recap
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