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The final PC requirements for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl start at 16GB of dual-channel RAM, a 160GB SSD and a GTX 1060/RX 580-class graphics card for 1080p at 30 frames per second. GSC Game World later expanded the original two-tier announcement into Low, Medium, High and Epic targets. Its recommended High tier targets 1440p at 60 FPS, while Epic targets 4K at 60 FPS or higher. The game released on November 20, 2024, so these are the final published specifications rather than pre-release estimates.
Final S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 PC system requirements
GSC’s official system requirements guide describes performance targets rather than a single generic “minimum” and “recommended” configuration.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl - PC | $63.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl Bd. 2: Inferno (Der offizielle Roman zum PC-Horror-Game) | $91.27 | Buy on Amazon |
| Target | Resolution and frame rate | CPU | GPU | Memory | Storage and OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 1080p, 30 FPS | Intel Core i7-7700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X | NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB, AMD RX 580 8GB or Intel Arc A750 | 16GB dual-channel | 160GB SSD; Windows 10/11 x64 |
| Medium | 1080p, 60 FPS | Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X | NVIDIA RTX 2070 Super, RTX 4060 or AMD RX 5700 XT | 16GB dual-channel; 32GB provides additional headroom | 160GB SSD; Windows 10/11 x64 |
| High — recommended | 1440p, 60 FPS | Intel Core i7-11700 or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X | NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti, RTX 4070 or AMD RX 6800 XT | 32GB dual-channel | 160GB SSD; Windows 10/11 x64 |
| Epic | 4K, 60+ FPS | Intel Core i7-13700KF or AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | NVIDIA RTX 4080 or AMD RX 7900 XTX | 32GB | 160GB SSD; Windows 10/11 x64 |
The Steam listing also identifies an SSD as required and lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 64-bit support.
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- 1080p at 30 FPS: Target the Low configuration. This is the entry-level target, not a promise of high-quality or high-refresh gameplay.
- 1080p at 60 FPS: The Medium configuration is the appropriate target.
- 1440p at 60 FPS: Target the High configuration, which GSC labels as recommended.
- 4K at 60 FPS or higher: The Epic configuration requires flagship-class hardware such as an RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX.
These figures are targets associated with presets, not guaranteed frame rates in every location. An open-world game can become CPU-limited in demanding or populated areas even when the graphics card meets the listed tier. Cooling, power limits, drivers, background applications and memory configuration also affect results.
#1 Best Overall
- Gameplay combining FPS, horror and immersive simulator
- Nonlinear history with various paths leading to its multiple endings
- Cutting-edge graphics developed with the latest photogrammetric and scanning technology
- AI systems that will keep even the most seasoned gamers on track
- Dynamic day and night and weather cycle gives even more realism to the gameplay experience
Why the early requirements were misleading
The first November 2024 reports listed only preliminary Low and Medium specifications. Those reports included 8GB of RAM, 150GB of storage, a Core i5-7600K as the Intel entry-level CPU and an RTX 2070 Super/RX 5700 XT-class recommended GPU configuration.
The later final specification guide changed the picture:
- Entry-level RAM increased from 8GB to 16GB.
- Required storage increased from 150GB to 160GB.
- The minimum Intel CPU changed to the Core i7-7700K.
- Intel Arc A750 was added to the Low GPU list.
- The two-tier list became four performance targets: Low, Medium, High and Epic.
- High became the explicit recommended target for 1440p at 60 FPS.
The early figures should therefore be treated as preliminary, not merged with the final table. The original announcement was reported by Gameranx, while the later figures come from GSC’s official guide.
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What “minimum” really means
Meeting the Low requirements means your PC is within the game’s stated entry-level configuration for 1080p at 30 FPS. It does not mean you should expect a locked 60 FPS, maximum image quality or identical performance in every scene.
A PC that only meets Low may show reduced image quality, frame-time variation and drops in demanding areas. A strong GPU paired with an older CPU can still struggle with simulation-heavy scenes, while a powerful CPU paired with a GTX 1060-class GPU remains limited by rendering performance.
The listed Low figures were evaluated using TSR and comparable upscaling technologies. They should not automatically be interpreted as native 1080p rendering.
SSD, RAM and upscaling explained
SSD storage is required
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 requires a 160GB SSD according to the Steam listing. A hard drive may have enough capacity for the files, but it is outside the stated configuration.
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Do not buy a drive with only 160GB of total capacity. The operating system, patches, shader caches and other games also need room. A larger internal SSD is the safer upgrade. GSC’s requirements do not specifically require NVMe, so do not assume that a SATA SSD is unsupported.
16GB versus 32GB of RAM
Sixteen gigabytes of dual-channel memory is the official Low and Medium baseline. High and Epic list 32GB. A matched 2×8GB kit is not always equivalent to a single 16GB module because dual-channel operation affects memory bandwidth.
Rank #2
Thirty-two gigabytes is also the more comfortable choice for multitasking, streaming or mods. However, adding RAM will not fix a GPU bottleneck, and memory must match your motherboard’s DDR generation and supported speeds.
TSR, DLSS, FSR and XeSS
The Steam listing says the Low figures were evaluated with TSR and comparable technologies. The High figures reference TSR, DLSS, FSR and XeSS. These reconstruction technologies render internally at a lower resolution and upscale the image to improve performance.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →DLSS depends on supported NVIDIA hardware, while FSR and XeSS have different compatibility and image-quality characteristics. Upscaling can improve frame rate, but it cannot remove CPU, RAM, storage or shader-compilation bottlenecks. The requirements also do not establish that Epic means native 4K rendering.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to check whether your PC qualifies
- Check the CPU and RAM: Open Windows + I → System → About.
- Check the GPU: Press Windows + R, enter
dxdiag, then inspect the System and Display tabs. - Check the disk: Open File Explorer → This PC and confirm that the intended SSD has more than 160GB free.
- See live hardware activity: Open Task Manager → Performance to view CPU, memory, GPU and disk activity.
Windows’ built-in displays are useful for a quick check, but laptop GPU names, power limits and cooling can vary substantially. A laptop graphics chip with the same model number as a desktop card should not be assumed to perform identically.
What to do if performance is poor
If your PC meets a listed target but runs badly, follow GSC’s official performance optimization guidance:
- Confirm that the game is installed on an SSD.
- Update the graphics driver and restart the PC afterward.
- Install current Windows updates.
- Close unnecessary background programs and overlays.
- Check Windows power settings.
- Update the BIOS and chipset drivers where appropriate.
- Ensure the monitor cable is connected to the dedicated graphics card rather than the motherboard output.
- Start with the Low or Medium preset, then raise settings gradually.
- Reduce resolution scale, foliage, shadows, hair and other demanding options if available.
- Monitor GPU memory, system RAM, CPU use, temperatures and frame-time behavior.
For crashes or freezes, use GSC’s separate crash and freeze troubleshooting guide. Meeting the nominal requirements does not prevent a particular graphics setting, driver issue or system configuration from causing instability.
Should you upgrade your PC?
Choose the tier based on your monitor and desired frame rate, not just the word “recommended.” For most 1440p players, High is the meaningful target. For 1080p/60, Medium is more relevant than High. If your system lacks an SSD or has only 8GB of RAM, address those limitations before buying an unnecessarily expensive GPU.
Upgrade the component that limits your target:
- Too little storage: Add a larger internal SSD with sufficient free space.
- 8GB or single-channel memory: Move to a compatible dual-channel kit; 32GB is preferable for High, Epic or heavy multitasking.
- Weak GPU: Upgrade based on the desired resolution and use current drivers, especially with Intel Arc hardware.
- Old or weak CPU: A GPU upgrade alone may not solve slowdowns in CPU-heavy scenes.
Do not treat the listed equivalent models as a shopping list or a performance guarantee. Desktop and laptop variants differ, and the best upgrade depends on your motherboard, power supply, cooling and existing hardware.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
