StarCraft II and StarCraft: Remastered have different hardware requirements. Check the table for your edition and operating system first, then treat Blizzard’s figures as compatibility baselines rather than guaranteed frame rates. Remastered’s 2 GB dedicated-VRAM and 3 GB system-RAM threshold applies specifically to its optional real-time lighting feature.
Which StarCraft edition are you checking?
“Can my PC run StarCraft?” has two common answers because the current products are separate games. StarCraft II is the newer real-time-strategy sequel, while StarCraft: Remastered is the original game with updated presentation. Their storage, processor, graphics and memory tables are not interchangeable.
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Identify the edition in the launcher before comparing parts. Also identify whether you use Windows or macOS: Blizzard publishes separate rows for each operating system. The requirements pages retrieved in 2026 are several years old and include a warning that specifications may change, so use the linked Blizzard pages as the final compatibility check when installing or troubleshooting.
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Blizzard lists the following published requirements for StarCraft II. The Windows minimum and recommended rows are shown separately because a machine that meets minimum compatibility is not automatically a high-settings or high-frame-rate system.
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Windows requirements
| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10 | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ | Intel Core i5, AMD FX Series or better |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT, Intel HD Graphics 3000 or better | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650, AMD Radeon HD 7790 or better |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Free storage | 30 GB | 30 GB |
| Display | Minimum resolution 1024 × 768 | |
| Internet | Broadband internet; multiplayer and single-player both require an active internet connection | |
The graphics models in this table are legacy examples from Blizzard’s published page, not recommendations for a current purchase. A modern computer may use an entirely different GPU architecture; the table does not provide a current equivalent, a target frame rate or a benchmark at a particular resolution.
Mac requirements
| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | OS X 10.13 | macOS 10.15 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo | Intel Core i5 or better |
| Graphics | GeForce GT 640M or Radeon HD 4670 | GeForce GTX 775M or Radeon R9 M290X or better |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Free storage | 30 GB | |
| Display | Minimum resolution 1024 × 768 | |
| Internet | Broadband internet and an active connection for both single-player and multiplayer | |
These Mac values are also historical published examples. They should not be read as confirmation that a current macOS release, Apple silicon system or unsupported operating-system configuration will run the game. Verify present compatibility with Blizzard before relying on the old OS and GPU labels.
StarCraft: Remastered system requirements
Remastered uses a smaller installation than StarCraft II, but it still has separate Windows and Mac tables. Blizzard lists 8 GB of available storage, broadband internet, keyboard and mouse support, and a minimum display resolution of 1024 × 768.
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Windows requirements
| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10 | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2 | Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 (2.4 GHz) or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (2.6 GHz) or better |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 6800 with 256 MB or ATI Radeon X1600 Pro with 256 MB or better | GeForce 8800 GT with 512 MB or Radeon HD 4850 with 512 MB or better |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Free storage | 8 GB | |
| Display | Minimum resolution 1024 × 768 | |
| Internet and input | Broadband internet; keyboard and mouse | |
Mac requirements
| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | OS X 10.13 | macOS 10.15 latest version listed by Blizzard |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo | Intel Core i3 or better |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT or ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro | GeForce GT 650M or Radeon HD 5670 or better |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Free storage | 8 GB | |
| Display | Minimum resolution 1024 × 768 | |
| Internet and input | Broadband internet; keyboard and mouse | |
Blizzard’s Remastered Mac page also says FileVault options and case-sensitive formatted volumes are unsupported for Blizzard game installation. If your Mac uses either configuration, that storage-format limitation can prevent installation even when processor, graphics and memory appear sufficient.
What the Remastered real-time-lighting requirement means
Remastered’s visual update includes an optional real-time lighting feature. Blizzard states: “Use of the real-time lighting feature in StarCraft: Remastered requires a graphics card with at least 2GB of Dedicated VRAM, and at least 3GB of system RAM.” The 2 GB and 3 GB figures describe that feature threshold, not a blanket minimum for launching or playing Remastered without the feature.
Therefore, do not reject every 1 GB graphics card as incompatible with the game itself solely because it cannot meet the lighting threshold. Conversely, if your specific problem appears only when real-time lighting is enabled, check the GPU’s dedicated VRAM rather than counting shared system memory. Dedicated VRAM is memory physically assigned to the graphics processor; integrated graphics may report shared memory that does not satisfy Blizzard’s wording.
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A Blizzard support-forum reply from 2019 provides historical context: the feature was locked below the design requirement after reports of performance and display problems. That explanation is not a new benchmark and does not establish a frame-rate target. Blizzard’s 2017 launch announcement describes Remastered graphics as updated to 4K UHD; that is a product-feature statement, not a requirement for a 4K monitor or a promise that every system will render at a particular speed.
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Minimum versus recommended: how to read the tables
Minimum is a compatibility floor
A minimum row tells you that the listed class of processor, graphics adapter, memory and operating system is the lowest configuration Blizzard documented for the edition. It does not promise a fixed frame rate, a particular quality preset, fast loading or smooth play during every scene. The pages provide no named benchmark, average frame rate or test result.
Recommended is still an old reference point
Recommended specifications are useful for separating the two published tiers, but they are not a current shopping list. StarCraft II’s recommended Windows row, for example, names a GTX 650 or Radeon HD 7790; Remastered’s names an 8800 GT or Radeon HD 4850. Those models are many generations old. Use their presence to understand Blizzard’s historical software target, then verify a modern system against current support information instead of assuming a direct model-number equivalence.
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Storage is not interchangeable
Reserve 30 GB for StarCraft II and 8 GB for Remastered. These are the available-storage figures in Blizzard’s tables, not a statement about future patches, temporary installer space or the free space your operating system may need. Keep additional headroom on the drive so an update is not blocked, but do not confuse that practical precaution with a published requirement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Best settings for StarCraft II and Remastered smoothness
The official material supplied for these editions documents one performance-related control directly: vertical synchronization, or VSync. It does not establish that one position is universally smoother. VSync can behave differently depending on the display’s refresh rate, graphics driver and the frame pacing of a particular system, so treat it as a controlled comparison rather than a guaranteed fix.
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- Launch StarCraft: Remastered.
- Select Options.
- Select Video.
- Check or uncheck Enable Vertical Sync.
- Play the same type of match or scene for a consistent comparison, watching for changes in visible tearing, responsiveness or uneven motion.
Change VSync in StarCraft II
- Launch StarCraft II.
- Open Menu.
- Select Options.
- Open Graphics.
- Check or uncheck Vertical Sync, then compare behavior on your own display.
Blizzard’s instructions establish these menu paths and the toggle itself; they do not say that VSync should always be enabled or always disabled. Keep whichever position produces the better result on your hardware, and avoid presenting that personal outcome as a universal rule.
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A practical compatibility and troubleshooting sequence
1. Confirm the game and operating system
Write down whether you are running StarCraft II or Remastered and whether the machine is Windows or Mac. Comparing a Remastered number with a StarCraft II number, or a Windows row with a Mac row, can lead to the wrong conclusion.
2. Compare every published category
- Check the operating-system version.
- Compare the processor family and model.
- Identify the graphics adapter and its dedicated VRAM.
- Check installed system RAM.
- Confirm free storage: 30 GB for StarCraft II or 8 GB for Remastered.
- Confirm a display capable of at least 1024 × 768.
- Confirm broadband internet; StarCraft II requires an active connection for both multiplayer and single-player.
3. Isolate the Remastered lighting case
If Remastered launches but visual problems appear with real-time lighting, check specifically for at least 2 GB of dedicated VRAM and 3 GB of system RAM. Those thresholds apply to lighting, not to every mode of the game. If the graphics adapter is below the threshold, disabling that optional feature is the relevant compatibility test rather than immediately replacing the entire computer.
4. Compare VSync states
Use the edition-specific path above and test both states under similar conditions. Record whether tearing, input feel or uneven motion changes. The sources do not provide a universal setting or a target frame rate, so your display and system behavior are the deciding evidence.
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5. Use Blizzard’s current support guidance when the table does not explain the problem
Blizzard’s Remastered support landing page points to an article titled “Starcraft Performance Issues.” The retrieved material identifies that article but does not expose its detailed steps. For crashes, installation failures or performance behavior that remains unexplained after the checks above, open Blizzard’s current support page and follow the instructions applicable to your present operating system and game build. Do not assume that generic driver changes, registry edits or background-app advice came from Blizzard unless the current article actually says so.
Can you run StarCraft? A concise decision guide
| Your situation | What the published information supports |
|---|---|
| You meet the exact minimum row for your edition and OS | The system matches Blizzard’s documented compatibility floor, but no frame-rate or quality guarantee is established. |
| You meet the recommended row | You match Blizzard’s higher historical reference tier; it is still not a modern benchmark or purchasing recommendation. |
| You are below Remastered’s 2 GB dedicated-VRAM threshold | Real-time lighting is below its documented requirement. The threshold does not automatically mean all Remastered play is impossible. |
| You use a Mac with FileVault or a case-sensitive volume | Remastered’s Mac page says those installation configurations are unsupported. |
| You are unsure whether VSync helps | Test the documented toggle in both positions and judge the result on your own display. |
Because Blizzard warns that requirements may change and the published pages are several years old, re-check the official StarCraft II and StarCraft: Remastered requirement pages before a new installation or hardware purchase. The tables tell you what Blizzard documented; they do not replace a current compatibility check or supply performance measurements.
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