{"id":99006,"date":"2018-03-22T14:48:05","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T13:48:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=99006"},"modified":"2025-07-01T23:35:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T06:35:38","slug":"how-to-find-out-if-your-computer-meets-the-specs-for-a-pc-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/how-to-find-out-if-your-computer-meets-the-specs-for-a-pc-game\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find out if your computer meets the specs for a PC game"},"content":{"rendered":"

PC games are constantly upping the ante on graphics and sophistication — and as the games evolve, they also use up more and more of your system\u2019s resources, eventually outpacing the capabilities of your machine<\/strong>. If you\u2019re not sure whether your computer meets the specs for a game, it\u2019s important to confirm before potentially spending over $60 on a title that won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

So how do you confirm that your game of choice will work? Fortunately, this is quick and easy to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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A game\u2019s minimum and recommended requirements as listed on the developer\u2019s site (source<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Game specs are split up into the \u201cminimum system requirements\u201d and \u201crecommended specifications.\u201d Both of these can easily be found on the game\u2019s packaging or manufacturer\u2019s website. You can then determine whether your computer meets the specs of the game, either directly in Windows 10 or through system-check sites like Can You Run It<\/a>. Let\u2019s look at both options.<\/p>\n

How to find out if your computer meets the specs for a PC game<\/h2>\n

Through Windows 10<\/h3>\n

You need to know exactly what hardware your computer has installed in order to crosscheck it against the requirements for your particular game. This information is available in the System<\/strong> subsection of Windows Settings<\/strong>. Here\u2019s how to get there.<\/p>\n

1. Open the Start Menu<\/h4>\n

Press the Start<\/strong> button on the lower left of your desktop.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A menu will appear, as shown above, displaying a dropdown with some of your programs (\u201capps\u201d) and other icons.<\/p>\n

2. Navigate to the Settings page<\/h4>\n

Click the gear-shaped icon<\/strong> to access your computer\u2019s settings options.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This button will open the Windows Settings<\/strong> screen I mentioned earlier. From there, you\u2019ll see different icons that allow you to perform a variety of functions.<\/p>\n

3. Open the System section<\/h4>\n

Below is what your Windows Settings section will look like. Select the System<\/strong> icon.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When you open the System section, the Display<\/strong> heading at the top of the left-hand list will be selected by default. Conveniently, this is where we want to be at this point.<\/p>\n

4. Find the processor, RAM, and system type<\/h4>\n

Now we need to see if our hardware fits the bill.<\/p>\n

To see a partial list of your computer\u2019s specs, click the About option at the bottom of the Display section\u2019s list.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once you click the About<\/strong> option, you\u2019ll see the screen pictured below.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This lists some of the relevant hardware. You don\u2019t need to know everything on that list to check if your computer meets the specs for a game. We\u2019ll discuss which ones to look for.<\/p>\n

Processor:<\/strong> The processor is responsible for a lot of different things, including running your game. If your processor isn\u2019t fast enough to meet the minimum requirements, then the PC won\u2019t be able to keep up with the game\u2019s demands.<\/p>\n

Note: Some manufacturers will list this as the \u201cCPU\u201d in their system requirements section. If you\u2019re not sure, it\u2019s easy to identify. Just look for the keywords Intel<\/em> or AMD<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Installed RAM:<\/strong> Games need a certain amount of system resources to run, RAM being one of them. If you don\u2019t meet the minimum RAM requirements, your game will experience crippling lag (or not run at all). Make sure the RAM listed in the game requirements is at least identical to what you see in the About screen.<\/p>\n

System Type:<\/strong> Without getting too technical, this refers to a category of processor. While some systems will say \u201c32-bit,\u201d modern games typically require a 64-bit version.<\/p>\n

The good news is that if your computer has more than 4GB of RAM<\/a>, then the processor needs to be 64-bit. No PC capable of running newer games would have 4GB or less.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s crosscheck these with our game.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As you can see, our computer shows Windows 10 64-bit version, an Intel i7-7700HQ and 16GB of RAM. All of these exceed the recommended requirements.<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve retrieved that information, our next steps involve verifying the type of graphics card (GPU) that we\u2019re using.<\/p>\n

5. Open the Device Manager<\/h4>\n

The graphics card is one of the most \u2013 if not the<\/em> most \u2013 important components for checking if a game will run.<\/p>\n

There are a few ways we can look, so let\u2019s go with a shortcut option.<\/p>\n

First, press the Windows key followed by X (Win + X)<\/strong> to pull up the following menu, then select Device Manager<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

6. Find the graphics card<\/h4>\n

After you select Device Manager, a small window will pop up, listing different devices and components. Select Display adapters<\/strong> from the list of options.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A sub-menu will appear, showing the graphics card(s).<\/p>\n

In this case, the PC has two different graphics cards. One is built-in (\u201cintegrated\u201d) while the second one (indicated in green) is our separate, \u201cdedicated\u201d graphics card. This is the one we want.<\/p>\n

Note: It\u2019s easy to tell the difference between a dedicated and an integrated card. Typically, integrated cards can be identified by their label as Intel<\/em> or AMD HD graphics<\/em>. This indicates that they\u2019re built into the processor. Dedicated cards, on the other hand, are typically manufactured under the NVIDIA<\/em> or ATI Radeon<\/em> names, and will be labeled as such.<\/p>\n

7. Compare your findings<\/h4>\n

From what we see in the Device Manager, we have an NVIDIA GTX 1070 graphics card. Now, let\u2019s compare that with the requirements example from earlier.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As you can see, the minimum requirement for a NVIDIA card in this game is the GTX 650. Since this computer is using a 1070, it clearly exceeds the minimum requirements by four generations.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, we also notice that the recommended requirements lists a GTX 980Ti. Therefore, this machine also exceeds the recommended specs.<\/p>\n

8. Install the game and enjoy<\/h4>\n

Based on our specs, we can expect an excellent gameplay experience at maximum graphics settings. However, if you don\u2019t meet the minimum, then you may have to pass on the title or upgrade your hardware accordingly.<\/p>\n

Of course, if your machine\u2019s specs lie somewhere in between, then you might have to tweak the graphics settings a little bit to balance great visuals with smooth gameplay.<\/p>\n

Using Can You Run It<\/h3>\n

Can You Run It<\/a> is a fantastic online resource for several reasons. It analyzes your relevant specs for you, taking out all the guesswork. Better still, the site compares your PC\u2019s hardware with the minimum and recommended requirements of the specific game you want to get. Within seconds, you\u2019ll get a solid idea of what kind of gameplay experience to expect, if any.
\nCan You Run It is a legitimate site. Millions of people use it, so you don\u2019t have to worry about viruses or other malware.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to use this handy tool.<\/p>\n

1. Navigate to the website<\/h4>\n

To access the site go to https:\/\/www.systemrequirementslab.com\/cyri<\/a> or just click on the link we provided above. The following homepage will appear.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

2. Find your game<\/h4>\n

Start typing the name of your game in the search box above, then select it once it appears in the drop-down menu.<\/p>\n

Note: For the purpose of this tutorial, we\u2019ll be using the same game analyzed in our previous section.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

3. Install the System Requirements Lab software<\/h4>\n

If this is your first time using Can You Run It, you\u2019ll need to install a tool that will allow the website to analyze your computer. Don\u2019t worry: This is a legitimate program that won\u2019t harm your computer. Plus, it\u2019ll come in handy for future game checks.<\/p>\n

To start the installation process, press the Can You Run It<\/strong> button on the right.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll be taken to a second screen (below). Again, select Can You Run It<\/strong> to trigger the download.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software. Once downloaded, the detection program should appear in your web browser.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

5. Run the software<\/h4>\n

Click on the download shown above. The program will automatically start to run. You should see the following image pop up while the software works its magic.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once the process is complete, you\u2019ll be taken to a screen showing your PC\u2019s hardware and how it stacks up to the game\u2019s requirements.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Confirming our earlier findings, we see that our computer more than meets the specs for this game.<\/p>\n

What do I do if my computer won\u2019t run the game?<\/h3>\n

Simply put, there\u2019s no easy solution. You might<\/em> be able to squeeze by if you fall short by a marginal amount in one of the requirements, but this is by no means guaranteed. At this point, you\u2019re looking at upgrading your components or buying a new PC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PC games are constantly upping the ante on graphics and sophistication — and as the games evolve, they also use up more and more of your system\u2019s resources, eventually outpacing the capabilities of your machine. If you\u2019re not sure whether your computer meets the specs for a game, it\u2019s important to confirm before potentially spending … Continue reading “How to find out if your computer meets the specs for a PC game”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9099,"featured_media":99023,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":10},"categories":[2518,2441],"tags":[],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-99006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-how-to"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t