Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum CPU is an Intel Core i5-6300U or AMD Ryzen 5 2400G, and the game requires AVX support. By today's standards that is an older entry-to-mainstream processor; in FrameScope's tier ranking, the Ryzen 5 2400G sits roughly at this level. The minimum GPU is Intel HD 520 or AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, which are integrated graphics from a very early generation. That means the game can launch and run, but it will struggle once the screen fills with units. The minimum calls for 8 GB of RAM and 50 GB of storage, and the publisher does not require an SSD.
The recommended CPU is a 3.6 GHz six-core Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600. The recommended GPU is an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 570 with 4GB of VRAM. In FrameScope's ranking these older cards sit in the entry band, with the GTX 1650 4GB landing in a similar range. Recommended RAM rises to 16 GB, while storage stays at 50 GB.
The gap between minimum and recommended mostly comes down to late-game simulation load. This game leans on multi-core CPU performance and memory bandwidth, so even a capable GPU will not compensate for a processor at the minimum tier when unit counts climb. If you want the experience the recommended tier describes, the CPU, GPU and RAM should be considered together rather than upgrading just one. The publisher does not list a higher tier, so there is no official guidance beyond the recommended level.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players on a tighter budget who want to reach the recommended requirements. A GTX 1650 4GB, GTX 1650 Super or RTX 3050 6GB pairs well with a six-core chip such as the Ryzen 5 3500X or Core i5-10400F. Go straight to 16 GB of RAM, since that is the official recommended starting point and the minimum this build should have.
The mainstream build is the most balanced choice for most players who plan to play for long sessions and want some headroom. A GTX 1660, RTX 3050 8GB or RX 5600 XT works here, and the CPU can be a Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i5-10400. This combination has more room in CPU-heavy late-game battles. It also uses 16 GB of RAM, and if you multitask a lot, moving to 32 GB is a reasonable upgrade.
The high build suits players who want to avoid hardware bottlenecks for a long time. Consider an RTX 3060 Ti, RX 7600 or RTX 4060 for graphics, and a Ryzen 5 5600, Ryzen 7 5700X or Ryzen 7 8700G for the processor. Because this game's main pressure comes from CPU work and large unit counts, the priority at this level is core count and efficiency on the processor rather than chasing a stronger GPU alone. This build uses 32 GB of RAM so the system stays comfortable during long games and multitasking.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In real-time strategy games like this one, the settings that usually cost the most are shadow quality, volumetric effects, the density of units and crowds, and view distance. Shadows and volumetrics are expensive and often hard to tell apart once many units are on screen, so they are the first things to lower. Unit and crowd density is tied to CPU load, and if late-game battles slow down, this is the setting to adjust first. View distance matters when zooming out over large maps, so trim it according to how you play.
Texture quality and resolution-related options are worth keeping. Lowering textures makes terrain and buildings look noticeably softer but does little to reduce simulation load, so there is no need to sacrifice them early. If your GPU has enough VRAM, textures can usually stay high. Ray tracing, where offered, adds little to this title, so unless your graphics card has plenty of spare headroom, it is reasonable to leave it off.
For upscaling, technologies such as DLSS, FSR and XeSS render the scene at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct the image at your target resolution, which can free up GPU time. They help with graphics load but do less for the CPU work of simulating units, so their benefit in this game depends on where your bottleneck sits. Check the in-game menu to see which options your hardware supports.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop GPUs often share names with desktop cards, such as an RTX 3050 Laptop GPU versus a desktop RTX 3050, but they are not the same. Laptop versions usually run lower power limits and have less cooling room, so real performance is often below the desktop card of the same name. When choosing a laptop, look at the GPU's power setting and the cooling design rather than the model name alone. Processors can also throttle under long full-load sessions when temperatures rise.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are essentially portable low-power PCs. We do not have Steam Deck verification data, so we cannot give a compatibility rating for it; check the official requirements against the device's specifications yourself. In general, handhelds have limited graphics and CPU resources, so they suit lower settings and smaller unit counts, and large late-game battles require patience.
If you plan to play on a laptop or handheld, first confirm the device meets the recommended requirements and keep it well cooled. Plugging in and using a high-performance power mode also reduces the slowdowns caused by power limits.
Storage and memory
For memory, the official minimum is 8 GB and the recommended amount is 16 GB. Sixteen gigabytes is a sensible starting point and leaves room for the game in late-game battles. If you keep a browser, chat apps or streaming tools open, 32 GB gives more breathing room. Install memory in dual-channel configuration: even with the same capacity, dual channel offers more bandwidth than single channel, which helps a game that depends on memory throughput.
For storage, the publisher lists 50 GB. That figure covers the base install, and actual space needed with updates may be higher, so leave extra room. An SSD is not required, but it noticeably shortens load times, especially at the start of a match and when loading saves. A hard drive will run the game, though waits will be longer.
Finally, install the game on a drive with plenty of free space and clear out unneeded files now and then so the system stays responsive.