Call of Duty® PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum CPU is an AMD Ryzen 5 1400 or Intel Core i5-6600. By today's standards that is a very old entry-level processor, roughly the Ryzen 5 1400 tier. It will get the game running, but its multi-threaded performance is well behind current mainstream CPUs.
The official minimum GPUs are the Radeon RX 470, GeForce GTX 970 or 1060, and Intel Arc A580, which sit in the entry band (comparable to a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB). The minimum RAM is 8 GB. No minimum storage size is listed, and no SSD is required.
The official recommended tier rises to a Ryzen 5 1600X or Core i7-6700K, a Radeon RX 6600 XT, GeForce RTX 3060 or Intel Arc B580, with 12 GB of RAM. The recommended GPU lands in the mainstream 1080p class, similar to an RTX 4050 laptop GPU, and the CPU is a newer generation than the minimum. In practice, meeting the recommended tier means a steadier, more comfortable experience at the publisher's stated settings, not just a game that launches.
The publisher does not list a recommended storage size or require an SSD, so check the platform store page for the install size.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players on a tight budget who are happy with low to medium settings. It pairs a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB or GTX 1660 class GPU with a newer six-core CPU such as the Ryzen 5 4500 or Core i5-10400F. 16 GB of RAM leaves room for background apps.
The mainstream build is the sweet spot for most players who want medium-high settings at 1080p. Options include an RTX 3060, Radeon RX 6600 or RX 6600 XT, paired with a Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i5-10400, and 16 GB of RAM. This tier gives comfortable headroom above the recommended requirements.
The high-end build is for players who want higher resolutions, higher settings and a machine that stays relevant for years. Consider GPUs around the RTX 4070, RX 6800 XT or RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, with a CPU such as the Ryzen 5 5600, Ryzen 7 5700X or Core i5-13400F. Use at least 16 GB of RAM, and 32 GB if you stream or run other heavy software alongside the game.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In a multiplayer shooter with large open areas, the settings that usually cost the most are shadow quality, volumetric fog and lighting, dense dynamic objects and crowds, and view distance. Shadows and view distance are often the first things to lower, since the visual difference is subtle while the performance cost is significant.
If your GPU supports ray tracing, enabling it improves lighting noticeably but adds a large performance cost. On most mid-range cards, it makes more sense to stay with traditional rasterized effects and only turn ray tracing on when you have headroom to spare. Anti-aliasing and texture quality are worth keeping high, since they affect image clarity a lot while costing comparatively little performance.
Upscaling technologies such as DLSS, FSR and XeSS render at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct the image at a higher one. Quality or balanced modes usually offer a good trade-off between image quality and performance. Results vary by GPU and version, so compare them yourself and pick what looks right to you.
Laptops and handheld PCs
A laptop GPU with the same name as a desktop card is usually slower, because it runs under a lower power limit (TGP) and a more constrained cooling design. When judging whether a laptop meets the official recommended tier, look at its actual power and cooling rather than the model name alone. If the machine throttles heavily under sustained load, set the power mode to performance and keep the vents clear.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are low-power devices, and their graphics performance is generally below a desktop mid-range card from the same period. Start with low settings and a lower resolution, and use the built-in performance tuning and upscaling features. We do not have verified Steam Deck data for this game, so we cannot give a compatibility rating. Compare the official requirements with your handheld's specifications to judge for yourself.
Storage and memory
The recommended RAM is 12 GB. Running dual-channel memory (two or more matching sticks in the correct slots) gives you more bandwidth and a smoother overall experience. If your system has 8 GB, upgrading to 16 GB is one of the best-value improvements you can make, since it leaves room for the browser, chat apps and the game running together.
The publisher does not list a recommended storage size, so use the install size shown by your platform and leave extra space for updates and any future content. An SSD is not officially required, but it cuts loading times and reduces waiting when moving between areas, so install on an SSD if you can. A hard disk will still run the game, but loading will be noticeably slower.