Deep Rock Galactic PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for Deep Rock Galactic lists an Intel i5 3rd gen CPU (or equivalent), an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870 graphics card, 6 GB of RAM, 3 GB of storage, and does not require an SSD. In our tier mapping, the minimum CPU sits at roughly the Intel Core i5-4460 level, which is very old entry territory. The minimum GPU corresponds to integrated graphics or very old entry discrete cards, so it is really a floor just to get the game running.
The official recommended spec lists an Intel i5 7th gen CPU (or equivalent), an NVIDIA 970 or AMD Radeon 290 graphics card, 8 GB of RAM, the same 3 GB of storage, and does not require an SSD either. In our mapping the recommended CPU lands in a similar band to the minimum, while the recommended GPU roughly matches an older entry card like the GTX 1060 3GB. So the gap between minimum and recommended is mostly about graphics power and memory capacity, not a big jump in processor generation.
For you, meeting the recommended tier means a steadier experience at a typical 1080p setup. These are estimates based on the official listed parts, not performance measurements. If you want more headroom, aim for the mainstream builds below.
The publisher has not listed a higher tier beyond these two levels.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players on a tight budget who mainly want to play the game as it is. A GTX 1650 4GB paired with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and 16 GB of RAM meets the official recommended level, but leaves little room for higher settings or heavy background apps.
The mainstream build is the best value for most players. An RTX 3050 8GB or GTX 1660 Super paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i5-10400 and 16 GB of RAM gives you clear headroom above the recommended spec. It fits people who want long, stable sessions without spending much.
The high build is for players who want higher settings, more margin, or who stream and record while playing. An RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6700 XT, a Ryzen 5 5600X or Core i5-12400, and 32 GB of RAM give you plenty of room. For this game that extra power goes toward higher resolution and quality, not toward meeting the basic requirements.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In a co-op shooter set in cave systems, the settings that usually cost the most are shadows, volumetric lighting and fog, particle and destruction effects, and view distance and detail density. The cost rises when many enemies and destructible terrain pieces are on screen at once. If you need to lighten the load, reducing shadow quality and volumetric effects tends to help most, since the visual difference in dark caves is often smaller than in open areas.
Keep texture detail and material quality if you can. Lowering them noticeably hurts sharpness while saving relatively little. Anti-aliasing is worth adjusting based on your monitor resolution, and can often be lowered at higher resolutions.
Upscaling technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS render at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct a sharper image. If your graphics card supports one, enabling it is usually a good way to balance image quality and performance. How much quality you give up varies, so compare the results yourself in the game.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop graphics chips often share names with desktop cards, such as an RTX 3050 or GTX 1660, but laptop versions are limited by power limits and cooling design, so they usually perform below their desktop counterparts. When buying, check the listed TGP power figure, because a lower-power version with the same name may only reach a lower tier. Poor cooling can cause throttling during long sessions, so good airflow and a performance power mode matter.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally have graphics performance that differs from desktop hardware. Our database has no Steam Deck verification data for this game, so we cannot give a Deck rating. In general, handheld players can lower the resolution, use built-in scaling or upscaling options, and start from low presets before adjusting based on how the game runs.
Whether you use a laptop or a handheld, check its real power and cooling limits first, then compare against the official requirements to judge whether it is enough.
Storage and memory
The official minimum for RAM is 6 GB and the recommended is 8 GB. Because the operating system and background apps also use memory, we suggest at least 16 GB in practice, and 32 GB if you multitask or stream. Dual-channel configuration increases memory bandwidth, so install memory in matched pairs rather than a single stick.
The game itself needs about 3 GB of storage, and the official spec does not require an SSD. An SSD still noticeably shortens load and loading times, which matters in a game where you repeatedly enter and leave missions and maps. If your budget allows, install the game on an SSD.
Keep more free space than the game itself needs, since updates and cache files can grow over time. When a drive is nearly full, updates and downloads can fail, so spare room helps avoid unnecessary trouble.