DOOM Eternal PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for DOOM Eternal lists an Intel Core i5 at 3.3 GHz or better, or an AMD Ryzen 3 at 3.1 GHz or better, for the processor. For graphics, it lists NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4GB), GTX 1060 (3GB) or GTX 1650 (4GB), or AMD Radeon R9 280, R9 290 or RX 470 class cards. By today's standards, the GPU minimum sits in the older entry band, roughly comparable to an AMD Radeon HD 7950, and the CPU minimum is close to an Intel Core i3-3220, which is very old entry-level silicon. The minimum asks for 8GB of RAM and 80GB of storage, and the publisher does not require an SSD.
The official recommended tier calls for an Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 7 1800X or better. The recommended GPUs are GTX 1060 (6GB), GTX 970 (4GB) or RX 480 (8GB). The recommended GPU is roughly on par with a GTX 970, an older entry-band card, and the recommended CPU is in the older mainstream band, close to a Ryzen 5 1600. For a player, the gap between minimum and recommended is about headroom: at the recommended tier you get a more comfortable and steadier experience under the publisher's standard settings, while the minimum suits lower resolutions and reduced quality.
Both tiers list 8GB of RAM. That is on the low side today, so we recommend 16GB for more breathing room. Storage is 80GB in both tiers, and no SSD is required.
Some details are not specified in the official listing, such as the exact resolution and frame target the requirement tiers assume, so treat these tiers as a general guide to the hardware needed rather than a guarantee of any particular experience.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players on a tight budget who want a smooth experience at reasonable settings. Pair a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB or Radeon RX 6500 XT with a Ryzen 3 3100 or Core i3-10100F and 16GB of RAM. This clears the recommended tier with some margin and fits 1080p play at low to medium settings.
The mainstream build is the sweet spot for most players. A GeForce GTX 1660 Super, RTX 3050 8GB or Radeon RX 5600 XT, combined with a Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i5-10400F and 16GB of RAM, comfortably exceeds the recommended tier. It is well suited to 1080p at medium to high settings and leaves room for upgrades over the next few years.
The high-end build is for players who want higher resolutions or higher quality settings. An RTX 3060 Ti, Radeon RX 6700 XT or Intel Arc B580, paired with a Ryzen 5 5600X or Core i5-13400F and 16GB of RAM, is far above the recommended tier for this game. It gives plenty of headroom even at higher resolutions and quality levels, which suits players who want the best visual experience.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In a fast-paced action game like DOOM Eternal, with many enemies and heavy effects on screen at once, the settings that usually cost the most are shadows, volumetric lighting and fog, depth of field and reflections, and the density of detail and effects. Shadows and volumetrics involve a lot of computation, so lowering them is often the biggest performance gain with the smallest visual loss. Reflections and depth of field are more a matter of taste; reduce them if the image feels blurry or the reflections look unnatural.
Keep texture quality, anti-aliasing and the main material detail where you can. These usually matter most to how the game looks and cost less than shadows. If you see tearing or uneven frame pacing, start by dialing back shadows and volumetric effects.
Upscaling technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS render at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct the image at your output resolution. This usually buys a useful performance margin at the cost of small detail differences or some ghosting. If your GPU supports one, pick the quality or balanced mode if you care about image detail, and performance mode if you need the extra speed.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop GPUs often share names with desktop cards, such as an RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and a desktop RTX 3060, but they are not the same. Laptop versions run under power limits and within cooling constraints, so performance is usually lower than the desktop card with the same name. When buying a laptop, check the GPU's power limit (TGP) and the cooling design of that specific model instead of relying on the model name alone. Sustained performance also depends on cooling and on a stable power supply during long sessions.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck and ROG Ally are built around portability and integrated hardware. In general, they sit between entry and mid-range in performance, so you will usually need lower resolutions and quality presets, along with any built-in scaling or dynamic adjustment the device offers. We have no Steam Deck verification data for this game, so the advice here stays general: start from a lower preset and adjust until you find a balance between stability and visual quality.
For either laptops or handhelds, use the high-performance power profile during play and keep vents clear, because heat can cause the hardware to throttle.
Storage and memory
For memory, both official tiers list 8GB, but we recommend at least 16GB, ideally in dual-channel configuration. Dual-channel gives the processor and integrated graphics more memory bandwidth and reduces the stutter that can come from a tight memory setup. If you have only one stick installed, adding a second matching stick is one of the cheapest improvements you can make.
For storage, the official figure is 80GB, but it is wise to leave extra space for game updates and any future additions. An SSD is not required by the publisher, but it noticeably shortens load times, especially during frequent scene transitions. A traditional hard drive offers more capacity for less money, but loading is slower, so it works better as a home for backups or older games.
In short, install the game on an SSD and pair it with 16GB of dual-channel RAM. That combination offers good value and the most consistent experience.