ELDEN RING PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum CPU for ELDEN RING is an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X. That is an older mainstream quad-core, roughly comparable today to an entry-to-mainstream part like the Ryzen 3 3100. The minimum GPU is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 4 GB, which sits in the older entry band. The minimum RAM is 12 GB and the storage requirement is 60 GB. The publisher does not require an SSD.
The recommended tier moves up to an Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, which is around today's mainstream band (similar to a Ryzen 5 3500X). The recommended GPU is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8 GB, a 1080p-class mainstream card. Recommended RAM is 16 GB, with the same 60 GB storage figure. The gap between the two tiers is mostly about GPU video memory and CPU per-core speed, and the higher tier gives the open world's distant terrain and vegetation more headroom.
The publisher does not list any tier above recommended, and it does not say whether an SSD is needed for good loading. So the step from minimum to recommended describes the officially supported baseline, not a ceiling on performance. If your system only just meets the minimum, start with the lower presets.
The requirements do not mention ray tracing or any upscaling technology, so treat those as optional extras rather than part of the baseline.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build centers on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super or RTX 3050 8GB, paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 3500X or Intel Core i5-10400F. This combination sits at or above the official recommended tier and suits a player who wants to spend less and is fine running medium-low settings. Use 16 GB of RAM, since less than that can make open-world loading stutter.
The mainstream build is built around an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB or AMD Radeon RX 6600, paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i5-11400F. This is the most balanced choice. It handles 1080p with higher settings and leaves some room for the future. 16 GB of RAM is enough for most people; move to 32 GB if you stream or record while playing.
The high-end build uses an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, paired with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D or Intel Core i7-12700K. It suits players who want higher resolutions or higher quality. The large cache on the 5700X3D helps with heavy scenes, and 32 GB of RAM keeps long sessions and multitasking comfortable.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In large open-world action RPGs like this one, the settings that usually cost the most are shadows, volumetric effects such as fog and light scattering, grass and vegetation density, and view distance. These can change the look noticeably, but their cost is often higher than their visual payoff. Lowering shadow quality and volumetrics is usually the most effective first step.
Ray tracing is not part of the official requirements. If your GPU is not from a recent generation, leaving it off is the safer choice. Reflections and some post-processing effects can also be dialed back if you need more headroom. Texture quality, by contrast, depends mostly on GPU video memory. If your card has enough VRAM, raising textures usually costs less than the effects above.
If your GPU supports DLSS, FSR, or XeSS, enabling an upscaler in its quality or balanced mode is worth testing. These techniques render at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct a sharper image, which reduces GPU load with a fairly small loss in clarity. The result depends on your monitor and taste, so compare the modes yourself before settling on one.
Laptops and handheld PCs
A laptop GPU with the same name as a desktop card usually has lower performance because of power limits and cooling. An RTX 3060 in a laptop, for example, typically runs at a lower power budget than the desktop version. When judging whether a laptop meets the recommended tier, base your decision on that specific machine's power and cooling, not on the model name alone. Play plugged in, set the performance mode to its highest setting, and keep the vents clear.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are portable devices with different hardware goals and clear limits on both performance and thermals. They generally run best at lower resolutions and moderate settings, and built-in frame limiting and scaling options help keep play stable. We do not have verification data for handhelds, so this is general guidance only. Expect to tune settings for your specific device.
In short, plan conservatively on laptops and handhelds. Start at low-to-medium settings and raise them gradually until you find a comfortable balance.
Storage and memory
The official storage requirement is 60 GB, but plan for more free space so there is room for updates, save data, and cache files. For memory, the official minimum is 12 GB and the recommended amount is 16 GB. Today 16 GB is a sensible starting point, since the operating system and background apps also use a share of it. If you are short on memory, loading and switching areas can become noticeably slower.
Dual-channel memory gives more bandwidth and helps overall performance. If you are running two sticks, check that they sit in the correct slots so the system runs in dual-channel mode.
The publisher does not require an SSD, but in an open world with frequent area transitions, an SSD shortens load times and reduces the hitches caused by texture streaming. If your budget allows, install the game on an SSD. A hard drive will work, but you will notice longer waits when loading.