Fallout: New Vegas PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
Fallout: New Vegas lists a minimum of a dual-core CPU at 2.0GHz, an NVIDIA GeForce 6 series or ATI 1300XT series graphics card, and 2GB of RAM. By today's standards these are very modest. Based on FrameScope's tier mapping, the minimum CPU is roughly equivalent to an AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ and the minimum GPU to something like Intel HD Graphics 4000, which is integrated or very old entry-level hardware. Almost any desktop or laptop from the last decade should be able to start the game.
The publisher did not list a recommended tier, so we cannot give a verified recommended baseline. Taking the minimum tier as the only reference, the recommended-level CPU would sit around the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 class, which is also quite old. Because no recommended specs exist, the build suggestions on this page are estimates based on current mainstream hardware rather than an official target.
The official storage size is not specified, and an SSD is not required. The game itself is small, but mods and saves add up over time, so it is worth leaving some room free.
In short, the gap between minimum and recommended is not defined by the publisher here. Players should expect the game to run on modest hardware, with the main limits coming from older graphics drivers and mod loads rather than from the base requirements.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits anyone who wants to play for the lowest reasonable cost. We pair a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB or Radeon RX 6500 XT with a Ryzen 3 or entry Ryzen 5 processor and 16GB of RAM. This is far above the official minimum and leaves room for future upgrades.
The mainstream build is for players who want steady performance and also plan to play newer titles. Options include the GTX 1660 Super or RTX 3050 8GB, paired with a six-core chip such as the Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i5-10400, again with 16GB of RAM.
The high-end build is aimed at players who want maximum visual quality or who run heavy mod lists. We list newer cards such as the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT, paired with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D or a Core i9 class processor, and we suggest 32GB of RAM. To be clear, the official requirements are far lower than these builds. The extra hardware mainly helps with higher resolutions and heavy modding rather than with anything the base game needs.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In a large open-world RPG like this one, the settings that usually cost the most are shadow quality, volumetric lighting and fog, draw distance, and the number of NPCs and objects on screen. Shadows and volumetrics are typically the heaviest, so lowering them is the first place to look if you need more headroom. The visual difference is often smaller than people expect.
Anti-aliasing and texture detail are generally lighter on the GPU and can be kept if your graphics card has enough VRAM. Ray tracing, where offered, adds a lot of cost to a game that does not benefit much from it, so we would leave it off.
Upscaling technologies such as DLSS, FSR and XeSS render at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct a higher-resolution image. On supported hardware they are a practical way to gain smoothness, though the result depends on whether the game supports them and on the quality of the implementation.
Laptops and handheld PCs
A laptop GPU with the same name as a desktop card usually performs below the desktop version. Power limits (TGP) and cooling constrain laptop chips, so a model number alone does not tell you the whole story. When evaluating a laptop, check the GPU's power setting and how well the cooling holds up under sustained load. Most current mid-range laptops can run this game comfortably, but keeping high settings may require attention to thermals and power mode.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are general-purpose portable computers, and their performance depends on the built-in processor and graphics. A good approach is to lower the resolution, pick a moderate preset and cap the frame rate to find a balance. We do not have handheld verification data for this title, so this page does not give a rating for any specific device. Community settings guides for each device are a better guide here.
For either type of device, plugging in power and keeping airflow clear helps maintain stable performance.
Storage and memory
The official minimum RAM is 2GB, which reflects an older era. Today we suggest at least 8GB, and our build recommendations use 16GB or 32GB to leave room for the operating system and background tasks. Dual-channel memory gives better bandwidth, so if your motherboard supports it, use two matched sticks rather than one.
The official storage requirement is not specified, and an SSD is not mandatory. An SSD does noticeably shorten loading times, especially when moving between towns and dungeons frequently. If your budget allows, install the game on an SSD; even a smaller drive is enough for this title.
Updates and mods also take up space, so keep some free capacity and clear out unneeded files periodically to avoid running out of room.