Path of Exile PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for Path of Exile calls for a quad-core 2.6GHz x86-compatible processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or ATI Radeon HD 7850 class graphics card, 8 GB of RAM and 40 GB of storage. An SSD is not required. In our tier comparison, the minimum GPU sits roughly at the level of the GeForce GTX 650, which is a very old entry-level card, and the minimum CPU corresponds to something like the Intel Core i3-3220, a very old entry-level chip.
The official recommended specs ask for a quad-core 3.2GHz x64-compatible processor, a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or Radeon RX 560 class card, 16 GB of RAM, and the same 40 GB of storage, again without an SSD requirement. The recommended GPU is roughly comparable to a GeForce GTX 670, still an older entry-level part. The publisher lists the same Core i3-3220 class for the CPU at both levels, so the practical difference between the two tiers comes down to the graphics card and the amount of RAM.
For a player, the gap means that meeting the minimum will get the game running, but a weaker card and 8 GB of memory will show limits sooner, especially in crowded fights and effect-heavy scenes. Meeting the recommended tier gives you more room to play at default or medium settings. Every item in the official list is specified here, so nothing needs to be assumed.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build pairs one of the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT, Intel Arc A380, GTX 1650 4GB, GTX 1650 Super, GTX 1660 or RTX 3050 6GB with a Ryzen 3 3100, Core i3-10100F, Ryzen 3 3300X, Ryzen 5 4500, Ryzen 5 3500X or Core i5-10400F, and 16 GB of RAM. This suits players on a tight budget who mainly want the game to run smoothly at low to medium settings, and it clears the recommended tier by a comfortable margin.
The mainstream build overlaps with the entry GPU list but adds the GTX 1660 Super and RTX 3050 8GB, and the CPU list adds the Core i5-10400 and Ryzen 5 3600. RAM stays at 16 GB. This level fits typical players who want to move between default and medium-high settings with steadier performance in both town and combat.
The high-end build uses an Intel Arc A770 16GB, RTX 2070 Super, RTX 2080, RTX 4060, Radeon RX 7600, RTX 2080 Super, Arc B580 or RX 7600 XT, paired with a Core i5-12400, Core i9-10900K, Ryzen 5 8600G, Ryzen 5 5600, Core i7-11700K, Ryzen 5 5600X, Core i9-11900K or Ryzen 7 8700G. Plan on at least 16 GB of RAM, and consider 32 GB if you stream or keep many programs open. This tier is far above the recommended level and suits players who want high settings for long sessions.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In this top-down action RPG, the settings that usually cost the most are shadow quality, volumetric lighting and fog, particle density during large fights, and view distance with scene detail. Shadows and effects are most noticeable in combat, so they are the first things to lower. Texture quality, by contrast, affects sharpness a lot while adding relatively little processing load, so it is worth keeping high where your VRAM allows.
Ray tracing is not usually essential in a game like this. If your card is in the lower tiers, turning it off is the sensible choice. Reflections and depth of field can also be reduced without much loss. For anti-aliasing, pick a moderate level that suits your card rather than maxing it out.
Upscaling technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS render at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct a sharper image, which can reduce GPU load with modest image-quality trade-offs. Which modes are available depends on your graphics card and the game version, so check the options menu before adjusting anything.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop graphics chips often share names with desktop cards, for example an RTX 4060 laptop variant, but laptop versions typically run at lower power limits and cooling capacity, so they are noticeably slower than the desktop card with the same name. When evaluating a laptop, look at the GPU's power setting (TGP) and cooling design rather than the model name alone. Sustained heat can also cause throttling that makes frame pacing less stable over long sessions.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are portable computers whose performance depends on their built-in processor and integrated graphics. You can balance power and image quality by lowering resolution and settings, and by using upscaling where it is available. We have no Steam Deck verification data for this game, so we cannot give it a rating. In general, lower settings and resolution work best, and keeping the device plugged in avoids battery-related power limits.
Storage and memory
The official storage figure is 40 GB, but the installed game and later updates will need extra space, so leave plenty of free room rather than filling the drive. An SSD is not an official requirement, yet installing on one noticeably shortens loading times, which matters most for players who often enter new zones. A hard drive will still run the game, just with longer loads.
For memory, the official minimum is 8 GB and the recommended figure is 16 GB. Our builds all start at 16 GB, because 8 GB gets tight once a browser, chat app or stream is running alongside the game. If your budget allows, 32 GB gives more headroom for multitasking. When installing RAM, use dual-channel by placing sticks in the slots recommended by your motherboard, which raises memory bandwidth and helps both CPU and GPU performance.