Raft PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for Raft lists an Intel Core i5 at 2.6GHz or similar for the processor, a GeForce GTX 700 series card or similar for graphics, 6 GB of RAM and 10 GB of storage. The publisher states that an SSD is not required. Mapped to FrameScope's tiers, the minimum CPU is roughly an Intel Core i5-4460, a very old entry-level part, and the minimum GPU is roughly a GTX 750 Ti, also an early entry-level card.
The recommended level asks for an Intel Core i5-6600 at 3.3GHz or similar, a GeForce GTX 1050 series card or similar, 8 GB of RAM and the same 10 GB of storage. In our comparison, the recommended CPU sits around an Intel Core i5-6600K, an older mainstream processor, and the recommended GPU is roughly a GTX 1050 2GB, still an entry-level card by today's standards. The main gap between the two levels is processor and graphics generation; RAM only rises by 2 GB. For most players the recommended tier is the more realistic starting point, while the minimum mainly tells you whether the game will launch at all.
Raft leans heavily on the processor. Physics, large numbers of objects and AI logic all load the CPU, so a graphics card that meets the requirement can still feel limited if the processor is weak, especially later in a session. The publisher has not listed any higher requirement tier.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players who want to play occasionally on a tight budget. It pairs an AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT or GTX 1650 class card with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 or Intel Core i3-10100F, both quad-core parts, and at least 16 GB of RAM. Both the graphics card and processor sit clearly above the official recommended level, though large bases and busy scenes will still put the CPU under pressure.
The mainstream build suits players who want steady long-term play and may also run other recent games. A GTX 1660, RTX 3050 6GB or RTX 3050 8GB handles graphics, and a six-core Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i5-10400 handles the processor. That leaves comfortable headroom on both fronts, which matters for a CPU-heavy game because late-game unit and physics work gets noticeably smoother.
The high build suits players who want lasting headroom and also play other demanding titles. Options include an RTX 2070 Super, RTX 4060 or Radeon RX 7600 for graphics, and a Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5700X or Ryzen 5 7500F for the processor. Start at 16 GB of RAM and consider 32 GB if you often run other programs or stream. The value of this build lies in processor performance and future headroom rather than extra demands from Raft itself.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In an open-water simulation with many objects, the most demanding settings are usually the processor-side ones: unit and object draw distance, crowd or creature density, and physics detail. These decide how much work the CPU must do every frame. When performance dips, lowering these is usually more effective than dropping resolution.
On the graphics side, volumetric effects, shadow quality and post-processing tend to cost the most. Volumetrics over large stretches of water and sky add noticeable load, and shadows grow more expensive as object counts rise. If your graphics card is on the weaker side, drop these to medium or low while keeping textures and basic lighting, which usually costs little in visual quality. Ray tracing is generally not essential in a game like this, so turn it off to keep headroom.
If your card supports NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR or Intel XeSS, upscaling can help by rendering internally at a lower resolution and scaling up the image. It mainly eases graphics load, so the benefit is limited if the processor is the bottleneck. Test one setting at a time to find out which changes matter most on your system.
Laptops and handheld PCs
A laptop graphics chip that shares a name with a desktop card usually performs worse. Laptops run lower power limits (TGP) and have less cooling room, so an RTX or GTX part in a laptop can trail its desktop namesake by a wide margin. When shopping, check the listed power limit and cooling design rather than the model name alone. Sustained play can also trigger thermal throttling, so keep the vents clear and play plugged in.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally have fixed power and performance budgets. In general they work best at lower graphics presets and moderate resolutions, and built-in power profiles let you trade battery life against performance. Because Raft is mainly limited by the processor, the handheld's CPU and battery life are the main considerations. FrameScope has no verification data for these devices, so we cannot offer a rating for a specific model; player community reports and the publisher's settings advice are the best guides.
Whether on a laptop or handheld, start with lower presets and raise them gradually until you find a balance between stability and visual quality.
Storage and memory
Raft lists 10 GB of storage. That covers the game itself, but leave extra room for updates and save files. The publisher does not require an SSD, so the game will run from a hard drive, but an SSD noticeably shortens load times and saving or loading in a world that has grown large.
For memory, the official minimum is 6 GB and the recommended level is 8 GB. Once the operating system and background programs are counted, 16 GB is the realistic target, which is the baseline across all three builds above. Use dual-channel memory by installing two matching sticks, which doubles the bandwidth between the memory and processor. That helps a CPU-heavy game like this one.
If you have 8 GB, the game may run but can stutter after multitasking or long sessions. Moving to 16 GB is usually the most cost-effective upgrade.