War Thunder PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for War Thunder lists a dual-core 2.2 GHz processor, a DirectX 11 graphics card, 4 GB of RAM and 70 GB of storage. The GPU line points to hardware around the GeForce GTX 660 or Radeon 77XX class, which today is an old entry-level tier. The publisher does not require an SSD at this level, and the minimum supported resolution is 720p. In practice this means the game will start on old machines, but there is very little headroom for smooth play.
The recommended tier asks for an Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 3600 or better, a GPU at the GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 570 level and above, 16 GB of RAM and 95 GB of storage. On our tier scale, the recommended GPU sits roughly around the GTX 1650, still an older entry-level card, while the recommended CPU is close to the Ryzen 5 3600, a six-core part that remains mainstream. The gap between minimum and recommended is mostly about processor and graphics headroom. Once you reach the recommended tier, large battles are noticeably easier to keep steady.
The publisher does not list an explicit SSD requirement or a higher-end tier, so the builds below combine the official figures with general experience. Overall this is a CPU-heavy game, so the processor matters about as much as the graphics card..
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players who want a playable setup on a tight budget. Pair a GTX 1650-class card or an RTX 3050 6GB, which reach the recommended GPU level, with a quad-core Ryzen 3 or Core i3 and 16 GB of RAM. This combination handles most matches at low to medium settings, but in heavily populated battles the processor can become the bottleneck, so you will need to lower CPU-related options to compensate.
The mainstream build is the balanced choice for most players. A GTX 1660-series card, an RTX 3050 8GB or a Radeon RX 5600 XT pairs well with a six-core chip such as the Ryzen 5 3600, Ryzen 5 5500 or Core i5-11400. Sixteen gigabytes of RAM is enough, though 32 GB gives more room if you run a browser or voice chat alongside the game. This tier is comfortable at medium-high settings at 1080p.
The high-end build is for players who want higher settings and more multitasking room. Consider an RTX 2070 Super, RTX 4060 or Radeon RX 7600 with a processor like the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, Ryzen 7 5700X3D or Core i5-13600K. Large cache and strong multi-core performance help with the heavy unit simulation in this game. Thirty-two gigabytes of RAM is a sensible target here, giving high-resolution textures and long sessions more space.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In a large-map simulation game with many units, shadows, volumetric lighting, view distance and crowd or simulation density usually cost the most. Shadows and volumetrics mainly load the graphics card, while unit draw distance, physics detail and crowd density lean more on the processor. If your CPU is the weaker part, you may notice stutter in big battles even with a capable GPU, so those CPU-related options are the first place to adjust.
A practical approach is to keep texture and core lighting quality, then drop shadows, volumetrics and view distance by one or two steps. This often reduces the load noticeably with a modest visual cost. Ray tracing, where offered, adds limited visible benefit to this game, so turn it off unless your graphics card has plenty of spare capacity.
Upscaling technologies such as DLSS, FSR and XeSS render the image at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct it to your output resolution. This lightens the graphics card's workload while keeping sharpness reasonable, so if your GPU supports one of them, enabling it is usually a worthwhile step. How much it helps depends on your hardware and settings, so compare the image and responsiveness in-game to find your balance.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop graphics chips often share names with desktop cards, such as RTX 3050 Laptop GPU, but power limits and cooling space usually leave them slower than the desktop version. When evaluating a laptop, check the rated graphics power (TGP), since a higher figure generally means better performance. Long sessions can also trigger throttling if cooling is weak, so keep vents clear and clean them periodically.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are full PC platforms but with tighter power and thermal limits. Use lower resolutions and presets, and make use of the device's performance modes and upscaling features. Because this game puts a heavy load on the CPU, watch the processor's power setting on handhelds so that large battles stay stable. We do not have Steam Deck verification data for this title, so treat this as general guidance and judge by your own device.
If you plan to play away from a power outlet, choose a model with good cooling and battery life, and check whether the game is acceptable in a battery or efficiency mode before you travel.
Storage and memory
The official recommendation is 16 GB of RAM, with 4 GB as the minimum. Sixteen gigabytes is a practical starting point so that the game and background programs have room. Dual-channel memory, meaning two matching modules in the correct slots, adds bandwidth, which helps processor-heavy games like this one.
For storage, the official recommendation is 95 GB and the minimum is 70 GB. Because the game receives updates, leave extra space rather than sitting right at the recommended size. The publisher does not require an SSD, but if you can use one, loading and map transitions become noticeably faster, which matters if you join matches often. A traditional hard drive will still work, just with longer load times.
Finally, keeping plenty of free space on the drive helps updates install cleanly and stops the system from slowing down when space runs short.