How to Check If a Game Will Run on Your PC

To check if a game will run on your PC, find your graphics card, processor and RAM, then compare them with the game’s official minimum and recommended requirements on its Steam or Epic Games store page. If your parts match the recommended list, the game should run well. If they only match the minimum list, expect low settings and uneven frame rates. The check takes two minutes, and you do not need to download anything.

Most guides stop there. They never teach you how to compare graphics cards with different names, or why a PC that meets the minimum can still run badly. This guide fixes both gaps, with a worked example.

Step 1: Find out what is inside your PC

Three parts decide almost everything: your graphics card (GPU), your processor (CPU) and your memory (RAM). Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then open the Performance tab. Click CPU for your processor name, Memory for your RAM, and GPU for your graphics card and VRAM.

For more detail, press Win + R, type dxdiag and press Enter. The System tab shows your processor, memory and Windows version, and the Display tab shows your graphics card and driver version. The dxdiag total memory figure mixes VRAM with shared memory, so trust the Task Manager figure for VRAM.

Step 2: Find the game’s official requirements

Always use the current official listing: the game’s Steam page, the Epic Games Store listing, or the publisher’s support page. Avoid undated third-party pages, because requirements change after launch.

Copy the minimum and recommended lists separately. The minimum list is the weakest hardware the developer tested and supports, and the recommended list is what it considers a comfortable experience. Neither promises a frame rate, a resolution or a graphics preset unless the developer states one.

Step 3: Compare your graphics card properly

This is where most checks go wrong. A graphics card name hides two facts: its generation and its tier. In a name like RTX 3060, the first digits show the generation and the last two show the tier. A 60-class card is mid-range, and a 70 or 80-class card is higher end. AMD follows the same pattern.

The trap is that a newer mid-range card often beats an older high-end one: an RTX 3060 is faster than a GTX 1080, even though the 1080 was a flagship card in its day. Names alone cannot settle this, so use a benchmark comparison when the two cards are from different brands or generations.

VRAM is a separate check. A fast card can still stutter if it lacks video memory. If a game recommends 8 GB of VRAM and your card has 4 GB, expect to lower texture quality a long way.

A worked example: Elden Ring

Here is the check on a real game: the official Steam requirements for Elden Ring, checked on 10 November 2026.

Now take a common mid-range PC: an Intel Core i5-12400, an RTX 3060 with 12 GB of VRAM, and 16 GB of RAM, with the game on an SSD. The i5-12400 beats the recommended i7-8700K, RAM matches the recommended 16 GB, and the RTX 3060 is far faster than the recommended GTX 1070 with 12 GB of VRAM against 8 GB. Verdict: this PC should run Elden Ring at 1080p on high settings at 60 frames per second, the game’s own frame rate cap.

Swap the RTX 3060 for a GTX 1650 with 4 GB of VRAM and the card falls below the minimum GTX 1060. The game may still launch, but expect low settings and stutter in busy areas.

Why meeting the minimum does not mean smooth play

There is no industry-wide test behind the words minimum and recommended. One developer may base its minimum on 1080p at 30 frames per second on low settings, while another gives no frame rate target at all. Steam says it plainly: meeting the requirements does not mean high frame rates.

Five extra factors decide how the game actually feels. First, VRAM: texture-heavy games stutter when VRAM runs out. Second, the DirectX feature level: dxdiag shows the DirectX version installed, not what your hardware supports, and an older card can report DirectX 12 yet lack the feature level a game needs, so it will not start. Third, laptop graphics: a laptop RTX 4060 is slower than a desktop RTX 4060 because it runs at lower power. Fourth, storage: a game on a hard drive loads slower and can stutter in open worlds. Fifth, updates: a live game grows more demanding, while its published requirements often stay frozen at launch.

The laptop trap: integrated vs dedicated graphics

Laptops cause most of the confusion here. Task Manager may show two GPUs: GPU 0 is usually the integrated chip, such as Intel UHD, and GPU 1 is the dedicated card you want to game on.

Two mistakes are common: comparing the integrated chip against the requirement list and concluding the laptop cannot run the game, when the dedicated card would clear it; and the reverse, where Windows runs the game on the integrated chip even though a dedicated card is present. If a game runs far worse than your specs suggest, check which GPU is in use, and set the game to High performance under Settings, System, Display, Graphics.

What to do if your PC falls short

Start with settings, not spending. Lower the resolution first, then shadows, then texture quality if VRAM is the problem. Our guide to PC graphics settings explains which cost the most frames.

If the game still struggles, check the cheapest fix in this order. Add RAM if you have less than 16 GB, the cheapest upgrade that removes stutter. Our guide to how much RAM you need for gaming shows how to check what you have. Move the game to an SSD if it sits on a hard drive. Only then consider a graphics card, which is the most expensive step. And if the game crashes or refuses to launch, work through our guide to fixing games that keep crashing on PC before you blame the hardware.

A game can also run below its minimum requirements: a slightly underpowered processor or graphics card may still play well at low settings. But a missing hardware feature, such as the DirectX feature level, cannot be worked around, and neither can an unsupported operating system. That is the line between “runs badly” and “does not run”.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check if my PC can run a game without downloading anything?

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and read your processor, RAM and graphics card from the Performance tab. Then open the game’s Steam page and compare each part with the minimum and recommended lists.

Is 8 GB of RAM enough for gaming in 2026?

It meets the minimum for many older games, but 16 GB is the safer target now. Several modern games list 12 GB or 16 GB as their minimum.

Can I run a game if my graphics card is below the minimum?

Sometimes. A card slightly below the minimum may still run the game at low settings and a lower resolution. But if it lacks a required feature, such as the DirectX feature level, the game will not start at all.

Why does my laptop meet the requirements but the game still lags?

The most common cause is that Windows is running the game on integrated graphics instead of the dedicated card. Check which GPU is in use in Task Manager while the game runs. Laptop cards also run slower than desktop cards with the same name.

Conclusion

It comes down to three steps: find your real specs in Task Manager, read the game’s official requirements on Steam, and compare graphics cards by benchmark tier, not by name. Do the check before you buy or download.