Every game’s store page lists minimum and recommended specs, but a lot of people either skip reading them closely or misunderstand what the numbers actually mean once they get there. Here’s how to check properly before you install anything — or buy anything.

Step 1: Find your own specs first

You can’t compare against anything until you know what you’re working with. See our guide on checking your PC specs on Windows — it takes under a minute using tools already built into Windows.

  • Minimum means the game is expected to run, typically at low settings and often at a lower resolution like 1080p or below. It does not promise a smooth, stable frame rate — just that it’ll launch and be playable.
  • Recommended is a much better target if you want a genuinely good experience — usually implying medium-to-high settings at a common resolution with a reasonably stable frame rate.

If your hardware sits between the two, expect something closer to medium settings rather than assuming you’ll hit “recommended” performance just because you cleared “minimum.”

Step 3: Compare component by component

Go through each line item rather than eyeballing the whole list at once:

  • CPU — check both core count and generation/model, not just clock speed. A newer 6-core CPU often outperforms an older 8-core one.
  • GPU — this is usually the tightest constraint for modern games. If a game lists a specific card (e.g. “RTX 2060 or equivalent”), look up roughly where your card ranks relative to it, not just whether it’s a bigger or smaller number.
  • RAM — straightforward; if you don’t meet the listed amount, this is one of the more reliable predictors of stutter regardless of your GPU.
  • Storage — check whether the listing specifies SSD vs. HDD. Some newer games effectively require an SSD for acceptable load times and streaming, even if not stated as a hard minimum.
Check for a CPU/GPU Bottleneck

Common mistakes worth avoiding

  • Assuming “or equivalent” GPUs are interchangeable across brands without checking. Comparable NVIDIA/AMD cards from the same generation are usually a safe substitution; comparing across generations is riskier.
  • Ignoring the resolution requirements were tested at. A “recommended: 1080p 60fps” spec doesn’t mean the same hardware gets 60fps at 1440p or 4K — requirements are almost always resolution-specific even when not stated explicitly.
  • Trusting outdated third-party spec listings. Always cross-check against the game’s own store page, especially for games that have received major content updates since launch, since requirements sometimes change.

If you’re close but not quite there

Being slightly under recommended specs doesn’t necessarily mean a bad experience — dropping a few graphics settings (shadows, reflections, and draw distance tend to cost more than they visually add) can often close the gap without a hardware upgrade. Our FPS calculator can give you a rough estimate of what frame rate to expect from your specific hardware before you buy.