Key takeaways
- Official minimum (Steam): FX-4350 or i3-6300, GTX 950 or HD 7790 (2GB), 6GB RAM, 75GB storage, DirectX 12.
- Official recommended (Steam): Ryzen 5, GTX 970 or R9 290, 8GB RAM, 75GB storage.
- Apex Legends is free-to-play. A Steam or EA account is required, and broadband internet is required.
- DirectX 11 was removed in March 2025. The game runs on DirectX 12 only, and needs Shader Model 6.0 since February 2026.
- The real floor for smooth play is 16GB of RAM and an SSD, not the 6GB minimum.
Can I run Apex Legends? The official specs
Can I run Apex Legends? The table below is the official spec from the Steam store page, checked in November 2026. EA's own page lists the same GPU and RAM figures, yet names an Intel i5-3570K where Steam names a Ryzen 5. Either chip is comfortably above the minimum. The minimum tier is old hardware, since the game launched in 2019 and arrived on Steam in November 2020. The recommended tier is old too, and EA describes it as the tier for smooth 60 FPS gameplay. RAM is the part to watch. The official minimum is 6GB, yet 8GB is the recommended tier, and 16GB is the real floor for smooth play. For the RAM story in full, see this: how much RAM do you need for gaming in 2026.
| Component | Minimum (official, Steam) | Recommended (official, Steam) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | 64-bit Windows 10 | 64-bit Windows 10 |
| CPU | AMD FX-4350 or Intel Core i3-6300 | Ryzen 5 CPU or equivalent |
| RAM | 6 GB | 8 GB |
| GPU | AMD Radeon HD 7790 (2 GB) / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 | AMD Radeon R9 290 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 |
| DirectX | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
| Network | Broadband internet connection | Broadband internet connection |
| Storage | 75 GB available space | 75 GB available space |
What each tier plays like
The official tiers tell you what launches, not what plays well. The table below is our guidance, built from the official tiers and EA's own description of them. The minimum tier runs at 1080p low, near 30 to 60 FPS. The recommended tier runs at 1080p high, at a smooth 60 FPS, per EA. For 1440p competitive play you need more. An RTX 3060 or RX 6600 XT, 16GB of RAM, and a fast SSD give 1440p high near the game's 144 FPS cap. Apex caps gameplay at 144 FPS by default, and the launch option +fps_max unlimited removes that cap. The slowest frames, called 1% lows, show a CPU limit first. For the frame-time story in full, see this: stuttering and frame time: 1% lows explained.
| Tier | Settings | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 1080p low | Near 30 to 60 FPS (our guidance) |
| Recommended | 1080p high | Smooth 60 FPS, per EA (our guidance) |
| 1440p competitive | 1440p high | Near the 144 FPS cap with RTX 3060 / RX 6600 XT + 16GB RAM (our guidance) |
The parts that matter most
RAM matters more than the official spec suggests. Apex lists 6GB as the minimum, yet 8GB is the recommended tier, and 16GB in dual-channel is the real floor. Single-channel RAM causes stutter, since the game streams assets while you play. An SSD is the next upgrade. The install needs 75GB, plus about 3.8GB per extra language, and an SSD loads maps and textures far faster than a hard drive. VRAM matters at higher settings. The minimum card has 2GB of VRAM, yet 4GB or more is the real floor for 1080p high, and 8GB for 1440p. For the VRAM story in full, see this: VRAM bottleneck: 8GB vs 12GB vs 16GB. The CPU matters for stable frame times. Six cores and 12 threads are the real floor, since a 4-core chip stutters in late-game circles. The CPU matters most in the final circles, where 20 squads crowd into a small zone. Check your own pair before you buy with the free tool: bottleneck calculator.
Apex Legends on a low-end PC: what to turn down
On a minimum-spec PC, turn the texture streaming budget down first. It caps how much VRAM the game uses, and a 2GB card cannot hold high textures. Set shadows to low, since shadow maps cost frames on old cards. Turn anti-aliasing down, since it blurs the image and costs frames. Turn off volumetric lighting, since it costs frames for little gain in a fast fight. Use adaptive resolution if your frame rate drops, since it lowers the render scale when the GPU struggles. Cap the frame rate at 60 FPS, since a minimum PC cannot hold more. Close background apps, since Apex needs every bit of RAM on a minimum PC. A clean driver install helps too, since old drivers cause crashes in Apex.
Before you download
Apex Legends is free-to-play on PC, with no purchase required. You need a Steam or EA account, and broadband internet is required to play. The download needs 75GB free, plus about 3.8GB per extra language, so keep headroom for updates. The game moved to EA Javelin Anticheat on PC on 29 September 2026, replacing Easy Anti-Cheat. Secure Boot is not required for Apex Legends, per EA. Your graphics card needs Feature Level 12_0 and, since the February 2026 patch, Shader Model 6.0. Cards without Shader Model 6.0 show an error on launch. Use a wired connection for the download and for play, since Apex drops packets on weak Wi-Fi. For the full check method, see this: how to check for a CPU bottleneck.
The bottom line on Apex Legends
Can I run Apex Legends? If your PC has a GTX 950 or better, 6GB of RAM, and 75GB free, the game launches. If you want smooth play, aim higher: 16GB of RAM in dual-channel, an SSD, and a GPU with 4GB of VRAM or more. The minimum spec is a floor, not a target, and the parts that matter most are RAM and storage. Check your pair first on the CPU bottleneck calculator before you spend. For the tier below these parts, see this: best CPU for RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run Apex Legends on a GTX 950?
Yes. The GTX 950 is the official minimum GPU, alongside the AMD HD 7790. Expect 1080p low, near 30 to 60 FPS. The card has 2GB of VRAM in most models, so textures stay on low. For 1080p high at a smooth 60 FPS you need at least a GTX 970 or R9 290, the official recommended tier.
How much RAM does Apex Legends need in 2026?
The official minimum is 6GB, and the official recommended tier is 8GB. In practice, 16GB in dual-channel is the real floor for smooth play. Single-channel RAM causes stutter, since the game streams assets while you play. For competitive play at 1440p, 32GB is the comfortable pick, though 16GB is enough.
Can I run Apex Legends on a laptop?
Yes, if the laptop meets the official specs. A gaming laptop with a GTX 1650 or better, 16GB of RAM, and an SSD runs Apex at 1080p. Integrated graphics are not recommended, since the game needs DirectX 12 and a dedicated GPU. Check that the laptop has an SSD, since a hard drive slows map loading.
Is Apex Legends free on PC?
Yes. Apex Legends is free-to-play on PC, with no purchase required. You need a Steam or EA account, and broadband internet is required to play. The download needs 75GB free, plus about 3.8GB per extra language. In-app purchases exist, yet the full game is free.
Does Apex Legends need an SSD to run well?
An SSD is not in the official spec, yet it is the single best upgrade for Apex. The install needs 75GB, and an SSD loads maps and textures far faster than a hard drive. On a hard drive, landing zones load slowly and textures pop in late. An NVMe SSD is the best pick, since it loads assets fastest.
Which CPU runs Apex Legends best at 144 FPS?
Six cores and 12 threads are the real floor for stable frame times at 144 FPS. A Ryzen 5 3600X or a Core i5-12400F feeds an RTX 3060 or RX 6600 XT at 1440p high. For competitive play, a Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the comfortable pick. A 4-core CPU stutters in late-game circles, where 20 squads crowd together.
How this guide was prepared
This guide uses the official system requirements from the Steam store page, checked in November 2026. The performance expectations are our guidance, built from those tiers and EA's own description of them, not our own tests. The price figures are launch prices and reported street prices.
Last updated: November 11, 2026