How to Check If Your PC Can Run a Game

The quick answer

The fastest way is PCGameBenchmark.com or Can You Run It — type the game name, run the scan, and you’ll know in under a minute. But knowing why your PC can or can’t run something is more useful long-term. This guide covers both — plus what to actually do if you come up short.

Method 1: Use an online compatibility checker (fastest)

PCGameBenchmark.com and systemrequirementslab.com/cyri (Can You Run It) scan your PC against a game’s requirements automatically.

How it works:

1. Go to either site
2. Search for the game
3. Click the scan button — it installs a small detection tool or runs in the browser
4. It checks your CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage against the game’s minimum and recommended specs
5. You get a pass/fail result for each component

These tools are accurate for most games. The one caveat: they check against the developer’s listed specs, which are often conservative. A game might run fine even if you’re slightly below “recommended” — don’t panic if you’re borderline on one component.

Method 2: Check your specs manually in Windows 11

No tool needed — Windows has everything built in.

CPU and RAM

Press Windows + R, type dxdiag, press Enter. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool shows:

• Processor — your CPU model and speed
• Memory — your total RAM

GPU

In the same dxdiag window, click the Display tab:

• Name — your GPU model
• Approx. Total Memory — your VRAM amount

Faster alternative

Right-click the Start button → System → scroll down to Device specifications for CPU and RAM. For the GPU, open Task Manager → Performance → GPU — it shows your GPU model and VRAM at a glance without opening dxdiag.

Method 3: Compare manually against system requirements

Every game on Steam, Epic, and most storefronts lists minimum and recommended specs on the store page. Once you know your specs, it’s a straight comparison.

Example — Cyberpunk 2077 recommended specs:

If your specs meet or beat the recommended column at every row, you’re good. If you’re between minimum and recommended on one component, you’ll run the game but may need to lower settings on whatever that component drives (GPU → visual quality, CPU → simulation-heavy areas).

Minimum vs recommended — what these actually mean

Minimum specs — the game will launch and technically run. Usually means 30fps at 1080p low settings. Playable in the loosest sense of the word. Not enjoyable for most people.

Recommended specs — the developer’s target for a decent experience. Usually 60fps at 1080p medium-to-high.

What the spec sheet won’t tell you:

• What frame rate they’re actually targeting (often just 60fps — nothing more)
• Whether they mean 1080p, 1440p, or 4K
• How the game performs with ray tracing enabled
• How performance degrades in demanding areas vs controlled benchmarks

For a realistic read on performance, search YouTube for “[game name] + [your GPU] + benchmark” — someone has almost certainly already tested it with your exact card.

What to do if your PC can’t run the game

GPU is below spec — upgrade this first

The GPU is the most common bottleneck and the highest-impact upgrade. If your GPU is one or two generations old, a new card will transform what your PC can run.

At ~$249, the Intel Arc B580 12GB is the only card actually under $300 right now and a genuinely good one. The RX 9060 XT 8GB at ~$339 is faster if your budget stretches. See our best GPU under $300 guide and best GPU under $400 guide for the full current breakdown.

RAM is below spec — 8GB is not enough in 2026

If you’re on 8GB, upgrading to 16GB is the single highest-impact upgrade you can make for the money. Modern games routinely use 12–14GB of system RAM, and your OS and background apps need some too.

Fair warning: RAM prices have risen significantly in 2026. DDR4 16GB kits that were $32–$40 a year ago are now $80–$120. It’s still worth doing — just budget more than you might expect. See our RAM guide for what you actually need.

CPU is below spec — trickier than it sounds

CPU upgrades require motherboard compatibility, which makes them more complicated than swapping RAM or a GPU. If your CPU is more than 3–4 generations old, the honest answer is often “new build” rather than “new CPU.” Check our build guides for complete current options at every budget, and our AMD vs Intel comparison to understand what platform makes sense.

You’re on an HDD — upgrade this now

Modern games frequently require or strongly recommend an SSD. If you’re still gaming off a spinning hard drive, you’re not just getting slower load times — open-world games actively stutter during play as they struggle to stream assets fast enough. A 1TB NVMe SSD at around $70 will fix this immediately. Read our SSD vs HDD guide for the full breakdown.

Frame rate expectations by GPU tier

Meeting the recommended specs gets you into the game. Here’s what to actually expect at 1080p medium in demanding modern titles:

These are rough averages — performance varies significantly by title and settings. Always search for benchmarks on your specific GPU before buying.

The honest truth about minimum specs

Developers list low minimum requirements on purpose — it maximizes the audience who can buy the game. In practice, games often perform worse than spec sheets suggest on older hardware, especially as post-launch patches add visual features over time.

If you’re consistently hitting the minimum wall across multiple games, lower settings aren’t the real fix. Hardware is. Our how much does it cost guide covers realistic budgets for 2026, and our build guides have complete compatible parts lists ready to go.

Ready to upgrade or build new? The beginner build guide is the right place to start if you’ve never done it before.