Can I Run Elite Dangerous?
Frontier Developments · 2015
Our verdict
Runs well on any recent graphics card
A budget GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT averages about 93 FPS at 1080p.
Check your own PC ↓Estimated FPS at 1080p
GAMERSPECS ESTIMATEOn a mid-range RTX 4060 or RX 7600, Elite Dangerous averages about 238 FPS at 1080p; a budget GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT averages about 93 FPS, and a high-end RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX averages 300+ FPS.
The publisher states no target settings for Elite Dangerous, so figures assume High, the usual target of a recommended spec.
Budget GPU
GTX 1650 / RX 6500 XT
~85–100 FPS
High (assumed from the recommended spec) · native
Playable
Mid-range GPU
RTX 4060 / RX 7600
~215–260 FPS
High (assumed from the recommended spec) · native
Excellent
High-end GPU
RTX 4080 / RX 7900 XTX
300+ FPS
Graphics card's limit
High (assumed from the recommended spec) · native
Excellent
300+ FPS: This is the graphics card's limit. The game's own frame cap or your CPU will often set the real number.
Want your exact FPS? Enter your CPU, GPU and resolution.
Check My PC →What limits performance in Elite Dangerous
The graphics card, but only on older or budget hardware: any recent card holds 60 FPS at 1080p.
Graphics card (GPU)
Not a limit on most PCs
Even a budget GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT averages about 93 FPS at 1080p.
Processor (CPU)
No measured limit
Elite Dangerous recommends an FX-4350 or equivalent; a Ryzen 5 3600 or anything faster clears that. We have no measured processor limit for Elite Dangerous, so the frame rates on this page assume your processor isn't holding the graphics card back.
Video memory (VRAM)
Not stated
The publisher doesn't state a video memory requirement, so we don't estimate one.
Settings to lower first in Elite Dangerous
- 1Nothing, on a dedicated graphics card: even a budget card holds 60 FPS at 1080p.
- 2On integrated graphics, lower the resolution or render scale first. Intel Iris Xe averages about 43 FPS at 1080p.
Can I run Elite Dangerous on my graphics card?
Pick your GPU for a straight yes-or-no, an FPS estimate at every resolution, and the settings to run.
Check your GPU against Elite Dangerous
Pick your graphics card to see the verdict and estimated frame rates.
Can You Run Elite Dangerous?
Pick your CPU, GPU, RAM and OS — we check each one against Elite Dangerous’s official minimum and recommended requirements.
Your PC
You can run Elite Dangerous — and then some
Your PC meets the recommended requirements. Expect a great experience.
Wrong result? Tell us| Component | Your PC | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPU | GeForce RTX 4060 | Nvidia GTX 470/AMD R7 240 | Nvidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon R9 280X |
| CPU | Core i5-13400 | Quad Core CPU (4 x 2Ghz) | Intel Core i7-3770K Quad Core CPU or better / AMD FX 4350 Quad Core CPU or better |
| RAM | 16 GB | 6 GB | 8 GB |
| OS | Windows 11 | Windows 8/10 64-bit | Windows 8/10 64-bit |
Verdict compares your components against the game’s published requirements using our GPU/CPU benchmark database. Estimates — real performance varies with drivers, settings and cooling.
Join the squadNot sure? Ask our community.Join our Discord →Elite Dangerous System Requirements
The official minimum and recommended PC specs for Elite Dangerous, component by component.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 8/10 64-bit | Windows 8/10 64-bit |
| Processor | Quad Core CPU (4 x 2Ghz) | Intel Core i7-3770K Quad Core CPU or better / AMD FX 4350 Quad Core CPU or better |
| Memory | 6 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Nvidia GTX 470/AMD R7 240 | Nvidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon R9 280X |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 25 GB available space | 25 GB available space |
Show the full Steam listingHide the full Steam listing
Minimum
OS *: Windows 8/10 64-bit Processor: Quad Core CPU (4 x 2Ghz) Memory: 6 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GTX 470/AMD R7 240 DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 25 GB available space VR Support: SteamVR. Keyboard or gamepad required
Recommended
OS *: Windows 8/10 64-bit Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K Quad Core CPU or better / AMD FX 4350 Quad Core CPU or better Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon R9 280X DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 25 GB available space Additional Notes: Supports SteamVR, Oculus Rift and TrackIR
Source: Steam
Elite Dangerous — FAQ
Can I run Elite Dangerous?+
Runs well on any recent graphics card. A budget GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT averages about 93 FPS at 1080p. Use the checker on this page to test your exact CPU, GPU, RAM and OS against the official requirements.
What are the minimum system requirements for Elite Dangerous?+
Elite Dangerous needs at least a Quad Core CPU (4 x 2Ghz) processor, a Nvidia GTX 470/AMD R7 240 graphics card, 6 GB of RAM, 25 GB available space of storage, running Windows 8/10 64-bit.
Can Elite Dangerous run without a graphics card?+
Yes. Even Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics averages about 43 FPS at 1080p, and AMD's Radeon 780M averages about 68 FPS.
How much RAM does Elite Dangerous need?+
Elite Dangerous officially requires a minimum of 6 GB of RAM, with 8 GB recommended for smooth performance. 16GB is a comfortable amount for modern gaming overall.
More games to check
FPS values displayed on GamerSpecs are estimates. Actual game performance may vary depending on hardware configuration, drivers, cooling, power limits, background applications, and game updates.