Can I Run The Ascent?
Neon Giant · 2021
Our verdict
Needs a mid-range graphics card
A budget GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT averages about 40 FPS at 1080p; 60 FPS needs about a GTX 1660 Super or RX 6600.
Check your own PC ↓Estimated FPS at 1080p
GAMERSPECS ESTIMATEOn a mid-range RTX 4060 or RX 7600, The Ascent averages about 104 FPS at 1080p; a budget GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT averages about 40 FPS, and a high-end RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX averages about 256 FPS.
Figures are at High: the target the publisher states for its recommended spec (1080p at 60 FPS on High).
Budget GPU
GTX 1650 / RX 6500 XT
~36–44 FPS
High (publisher's target) · native
Low Performance
Mid-range GPU
RTX 4060 / RX 7600
~95–115 FPS
High (publisher's target) · native
Great
High-end GPU
RTX 4080 / RX 7900 XTX
~230–280 FPS
High (publisher's target) · native
Excellent
Want your exact FPS? Enter your CPU, GPU and resolution.
Check My PC →What limits performance in The Ascent
The graphics card: frame rates in The Ascent rise with GPU speed.
Graphics card (GPU)
Main limit
60 FPS at 1080p needs about a GTX 1660 Super or RX 6600; a budget GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT averages about 40 FPS.
Processor (CPU)
No measured limit
The Ascent recommends a Ryzen 5 2600 or equivalent; a Ryzen 5 3600 or anything faster clears that. We have no measured processor limit for The Ascent, so the frame rates on this page assume your processor isn't holding the graphics card back.
Video memory (VRAM)
2 GB min · 8 GB rec
The minimum spec lists 2 GB of video memory and the recommended spec 8 GB. On a card with less, lower texture quality first: running out of video memory shows up as stutter or blurry textures, not as a lower average.
Settings to lower first in The Ascent
- 1Resolution or render scale, or upscaling (DLSS, FSR or XeSS) where The Ascent offers it. Rendering fewer pixels is the biggest single saving.
- 2Then shadows, volumetric effects (fog, clouds, lighting) and ambient occlusion: in most games these cost the most frame rate for the least visible difference.
- 3Texture quality only if your card has less than 8 GB of video memory. With enough memory, textures cost little frame rate, so keep them high.
Can I run The Ascent 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 The Ascent
Pick your graphics card to see the verdict and estimated frame rates.
Can You Run The Ascent?
Pick your CPU, GPU, RAM and OS — we check each one against The Ascent’s official minimum and recommended requirements.
Your PC
You can run The Ascent — 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 | GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB) | Geforce GTX 1070 (8192 MB) / Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB) |
| CPU | Core i5-13400 | Intel Core Intel Core i5-3470 (4 * 3200) or equivalent / AMD FX-8350 (4 * 4000) or equivalent | Intel Core i7-6700K (4 * 4000) or equivalent / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6 * 3400) or equivalent |
| RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| OS | Windows 11 | Windows 10 x64 | Windows 10 x64 |
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 →The Ascent System Requirements
The official minimum and recommended PC specs for The Ascent, component by component.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 x64 | Windows 10 x64 |
| Processor | Intel Core Intel Core i5-3470 (4 * 3200) or equivalent / AMD FX-8350 (4 * 4000) or equivalent | Intel Core i7-6700K (4 * 4000) or equivalent / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6 * 3400) or equivalent |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB) | Geforce GTX 1070 (8192 MB) / Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB) |
| Storage | 35 GB available space | 35 GB available space |
Show the full Steam listingHide the full Steam listing
Minimum
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 x64 Processor: Intel Core Intel Core i5-3470 (4 * 3200) or equivalent / AMD FX-8350 (4 * 4000) or equivalent Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB) Storage: 35 GB available space Additional Notes: Minimum Specification listed above allows gameplay experience close to 30 FPS on average while using 1080p resolution and lowest settings
Recommended
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 x64 Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K (4 * 4000) or equivalent / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6 * 3400) or equivalent Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: Geforce GTX 1070 (8192 MB) / Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB) Storage: 35 GB available space Additional Notes: The Recommended Specification listed below allows gameplay experience close to 60 FPS on average while using 1080p resolution and overall “High” settings:
Source: Steam
The Ascent — FAQ
Can I run The Ascent?+
Needs a mid-range graphics card. A budget GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT averages about 40 FPS at 1080p; 60 FPS needs about a GTX 1660 Super or RX 6600. 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 The Ascent?+
The Ascent needs at least a Intel Core Intel Core i5-3470 (4 * 3200) or equivalent / AMD FX-8350 (4 * 4000) or equivalent processor, a GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB) graphics card, 8 GB of RAM, 35 GB available space of storage, running Windows 10 x64.
Can The Ascent run without a graphics card?+
Not well. Even AMD's Radeon 780M, a strong integrated GPU, averages about 29 FPS at 1080p. The minimum graphics requirement is GeForce GTX 660 ( 2048 MB) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 MB).
How much RAM does The Ascent need?+
The Ascent officially requires a minimum of 8 GB of RAM, with 16 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.