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Can I Run Escape From Tarkov?
Whether your gaming rig can handle the demands of Escape from Tarkov all depends on what it packs under the hood in terms of components, notably the graphics card, processor, and RAM. As such, you’ll first need to figure out what these are. If you need a helping hand doing this, you can refer to our guide here.
Once you’ve done this, cross-reference your findings to the minimum and recommended specifications we’ve compiled below. Should they fall below these, you may need to think about upgrading individual components to make your system Escape from Tarkov-compatible.
We hope to release an easy to use tool that will scan your machine for its exact specifications automatically before long. We’re still adding the finishing touches behind the scenes, but we’ll be sure to announce it once it’s ready for use by our readers.
Escape From Tarkov Game Details
- Release Date: Technically un-released. Closed beta began on July 28th, 2017 (PC)
- System Requirements: Medium-High
- Genre: First-person tactical shooter
- Developer: Battlestate Games
- Publisher: Battlestate Games
Escape from Tarkov, developed out of Russia by Battlestate Games, is a multiplayer first-person tactical shooter. The game is set in the fictional city of Tarkov in the Norvinsk region, a special economic zone bridging Europe and Russia, that’s fallen into ruin following a political scandal turned violent.
Blighted by war, the area has been sealed off, spawning a multitude of rival gangs, mercenaries, rogue civilians, and a pair of para-military contractors sent in to keep the peace. Players play as a mercenary from one of the military groups and must plot a course out of the Tarkov.
It touts a realistic sim quality through its high difficulty level as well as bringing in elements from massive multiplayer titles and RPG-like features. Upon death, the player loses all their gear and loot forcing them to start anew.
Hyper-realism is mainly achieved through what is coined the Hazardous Environment Combat Simulator where players must not only contend with opponents and AI-controlled feral scavengers eager to gun them down but maintain their character’s health via survival systems that include energy levels, hydration, injury management, blood pressure, exhaustion, and fear-based physical manifestations such as tremors.
Alongside, Escape from Tarkov features real-life ballistics and weapon behavior, such a jamming issues, wear out and overheating. The realism also extends to the environment with a highly dynamic palette of interactive assets such as light switches, doors, lean and prone mechanics, and so on.
Escape from Tarkov incorporates a host of different game modes, including a raid mode called PMC survival, a Scav mode where the player takes on the role of a scavenger, and a limited offline mode. Battlestate hopes to bring in a story mode and arena mode as well as others as development progresses.
Escape From Tarkov Minimum System Requirements
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo, i3 2.4 GHz | AMD Athlon, Phenom II 2.6 GHz
- RAM: 6 GB RAM
- HDD: 8 GB available space
- GPU: DX9 compatible graphics card with 1 GB memory
- OS: Windows 7 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 10 64 Bit
- Screen Resolution: 800×600 or better
- Network: Permanent Broadband Internet connection
Escape From Tarkov Recommended System Requirements
- CPU: Intel Core i5/ i7 3.2 GHz | AMD Athlon/Phenom II 3.6 GHz
- RAM: 6 GB RAM
- HDD: 8 GB available space
- GPU: DX11 compatible graphics card with 2 GB or more of memory
- OS: Windows 7 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 10 64 Bit
- Screen Resolution: 800×600 or better
- Network: Permanent Broadband Internet connection
Escape From Tarkov Minimum System Requirements
Optimal Hardware Suggestions
The minimum specifications are, by definition, the bare minimum required to get the game to run and be ready to face painfully low frame rates. We’re talking sub 20 FPS at very best with the settings turned down very low. We’d warn against attempting to play as the limited technical capabilities of the setup detract too much from the gameplay experience to make it even remotely enjoyable. As such, bypass the minimum specifications entirely and aim for the recommended specifications as a starting point.
Our only real concern with the recommended specifications is the rather ambitious 8 GB. Escape from Tarkov is notoriously dependent on RAM and has been known to require at least 10 GB of DDR3 to run smoothly. Consequently, we recommend 16 GB as a minimum to avoid any potential issues. Aside from this, the Core i5 and i7 at least 3.2 GHz, alongside a 2GB GPU, produces more than decent performance with FPS ranging anywhere from 30 to 80 depending on resolution and settings.
Additionally, Escape from Tarkov involves a lot of asset and terrain loading, so we’d highly push you to use an SSD if at all possible.
We’ll also point out that Escape from Tarkov has quite an extensive set of settings. Turning off features like anti-aliasing, the noise filter, chromatic aberrations, SSR, SSOA, and shadows can boost that FPS count significantly.
What Gaming PC Do We Recommend?
The recommended specifications will get the game running well, but what we all want is the very best, right? With that in mind, here’s our take on what you’d need to amp up those settings and run at 1080p/1440p with high frame rates.
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8700
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6 GB
- HDD: SSD
If you want something similar, take a look at our $600, which is more than capable of offering a stellar Escape from Tarkov experience. As always, without a budget limiting your setup, you could always jump to an RTX, 32 GB, and a better processor for an even smoother experience.
Can a GTX 1050 run Escape from Tarkov?
I’m happy to report that, yes, you can absolutely run Escape from Tarkov with an Nvidia GTX 1050.
With its Pascalian architecture and 640 cores, the GTX 1050 isn’t just capable of running this game, it excels. Despite being 5 years old and inhabiting the low-end of the GTX 10-series spectrum, the 1050 runs Tarkov with style, keeping gameplay smooth at all times.
There is; however, one caveat to speak of: if you want highly playable frames per second, you’re going to have to knock the graphics settings down a little.
By running Tarkov on medium settings in 1080p, you should be able to average out just under 64 frames per second, with lows of 51 fps.
Escape from Tarkov is still playable on high settings (1080p) with the 1050, but expect your average to drop to roughly 50 with lows of around 45 fps.
With frame rate averages in the low 20s, ultra settings are a step too far for the GTX 1050.
As every frame counts in FPS gaming, we feel that lowering settings to medium to bolster your fps is a worthy trade-off.
Can a GTX 1650 run Tarkov?
As the true successor of the 1050, sporting Nvidia’s groundbreaking Turing architecture, the GTX 1650 is a fantastic match for Escape from Tarkov.
If you want playable frames in 1080p on ultra settings, the 1650 is the minimum requirement, achieving frame rate averages in the mid-40s, with lows of around 36 fps.
Should you be interested in dropping the settings in order to boost your frames, switching to high setting amounts to averages just under the 60 fps mark, with lows dropping to the mid-40s.
Medium settings in 1080p, on the other hand, offer up a whopping 82 fps average with a minimum rate of 70 fps.
As far as 1440p is concerned, you may be able to get some playable frames from the 1650 if you drop the settings out a bit, but this graphics card is really at its best in lower resolutions.
Can a GTX 1060 run Escape from Tarkov?
Despite being built on Nvidia’s older Pascal microarchitecture blueprint, the GTX 1060 is far more capable of running Escape from Tarkov in high and ultra settings in 1080p than the GTX 1650.
If you choose to play Escape from Tarkov on ultra settings, the GTX 1060 just about pushes the desired 60 fps average, with lows dropping just below the 50 fps mark.
Choosing high settings means you’ll never drop below 60 fps, even during the 1060’s lowest points.
Medium settings, on the other hand, allow you to hit averages approaching 90 fps, with lows of 80 fps, which is definitely enough to give you a winning edge.
Much like the GTX 1650, as long as you choose medium settings, the 1060 can perform in 1440p, but if you plan on playing Tarkov on a high resolution display, you should really be looking out for the 1060 Ti or the 1660 Ti.