Source
r/Overwatch•
HDST

The Answer to Can I Run Overwatch

Megathread

Recently a lot of threads have been showing up about being able to run this game. Here is an easy way to see if you can run this game.

1. API: Does your GPU support DX11?

If you don't know this can easily be checked by typing in "dxdiag" (no quotes) into windows search. Under the display tab next to feature level it will Say DX 10.1 or higher if your GPU supports it.

Example: https://i.imgur.com/5ts4nKD.png

If 10.1 or higher doesn't appear your GPU does not support DX11 so it can't run Overwatch. If you have 10.0 but no 10.1 your GPU WILL NOT run Overwatch.

Leave dxdiag open if you don't know your CPU or GPU.

2. CPU: The minimum CPU is a Phenom X3 8650.

If you aren't sure about your CPUs relative performance compared to this one you can check with the tool UserBenchmark Here

(Enter your CPU on the right side to compare)

As long as the scores are around the same or higher your CPU can handle Overwatch.

Example: https://i.imgur.com/2APwTAe.png

If you don't know what CPU you have it is found under the system tab in dxdiag.

Example: https://i.imgur.com/6uey6nn.png

If it is borderline with the minimum CPU you can scroll down for more detailed benchmarks.

3. GPU: The minimum GPU for Overwatch is Intel HD 4400

This is checked the same way as CPU using UserBenchmark Here

(Enter your GPU on the right side to compare)

Checking is the same as before, you want around the same or higher score in effective performance.

Example: https://i.imgur.com/o8iLqfA.png

If you don't know what GPU you have it is found under the display tab in dxdiag.

Example: https://i.imgur.com/OQFgHay.png

4. RAM: Overwatch requires a minimum of 4GB of RAM.

If you don't know how much RAM your PC has this also appears in dxdiag under the system tab.

If 4096MB or higher is displayed you have 4GB or more of RAM available.

Example: https://i.imgur.com/NNhjbnv.png

5. Make sure your GPU drivers are the latest version for highest performance/compatibility.

AMD/ATI - Here

Intel - Here

Nvidia - Here

Posted Apr 20, 2016, 3:19 AM UTC · edited

219151
CruxicoPharah•

'As long as this number is 10 or higher your GPU supports the API required to run Overwatch'

Quick question since i'm not too techy - my friend is running a GTX 275. I believe it has DirectX 10. However, i've seen people mentioning on the official forums that this card isn't supported because it doesn't support 10.1 - Is this a thing? Or should the card be fine?

Obviously we can try it for open beta, would just like to know in advance.

16
HDSTOPShatter#11111•

Looks like it won't support it since its DX10 not 10.1.

10.1 was required to run DX11 game.

17
CruxicoPharah•

Thought so. In that case you might want to change your post since you wrote that DX10 or higher was fine, but it looks like you need 10.1 or higher.

9
HDSTOPShatter#11111•

It has been fixed to specifically say 10.1 or higher.

9
ThelgowSymmetra•

I tried on my backup system which has a gtx 260 and it gave errors. I believe still similar family so no go

2
ThelgowSymmetra•

I tried on my backup system which has a gtx 260 and it gave errors. I believe still similar family so no go

1
Elvenstar32Elvenstar#21174•

Just a small thing : Maybe you shouldn't install the latest version of the Nvidia drivers. There have been big issues with the drivers for several versions. I would stay away from the latest version for now and install it only when the "overwatch game ready" driver comes out.

11
mkallday10Genji•

Especially if you are on Windows 10. Latest Nvidia releases and Windows 10 have not been getting along for a ton of people.

3
ZimoraGenji•

Do you happen to know which driver is the most reliable revision right now? I've been having tons of crashes when I updated my drivers a few weeks ago and I'm 99% positive this is the problem.

1
Elvenstar32Elvenstar#21174•

Anything under version 364.51 should be ok. The most popular and most stable seems to be version 362.00.

2
ZimoraGenji•

Thanks! Ill give it a look tonight

1
artanisthescrub•

I've got 364.72, no issues. What are the issues with new ones, if you know?

1
Elvenstar32Elvenstar#21174•

There have been reports of a lot of different problems. Windows 10 and multiple screen users have had the most problems afaik.

The most innocent cases had problems like the secondary screen not being detected.

Then there were cases where the screen was going black randomly sometimes with a computer restart.

Then there were the usual BSOD issues.

And worst of all, some had their graphics card bricked (the card literally fried and ended up dead). It seems though that if you make it past the driver installation process without frying your card, you will be fine, since most issues are encountered right after the installation.

But it seems that to avoid all this you only need to click "custom" when installing the driver and tick the "reset all settings" box.

So if you haven't encountered any issues yet, you should be safe, I would recommend though to install the 364.96 version which claims to be a hotfix (don't forget to check the reset settings box if you do it)

3
Fayt349Mei•

Can confirm. Latest drivers were screwing my Gtx 970 on Windows 10. Rolled back drivers and everything is fine

1
Viperpasta•

If everything meets the requirments but I have Intel Hd 4000, can I run the game at lowest settings?

6
HDSTOPShatter#11111•

Some people have posted the game blocks them from playing if they have HD 4000 for some reason even though its basically the same performance as HD 4400.

But videos exist of it running on HD 4000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL7j8sBk6lE

So maybe they were running an outdated driver or something.

6
Viperpasta•

that will be only for the closed beta though right? When the open beta and the actual game comes out I should be able to run it?

-1†
DarkutSymmetra•

Since you are below the minimum req you might get lucky, but no one here will be able to give you a definitive answer

3
YoelSenpai•

Minimum requirements are minimum requirements, while the game probably won't block you from launching there's no way to tell if you can run it well or even at all until you try it.

2
Inkeyis•

Don't worry dude, I have an Intel Hd 4000 and was able to play overwatch on the lowest settings (weekend beta tester). Maintained a stable framerate too. You will definitely be able to play the game, but there are 2 things I would try to follow closely:

  1. your computer may get hot quickly so make sure your pc/laptop (for me it was laptop) is in a cool environment.

  2. I was able to play with all the characters, but I was only able to play on Route 66, Nepal, and Hanamura. As much as I would like to, I can't speak about the performance on other maps

2
llljjj807•

how did you open overwatch? didn't it come up with a message saying your graphics card doesn't meet the requirement?

1
Inkeyis•

Wow this is old. Mine runs on the lowest setting. It doesn't come with the message.

1
wysockin•

I have an Intel HD Graphics 4000, and when I launch the game I get a message telling me to update my drivers. I've tried updating them both through HP(laptop manufacture), and Intel, and both tell me I am up to date. Seems like trying to run it when just below the minimum requirements is unreliable, but hopefully you get yours running.

1
Inkeyis•

Mine has and still is running. You're issue is odd and I'm sorry I can't help, but I can assure that the game does not give me the error message (and yes, I double checked to see if I had Intel graphics 4000)

1
llljjj807•

mine is up to date too. but i just keeps popping out the message...

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Timekeeper81Nesune#1789•

My current laptop runs on HD 4000. All the settings are at minimum and fps/graphics aren't pretty, but it still runs. You probably can support it, but I'd recommend trying to find an upgrade at some point in the near future.

1
RoninOni•

TBQFH these are really low requirements for a new FPS release

5
reaper194Chibi Zarya•

i.e Great job Blizzard for having a beautifully diverse engine ^^

1
AntieXRoadhog•

This should be up on the "important line". Quality post!

3
atan222333Reinhardt•

Is Intel HD 4000 sufficient?

3
DragonSlapzBest Girl•

http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/index.php?gid=1794&gid2=864&compare=intel-hd-graphics-4400-mobile-vs-intel-hd-graphics-4000-mobile

I did a quick Google search to compare HD 4000 and HD 4400, seems like 4400 is superior to 4000. So basically you have integrated graphics worser than the minimum requirements. I wouldn't count on you running the game well but it's always worth a try during the open beta.

1
atan222333Reinhardt•

Hopefully I can still run the game on low settings... Thanks

3
daaalek•

i got 8gb ram, a4-6300 cpu and radeon r7 250x gpu (so everything's at least 50% more powerful than minimal specs) and it was really laggy with fps drops to 5-7 on low/low/low everything. up-to-date drivers as well.

any suggestions, maybe i'm missing something out? thanks in advance.

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
JustTeapartyGenji•

Maybe its your driver. Just wait till release and there should be an update.

1
klriggyMercy•

I played on intel HD 4000 with my i5 3570k since my GPU died a couple of months ago.

Had 60fps on lowest settings with a few dips, played all weekend without being bothered by it

actually suprised by how well it ran considering I tried Battleborn and didn't even get past the menu at 5-10 FPS

2
dhs77•

So the message of "minimum requirements" didnt appear for you?, I have an i7 3632qm 8gb ram and intel hd 4000 but I fear that if i buy the game i wont be able to play it because of that message..

1
chrispotle1203•

Is your PC hp envy m4 by any chance? Cos I got the same specs and I'm wondering the same thing

2
XuXuSensualRoadhog•

i would appreciate if someone could help me, my friend have a I3 3240 - 8GB RAM and a GT 730 2GB 128 bits... can he run OW ?

2
WavidDong•

It says the minimum required card is ATI Radeon HD 4850 Series. I have ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series.

Out of all the specs, the only thing that is going to be a problem is my dedicated video ram. The minimum video ram is 768 MB. Mine is at 512 MB.

So with that, will this let me play the game still?

2
Riscore•

I have: AMD A8-Series A8-4500M (1.90 GHz) (lower aprox. 2%) 8 GB Memory 500 GB HDD (more then enough) AMD Radeon HD 7640G (lower about 9%) 1366 x 768 I live in a a country where the regular wage is around 700 euro, so I don't want to spend 60 for a game that I can't run. If there is someone with similar settings, or someone that has big knowledge in this area, I'd love to know if it's playable or should I stick with League. I'm so sick of it tho...

2
InfernoTigerInfernoTiger#1437•

Thank you so much! Seems like I can run it. :P

1
BAC__Junkrat•

Very good guide, well done

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
jusanboD.Va•

hmmm i was one of those people posting something like can i play this game, and the answers were like yeah but prolly not that good. while cpu i have +183% and my GPU is even +330% ram 32gb so if i see this guide that would mean i would have no trouble whatsoever to play this hope your correct tbh :D

1
casiokCasiok#2981•

most blizz games are actually known for good performance on most setups including low-end. you should not have any problems running it.

4
virus_ridden•

Yeah considering the game can run on a machine with Intel's baked in HD4xxx series, you'll be running it with ease.

1
jusanboD.Va•

haha i know right :D

EDIT: atleast now ;p

1
Kappa_123•

Performance has gone up recently which is why a couple of people were saying that it might be a bit difficult. Specifically for CPU's as it's incredibly CPU intensive although I think they fixed that very recently, like 1 or 2 patches ago.

1
RailanderGenji•

didnt make any difference for me, at all.

running on a 6200u.

i need to play at the ABSOLUTE minimum settings (like 1280x720 fullscreen, 50% render scale and everything to low) to achieve above 60 fps consistently. CPU is always capped at 100% and is the clear bottleneck, even though it shouldnt have that much trouble running the game.

1
ZilberTCVery sick, Need beta•

Guys I need some help, In the DirectX tool I have 2 different display tabs: Display 1 (Intel HD 4000) and Display 2 ( AMD Radeaon HD 7700M Series). In the Device Manager I have the same thing- 2 different drivers. The AMD one seems to be better, How can I use the AMD and not the Intel one?

1
DeadlyMageCZ•

Your laptop has 2 graphic cards, one integrated (Intel) and one external (AMD Radeon). The external is better because it has it´s own high frequency memory units that it can use to perform graphical calculations. The AMD Radeon is better and your laptop will use it automatically if needed. If you want to exclusively use the AMD, right click a program and select option "Run with GPU" and select the AMD.

6
ZilberTCVery sick, Need beta•

I didn't find the "Run with GPU" but if you say that the laptop uses the AMD when needed I guess it's fine, Thanks!

1
DeadlyMageCZ•

The option might not be "Run with GPU". I translated it from Czech which is the language I use (´cause I´m Czech). You might not have the option to do so, it depends on what OS you are using. It is possible that the option is switched off which means you´d need to go to your GPU settings and turn it on.

1
mmat7Hanzo•

I had little doubts about buying the game but after running it on stress test i'am impressed. Radeon 6850 I5-650 4gb ram and the game runs really good on full HD. I thought i'll have to play on really low res but holy moly this game is really well optimalized.

1
canada171Genji•

I'm trying to build a computer currently and I can't afford a gtx 970. What cpu/gpu would you recommend for the best price obtaining around 60 fps on medium settings?

1
HDSTOPShatter#11111•

i3/athlon x4 and maybe like a GTX 950/960.

1
Elvenstar32Elvenstar#21174•

If you're planning on using your computer mostly for games I would recommend an i5 processor (cost around 200€). I3 just aren't gaming cpus. If you can't afford an intel i5 then you could look into AMD processors but I'm not familiar with those.

For the gpu it's pretty easy : can't afford gtx970 ? Get a gtx960. And if you can I would recommend the 4gb a little more expensive (260€ instead of 240€) but the 2gb extra memory are well worth it.

1
canada171Genji•

I've heard a lot of good things about AMD's recently so I think I'm going to go with an AMD FX-8320 8 core. And probably going to stick with AMD and get an R9 380 gpu.

2
Elvenstar32Elvenstar#21174•

The R9 380 is definitely a solid pick (it has almost the same performance as the gtx 960).

As for the processor I don't know (I really never paid attention to the AMD cpus). But the FX-8320 should be enough, and if you can afford 20€ more you could always pick up the FX-8350 (around 7% more powerful).

1
canada171Genji•

Oh yeah I think I'll do that. I'm in US so I think its a smaller price difference than 20 euro.

Edit: I lied, its more. $117 for the 8320 and $149 for 8350.

2
CbrentjeBastion•

Thanks for this guide! Only my video card seems a little shitty. I've got an Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000 according to dxdiag, but I know there's also an GeForce 610M in it.

While doing the comparisons on that website I noticed that:

The HD 4000 is -8% from the 4400.

And that the GF 610M is -65%.

Can I manually put my PC on using the HD 4000 for the game and maybe use the lesser card for things like my second screen? I'm not sure why I would ever use my GF 610 for a game when my Intel HD graphics are better. Could someone explain the differences here and my posibilities?

1
Hamyilija•

HELP! I can't find comparison to GTX 850M! Could someone wiser than me tell how I'd perform?

1
brunohaPharah•

GTX 850M

this benchmark could give a comparison, i have a 940M which is a bit worse and can run on medium fine, check your processor too mine is 5200U and is ok for the game

2
Hamyilija•

Thanks! My processor is 4710HQ so I'm going to be fine.

1
HDSTOPShatter#11111•

Maybe you typed the name in wrong, it is there.

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-HD-4400-Desktop-115-GHz-vs-Nvidia-GTX-850M/m8064vsm9138

2
Hamyilija•

Oops, my mistake. Thanks!

1