Star Citizen PC Requirements (Can My PC Run It?)

The hefty space-centric trading and combat game, Star Citizen, has allured gamers of all varieties since its Kickstarter announcement in 2012. Stunning graphics and a complex world, not to mention Mark Hamill on the voice acting cast, leaves gamers wondering how they can get a piece of the action.

Well, the most important factor is making sure the computer or laptop you have is capable of even running the game. You’ll need to make certain that your CPU, GPU, memory, and OS are up-to-date, and that you have enough storage on your computer to store the game.

To play Star Citizen on PC, you need at least an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000 processor or newer, as well as an AMD Radeon RX M330 GPU or newer. You’ll need at least 16GB of RAM and 40GB on your hard drive. Additionally, you will need Windows 10 64-bit or newer for your OS.

Having the minimum requirements is enough to run the game, but having the recommended specs will enhance your gameplay experience. In this article, I’ll help you understand if you can run start citizen, what runs the game best, and what laptops can run it best.

Minimum Part Requirements for Star Citizen

These are the minimum part requirements for running Star Citizen on a PC. The hard drive you choose to store it on can be at whatever price point fits into your budget, but you’ll want at least 40GB of free space for storing the game.

As for major components, like CPU and GPU, you’ll want at least an Intel Core 2 Quad-Core Q9000 and an AMD Radeon R5 M330, respectively. Anything more than these specs will run the game better. However, you can still play the game on these, albeit on lower settings.

This is a large game with many graphics and systems to load, so you’ll want at least 16GB of RAM. Anything lower than this will cause lags, so opt for 2x8GB RAM at a minimum, knowing that more is better (this holds true for any game).

Finally, you’ll need Windows 10 64-bit or better for your operating system.

Recommended Specs and Top Build for Star Citizen

Above is the best PC build for playing Star Citizen, made with both budget and performance in mind. You’ll want at least 16GB RAM like the minimum requirements, and the file will still need 40GB to download.

Beyond that, an AMD Radeon RX 5700 for the GPU will give you much smoother graphics than the minimum requirement and will mitigate lag and screen tearing. The best CPU for Star Citizen is the Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core; with this processor, your computer will be able to load the environment and trading systems effortlessly.

You’ll still want Windows 10 64-bit or better for your OS, and a Gigabyte GA-A320M mATX will hold all your components with its durable design. Finally, you’ll want an 850W PSU to power these higher-end components in your Star Citizen rig.

Best Laptops to Run Star Citizen

These are the top three gaming laptops for running Star Citizen on the market today. Any of these will run the game with minimal issues, though they are gaming laptops and will get hot pretty quickly running a game of this size.

If you’re a more budget-oriented gamer, the Acer Predator and Asus ROG Strix Scar II will give you the best bang for your buck. If you’re looking for a high-end, top-tier laptop for Star Citizen, you might like the MSI GT76 Titan DT laptop.

All of these laptops exceed the minimum specs for running Star Citizen, so you can’t go wrong with any of these options.

Does Star Citizen Work on Windows 10?

Yes, Star Citizen works on Windows 10 and newer (though not many have updated to Windows 11). You’ll want the 64-bit of Windows 10, since the 32-bit version heavily limits your RAM utility, and imposes some other restrictions on your system as well.

If you’re unsure of what Windows version your system is running, you can check by following the steps below:

1. Click the Windows button in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
2. Right-click the Computer button and choose Properties from the screen. This will show you the Windows version your system is running.

How Much Space Does Star Citizen Take?

For installing and storing Star Citizen, you’ll want at least 40GB of space. The developers of the game go so far as to recommend 65GB for additional data storage and caches, and they recommend you use an SSD for storage over an HDD.

You’ll also want 16GB of RAM for running the game. With 16GB of RAM and enough space on your SSD for the game files, you’ll get the fastest data access, which will help the game run smoother.

Why is Star Citizen Running So Poorly?

There are a few different factors that cause Star Citizen to run poorly on your PC. The first, most obvious cause of this is when the PC doesn’t meet the minimum specs of launch requirements for the game; check above for this information.

Another reason could be that your graphics card driver needs an update, so check that your drivers are up-to-date and, if need be, install the update. It could also be a result of using an HDD rather than an SSD, so if you have the option, use your SSD instead.

Finally, if none of these solutions work, consider checking what apps are running in the background. Also, check if your storage is cluttered with junk. If this is the case, close background apps and clear the junk to increase the game’s performance.

FAQs

Can You Run Star Citizen on a Hard Drive?

You can technically run Star Citizen on a hard drive with 40GB of free space, but it will run best on a solid-state drive (SSD).

Can an i5 Run Star Citizen?

Yes, an i5 processor will be able to run Star Citizen; the minimum requirement for a CPU is an Intel Core 2 Quad-Core Q9000, so anything above that will be fine.

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