The struggle of an aspiring PC gamer is attempting to run graphically demanding content with whatever laptop or PC you have on hand, which may be limited to integrated graphics. This week on the Tom's Guide forums, one user asked if their laptop would be able to run Far Cry 5.
"I have some older Asus laptop (I need a laptop for work), and I'm trying to run Far Cry 5, but on minimum, it has less than 30 fps. I was thinking about the [Microsoft Surface Laptop], but that might be expensive to buy to play a game (and for my work as a graphic designer)."
While not a fan of Far Cry 5, the forum user, steveharries33, asked if the game could run on a Microsoft Surface Laptop with an Intel Core i7-7660U CPU, 16GB of RAM and an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 card.
The simple answer is no, but technically, the game might be able to start. While the user's processor and RAM are sufficient, the biggest problem is the integrated graphics. The minimum requirements to run Far Cry 5 are as follows:
- A 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2400 at 3.1 GHz or AMD FX-6300 at 3.5 GHz or equivalent
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 or AMD R9 270 (2GB VRAM with Shader Model 5.0 or better)
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Network: Broadband internet connection
- Storage: 40GB available space
Due to how demanding Far Cry 5 is, a discrete graphics card is absolutely necessary to play this game comfortably. However, we have tested Far Cry 5 on an integrated graphics card, and we netted 24 frames per second. Because that's under the normal 30 fps and was done in a 640 x 360 resolution, we don't recommend playing the game in such a setting. Even though steveharries33 may not be able to run the game well on a Surface Laptop, the user can get ahold of a powerful machine for less than what the Surface costs.
How to find minimum and recommended specs
First things first, if you're confused about how to find the minimum or recommended specs for a game you're dying to play, check where you're buying it from. Sites like Steam, Amazon, GameStop and GOG all include game requirements. Developers also list that information on the game's site.
MORE: Which Laptop CPU is Right for You?
The minimum is, of course, the oldest hardware that you can play with, though you won't be able to play comfortably. Meanwhile, the recommended is the relatively up-to-date hardware that will allow you to play gracefully and appreciate a game's beauty.
If you're looking for a smaller gaming laptop with a price similar to the Surface's $2,000, the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin is your best bet. It has a faster, Core i7 processor and blows past the recommended GTX 970 with a GTX 1070. However, if you're stuck with the Microsoft Surface Laptop… Sorry, steveharries33.
Credit: Ubisoft
