Can My PC Run Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?
System Requirements Checker
256 MB video memory minimum, NVIDIA GTX 650 recommended. Check your own parts below.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive system requirements
Minimum requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 |
| Graphics | 256 MB video memory |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM |
| Storage | 15 GB available space |
Recommended requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5-2400 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 650 |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Storage | 15 GB available space |
Requirements are transcribed from the publisher's published specification and have not been re-checked against the current store listing.
About running Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a 2012 Shooter title. It asks very little of a modern PC, which is a large part of why it stayed popular. The published minimum is built around Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 paired with 256 MB video memory; the recommended tier moves up to Intel Core i5-2400 and NVIDIA GTX 650. Memory goes from 2 GB at minimum to 4 GB recommended, and you'll want roughly 15 GB free on disk. On a machine that clears the recommended tier, the thing most likely to cost you frames is whatever else is running at the same time.
How to improve Counter-Strike: Global Offensive performance
- Close what you're not using. Browsers, chat apps and launchers sit on RAM and CPU while Counter-Strike: Global Offensive runs. On a machine near the minimum this is usually the single biggest win available.
- Check your actual refresh rate and resolution. Running below your monitor's native resolution costs less than most people expect; running above your refresh rate buys nothing at all.
- Update the graphics driver. New releases routinely ship driver-side fixes. For a 2012 title on an older card this can be the difference between stutter and smooth.
- Put the game on an SSD. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive wants about 15 GB. On a mechanical drive the frame rate may be fine while texture pop-in and load times are not.
- Free the memory before you launch. Windows accumulates background services that never give memory back. FixKon clears them out in one pass, which matters most when you're on 2–4 GB.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive requirements FAQ
- What are the minimum requirements for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive lists Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 or equivalent, 256 MB video memory, 2 GB of RAM and about 15 GB of storage on Windows 10 64-bit.
- Can I run Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on a 256 MB video memory?
- 256 MB video memory is the published minimum graphics card, so it should start and run — at low settings, at 1080p, and with frame dips in heavy scenes. The recommended card is NVIDIA GTX 650.
- How much RAM does Counter-Strike: Global Offensive need?
- 2 GB is the minimum and 4 GB is recommended. Below the minimum the game will stutter or fail to launch regardless of how fast your CPU and graphics card are.
- Will Counter-Strike: Global Offensive run better if I close background apps?
- Usually yes, and most on a PC near the minimum spec. Background processes compete for the same CPU time and memory the game needs. This is what FixKon automates.