How to Build a Gaming PC for Elden Ring

Elden Ring is an action, fantasy RPG video game from From Software and Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game was once one of the most anticipated games of 2022. It was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki (Dark Souls & Bloodborne) in collaboration with George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones). Since it was released last February 25, its popularity rose and currently ranks as the second highest-reviewed game on OpenCritic.com. And today, you found the perfect article for building a gaming PC to play Elden Ring.

We’re going to help you set up a gaming PC designed to be able to play the latest games in the market, including Elden Ring.

Here’s a short and quick guide on how to build a gaming PC for Elden Ring:

1. Check and refer to the PC requirements of the game.
2. Select a processor between Intel and AMD.
3. Choose a video card between Nvidia and AMD.
4. Check the Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader of your video card.
5. Install 16GB RAM or more.
6. Make sure you dedicate 60GB of disk space to the game.
7. Use a Windows 10 operating system.
8. Download DirectX12.

1 – Check and refer to the PC requirements of the game.

With these PC build guides, the first step we have to take is to check the game’s system requirements. Elden Ring is a new game released this year and is built for the current and next-generation gaming PC systems. This is why it is vital to make sure that the gaming PC your building will follow all the system requirements required by the game to play it smoothly.

Eldern Ring has two system requirements: (1) minimum and (2) recommended system requirements. Check the list below:

Minimum PC System Requirements

• PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
• FREE DISK SPACE: 60 GB
• RAM: 12 GB
• VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 – 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 – 4GB
• DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 3 GB (4GB AMD)
• PIXEL SHADER: 5.1
• VERTEX SHADER: 5.1
• SOUND CARD: Yes
• OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 10

Recommended PC System Requirements

• PROCESSOR: Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• FREE DISK SPACE: 60 GB
• RAM: 16 GB
• VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 – 8GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 – 8GB
• DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 8192 MB
• PIXEL SHADER: 5.1
• VERTEX SHADER: 5.1
• SOUND CARD: Yes
• OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 10

We highly suggest you follow the recommended PC system requirements instead of the minimum if you have the budget. The recommended PC system requirements have higher specifications. Still, they will be able to let you play the newest games in the market and any upcoming games.

2 – Select a processor between Intel and AMD.

For its processor, the minimum specifications are to either use an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X. The Intel Core i5-8400 will cost you $187, while an AMD Ryzen 3 3300X only costs $120, saving you around $67.

For the maximum system requirements, you can choose either an Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X. An Intel Core i7-8700K has 6 cores with up to 4.7 GHz Turbo and costs around $387.88.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, on the other hand, also has 6 cores with a 12-Thread design. It costs $249, with an additional option per thread for $20.75.

3 – Choose a video card between Nvidia and AMD.

The minimum requirement for your GPU or video card points you to either use an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (3GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (4GB). An Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) will cost you $299, while an AMD Radeon RX 580 will cost you $229. That’s a $70 price difference!

You can go for an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) or the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (8GB) for the recommended specifications. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 costs $379, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 will cost you $399.

4 – Check the Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader of your video card.

Another thing you need to check on your video card is the Pixel Shader and the Vertex Shader. The minimum and recommended system requirements require your GPU/video card with a Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader of 5.1.

The Pixel Shader refers to the ability of a video card to bring realistic special effects to video games. While Vertex Shader manages the colors, textures, and lighting characters of the in-game elements. Aside from these two, the system requirements of Elden Ring also require you to buy a video card that includes a sound card to deliver the sound effects of the game.

5 – Install 16GB RAM or more.

As per the system requirements, the minimum only requires you to have 12GB RAM, but the recommended requirement is 16GB RAM. We suggest you go for 16GB RAM with this one. If you have the budget, it will be better to add more or upgrade it to 24GB.

The RAM can affect the loading process and performance of your system. The higher your RAM number is, the faster your game will load and run. It will also help users who need to run background apps while playing video games.

6 – Make sure you dedicate a 60GB disk space to the game.

When it comes to your PC build’s memory or disk storage, you can either choose an SSD or HDD. But either way, go for disk storage with 1TB free space. It is also better to add another disk drive to have more allotted space for your video games. The more space you have for your disk space, the more games and apps you can install on your gaming PC.

7 – Use a Windows 10 operating system.

Since Elden Ring is a new game, you need a Windows 10 operating system for your gaming PC. Buying a Windows 10 Home will cost you $139, while its Pro version costs $199.99. To save money, you can buy Windows 7 then upgrade it to Windows 11, but take note that not all the programs running on Windows 7 will run smoothly for Windows 11. Just to give you an idea, Windows 7 Home Premium costs $49.99, while its Professional version costs $99.99.

8 – Download DirectX12.

Last but not least, make sure to download the latest version of Microsoft DirectX, DirectX 12. This helps your system deliver superb graphics and features such as ray tracing and variable rate shading. DirectX 12 is software you will need if you want to bring your games to life and experience ultra-realistic visual effects.