Apex Legends is a fast-paced, 3-player squad battle royale. While it's relatively easy to run, you'll still need at least a solid mid-range GPU to lock in a rock-solid 144fps+ for a high-refresh-rate experience.
Any current-gen rig packing an RTX 4060 or better will easily crush the 144fps competitive standard for a buttery smooth experience.To avoid massive frame drops during chaotic firefights, a GTX 1660 Super is the absolute baseline for a stable experience. You can technically play on weaker hardware, but you're backing yourself into a corner with an 'esports-only potato' that will completely choke on heavier titles.
Considering this thing actually ran on the Nintendo Switch (before support was finally axed in 2026), it's a surprisingly lightweight title despite the visuals. In our testing, it ran flawlessly on handhelds and low-end gaming laptops, making it the perfect gateway game for new PC gamers.If you just want to casually grind some Apex without burning a hole in your wallet, grabbing a sub-$200 used office pre-built and slapping in a cheap used GPU is a highly viable starting point. If you get hooked, you can always upgrade your rig later—which is honestly the best way to get into PC building anyway.
64GB eMMC Model / 256GB NVMe SSD Model / 512GB NVMe SSD Model
Valve
Steam Deck OLED
Grade3/10
512GB NVMe SSD / 1TB NVMe SSD
Lenovo
LOQ 15AHP10
Grade8/10
RTX 5060 / 1TB SSD / RTX 5050 / 512GB SSD
It's light enough to run on pretty much any modern gaming handheld from the 2020s. Just a heads up: EA's anti-cheat blocks SteamOS, so it's a no-go on the Steam Deck. Also, if you want competitive framerates on a laptop, you'll still need to shell out for a high-end tier machine.
The verdict is estimated based on hardware specifications, assuming a game resolution of 720p and settings at Medium or lower. A 'PLAYABLE' status does not guarantee actual gameplay performance.
PC Parts Selection Guide
Apex Legends PC Component Selection & Build Strategy
By modern standards, Apex's requirements are strictly entry-level. But pushing high resolutions or competitive refresh rates (144/240Hz) is a totally different beast. The game doesn't support frame gen or AI upscalers, meaning raw hardware rasterization translates directly to your fps. If you want top-tier performance, you need top-tier silicon.
CPU
The key to 1% lows. Single-core performance is king.
❯A Core i5-13400 or Ryzen 5 7500F will keep CPU bottlenecks to an absolute minimum.
❯If you want a locked 240fps, you really want a current-gen Core i7/i9 or one of AMD's gaming-focused Ryzen X3D chips.
GPU
Work backward from your target framerate.
❯For a rock-solid 1080p 144fps, an RTX 4060 is the play. For a locked 240fps, an RTX 4070 SUPER or better is today's recommended standard.
❯Apex is relatively light on VRAM. Anything above 6GB gives you plenty of room to crank up the Texture Streaming Budget.
RAM
16GB minimum. 32GB if you stream or multitask.
❯16GB is fine for just the game, but if you've got Discord, a browser, and OBS running in the background, 32GB is the way to go.
❯Apex actually scales well with faster RAM speeds (MHz), which helps significantly in preventing frame drops during chaotic fights.
Storage
An SSD is mandatory so you don't miss character select.
❯The game file size has bloated over years of updates, so make sure you have at least 100GB of free space.
❯Running this on a mechanical HDD means you'll load in too late to pick your legend. A fast NVMe SSD is absolutely required.
Pro Advice
BUILD BALANCE
Apex might be easy to run, but to avoid nasty frame drops during messy endgame circles with smokes and ults flying everywhere, leaving yourself some performance headroom in your CPU and GPU is absolutely crucial.
The official system requirements are incredibly low. You can 'technically' boot the game on a decade-old GPU. For casual players, the biggest draw is the ridiculously low barrier to entry—you can literally slap a dirt-cheap GPU into a used office PC and start playing.
The number of ● dots quantifies the performance level required from PC components on a scale of 1 to 10.
Minimum
Recommended
CPU
FX-4350
Core i3-6300
CPU
Ryzen 5 2600
GPU
Radeon HD 7790
GeForce GTX 950
GPU
Radeon R9 290
GeForce GTX 970
RAM
6 GB
RAM
8 GB
Storage
75 GB HDD
Storage
75 GB SSD
GPU Selection & FPS Analysis
Apex Legends GPU Benchmark & FPS Guide
The official 'Minimum Requirements' (like the Radeon HD 7790) mean the game will literally just boot and barely run. If you want a stable 1080p 60fps, treating the 'Recommended' tier (R9 290 or GTX 970 equivalents) as your absolute baseline is the golden rule. That said, hitting that bar is incredibly cheap by modern standards, giving you fantastic cost-per-frame value.
Target Mapping
Chasing that pro-level 240fps requires high-end hardware, but if you're targeting the standard 144fps sweet spot, Apex is a highly forgiving title with an endless buffet of great value GPUs to choose from, both new and used. If you don't care about eye candy or high refresh rates, the game is completely playable on a modern laptop's integrated graphics (iGPU).
ENTRY
ENTRY 30fps
1080p
Radeon HD 7790 OFFICIAL
GeForce GTX 950 OFFICIAL
Radeon R9 280X
GeForce GTX 1050 3GB USED
STANDARD
STANDARD 60fps
1080p
Radeon R9 290 OFFICIAL
GeForce GTX 970 OFFICIAL
Radeon RX 580 4GB
Radeon RX 580 8GB
QHD
QHD 60fps
1440p
Radeon RX Vega 56
GeForce GTX Titan X
GeForce GTX 1070 Ti
Radeon Pro Vega 64
HIGH_REFRESH
HIGH_REFRESH 144fps
1080p
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB USED
GeForce RTX 2070 USED
GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER USED
Arc A580 USED
ULTIMATE
ULTIMATE 60fps
4K
Arc B580 12GB NEW
Radeon RX 6700 XT USED
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB USED
Radeon RX 6750 XT USED
ENTRY
ENTRY 30fps
1080p
Radeon HD 7950
Radeon R9 280
Radeon 760M (8CU) USED
Radeon Pro Vega 20 USED
STANDARD
STANDARD 60fps
1080p
Radeon RX 6400 USED
Arc Graphics 140V (8 Xe2) NEW
Radeon RX 5500M USED
QHD
QHD 60fps
1440p
GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop) USED
GeForce GTX 1080 (Laptop)
Radeon RX 5700M USED
Arc A730M USED
HIGH_REFRESH
HIGH_REFRESH 144fps
1080p
Arc A770M USED
GeForce RTX 2080 (Laptop) USED
Radeon RX 6700M USED
Radeon RX 7600M XT USED
Technical Evidence
The baseline specs are low, but Apex is a hardware trap—once you get hooked, you will crave the smoothness of higher framerates. To future-proof yourself against buyer's remorse, investing in a solid mid-range CPU and GPU is the smartest play. As mentioned before, trying to game on a fossil like the HD 7790 (minimum spec) will result in fatal stuttering during firefights. Don't do it.
GPU Benchmarks
Official Minimum
Official Recommended
bld4me Choice
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB bld4me NEW
Radeon R9 290 Official Recommended
Arc A380 bld4me USED
Radeon HD 7790 Official Minimum
CPU Benchmarks
Official Minimum
Official Recommended
bld4me Choice
Ryzen 5 9600X bld4me NEW
Ryzen 5 2600 Official Recommended
Ryzen 5 1600 (AF) AF
FX-4350 Official Minimum
This is a comparison graph of the manufacturer's minimum required specs, recommended specs, and bld4me-recommended parts (new and used). Higher values indicate smoother performance. bld4me's recommended parts are selected based on independent research, balancing comfortable gameplay with cost-performance for the game title.
GPU Matrix
Even for casual grinds, a solid 60fps is the non-negotiable minimum for a playable experience. Realistically, you need a GPU that comfortably clears the official recommended specs. Since there are countless cards that fit the bill, use our 'Estimated FPS Database' in the next section to find the exact GPU that nails your budget and target framerate.
GPU
720p
1080p
1440p
4K
bld4me NEW
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
LOW: 202fps,
MED: 152fps,
HIG: 117fps,
ULT: 82fps
LOW: 101fps,
MED: 76fps,
HIG: 58fps,
ULT: 41fps
LOW: 59fps,
MED: 45fps,
HIG: 34fps,
ULT: 24fps
LOW: 29fps,
MED: 22fps,
HIG: 17fps,
ULT: 12fps
Official Recommended
Radeon R9 290
LOW: 160fps,
MED: 120fps,
HIG: 92fps,
ULT: 65fps
LOW: 80fps,
MED: 60fps,
HIG: 46fps,
ULT: 32fps
LOW: 47fps,
MED: 35fps,
HIG: 27fps,
ULT: 19fps
LOW: 23fps,
MED: 17fps,
HIG: 13fps,
ULT: Not playable
bld4me USED
Arc A380
LOW: 160fps,
MED: 120fps,
HIG: 92fps,
ULT: 65fps
LOW: 80fps,
MED: 60fps,
HIG: 46fps,
ULT: 32fps
LOW: 47fps,
MED: 35fps,
HIG: 27fps,
ULT: 19fps
LOW: 23fps,
MED: 17fps,
HIG: 13fps,
ULT: Not playable
Official Minimum
Radeon HD 7790
LOW: 40fps,
MED: 30fps,
HIG: 23fps,
ULT: 16fps
LOW: 20fps,
MED: 15fps,
HIG: 12fps,
ULT: Not playable
LOW: 12fps,
MED: Not playable,
HIG: Not playable,
ULT: Not playable
LOW: Not playable,
MED: Not playable,
HIG: Not playable,
ULT: Not playable
The FPS values above are estimated based purely on the GPU's native performance without any upscaler. These are merely estimates and do not guarantee actual performance.
Estimated FPS Database
Apex Legendsseo_benchmark_table_suffix
Estimated FPS on this site is calculated based on the official recommended requirements of each game, assuming only the GPU is changed. Actual frame rates may vary depending on the environment, such as the combined CPU, memory, and storage.
Apex Legends
129 SKUS
Share Apex Legends benchmarks for
GPU
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720PHD
1080PFHD
1440PQHD
4KUHD
Grade S
SUPREME"For those who refuse to compromise"
The ultimate GPU. Delivers premium 4K gaming at max settings.
LOW: 15fps, MED: 11fps, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
Radeon R9 290X 8GB
LOW: 101fps, MED: 76fps, HIG: 58fps, ULT: 41fps
LOW: 51fps, MED: 38fps, HIG: 29fps, ULT: 20fps
LOW: 30fps, MED: 22fps, HIG: 17fps, ULT: 12fps
LOW: 14fps, MED: 11fps, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
Radeon R9 380 4GB
LOW: 101fps, MED: 76fps, HIG: 58fps, ULT: 41fps
LOW: 51fps, MED: 38fps, HIG: 29fps, ULT: 20fps
LOW: 30fps, MED: 22fps, HIG: 17fps, ULT: 12fps
LOW: 14fps, MED: 11fps, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
GeForce GTX 1050 3GB
LOW: 97fps, MED: 73fps, HIG: 56fps, ULT: 39fps
LOW: 48fps, MED: 36fps, HIG: 28fps, ULT: 20fps
LOW: 28fps, MED: 21fps, HIG: 16fps, ULT: 12fps
LOW: 14fps, MED: 10fps, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
GeForce GTX 760 2GB
LOW: 97fps, MED: 73fps, HIG: 56fps, ULT: 39fps
LOW: 48fps, MED: 36fps, HIG: 28fps, ULT: 20fps
LOW: 28fps, MED: 21fps, HIG: 16fps, ULT: 12fps
LOW: 14fps, MED: 10fps, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
GeForce GTX 760 4GB
LOW: 97fps, MED: 73fps, HIG: 56fps, ULT: 39fps
LOW: 48fps, MED: 36fps, HIG: 28fps, ULT: 20fps
LOW: 28fps, MED: 21fps, HIG: 16fps, ULT: 12fps
LOW: 14fps, MED: 10fps, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
Radeon R9 280X
LOW: 93fps, MED: 69fps, HIG: 53fps, ULT: 38fps
LOW: 46fps, MED: 35fps, HIG: 27fps, ULT: 19fps
LOW: 27fps, MED: 20fps, HIG: 16fps, ULT: 11fps
LOW: 13fps, MED: Not playable, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
GeForce GTX 950
LOW: 88fps, MED: 66fps, HIG: 51fps, ULT: 36fps
LOW: 44fps, MED: 33fps, HIG: 26fps, ULT: 18fps
LOW: 26fps, MED: 20fps, HIG: 15fps, ULT: 11fps
LOW: 13fps, MED: Not playable, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
Ranking Criteria Explained
S
SUPREME"For those who refuse to compromise"
The ultimate GPU. Delivers premium 4K gaming at max settings.
A
ADVANCED"If you crave that next level of smoothness"
A step-up GPU for chasing high refresh rates and stunning visuals.
B
BALANCED"bld4me's recommendation. The smart, well-balanced choice"
The smart pick—perfect balance of power and efficiency.
C
COMPETENT"Play at 1080p/Medium"
Ensures standard playability, delivering 30 to just under 60 FPS at 1080p/Medium settings.
The Bottom Line
The Game's Verdict: Recommended Specs & Grade
Apex Legends has transcended the battle royale fad to cement itself as an absolute esports staple. It hits that perfect balance: an incredibly low barrier to entry for casuals, while demanding uncompromising, top-tier hardware from competitive sweats chasing the leaderboards. It truly is a game for everyone.
If you're willing to tank your graphics settings and framerate, it's shockingly lightweight—you can literally run this thing on a decade-old entry-level gaming laptop. If you just want to dip your toes into PC Apex, booting it up on whatever old potato or dirt-cheap used rig you have lying around is a totally valid way to start.
But the second you decide you actually want to win your 1v1s and crave that buttery-smooth high-refresh-rate experience, you're going to need a serious hardware bump. Pushing high frames means upgrading not just your GPU, but your CPU as well. Figuring out exactly what level of performance you expect from Apex is the non-negotiable first step in picking your parts.
Our official recommendation? Build a rig that can lock in a rock-solid 144fps in Apex. Hitting this baseline (which translates to a modern mid-range setup) acts as a massive safety net. If you ever want to pivot to heavier AAA titles, you'll already have the hardware horsepower to handle them with just a few settings tweaks.
FAQ
FAQ: Apex Legends
Can I comfortably play Apex Legends with RX 560 4GB, GTX 1050 2GB?
To be direct, achieving a completely comfortable experience will be challenging. While you can play by setting all graphics to 'Low' and reducing your resolution, you will experience stuttering during intense combat or effects-heavy scenes. We recommend lowering texture and shadow quality first, and adjusting your resolution to test gameplay stability.
[Estimated Framerate (1080p / Low Preset)]
RX 560 4GB: Approx. 40 fps
GTX 1050 2GB: Approx. 38 fps
What are the benchmark results and framerates for GTX 750 Ti 2GB in Apex Legends?
The estimated average framerates for each GPU at 1080p (Full HD) on the Low preset are as follows:
GTX 750 Ti 2GB: Approx. 29 fps
