GTA 5 system requirements: What you need to run it on PC

(Image credit: Rockstar)

PC building guides

Need a new PC for GTA 5? Check out our build guides:

Budget gaming PC
(~$750/£750) - A good entry-level system.
Mid-range gaming PC
(~$1,000/£1,000) - Our recommended build for most gamers.
High-end gaming PC
(~$2,000/£2,000) - Everything a gamer could want.
Extreme gaming PC
(>$3,000/£3,000) - You won the lotto and are going all-in on gaming.

Prefer to buy a prebuilt than building it yourself? Check out our guide to the Best Gaming PCs.

If your PC is less than five years old, the Grand Theft Auto 5 system requirements shouldn't be daunting. GTA 5 released on PC in 2015, and if you're not loading it down with graphics mods and are willing to tweak some settings, you should be able to get it running well on modest hardware.

The recommend graphics card back in 2015 was a GeForce GTX 660, which manages an average of 33.5 fps at 1080p max settings according to UserBenchmark. If you want over 60 fps at max settings, a GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD RX 5600 XT will easily handle the task, hitting 70-plus. Performance from previous-generation cards will vary depending on the quality of the card.

Here's what Rockstar says you'll need to enjoy GTA 5's brand of violence and mayhem:

Minimum Specs

Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs) @ 2.5GHz
Memory: 4GB
Video Card: NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB / AMD HD 4870 1GB (DX 10, 10.1, 11)
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
HDD Space: 72GB

Recommended Specs

Processor: Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHZ (4 CPUs) / AMD X8 FX-8350 @ 4GHZ (8 CPUs)
Memory: 8GB
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB / AMD HD7870 2GB
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
HDD Space: 72GB

If you're low on SSD space, the size of the install could be an issue—at launch, GTA 5 required 65GB but now requires 72GB. That's probably because GTA Online has expanded loads since the game's original PC launch, with Smuggler's Run, The Doomsday Heist and more, adding tons more vehicles, missions and even a new radio station to the game.

Otherwise, you should be good to go even with a modest build. If you struggle to hit your desired framerate, though, try lowering Post FX quality, shader quality, and/or shadow quality a notch.

If you're new to GTA 5 and want to know what to expect, check out our original GTA 5 review. We've also got some GTA 5 cheats that'll help in a pinch. And if you're getting into multiplayer, here's our guide on how to make money in GTA Online. If you're looking forward what's next, read up on every GTA 6 rumor to date, all in one place.

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Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.