ARK: Survival Evolved

ARK: Survival Evolved

By Luigi R. Updated: February 2026

To run ARK: Survival Evolved (2017) on PC you need at least a Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 or better processor and a NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better, with 8GB of RAM and 60GB of free storage. For higher settings and frame rates, the recommended specs are a Intel Core i5 and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 16GB of RAM. Check your exact PC against ARK: Survival Evolved with our free Can I Run It tool, estimate your frame rate with the FPS Estimator, or see the best GPU for ARK: Survival Evolved.

System Requirements

Minimum
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 or better
  • GPU: NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better
  • RAM: 8
  • Storage: 60
Recommended
  • CPU: Intel Core i5
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
  • RAM: 16
  • Storage: 50

Building a PC to play ARK: Survival Evolved at its best

Meeting the ARK: Survival Evolved minimum requirements (a NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better) is enough to launch the game, but it won't give you high frame rates at 1440p or 4K. The recommended NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 is a solid target, and stepping up to a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080 or Radeon RX 9070 XT gives you the headroom for ultra settings, ray tracing and high-refresh play. On mid-range cards, DLSS 4 and FSR frame generation can lift ARK: Survival Evolved's frame rate substantially, while a flagship RTX 5090 drives 4K at maximum settings.

The processor matters just as much: pairing your graphics card with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D or an Intel Core Ultra, at least 16GB (ideally 32GB) of DDR5 RAM and a fast Gen5 NVMe SSD removes the stutter and long load times that can hold ARK: Survival Evolved back. For modern textures at 4K, aim for a GPU with 12–16GB of VRAM so you never run short.

The same premium components also decide whether your rig is VR ready: if you game in virtual reality on a Meta Quest 3, Valve Index or PlayStation VR2, a strong GPU and CPU are what hold a steady 90 FPS. Check your exact setup against ARK: Survival Evolved with the free Can I Run It tool, or see the best GPU for ARK: Survival Evolved.

ARK: Survival Evolved — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the minimum requirements for ARK: Survival Evolved?
ARK: Survival Evolved needs at least a Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 or better CPU and a NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better graphics card, 8GB of RAM and 60GB of storage.

What are the recommended specs for ARK: Survival Evolved?
For a smooth experience, ARK: Survival Evolved recommends a Intel Core i5 and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 16GB of RAM.

How much RAM does ARK: Survival Evolved need?
ARK: Survival Evolved requires 8GB of RAM as a minimum, with 16GB recommended.

What GPU do you need to run ARK: Survival Evolved?
The minimum graphics card for ARK: Survival Evolved is a NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better, while a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 is recommended for higher settings. Check any GPU against this game with our Can I Run It tool.