Elite Dangerous

To run Elite Dangerous (2015) on PC you need at least a Quad Core CPU (4 x 2Ghz) processor and a Nvidia GTX 470/AMD R7 240, with 6GB of RAM and 25GB of free storage. For higher settings and frame rates, the recommended specs are a Intel Core i7-3770K Quad Core CPU or better / AMD FX 4350 Quad Core CPU or better and a Nvidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon R9 280X with 8GB of RAM. Check your exact PC against Elite Dangerous with our free Can I Run It tool, estimate your frame rate with the FPS Estimator, or see the best GPU for Elite Dangerous.

Meeting the Elite Dangerous minimum requirements (a Nvidia GTX 470/AMD R7 240) is enough to launch the game, but it won't give you high frame rates at 1440p or 4K. The recommended Nvidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon R9 280X 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 Elite Dangerous'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 8GB (ideally 32GB) of DDR5 RAM and a fast Gen5 NVMe SSD removes the stutter and long load times that can hold Elite Dangerous 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 Elite Dangerous with the free Can I Run It tool, or see the best GPU for Elite Dangerous.

What are the minimum requirements for Elite Dangerous?
Elite Dangerous needs at least a Quad Core CPU (4 x 2Ghz) CPU and a Nvidia GTX 470/AMD R7 240 graphics card, 6GB of RAM and 25GB of storage.

What are the recommended specs for Elite Dangerous?
For a smooth experience, Elite Dangerous recommends a Intel Core i7-3770K Quad Core CPU or better / AMD FX 4350 Quad Core CPU or better and a Nvidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon R9 280X with 8GB of RAM.

How much RAM does Elite Dangerous need?
Elite Dangerous requires 6GB of RAM as a minimum, with 8GB recommended.

What GPU do you need to run Elite Dangerous?
The minimum graphics card for Elite Dangerous is a Nvidia GTX 470/AMD R7 240, while a Nvidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon R9 280X is recommended for higher settings. Check any GPU against this game with our Can I Run It tool.