Far Cry 3

Far Cry 3

By Luigi R. Updated: February 2026

To run Far Cry 3 (2012) on PC you need at least a Intel Core®2 Duo E6700 @ 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon64 X2 6000+ @ 3.0Ghz or better processor and a 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0), with 4GB of RAM and 15GB of free storage. For higher settings and frame rates, the recommended specs are a Intel Core i5 and a 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0) with 4GB of RAM. Check your exact PC against Far Cry 3 with our free Can I Run It tool, estimate your frame rate with the FPS Estimator, or see the best GPU for Far Cry 3.

System Requirements

Minimum
  • CPU: Intel Core®2 Duo E6700 @ 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon64 X2 6000+ @ 3.0Ghz or better
  • GPU: 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0)
  • RAM: 4
  • Storage: 15
Recommended
  • CPU: Intel Core i5
  • GPU: 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0)
  • RAM: 4
  • Storage: 15

Building a PC to play Far Cry 3 at its best

Meeting the Far Cry 3 minimum requirements (a 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0)) is enough to launch the game, but it won't give you high frame rates at 1440p or 4K. The recommended 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0) 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 Far Cry 3'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 4GB (ideally 32GB) of DDR5 RAM and a fast Gen5 NVMe SSD removes the stutter and long load times that can hold Far Cry 3 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 Far Cry 3 with the free Can I Run It tool, or see the best GPU for Far Cry 3.

Far Cry 3 — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the minimum requirements for Far Cry 3?
Far Cry 3 needs at least a Intel Core®2 Duo E6700 @ 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon64 X2 6000+ @ 3.0Ghz or better CPU and a 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0) graphics card, 4GB of RAM and 15GB of storage.

What are the recommended specs for Far Cry 3?
For a smooth experience, Far Cry 3 recommends a Intel Core i5 and a 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0) with 4GB of RAM.

How much RAM does Far Cry 3 need?
Far Cry 3 requires 4GB of RAM as a minimum, with 4GB recommended.

What GPU do you need to run Far Cry 3?
The minimum graphics card for Far Cry 3 is a 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0), while a 512MB Video RAM (1GB Video RAM), DirectX9c (DirectX11) Shader Model 3.0 (Shader Model 5.0) is recommended for higher settings. Check any GPU against this game with our Can I Run It tool.