Half-Life: Alyx
To run Half-Life: Alyx (2020) on PC you need at least a Core i5-7500 / Ryzen 5 1600 processor and a GTX 1060 / RX 580 - 6GB VRAM, with 12GB of RAM and 50GB of free storage. For higher settings and frame rates, the recommended specs are a faster CPU and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 16GB of RAM. Check your exact PC against Half-Life: Alyx with our free Can I Run It tool, estimate your frame rate with the FPS Estimator, or see the best GPU for Half-Life: Alyx.
System Requirements
Minimum
- CPU: Core i5-7500 / Ryzen 5 1600
- GPU: GTX 1060 / RX 580 - 6GB VRAM
- RAM: 12
- Storage: 50
Recommended
- CPU: N/A
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
- RAM: 16
- Storage: 50
Building a PC to play Half-Life: Alyx at its best
Meeting the Half-Life: Alyx minimum requirements (a GTX 1060 / RX 580 - 6GB VRAM) 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 Half-Life: Alyx'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 Half-Life: Alyx 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 Half-Life: Alyx with the free Can I Run It tool, or see the best GPU for Half-Life: Alyx.
Half-Life: Alyx — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the minimum requirements for Half-Life: Alyx?
Half-Life: Alyx needs at least a Core i5-7500 / Ryzen 5 1600 CPU and a GTX 1060 / RX 580 - 6GB VRAM graphics card, 12GB of RAM and 50GB of storage.
What are the recommended specs for Half-Life: Alyx?
For a smooth experience, Half-Life: Alyx recommends a faster CPU and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 16GB of RAM.
How much RAM does Half-Life: Alyx need?
Half-Life: Alyx requires 12GB of RAM as a minimum, with 16GB recommended.
What GPU do you need to run Half-Life: Alyx?
The minimum graphics card for Half-Life: Alyx is a GTX 1060 / RX 580 - 6GB VRAM, while a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 is recommended for higher settings. Check any GPU against this game with our Can I Run It tool.
