The Darkness II
To run The Darkness II (2012) on PC you need at least a Intel Core 2 @ 2GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ processor and a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600, with 8GB of RAM and 10GB of free storage. For higher settings and frame rates, the recommended specs are a 2.4 GHz Quad Core processor and a 512+ MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX with 2GB of RAM. Check your exact PC against The Darkness II with our free Can I Run It tool, estimate your frame rate with the FPS Estimator, or see the best GPU for The Darkness II.
System Requirements
Minimum
- CPU: Intel Core 2 @ 2GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
- GPU: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600
- RAM: 8
- Storage: 10
Recommended
- CPU: 2.4 GHz Quad Core processor
- GPU: 512+ MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX
- RAM: 2
- Storage: 10
Building a PC to play The Darkness II at its best
Meeting the The Darkness II minimum requirements (a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600) is enough to launch the game, but it won't give you high frame rates at 1440p or 4K. The recommended 512+ MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX 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 The Darkness II'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 2GB (ideally 32GB) of DDR5 RAM and a fast Gen5 NVMe SSD removes the stutter and long load times that can hold The Darkness II 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 The Darkness II with the free Can I Run It tool, or see the best GPU for The Darkness II.
The Darkness II — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the minimum requirements for The Darkness II?
The Darkness II needs at least a Intel Core 2 @ 2GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ CPU and a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600 graphics card, 8GB of RAM and 10GB of storage.
What are the recommended specs for The Darkness II?
For a smooth experience, The Darkness II recommends a 2.4 GHz Quad Core processor and a 512+ MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX with 2GB of RAM.
How much RAM does The Darkness II need?
The Darkness II requires 8GB of RAM as a minimum, with 2GB recommended.
What GPU do you need to run The Darkness II?
The minimum graphics card for The Darkness II is a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600, while a 512+ MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX is recommended for higher settings. Check any GPU against this game with our Can I Run It tool.
