Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition
To run Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) on PC you need at least a 2.4 GHz Intel® Pentium® or greater or AMD® Athlon® equivalent CPU processor and a 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible hardware accelerated video card with shader version 2.0 support, 256 MB video memory, with 1GB of RAM and 15GB 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 Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition with our free Can I Run It tool, estimate your frame rate with the FPS Estimator, or see the best GPU for Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition.
System Requirements
Minimum
- CPU: 2.4 GHz Intel® Pentium® or greater or AMD® Athlon® equivalent CPU
- GPU: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible hardware accelerated video card with shader version 2.0 support, 256 MB video memory
- RAM: 1
- Storage: 15
Recommended
- CPU: Intel Core i5
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
- RAM: 16
- Storage: 50
Building a PC to play Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition at its best
Meeting the Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition minimum requirements (a 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible hardware accelerated video card with shader version 2.0 support, 256 MB video memory) 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 Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition'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 Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition 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 Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition with the free Can I Run It tool, or see the best GPU for Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition.
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the minimum requirements for Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition?
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition needs at least a 2.4 GHz Intel® Pentium® or greater or AMD® Athlon® equivalent CPU CPU and a 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible hardware accelerated video card with shader version 2.0 support, 256 MB video memory graphics card, 1GB of RAM and 15GB of storage.
What are the recommended specs for Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition?
For a smooth experience, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition recommends a Intel Core i5 and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 16GB of RAM.
How much RAM does Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition need?
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition requires 1GB of RAM as a minimum, with 16GB recommended.
What GPU do you need to run Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition?
The minimum graphics card for Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is a 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible hardware accelerated video card with shader version 2.0 support, 256 MB video memory, while a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 is recommended for higher settings. Check any GPU against this game with our Can I Run It tool.
