Traditionally, MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) were not AAA titles requiring the latest graphics cards and computer setups. Developers deliberately kept requirements low so hundreds of players could game without debilitating lag. However, it still makes sense to invest in your gaming rig. Even if you only plan on dabbling in World of Warcraft or tickling the edges of EVE Online, having the right gear can make a tremendous difference.
What are the minimum system requirements for MMORPGs?
Hardware requirements for MMORPGs depend on the title you want to play. Here are just a few of the minimum requirements sufficient for most games, as well as the specific requirements of top titles:
- OS: Windows 7 or higher
- Processor: AMD FX 8100 or Intel Core i5-750 or better
- Video: AMD Radeon HD 5670 1 GB or Intel HD Graphics 4000 or better
- RAM: 4 GB DDR3
- Storage: More than 30 GB preferable for most titles
- Internet: Broadband
- Input: Keyboard and mouse
- Resolution: 1078 x 768
The experience yielded by a hardware setup like this won’t be great for most titles. However, you should be able to run the majority of top games if your resolution is low. The following are the minimum spec requirements for individual titles:
World of Warcraft Classic:
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: AMD FX 8310 or Intel Core i7-4770 or better
- Video: AMD Radeon R9 280 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or better
- RAM: 8 GB DDR3
- Storage: More than 70 GB available, solid-state drive
- Internet: Broadband
- Input: Keyboard and multi-button mouse with scroll wheel
- Resolution: 1078 x 768
Elder Scrolls online:
- OS: Windows 7 or higher
- Processor: AMD FX4350 or Intel Core i5 2300 or better
- Video: AMD Radeon HD 7850 1 GB or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 or better
- RAM: 8 GB DDR3
- Storage: More than 85 GB
- Internet: Broadband
- Input: Keyboard and mouse with scroll wheel
Final Fantasy 14:
- OS: Windows 7 or higher
- Processor: Intel Core i7 2.66 GHz or faster
- Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or better
- RAM: 4 GB DDR3
- Storage: More than 30 GB
- Internet: Broadband
- Input: Keyboard and mouse with scroll wheel
- Resolution: 1280×720
System requirements for mobile MMORPGs also vary considerably, depending on the title. For instance, Black Desert by Pearl Abyss recommends handsets with Android 6.0 and at least 2 GB of RAM. By contrast, Albion Online’s minimum requirements are Android 5.0 or higher (or Mac OS X 13.6 or higher for iPhone users), 64-bit ARM Snapdragon processor, OpenGL ES 2.0 support or higher, and 3 GB RAM.
The best MMORPGs to play right now
When thinking of which hardware you might need to improve and upgrade, you might want to consider which titles you want to use your setup for mainly. If you have a specific title in mind, you will want to ensure that your setup can handle it and play it smoothly. Some of the best MMORPGs to play right now on the PC include Guild Wars 2, Black Desert Online, World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Lost Ark, Runescape, EVE Online, Rift, Trove, Romans: Age of Caesar, Final Fantasy XIV, ArcheAge and Star Trek Online.
Having the right device and specifications can also be useful for mobile gaming. Ensuring that phones are up to date with the latest software updates can help improve systems, eliminate bugs, and let users play games without interruptions. Whether users want to play slot games like Lucky Wizard, popular AR games like Pokemon Go, or some of the most graphically demanding mobile games like ARK: Survival Evolved or Real Racing 3, it’s good to have a decent device to run them all. Some of the best mobile MMORPGs are Perfect World Mobile, Lineage 2: Revolution, Runescape, Albion Online, Black Desert, Armored God, Stellaris: Galaxy Command, World of Kings, Nova Empire, AdventureQuest 3D, and many more popular titles!
A note on MMORPG graphics cards
You’ll notice that the general system requirements for MMORPGs are low. Some components, such as the GTX 460 or AMD FX4350, are more than ten years old. This reflects the release of today’s most popular titles. Guild Wars 2 came out in 2012, The Elder Scrolls Online in 2014, EVE Online in 2003, Star Wars: The Old Republic in 2011, and Runescape in 2001. Most of these titles use the same graphics engines they had at release, so virtually any modern GPU makes quick work of them, even at high resolutions.
How to improve your MMORPG gaming setup
Be warned: even if you use recommended hardware, you may still run into issues with lag and overheating. Fortunately, you can deal with both of these relatively easily. Suppose lag is an occurring problem for your gaming experience. In that case, there are several things you can do to prevent this, such as: switching from Wi-Fi to an ethernet connection, setting your computer as priority internet access in your router settings, improving your Wi-Fi speed, stopping other programs from taking up bandwidth during gameplay, making sure the game you’re playing is completely up to date and more.
If overheating is a common issue, ways you can improve this are: manually increasing the fan speed in your CPU and GPU settings, swapping your old computer case for a new one with more fans and better airflow, adding water cooling blocks to compatible system components, including CPUs and GPUs, turn on the air conditioning while you play or improve individual components that are overheating.
Desktop gaming brands to consider
Finally, if you’re trying to create a great gaming setup that can handle playing MMORPG titles and other graphically demanding PC games, you’ll want to consider some of the best gaming brands for PCs. Alienware is perhaps the most famous gaming hardware brand (and one of the longest-standing). However, it is also notoriously expensive. Corsair, which also makes high-end RAM, is a good option as they tend to house PCs in innovatively-shaped cases, not just standard ATX towers. HP is also in the space with their Omen. Other notable brands include Acer, Asus, and Razer, which are particularly popular among people looking for gaming laptops.
