DOOM: The Dark Ages PC requirements, FPS and best settings

DOOM: The Dark Ages on PC: the quick answer

Where DOOM: The Dark Ages ranks for hardware demand

Where this game sits among 937 modelled titles, and how that plays out for entry, mid-range and high-end cards.

With a demand score of 61, DOOM: The Dark Ages asks more of a GPU than 98% of the 937 games in our list. We call that very demanding.

We take the recommended GPU Steam gives (or AMD hardware Raytracing-capable GPU with 10GB dedicated VRAM or better (examples: RTX 3080 or better) and translate it into a 1080p High demand figure. The result ranks games well, but individual frame rates will vary.

What it means by card class

• For an enthusiast card we use the RTX 5090. It returns roughly 162 / 148 / 85 FPS at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on High. Native 4K works here at around 85 FPS, with no upscaling needed.
• The RTX 5070, standing in for a mid-range card, gives roughly 106 FPS at 1080p and 61 FPS at 1440p, with 21 FPS at 4K. A solid 1440p option at roughly 61 FPS.
• Take an entry card, the RTX 5060: roughly 44 FPS at 1080p, 19 FPS at 1440p and 8 FPS at 4K on High. Struggles on High at 1080p (44 FPS) and wants Low settings.
• As a high-end card, the RTX 5080 manages 145 FPS at 1080p, 94 FPS at 1440p and 45 FPS at 4K. Needs upscaling for 4K: roughly 73 FPS with Quality upscaling, 45 FPS without.

On the CPU side, DOOM: The Dark Ages scores 50, ahead of 97% of the 937 modelled games.

DOOM: The Dark Ages PC requirements: minimum and recommended

Official minimum and recommended specs for DOOM: The Dark Ages, translated into frame rates.

Published by the developer on Steam and subject to change with patches.

Reading the specs against real hardware

Steam names or AMD hardware Raytracing-capable GPU with 8GB dedicated VRAM or better (examples: RTX 2060 SUPER or better as the minimum GPU. Expect around 51 FPS at 1080p Low, or roughly 16 FPS if you raise the preset to High.

Step up to the recommended or AMD hardware Raytracing-capable GPU with 10GB dedicated VRAM or better (examples: RTX 3080 or better and the model returns roughly 57 FPS at 1080p and 25 FPS at 1440p. That is under 60 FPS at 1080p on High, so the recommended spec looks like a balanced rather than a generous target.

The recommended processor, AMD Zen 3, can feed around 100 FPS here according to our estimates, a useful ceiling to compare with your graphics card.

Steam sets memory at 16 GB RAM minimum, 32 GB RAM recommended, and asks for 100 GB available space of storage.

Best graphics card for DOOM: The Dark Ages by target

Pick a target and see the card it needs in DOOM: The Dark Ages.

For 1080p at 60 FPS on High, RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is the entry point in our list, with RTX 5060 Ti 16GB the first RTX 50 card that clears it.

Moving up to 1440p, the RX 7800 XT is the lowest card that holds 60 FPS on High, and the RTX 5070 is the first RTX 50 option.

At 4K, expect to lean on upscaling. The RTX 5070 Ti is the first desktop RTX 50 card to hit 60 FPS on High once Quality upscaling is switched on.

Cards across NVIDIA, AMD and Intel are included. For a personal answer with your own CPU and RAM, use the can my PC run it checker, or see whether your processor limits you in the bottleneck checker.

DOOM: The Dark Ages FPS by graphics card

Modelled FPS for 28 GPUs from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel. Switch resolution below.

Top to bottom, the RTX 5090 averages roughly 148 FPS at 1440p (85 FPS at 4K) against 14 FPS for the RTX 5050 at 1440p. Where you land depends on the card and resolution you choose.

Full results table

Every figure assumes the High preset with a fast processor. Upscaled columns assume the Quality mode of whichever upscaler the game provides. Figures above 360 FPS are shown as 360+. For a head-to-head, open the GPU comparison tool.

Is your graphics card good enough for DOOM: The Dark Ages?

A verdict in plain English for twelve popular GPUs.

Each verdict compares the card with a 60 FPS target with High settings. Where a card falls short, the usual fix is a lower preset or upscaling, which the settings section prices in.

The step from an RTX 5060 (19 FPS at 1440p) to an RTX 5070 (61 FPS) is around 215% according to our model, a useful yardstick when choosing between the two.

Best DOOM: The Dark Ages settings at 1080p, 1440p and 4K

A 60 FPS plan for each resolution, built from the model and tailored to this game.

1080p playbook

1080p is demanding here: our model has no card from this set reaching 60 FPS natively on High.

Use the table as a starting point: it shows the highest preset that still reaches 60 FPS for each card at 1080p.

1440p playbook

For 1440p play, RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti clear 60 FPS on High without any upscaling according to our estimates, which leaves room to raise individual settings.

Start from the preset that still reaches 60 FPS, then raise one setting at a time. The table gives the best preset for each card.

4K playbook

4K is straightforward on RTX 5090, which holds 60 FPS on High natively here, so you only need DLSS, FSR or XeSS-style upscaling for extra smoothness.

Use the table as a starting point: it shows the highest preset that still reaches 60 FPS for each card at 4K.

Upgrade path: what a faster card gains in DOOM: The Dark Ages

What each step up the RTX 50 range adds at 1440p with High settings.

Our model finds the best value step at RTX 5060 to RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, roughly 149% faster at 1440p, and the weakest at RTX 5070 Ti to RTX 5080, around 17%.

Each step costs more than the last, so weigh the percentage against the price. The gain in DOOM: The Dark Ages usually shrinks as you climb, which is typical of GPUs.

Compare options directly in the upgrade value calculator or the GPU price to performance calculator.

DOOM: The Dark Ages VRAM requirements

What the game is likely to want from graphics memory on High. Falling short of VRAM causes stutter even with a quick GPU.

We put DOOM: The Dark Ages at roughly 10 GB at 1080p High, 13.0 GB at 1440p and 18.0 GB at 4K. That is a figure the publisher states, so use it as a guide and leave some memory spare.

Texture settings have the biggest effect on VRAM. In our model Medium textures cut 1440p use from 13.0 GB to roughly 11.0 GB.

Budget tiers: 6, 8, 12 and 16 GB cards

• 6 GB of VRAM reads as short of memory for 1080p, short of memory for 1440p and short of memory for 4K with High settings here. Where it is short, Medium textures and upscaling are the practical fixes.
• 8 GB of VRAM reads as short of memory for 1080p, short of memory for 1440p and short of memory for 4K with High settings here. Where it is short, Medium textures and upscaling are the practical fixes.
• With 12 GB the verdict is comfortable at 1080p, short of memory at 1440p and short of memory at 4K on High. Watch memory at the higher resolutions.
• On a 16 GB card, 1080p is comfortable, 1440p is comfortable and 4K is short of memory on High. Memory is rarely a worry at these settings.

Test other settings in the VRAM calculator and see how much VRAM you need for gaming.

DOOM: The Dark Ages processor guide

How much frame rate each processor can prepare in this game.

On the processor side Steam asks for AMD Zen 2 at minimum and AMD Zen 3 recommended. Below, each CPU is scored for the frame rate it can feed in DOOM: The Dark Ages.

This is a CPU-leaning game by our measure (ahead of 97% of the 937 we model), so do not skimp on the processor when you upgrade the GPU.

As a reference, a Core i5-12400F can prepare around 89 FPS here according to our model. If your graphics card can draw more than that, you will be CPU-limited.

Check your own CPU and GPU together in the bottleneck checker and our system bottlenecks guide.

Matching a processor to a graphics card for DOOM: The Dark Ages

Does the CPU or the GPU set the pace? Seven example builds.

The processor is not the limit in any of the seven pairings here at 1440p, so spend on the GPU first.

Our model finds RTX 5090 plus Ryzen 7 9800X3D the most evenly matched build here: roughly 186 FPS from the processor against roughly 148 FPS from the card at 1440p.

Use the table to see how balance changes, then enter your real parts in the bottleneck checker for a personal answer.

RAM and storage for DOOM: The Dark Ages

RAM and disk space from the Steam page, with a practical view.

For RAM, expect 16 GB RAM at minimum and 32 GB RAM recommended. Allow for the operating system and background apps, which means aiming for 32 GB.

The install asks for roughly 100 GB. Downloading it takes around 2 h 37 min at 100 Mbps and roughly 31 min at 500 Mbps, allowing for overhead.

It is a big download by modern standards, so leave room on the drive for patches.

Steam notes that an SSD is needed or advised, so install it on a solid-state drive for loading times and smooth streaming.

Size your memory with the RAM calculator, which adds your usual background apps to what the game asks for. Time the download with the download time calculator.

Best settings for DOOM: The Dark Ages

Where to begin for a handful of common cards. Cells list the highest-quality preset that keeps 60 FPS.

These are our model's best 60 FPS setups for DOOM: The Dark Ages, ranked by image quality.

• Reach for DLSS, FSR or XeSS-style upscaling first. You lose little sharpness and gain a lot of speed. Take the gentlest mode that delivers the frame rate you want.
• Then trim the costliest options. If the menu has shadows, fog or draw distance options, those are the usual culprits.
• Leave textures on High if you have the VRAM. They cost little speed. Our estimate for this game is 13.0 GB at 1440p.
• Cap your frame rate to match your display and keep the PC cooler, and the VRR and frame cap calculator suggests a sensible number.
• Change one thing at a time and compare the result, so you can tell what helped.

An upscaler is assumed throughout; confirm the game has one in its graphics options. Get a personal recommendation in the best settings generator and compare DLSS, FSR or XeSS-style upscaling modes in the DLSS and frame generation estimator.

DOOM: The Dark Ages on gaming laptops

Estimated FPS on RTX 50 laptop GPUs at typical power limits.

Among RTX 50 laptop GPUs, RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, RTX 5080 Laptop, RTX 5090 Laptop clear 60 FPS at 1080p on High at typical wattage, with RTX 5090 Laptop also holding 60 FPS at 1440p.

Laptop GPUs lose performance at lower power limits (TGP), and thin designs often cannot sustain them. Check the exact wattage of the model you are buying.

Explore different TGP values in the laptop TGP estimator.

Genre tips: playing DOOM: The Dark Ages well on PC

General guidance for this kind of game, chosen from the Steam genres and features.

Steam lists DOOM: The Dark Ages under Action, so these general tips apply. They are hedged guidance rather than facts about the game's engine.

• In action games, consistent frame times usually matter more than the average, so avoid settings that cause stutter.
• Controller support makes living-room play practical, and TVs often cap at 60 or 120 Hz.

DOOM: The Dark Ages gallery from Steam

Official screenshots of DOOM: The Dark Ages follow. They are promotional images, so your own settings and resolution will look different, but they show the art style.

Screenshots and artwork are promotional images from the DOOM: The Dark Ages Steam store page and belong to id Software and Bethesda Softworks.

DOOM: The Dark Ages compared with similar games

Related PC game guides on this site.

If you are comparing DOOM: The Dark Ages with other games, these pages cover titles with a similar hardware appetite or shared genres. Demand scores run on the same scale, so they are directly comparable.

• Subnautica 2 scores 49 on the same scale (DOOM: The Dark Ages scores 61), which makes it lighter on graphics. Shared genres: Action.
• DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH: 51 on our demand scale, lighter than DOOM: The Dark Ages. Shared genres: Action.
• Gothic 1 Remake: demand score 57 against 61 for DOOM: The Dark Ages, so it is lighter on graphics. Shared genres: Action.
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: demand score 65 against 61 for DOOM: The Dark Ages, so it is heavier on graphics. Shared genres: Action.
• Abiotic Factor: 49 on our demand scale, lighter than DOOM: The Dark Ages. Shared genres: Action.
• Split Fiction: demand score 51 against 61 for DOOM: The Dark Ages, so it is lighter on graphics. Shared genres: Action.
• VEIN scores 68 on the same scale (DOOM: The Dark Ages scores 61), which makes it heavier on graphics. Shared genres: Action.
• Millennium Dream sits at 51 for graphics demand and is lighter than DOOM: The Dark Ages (61). Shared genres: Action.

Game facts and Steam reviews for DOOM: The Dark Ages

Steam user reviews put DOOM: The Dark Ages at Very Positive (86% positive from 20,318 reviews, checked 2026-11-02). It is a measure of popularity and sentiment, not of technical performance.

DOOM: The Dark Ages has been out for roughly 18 months, which means drivers and patches are likely still changing its performance. Re-check settings after major updates.

Steam features

The facts above are from the public Steam store page. Frame rates here are modelled, since we have not tested the game on every card.

Method: where the DOOM: The Dark Ages numbers come from

A short, honest note on how the numbers are produced.

For DOOM: The Dark Ages the demand score of 61 comes from the recommended GPU, the CPU score of 50 from the listed processor line, and the VRAM figure of 10 GB at 1080p High is stated by the publisher.

In short: card performance divided by game demand, adjusted for resolution, preset and DLSS, FSR or XeSS-style upscaling, reduced when VRAM is short and capped by processor speed.

Nothing on this page is a measured benchmark. Expect real frame rates to differ with drivers, updates and your own system, and treat the tables as a guide.

DOOM: The Dark Ages: your questions answered

The questions players ask most about DOOM: The Dark Ages on PC.

Test DOOM: The Dark Ages on your own PC