DrainSim PC requirements, FPS and best settings

Quick answer: can your PC run DrainSim?

How demanding is DrainSim?

Where it lands among 937 modelled titles, and what that means for different classes of GPU.

On our demand scale DrainSim scores 49. That makes it harder to run than 96% of the 937 games in our data set, which we class as one of the heaviest games in our data set.

Behind the number is the publisher recommended card, RTX 3070 or radeon rx 6700xt, converted to an equivalent 1080p High workload. That makes the score comparable between games, though not exact for any single one.

What it means by card class

• Take a high-end card, the RTX 5080: close to 162 FPS at 1080p, 117 FPS at 1440p and 67 FPS at 4K on High. Reaches 67 FPS at 4K on High, so native 4K is realistic.
• For an enthusiast card we use the RTX 5090. It returns close to 162 / 162 / 106 FPS at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on High. Reaches 106 FPS at 4K on High, so native 4K is realistic.
• Take a mid-range card, the RTX 5070: close to 132 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p and 49 FPS at 4K on High. Good for 4K only with upscaling on (73 FPS), against 49 FPS natively.
• For an entry card we use the RTX 5060. It returns close to 77 / 50 / 18 FPS at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on High. Best at 1440p with upscaling: 75 FPS against 50 FPS natively.

Its CPU score is 50, so it asks more of a processor than 97% of the games in our list.

DrainSim PC requirements: minimum and recommended

The official specs for DrainSim, compared with real GPUs and processors.

These are the developer figures on Steam, and patches can change them.

What the requirements mean in practice

The listed minimum is Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB. Our model puts it near 44 FPS at 1080p on Low and 24 FPS on High, so treat it as an entry ticket rather than a target.

Step up to the recommended RTX 3070 or radeon rx 6700xt and the model returns roughly 84 FPS at 1080p and 54 FPS at 1440p. That is above 60 FPS at 1080p, so the recommended spec reads as a comfortable 1080p target.

On the CPU side the recommended entry is Intel i7 12700, which our model rates at roughly 100 FPS of frame preparation for DrainSim.

You will need 8 GB RAM of RAM at minimum or 16 GB RAM to match the recommended spec, plus 10 GB available space on your drive.

Which graphics card do you need for DrainSim?

Which card hits which target in DrainSim, from a 30 FPS floor to 4K.

Start at the RTX 4060 if you want 60 FPS at 1080p on High. Among current RTX 50 cards, the RTX 5060 is the first to manage it.

For a smooth 1440p on High you want at least the RX 7700 XT. Within the RTX 50 range that means the RTX 5070 or above.

For 4K, upscaling does most of the work: with Quality DLSS, FSR or XeSS-style upscaling the RTX 5070 is the first RTX 50 card to reach 60 FPS on High.

The table covers NVIDIA, AMD and Intel cards. Add your own processor, memory and settings in the can my PC run it checker or look for a CPU bottleneck with the bottleneck checker.

DrainSim frame rates: 28 cards compared

Projected frame rates for 28 GPUs from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel. Pick a resolution to redraw the bars.

Compare the extremes: an RTX 5090 gets close to 162 FPS at 1440p and 106 FPS at 4K, and an RTX 5050 close to 37 FPS at 1440p. That is the span of results you can expect in DrainSim.

Full results table

All numbers are for High settings paired with a quick CPU. The two upscaled columns switch on Quality upscaling, which only applies if the game supports it. Anything over 360 FPS is capped at 360+ for display. For a head-to-head, open the GPU comparison tool.

Is your graphics card good enough for DrainSim?

How twelve well-known cards fare, explained simply.

The table reads the model results as plain advice. Older cards such as the GTX 1060 and RTX 2060 are measured against the same High settings, so a poor result there usually means "drop to Medium", not "cannot run".

The step from an RTX 5060 (50 FPS at 1440p) to an RTX 5070 (85 FPS) is close to 71% in our modelling, a useful yardstick when choosing between the two.

Best DrainSim settings at 1080p, 1440p and 4K

One plan per resolution, each aimed at a steady 60 FPS in this game.

1080p playbook

For 1080p play, RTX 4060, RTX 5060 clear 60 FPS on High without any upscaling on our figures, which leaves room to raise individual settings.

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

1440p playbook

At 1440p, RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti hold 60 FPS natively on High in our modelling, so you can leave upscaling off and spend the headroom on settings.

Use the table as a starting point: it shows the highest preset that still delivers 60 FPS for each card at 1440p.

4K playbook

At 4K, RTX 4080 Super, RTX 5080, RTX 5090 hold 60 FPS natively on High in our modelling, so you can leave upscaling off and spend the headroom on settings.

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

Is a graphics card upgrade worth it for DrainSim?

The gain from each rung of the RTX 50 ladder at 1440p with High settings.

Moving from the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB to the RTX 5070 adds close to 43% at 1440p, the largest jump in the RTX 50 range for DrainSim. The RTX 5070 to RTX 5070 Ti step adds only close to 17%.

Treat the gains as a guide for value. Higher steps cost more per extra frame, so the sensible choice depends on the resolution and refresh rate you actually play at.

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

DrainSim VRAM requirements

Estimated graphics memory use with High settings. Falling short of VRAM causes stutter even with a quick GPU.

We put DrainSim at close to 6 GB at 1080p High, 7.8 GB at 1440p and 10.8 GB at 4K. That is an estimate derived from the recommended GPU, so take it as a guide and leave some memory spare.

If memory is tight, lower textures first: Medium brings the 1440p figure down to roughly 6.6 GB.

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

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

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

DrainSim CPU requirements

Which processors keep a fast GPU busy in this game.

On the processor side Steam asks for Intel i5 7600 at minimum and Intel i7 12700 recommended. Below, each CPU is scored for the frame rate it can feed in DrainSim.

DrainSim is one of the more processor-hungry games in our list (higher than 97%), so a fast CPU pays off, especially at 1080p and 1440p where the GPU is not the limit.

As a reference, a Core i5-12400F can prepare close to 89 FPS here in our modelling. If your GPU can draw more than that, you will be CPU-limited.

See whether your parts match in the bottleneck checker and the system bottlenecks guide.

Which builds are balanced in DrainSim?

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

All seven pairings below are limited by the GPU rather than the processor at 1440p, so the CPU is unlikely to be the problem in DrainSim for these builds.

Our model finds RTX 5090 plus Ryzen 7 9800X3D the most evenly matched build here: roughly 186 FPS from the processor against close to 185 FPS from the card at 1440p.

Treat the builds as worked examples. Your own CPU and GPU can be tested together in the bottleneck checker.

RAM and storage for DrainSim

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

The publisher lists 8 GB RAM of memory as the minimum and 16 GB RAM as recommended. In real use, with everything else running, 16 GB is enough for most people.

Storage is listed at close to 10 GB. Expect around 16 min to download on a 100 Mbps line, or roughly 3 min on 500 Mbps.

There is no SSD requirement on the page, but faster storage never hurts.

Work out your total in the RAM calculator, which counts Windows, background apps and streaming on top of the game. Estimate the wait with the download time calculator.

Recommended DrainSim settings by graphics card

A starting point for several popular cards. Every cell shows the best preset that still holds 60 FPS.

These are our model's best 60 FPS setups for DrainSim, ranked by image quality.

• Set a frame cap to your monitor to save power and heat, then use the VRR and frame cap calculator to pick the figure.
• Use upscaling first. You lose little sharpness and gain a lot of speed. Pick the highest quality mode that manages your target.
• Lower the heaviest settings next. If the menu has shadows, fog or draw distance options, those are the usual culprits.
• Make one change per test and watch the frame rate, so you know which setting did the work.
• Do not cut textures first if you have the VRAM. They cost little speed. The model puts this game at 7.8 GB for 1440p.

An upscaler is assumed throughout; confirm the game has one in its graphics options. Get a personal recommendation in the best settings generator or compare every mode in the DLSS and frame generation estimator.

Laptop performance in DrainSim

Modelled laptop results at the power limits laptops usually ship with.

At typical power limits, RTX 5070 Laptop, RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, RTX 5080 Laptop, RTX 5090 Laptop reach 60 FPS at 1080p on High in our modelling, and RTX 5080 Laptop, RTX 5090 Laptop also manage 1440p.

Treat laptop numbers cautiously. Wattage, cooling and memory vary between makers, so the same chip can land well below the figures above.

Test other power limits in the laptop TGP estimator.

Tips for a Casual/Indie/Simulation games like DrainSim

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

The advice below is general guidance for this kind of game, written from the genres The Steam page lists for DrainSim. It is a prompt for testing, not a technical statement about the game.

• Simulation games usually keep the processor busy, so a strong CPU and plenty of RAM often help more than a bigger GPU.
• Controller support makes living-room play practical, and TVs often cap at 60 or 120 Hz.
• Indie games vary widely in how well they are optimised, so patch notes and community reports can say more than hardware specs.
• Because the load is light, a frame cap and power-saving settings are worth more than extra graphics options.
• Early access builds change often, so performance can shift noticeably between updates. Re-check settings after big patches.

Screenshots of DrainSim

Official screenshots of DrainSim 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 DrainSim Steam store page and belong to CodePeas.

Games similar to DrainSim

Related PC game guides on this site.

Not sure about DrainSim? Compare it with these games, picked for similar demand and overlapping genres, each with its own full guide.

• Two Point Museum sits at 23 for graphics demand and is lighter than DrainSim (49). Shared genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation.
• Dinkum scores 32 on the same scale (DrainSim scores 49), which makes it lighter on graphics. Shared genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation.
• shapez 2 - Factory: demand score 27 against 49 for DrainSim, so it is lighter on graphics. Shared genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation.
• Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library!: 28 on our demand scale, lighter than DrainSim. Shared genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation.
• PowerWash Simulator 2: 49 on our demand scale, about as demanding as DrainSim. Shared genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation.
• With a demand score of 32, Slime Rancher 2 is lighter than DrainSim. Shared genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation.
• Waterpark Simulator scores 23 on the same scale (DrainSim scores 49), which makes it lighter on graphics. Shared genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation.
• Car Dealer Simulator: demand score 51 against 49 for DrainSim, so it is about as demanding. Shared genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation.

DrainSim: facts and Steam features

Steam players rate DrainSim as Very Positive, with 91% of 1,831 reviews positive when we checked on 2026-11-02. Review scores say little about performance, but a large, positive audience means plenty of community advice on settings.

Being out for close to 8 months, DrainSim may still receive performance patches, so keep it updated and keep your graphics drivers current.

Steam features

Details here come from Steam's public store listing. Frame rates here are modelled, since we have not tested the game on every card.

How the DrainSim estimates work

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

For DrainSim the demand score of 49 comes from the recommended GPU, the CPU score of 50 from the listed processor line, and the VRAM figure of 6 GB at 1080p High is estimated from the demand score.

Each card is scored against the game demand, then scaled for resolution, quality preset and upscaling. If a card has less VRAM than the game wants, the estimate drops, and a processor ceiling stops frame rates running away.

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.

DrainSim FAQ

The questions players ask most about DrainSim on PC.

Test DrainSim on your own PC