Scrap Mechanic PC requirements, FPS and best settings

Can your PC run Scrap Mechanic? The short answer

Difficulty profile: how hard is Scrap Mechanic to run?

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

We rate the graphics demand of Scrap Mechanic at 32. That puts it above 83% of the 937 modelled games and firmly in the demanding band.

It comes from the recommended card on the Steam page (RTX 3060 (12 GB VRAM)), which we map onto a common performance scale and convert to 1080p High. Treat it as a relative guide.

What it means by card class

• For an entry card we use the RTX 5060. It returns close to 64 / 28 / 15 FPS at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on High. A 1080p card for this game: roughly 64 FPS on High, 28 FPS at 1440p.
• Take a high-end card, the RTX 5080: close to 184 FPS at 1080p, 179 FPS at 1440p and 65 FPS at 4K on High. Holds roughly 65 FPS at 4K, so resolution is not the limit.
• As an enthusiast card, the RTX 5090 manages 184 FPS at 1080p, 184 FPS at 1440p and 162 FPS at 4K. Comfortable at 4K on High, around 162 FPS before any upscaling.
• The RTX 5070, standing in for a mid-range card, gives roughly 184 FPS at 1080p and 88 FPS at 1440p, with 31 FPS at 4K. Handles 1440p at close to 88 FPS, with 4K out of reach natively (31 FPS).

Processor demand is rated separately: Scrap Mechanic scores 44 on our CPU scale, higher than 92% of the games we model.

Scrap Mechanic system requirements

Official minimum and recommended specs for Scrap Mechanic, translated into frame rates.

Taken from the Steam store page; developers can revise these with updates.

How the published specs translate to frame rates

The minimum card, Intel Iris Xe Graphics or equivalent, is the floor Steam sets. In our model it manages close to 15 FPS at 1080p on Low settings, and 5 FPS if you push it to High.

Steam suggests RTX 3060 (12 GB VRAM) as the recommended card, good for close to 81 FPS at 1080p and 35 FPS at 1440p on High here. That is above 60 FPS at 1080p, so the recommended spec reads as a comfortable 1080p target.

Steam asks for Intel Core i5-12500 at the recommended level. That class of processor tops out near 101 FPS in Scrap Mechanic according to our model.

Memory is listed as 8 GB RAM at minimum and 16 GB RAM recommended, with 30 GB available space needed on disk.

What graphics card does Scrap Mechanic need?

From a 30 FPS floor to 4K, here is the card each target asks for in Scrap Mechanic.

Start at the RTX 3060 12GB if you want 60 FPS at 1080p on High. Among current RTX 50 cards, the RTX 5060 is the first to manage it.

Moving up to 1440p, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is the lowest card that holds 60 FPS on High, and the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is the first RTX 50 option.

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

NVIDIA, AMD and Intel cards all appear in the list. To test your own parts, open the can my PC run it checker and check for a processor limit in the bottleneck checker.

Estimated Scrap Mechanic FPS on 28 graphics cards

Estimated frame rates for 28 graphics cards from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel. Switch resolution below.

In our model the RTX 5090 manages close to 184 FPS at 1440p and 162 FPS at 4K, while the RTX 5050 manages 21 FPS at 1440p. The spread tells you how much the card matters for Scrap Mechanic.

Full results table

These estimates use the High preset with a fast processor. The last two columns use Quality upscaling (DLSS, FSR or XeSS, if the game offers 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 Scrap Mechanic?

Twelve popular cards, with a plain-English verdict for each.

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".

In this game the RTX 5070 returns close to 88 FPS at 1440p while the RTX 5060 returns 28 FPS, a gap of 215% that deserves a look against price.

Best Scrap Mechanic settings at 1080p, 1440p and 4K

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

1080p playbook

Native 1080p works on RTX 3060 12GB, RTX 5060, all above 60 FPS on High according to our model. Upscaling then becomes optional rather than required.

Each row below is the best-looking combination that still holds 60 FPS at 1080p according to our model.

1440p playbook

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

Pick your card in the table for the preset and upscaling mode that keep 1440p above 60 FPS.

4K playbook

At 4K, RTX 4080 Super, RTX 5080, RTX 5090 hold 60 FPS natively on High according to our model, 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 hits 60 FPS for each card at 4K.

Is a graphics card upgrade worth it for Scrap Mechanic?

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

Moving from the RTX 5060 to the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB adds close to 227% at 1440p, the largest jump in the RTX 50 range for Scrap Mechanic. The RTX 5060 Ti 16GB to RTX 5070 step adds only about -4%.

Each step costs more than the last, so weigh the percentage against the price. The gain in Scrap Mechanic usually shrinks as you climb, which is typical of graphics cards.

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

Graphics memory for Scrap Mechanic: how much is enough?

Estimated graphics memory use with High settings. Running short causes stutter even on a fast GPU.

We put Scrap Mechanic at close to 12 GB at 1080p High, 15.6 GB at 1440p and 21.6 GB at 4K. That is a figure the publisher states, so treat it as a guide and leave some memory spare.

Dropping texture quality is the quickest way to save memory: stepping from High to Medium trims the estimate to close to 13.3 GB at 1440p.

What each memory size means for Scrap Mechanic

• With 6 GB the verdict is short of memory at 1080p, short of memory at 1440p and short of memory at 4K on High. 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 tight 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 tight and 4K is short of memory on High. Watch memory at the higher resolutions.

Check your own settings in the VRAM calculator and see how much VRAM you need for gaming.

Scrap Mechanic processor guide

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

The published CPU range runs from Intel Core i5-1235U to Intel Core i5-12500. We turn that into a frame-rate ceiling for nine popular processors in the table.

This is a CPU-leaning game by our measure (ahead of 92% of the 937 we model), so do not skimp on the processor when you upgrade the graphics card.

As a reference, a Core i5-12400F can prepare roughly 101 FPS here according to our model. If your GPU can draw more than that, you will be CPU-limited.

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

CPU and GPU pairings for Scrap Mechanic

Seven real CPU and GPU combinations, and which part limits each one.

Look for the Processor label below: 1 of the seven pairings carry it. With RTX 5090 and Ryzen 7 9800X3D the chip caps frames near 212 FPS even though the card is good for close to 283 FPS.

Our model finds RTX 5080 plus Ryzen 7 7800X3D the most evenly matched build here: roughly 184 FPS from the processor against close to 179 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.

Scrap Mechanic memory and disk space

The memory and storage Steam asks for, and how to read it.

For RAM, expect 8 GB RAM at minimum and 16 GB RAM recommended. Allow for the operating system and background apps, which means 16 GB is a sensible floor.

On disk, plan for close to 30 GB free. At 100 Mbps with typical overhead that is roughly 47 min to download, or roughly 9 min at 500 Mbps.

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

Work out your total in the RAM calculator: it adds Windows, a browser and any streaming to the game's own needs. Time the download with the download time calculator.

Best settings for Scrap Mechanic

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

Read each cell as a recommended starting point for Scrap Mechanic: the preset first, then the upscaling mode and the estimated result.

• Then trim the costliest options. If the menu has shadows, fog or draw distance options, those are the usual culprits.
• Do not cut textures first when your card has the memory. They cost little speed. This game is estimated at 15.6 GB at 1440p.
• Use upscaling first. It gives up little detail for a large frame-rate gain. Choose the best-looking mode that still hits your target.
• Limit the frame rate to your monitor to save power and heat, and check the VRR and frame cap calculator for a sensible figure.
• Change one thing at a time and compare the result, so you can tell what helped.

Settings assume the game offers an upscaler; check the graphics menu. Get a personal recommendation in the best settings generator, or compare modes in the DLSS and frame generation estimator.

Laptop performance in Scrap Mechanic

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

Laptop results: RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, RTX 5080 Laptop, RTX 5090 Laptop reach 60 FPS at 1080p on High at the power limits we assume, and RTX 5080 Laptop, RTX 5090 Laptop can also do 1440p.

Power limit matters on a laptop: the same GPU name can perform very differently at 60 W and 120 W, and cooling decides how long it holds the higher figure.

Test other power limits in the laptop TGP estimator.

Genre tips: playing Scrap Mechanic well on PC

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 Steam gives for Scrap Mechanic. It is a prompt for testing, not a technical statement about the game.

• Adventure titles often reward cinematic settings, so lean on higher textures and spend upscaling where it is least visible.
• Co-operative play adds network and CPU load, so keep background apps closed when playing with friends.
• Action games feel best when frame times are even, so lowering one costly setting is usually better than chasing a high peak.
• Simulation titles often build up complexity over hours of play, so test with a mature save rather than a fresh start.
• Smaller studios sometimes ship settings menus with fewer options, so lowering resolution may be your main tuning tool.

Scrap Mechanic gallery from Steam

Below are screenshots supplied for the Steam store page. Compare them with your own game to see how much quality a preset or upscaling mode gives up.

Screenshots and artwork are promotional images from the Scrap Mechanic Steam store page and belong to Axolot Games.

Games similar to Scrap Mechanic

Related PC game guides on this site.

If you are comparing Scrap Mechanic 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.

• Cairn: 32 on our demand scale, about as demanding as Scrap Mechanic. Shared genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation.
• With a demand score of 7, Sledding Game is lighter than Scrap Mechanic. Shared genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation.
• Slime Rancher 2 sits at 32 for graphics demand and is about as demanding as Scrap Mechanic (32). Shared genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation.
• SULFUR: demand score 28 against 32 for Scrap Mechanic, so it is lighter on graphics. Shared genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation.
• Wobbly Life sits at 12 for graphics demand and is lighter than Scrap Mechanic (32). Shared genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation.
• Schedule I: demand score 32 against 32 for Scrap Mechanic, so it is about as demanding. Shared genres: Action, Indie, Simulation.
• VOID/BREAKER: demand score 35 against 32 for Scrap Mechanic, so it is about as demanding. Shared genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation.
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure scores 8 on the same scale (Scrap Mechanic scores 32), which makes it lighter on graphics. Shared genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation.

Scrap Mechanic: facts and Steam features

Steam user reviews put Scrap Mechanic at Very Positive (90% positive from 48,193 reviews, checked 2026-11-02). It is a measure of popularity and sentiment, not of technical performance.

It was out for close to 4 months when we wrote this guide, so expect patches and driver updates to move the numbers a little over time.

Steam features

The facts above are from the public Steam store page. We have not benchmarked every card, so treat the frame rates on this page as estimates from our model.

Method: where the Scrap Mechanic numbers come from

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

Here is what feeds the estimates: demand 32 from the recommended card, CPU score 44 (from the listed processor line), and a 1080p High VRAM figure of 12 GB (stated by the publisher).

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.

Frequently asked questions about Scrap Mechanic

Quick answers about Scrap Mechanic requirements, graphics cards, memory and settings.

Test Scrap Mechanic on your own PC