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HomeManifesto A Quick Guide To Running Diablo III On Your PC
DAILY MANIFESTO
A Quick Guide To Running Diablo III On Your PC
Posted on Monday, May 7 @ 17:07:29 Eastern by Jonathan_Leack
See those gorgeous boxes above? A lot of us have been waiting over a decade to open one of them, and now the time has almost come. Diablo III is releasing next week, and while a few million gamers are ready to go, a few are still wondering if their computer is up for the task. The system requirements released by Blizzard offer some fair pointers, but don't explain a whole lot. But that's okay, GameRevolution is here to save the day.
First I must address the elephant in the room; Diablo III is by no means a resource-intensive game, and virtually all modern PCs will have no trouble running it. But the fact remains that most PCs aren't modern, and that's where it gets complicated. Below we have a section for each major component of a computer, and you can go ahead and compare what you have to the details listed.
Processor (CPU)
Minimum System Requirements: Intel Pentium D 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2
Recommended System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ 2.8GHz.
Since Diablo III goes with a top-down view, the game only becomes processor intensive when lots of monsters are pulled onto the screen. The first thing you're absolutely going to want is at least a dual-core processor. Single-cores simply don't cut it anymore, and most games are optimized to be played on several threads. The second layer is how fast each of your cores are running at which is indicated in the number before 'GHz'. Any dual-core that runs at 2.2GHz or higher should run the game fine, and it doesn't really matter whether you have Intel or AMD.
Memory (RAM)
Minimum System Requirements: 1GB (XP), 1.5GB (Vista/7)
Recommended System Requirements: 2GB
If you have 2GB of RAM you're ready to kill some demons, even at higher settings. If you have less than that then your performance will depend on which operating system you're running. Windows XP is known for being extremely light, and you can get away with 1GB of RAM if you're currently running it. However, Windows Vista, Mac OS X, and Windows 7 are much heavier and will require 1.5GB of RAM if you want the game to run well. With that said, if you need more memory then you're in luck because it's cheap in this day and age. 2GB runs for around $30 - $50, and could improve your performance greatly.
Graphics Card (GPU)
Minimum System Requirements: Nvidia GeForce 7800GT or ATI Radeon X1950 Pro
Recommended System Requirements: Nvidia GeForce 260 or ATI Radeon HD 4870
Graphics cards are what typically separate the men from the boys. There's no way this game will run cleanly without a dedicated graphics card, so hopefully you have one installed. The card you're using should be around the equivalent of an GeForce GT240, GeForce GT440, Radeon 2600, or a Radeon 4650. In other words, it needs to be in the low-medium end of newer architectures, or toward the higher end of the spectrum for cards four years and older. A quick reference is how much memory and what bit interface your card has. If you look up your card's specs and you see that it has at least 512MB of memory and a 128-bit memory interface, then chances are that it'll do okay.
If you're hoping to run Diablo III on a laptop then the deciding factor will likely be whether or not it has a dedicated graphics card. If so, head over to notebookcheck.net and see if it's listed as a Class 1 or Class 2 graphics card. If so, you will be able to run the game on low or higher. If not, tough luck.
Just a quick note: I highly recommend picking up a notebook cooler if you plan to game on a laptop. Laptops run extremely hot—extremely hot— which cuts down on the unit's lifespan. I use the Cooler Master Notepal X2 which is quiet and does its job well.
Lastly, for peripherals you're going to want a comfortable mouse and a decent audio solution. Diablo III is going to be just like its predecessors: an unrelenting click-fest. Show your wrist some love and maybe it'll reward you later. As far as the audio goes, the music and ambience in Diablo III is going to be deeply immersive and you don't want to miss out.
If you're looking to build a new rig feel free to check out my guide titled PC Gaming Is Cheaper Than You Think, Here's A Guide. I listed three builds which fall under different price brackets and that's all you should need to be able to pick and choose a rig to maintain your PC gaming eligibility for a few years. If you have any other questions, post them below and I'll gladly give you a hand.
Great article. I can't recommend enough having a kickass 2.1 speaker system or having high quality earbuds or headset. The background music in the diablo series has always been amazing and is one of the best features of the game...don't miss out on it by using crappy built in laptop speakers.
Quality audio is the key to every memorable RPG. Final Fantasy VII, Dark Souls, Diablo II, World of Warcraft, EVE Online, etc. Good music, good ambience, good memories. :)
I'll have to look into this. I don't normally game on my laptop , but it didn't run the beta well despite having a decent dedicated graphics card. Thanks for the heads up.
That PC should run D3 on medium-high settings depending on your resolution. Recommended specs are always toward the upper end. There might be 3 new generations of cards out but you invested wisely.
Thanks, I hope my 4890 can handle it on the highest settings or at least having some settings in High. My resolution is 1900x600 so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.
I've always had wrist problems when playing pc games, particularly diablo 2. when you say a 'comfortable' mouse, would this usually mean that the more i spend, the more comfortable it will be? i cant tell how it will feel when it's in a box but i sure do have more than enough money to spend on an expensive one
Price doesn't equate to comfort, but it's definitely worth finding a mouse that suits you. I have smaller hands and like to drive the mouse with my fingers, so the Razer Deathadder is tailored perfectly to me. Depending on the size of your hand and how you move the mouse, there's a perfect device out there for you. I recommend trying out some Razer and Logitech solutions.
Those brands and steelseries and Cyborg all make great mice. A good way to find a good one is to find one that is customizable from length to weight. More and more are coming out with customization options so you can make the mouse suit you.
I'm hesitant with my processor, and I'm fairly certain my graphics card isn't up to snuff if the link you posted is accurate...
Radeon HD 6480G graphics AMD A4-3320M APU 2.0 GHz
The computer (laptop) was a gift, given to me brand new. The device manager is a little wonky when laying out my hardware for some reason, but I'm pretty sure the processor is at least dual core. Either way, I'm pretty sure I won't be playing it on here. As great as it is for school, it's not exactly built for gaming.
E3 2013 has been very silent for me. There's tons of media, but most of it buzzes past my ears without them catching the important keyword that my ears are fine tuned to receive: "PC" or "Personal Computer". Microsoft, Sony, EA and Ubisoft have all shown their cards...
xDUMPWEEDx
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Jonathan_Leack
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Beta_GR
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Bras
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GPU: 4870???? That's only 20 away from my card, wtf?
Damn my 3 year-old machine is starting to suck.
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Jonathan_Leack
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Bras
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Radeon HD 6480G graphics
AMD A4-3320M APU 2.0 GHz
The computer (laptop) was a gift, given to me brand new. The device manager is a little wonky when laying out my hardware for some reason, but I'm pretty sure the processor is at least dual core. Either way, I'm pretty sure I won't be playing it on here. As great as it is for school, it's not exactly built for gaming.
tinymhg
Joined: Jun 2011
sliverstorm
Joined: Jun 2007
Bras
Joined: Jul 2008