Dishonored 2: PC Requirements & Best Hardware (2026)

Thinking about playing Dishonored 2 on PC and wondering what hardware you actually need? Arkane’s 2016 first-person stealth-action game is an older title now, and its official system requirements are correspondingly modest: a GeForce GTX 660 or Radeon HD 7970 on the minimum side, and a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 480 8GB for the recommended spec. That means almost any modern budget or mid-range graphics card can run it comfortably, and the real question is usually how far above 1080p you want to push it. This guide breaks down the official requirements for Dishonored 2, the best GPU for each resolution, and complete build recommendations to hit your target.

How Demanding Is Dishonored 2?

Not very, by modern standards. Dishonored 2 is a single-player stealth-action game rather than a simulation or a large-scale multiplayer title, so it does not lean unusually hard on the CPU — and its official requirements, which ask for an Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD FX-8320 and a GTX 660 or HD 7970, date back to the game’s 2016 release. Budget and mid-range cards from the last several generations handle 1080p at high settings without much trouble, and 1440p is comfortably within reach of mainstream hardware. 4K is the only resolution that asks for a genuinely strong GPU, and even there a 2016 title is far lighter than a current-generation release. The one number worth planning around is storage: the game needs 60 GB of free space, and it loads far faster from an SSD than a mechanical drive. The official figures below are the ones to build around.

MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ventus 3X E1 12G OC Graphics Card (Ada Lovelace Architecture, Extreme Clock: 2520 MHz, Memory Speed: 20 Gbps, 12GB GDDR6, 192-bit, DP/HDMI)

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MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12G Ventus 2X OC Gaming Graphics Card - 12 GB GDDR6X (21Gbps / 192 Bits), PCIe 4.0-2 x TORX 4.0 Fans - HDMI 2.1a, DisplayPort 1.4a

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MSI Gaming RTX 4070 Super 12G Ventus 3X OC Graphics Card (NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super, 192-Bit, Extreme Clock: 2520 MHz, 12GB GDRR6X 21 Gbps, HDMI/DP, Ada Lovelace Architecture)

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MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ventus 2X 12G OC Graphics Card - 12 GB GDDR6X (21 GB/s, 192-bit), PCIe 4.0-2 x TORX 4.0 Fans - HDMI 2.1a, DisplayPort 1.4a

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Dishonored 2 Official PC System Requirements

Source: the official Dishonored 2 Steam store listing (app 403640). Publishers can update these specs after patches, so confirm on the store page.

Best GPU for Dishonored 2 by Resolution

1080p

At 1080p the official recommended card — a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 480 8GB — is already enough for high settings, and the official minimum (GTX 660 / HD 7970) still gets you into the game with settings trimmed. Anything modern is overkill: the AMD Radeon RX 7600 and current entry-level options such as the GeForce RTX 5060 or Radeon RX 9060 XT run Dishonored 2 at 1080p without breaking a sweat, leaving headroom for a high-refresh monitor.

1440p

1440p is the resolution most PC gamers target, and Dishonored 2 is old enough that mainstream cards handle it easily. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is far more than this game needs and gives you plenty of room to spare, while a GeForce RTX 5060 Ti or Radeon RX 9060 XT covers 1440p for a modern library as well. Even a card from the GTX 1060 / RX 480 generation holds up at 1440p with a setting or two eased back.

4K

4K is where Dishonored 2 finally asks something of your hardware, though it is still a 2016 release rather than a modern showcase title. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a realistic entry point, and current cards in that class such as the GeForce RTX 5070 or Radeon RX 9070 handle native 4K with quality settings turned up. The game predates DLSS, FSR and XeSS, so there is no in-game upscaler to lean on — if you want more performance, render at a lower resolution and let your GPU driver or display scale the image, or reduce the heaviest quality settings.

CPU, RAM and Storage for Dishonored 2

The official CPU figures are a Core i5-2400 or FX-8320 at minimum and a Core i7-4770 or FX-8350 at recommended, both 2012–2013 era parts, so essentially any desktop processor sold in the last several years clears them. Because Dishonored 2 is a single-player stealth game rather than a simulation or large-scale multiplayer title, it is not especially CPU-bound on current patches (the launch build had performance problems that later updates fixed); a modern six-core chip is more than enough, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is an inexpensive, capable choice for a new build. If you also want maximum frame rates in current games, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is among the fastest gaming CPUs around, and Intel buyers can consider the Intel Core i5-14600K. On memory, the official numbers are 8 GB minimum and 16 GB recommended, so 16 GB is the sensible target; a Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB kit gives you headroom for other games, though 16 GB is plenty for Dishonored 2 itself. Storage is the one place the game is genuinely particular — it needs 60 GB free, and an SSD such as the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD cuts load times noticeably compared with a hard drive.

Budget GPU upgrade: ASUS Dual Radeon RX 6600 8GB

ASUS Dual AMD Radeon RX 6600 8GB GDDR6 Gaming Graphics Card (AMD RDNA 2, PCIe 4.0, 8GB GDDR6 Memory, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a, Axial-tech Fan Design, 0dB Technology), 3 Year Warranty

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If your current card is closer to the official minimum, a GTX 660 or an HD 7970, the ASUS Dual Radeon RX 6600 is a simple way to jump well past the recommended GTX 1060 6GB or RX 480 8GB. The listing describes an RDNA 2 card with 8GB of GDDR6, PCIe 4.0, HDMI 2.1 and a dual-fan cooler. For a 2016 game it is more than enough for 1080p at high settings and gives headroom for 1440p.

It makes sense for an existing desktop where the rest of the system is fine: you keep the case, power supply and storage and only replace the card. Check that the power supply has the connector the card needs, that the case has room for a dual-fan card, and that the motherboard has a free PCIe x16 slot. The card also works in older boards with PCIe 3.0, though it may run with slightly reduced bandwidth.

The drawback is that it is a 2021 design, so it lacks the newest features. Dishonored 2 predates ray tracing and upscaling, so you lose nothing in this particular game. Skip it if you are building a new PC and want a current-generation card such as the RX 7600 or RTX 5060 covered above.

Storage pick: Kingston NV3 1TB NVMe SSD

Kingston NV3 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD | PCIe 4.0 Gen 4x4 | Up to 6000 MB/s | SNV3S/1000G

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The Kingston NV3 1TB is an M.2 2280 NVMe drive on PCIe 4.0, with a stated read speed of up to 6,000 MB/s. The game needs 60 GB of free space, so a 1TB drive leaves room for the operating system and several other titles, and a drive in this class is far faster than a mechanical disk.

For a game as old as Dishonored 2, extra sequential speed will not change frame rates, but it does shorten level loads and the first launch. Installing the game on an SSD is among the cheapest ways to make an older system feel responsive. Compared with the Samsung 990 Pro mentioned earlier, the NV3 is a budget-tier alternative that suits a mainstream build.

Check that your motherboard has a free M.2 slot, and whether it supports PCIe 4.0 or only PCIe 3.0; the drive will still work on PCIe 3.0 but will run slower. A drive without a heatsink is fine in most desktops; in a laptop, check the available space. Skip it if you need a drive for sustained heavy file transfers, or if your PC only has SATA ports.

Recommended PC Builds for Dishonored 2

Worth stating up front: the official recommended spec is a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 480 8GB with 16 GB of RAM, so every build below sits comfortably above what Dishonored 2 itself needs. They make sense as general-purpose gaming builds that also happen to run this game at maximum settings.

1080p budget build: AMD Radeon RX 7600 + AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + 16 GB DDR5 — well beyond the official requirements, and enough for high-settings 1080p in Dishonored 2 with room to spare.

1440p sweet-spot build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + 2TB NVMe SSD — more than Dishonored 2 will ever use at 1440p, but a strong all-round setup for modern titles.

4K high-end build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + fast NVMe SSD — enough for native 4K in Dishonored 2 and a sensible base for current games.

Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for Dishonored 2?

Honestly, Dishonored 2 on its own is rarely a reason to spend money. If your PC already meets the official minimum — a GTX 660 / HD 7970-class card, a Core i5-2400 / FX-8320-class CPU and 8 GB of RAM — you can play it today. The two upgrades that make the biggest difference here are cheap ones: moving from 8 GB to 16 GB of memory, and installing the game on an SSD instead of a hard drive, since that 60 GB install loads far faster from solid-state storage. A graphics card upgrade only makes sense if you are also playing newer games or moving up to 1440p or 4K, and even a modest modern card such as an RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT is more than Dishonored 2 requires. Rather than replacing everything at once, target the weakest link in your build for the best value.

Can You Play Dishonored 2 on a Laptop or Handheld?

Yes. Because the game dates from 2016 and its official recommended GPU is a GTX 1060 6GB / RX 480 8GB, most gaming laptops with a discrete GPU from the last several generations run Dishonored 2 well at 1080p, and even modest mobile chips handle it at reduced settings. Expect the usual laptop trade-offs: more heat and fan noise, and shorter battery life away from a wall socket. On handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, Dishonored 2 is light enough to be playable, though you will likely want to trim settings and resolution to keep frame rates steady. Whichever portable you pick, make sure it has room for the 60 GB install — a fast SSD or microSD card keeps loading tolerable.

Budget laptop pick: Acer Nitro V with RTX 4050 and 165Hz display

Acer Nitro V Gaming Laptop | Intel Core i5-13420H Processor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU | 15.6" FHD IPS 165Hz Display | 8GB DDR5 | 512GB Gen 4 SSD | Wi-Fi 6 | Backlit KB | ANV15-52-586Z

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The Acer Nitro V in this configuration has an Intel Core i5-13420H, a GeForce RTX 4050 laptop GPU and a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate. For Dishonored 2 it is far above the recommended GTX 1060 class, so it handles 1080p at high settings without trouble and has the speed to use the high-refresh screen in older games where the engine allows it.

Gaming laptops in this band are a sensible way to cover a whole library, not just one title. RAM and storage capacity are not listed in the title I have, so check the product page and confirm 16GB of memory and enough SSD space for the 60 GB install. The 165Hz display is useful because the game does not lock the frame rate, so a fast screen can show the extra frames.

The trade-offs are the usual laptop ones: fan noise under load, heat, and battery life that drops quickly when gaming. Plug in the charger for gaming and choose the performance mode in the manufacturer’s software. Skip it if you want a thin everyday laptop, or if you need a display with accurate colours for creative work.

Alternative laptop: HP Victus 15.6-inch with RTX 4050 6GB

HP Victus 15.6 inch FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop Intel Core i5-13420H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 6GB - 16GB DDR4 512GB SSD Mica Silver (2024)

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The HP Victus listed here pairs an Intel Core i5-13420H with a GeForce RTX 4050 6GB, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 512GB SSD and a 15.6-inch Full HD 144Hz display. The 6GB of video memory is enough for a 2016 game at 1080p, and the 16GB of RAM matches the official recommended figure.

It suits buyers who want a mainstream laptop with a straightforward feature set and a familiar brand. Compared with the Acer, the Victus has a 144Hz rather than 165Hz screen and the specification you can verify from the title includes the memory and storage. A 512GB drive is enough for Dishonored 2 and a small library, but plan to add storage if you buy many large games.

Its limits are the same as for any laptop in this tier: the battery drains fast when gaming, the cooling is modest, and the GPU’s power limit is lower than its desktop counterpart. Skip it if you want a faster display or a larger SSD from the start.

Entry laptop: HP Victus 15.6-inch with RTX 3050

HP Victus 15.6" Full HD 144Hz Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i5-12450H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050,16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6, Backlit Keyboard,Windows 11 Pro, Performance Blue

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This HP Victus has an Intel Core i5-12450H, a GeForce RTX 3050, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD and a 15.6-inch Full HD 144Hz display. It is the lowest-cost laptop in this section, and the RTX 3050 class is still comfortably above the GTX 1060 6GB recommendation in raw capability for a game of this age.

The reason to pick it is price. If your goal is simply to play Dishonored 2 and other older or lighter games at 1080p, the 3050 does so with room to spare. Compared with the RTX 4050 laptops, you give up a generation of efficiency and some headroom for newer titles, but not any capability that Dishonored 2 can use.

The compromises are a slower GPU for future games and fan noise at full load. If you want a laptop that stays relevant for modern releases at medium settings, consider the RTX 4050 models first. Skip it if you plan on 1440p external monitors or newer AAA games.

Dishonored 2 launch performance and patches

Dishonored 2 released in November 2016 on a heavily modified id Tech 5 engine that Arkane calls the Void engine. A day-one patch was mandatory, and the early PC release was widely criticised for frame-rate drops and poor optimisation. Later updates, including patch 1.3, improved performance substantially, which means the current version runs much better on mid-range cards than the launch build did. If you read old forum posts or videos describing stutter, those results often predate the fixes.

The published drivers were NVIDIA 375.70 or newer and AMD 16.10.2 or newer at launch; any modern driver exceeds those. The practical advice is to run a current driver, install all game patches, and treat very old performance complaints with caution.

Graphics settings to adjust first

• Shadow quality. One of the most demanding options; dropping it a step often gives the biggest gain for a small visual change.
• Anti-aliasing. The game offers several modes, and the heaviest ones cost more frames. Try a lighter mode if the frame rate dips.
• Texture and model detail. Texture quality depends mostly on video memory; keep it high on a card with 6GB or more.
• Water and environmental detail. These affect specific areas and can be lowered if you see slowdowns in them.
• Frame-rate cap and V-sync. The game supports uncapped frame rates, so you can turn V-sync on for a steady 60 or use adaptive sync on a high-refresh screen.
• Field of view. An adjustable field of view and multi-monitor support are listed features; a wider view costs a little performance.
• NVIDIA extras. HBAO+, TXAA and Ansel are available on NVIDIA cards; they add visual quality at a performance cost.

How to Boost FPS in Dishonored 2

Dishonored 2 predates DLSS, FSR and XeSS, so there is no in-game upscaler to switch on; the biggest lever you have is simply rendering at a lower resolution and letting your GPU driver or monitor scale the image back up. Beyond that, work through the usual heavy hitters: shadow quality, volumetric lighting and anti-aliasing tend to cost the most performance, so trim those before giving up overall image quality elsewhere. Keep your graphics drivers current, close background applications, and make sure the game is installed on an SSD rather than a mechanical drive. On older hardware, a stable, slightly reduced frame rate feels far better than maxed-out visuals that stutter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my PC run Dishonored 2?

If your PC meets the official minimum — a GeForce GTX 660 2GB or Radeon HD 7970 3GB, an Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD FX-8320, 8 GB of RAM and 60 GB of free storage — it can run Dishonored 2 at 1080p with settings adjusted. For the official recommended experience, aim for a GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or Radeon RX 480 8GB, a Core i7-4770 or FX-8350 and 16 GB of RAM.

Is Dishonored 2 demanding on PC?

No. Dishonored 2 is a 2016 single-player stealth-action game, and its official requirements are modest by today’s standards — the recommended GPU is a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 480 8GB. Any modern budget or mid-range card runs it comfortably at 1080p and beyond.

What GPU do I need for Dishonored 2 at 1440p 60fps?

Less than you might think. The official recommended card, a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 480 8GB, is aimed at 1080p, so for 1440p at high settings something a step or two above that — an RTX 3060, RX 6600 XT or newer — is comfortable. A NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER-class card is far more than Dishonored 2 needs at 1440p and leaves plenty of headroom, and current options like the RTX 5070 or RX 9070 sit in the same bracket.

How much RAM does Dishonored 2 need?

The official minimum is 8 GB and the official recommended figure is 16 GB, so 16 GB is the comfortable target. 8 GB will still run the game, but it leaves little room for a browser or other background apps, and 16 GB is the sensible baseline for a modern gaming PC.

Do I need an SSD for Dishonored 2?

Not strictly — the official requirements only specify 60 GB of available space — but an SSD is strongly recommended. It cuts load times substantially, and a drive like the Samsung 990 Pro is more than fast enough for the job.

Does Dishonored 2 have performance problems today?

The launch version had well-documented frame-rate issues, but patches including 1.3 improved performance significantly. On current hardware that meets or exceeds the recommended specification, the game runs well at 1080p.

Can I run Dishonored 2 on integrated graphics?

The official minimum asks for a GTX 660 2GB or HD 7970 3GB class card. Modern integrated graphics can reach that class in some cases, but results vary, so expect low settings and reduced resolution. A dedicated GPU is the safer route.

Does Dishonored 2 support high refresh rates and multiple monitors?

Yes. The PC version supports uncapped frame rates, a field-of-view slider and multi-monitor setups, so a high-refresh display works if your hardware can produce the frames.

Which drivers does Dishonored 2 need?

The launch requirement was NVIDIA 375.70 or newer or AMD 16.10.2 or newer. Any current driver satisfies that, and updating is recommended.

Is 8GB of RAM enough for Dishonored 2?

It meets the official minimum, but 16GB is the recommended figure and is more comfortable if you keep a browser or other programs open while playing.