Players can access and play all Call of Duty titles, including Modern Warfare 3, on PC. For the game to run smoothly and offer the best visual graphics, players must have capable PCs with proper hardware and software configurations. Call of Duty titles are high-resource games with some of the best FPS, and they require the best PC specs and CPU/GPU to launch without lag, stutters, and freezes.

Most players want to know whether their PCs are compatible with MW3 to play it upon launch. The last thing fans want is for the title to decimate their computer’s memory and cause it to heat up, affecting how it functions.

Call of Duty Fans Want One Classic Feature to Return
Call of Duty Fans Want One Classic Feature to Return

Many Call of Duty fans want a classic feature from the original Modern Warfare trilogy to return in Modern Warfare 3 this November.

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Modern Warfare 3 Minimum PC Requirements

call of duty modern warfare 3 beta patch notes

Although MW3 is a direct sequel to Modern Warfare 2, it will have new content features with a higher level of photorealism, requiring high-end specs. The minimum requirements for PC players are as follows:

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
  • Video card: AMD Radeon RX 480 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650/GeForce GTX 970
  • RAM: 12GB
  • VRAM: 3GB
  • Storage space: SSD with 65GB available (25GB with COD HQ Downloaded)
  • Sound card: DirectX-compatible
  • Recommended graphic drivers: Nvidia: 537.58, AMD: 22.9.1

Despite MW3's expected high-quality graphics and photorealism, these minimum specs are quite forgiving. The CPU requirements and the video cards are years old, but players with 8GB RAM will likely experience issues when running the game. The new MW3 requires an outstanding 12GB RAM, so players may have to upgrade to play the title. Players whose PCs meet these minimum specs can expect the game to run pretty smoothly without extreme lag, freezes, or stutters. They can also tweak their PC graphic settings for better performance.

Players who want to test their PC’s limit and play MW3 in its best form must meet the following recommended requirements:

  • OS: Windows 10 64 Bit (latest update) or Windows 11 64 Bit (latest update)
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1400 or Intel Core i5-6600K / Core i7-4770
  • RAM: 16 GB
  • Hi-Rez Assets Cache: Up to 32 GB
  • Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon RX 580, or Intel ARC A770
  • Video Memory: 6 GB

The hardware requirements for Modern Warfare 3 have certainly increased from Modern Warfare 2 PC requirements. Once the title launches, Infinity Ward may release more updates that require heavier specifications to run MW3 on PC. Players can expect Modern Warfare 3 to take a toll on their PCs, so it's best to upgrade its firmware and hardware.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: How Call of Duty Has Been Able to Stay Relevant for 20 Years