Fallout 3 system requirements

Can I run Fallout 3?

The Fallout 3 system requirements include a minimum RAM requirement of 1 GB, but 2 GB of RAM is recommended. An Intel Pentium 4 2.40GHz CPU is required at a minimum to run Fallout 3, but the developers recommend a CPU greater or equal to an Intel Core 2 Duo U7600. The cheapest graphics card you can play it on is an NVIDIA GeForce 6800, but a GPU equivalent to an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX is recommended. The Fallout 3 PC requirements also state that you need at least 7 GB free storage space.

Bethesda and Steam make it clear that 'Fallout 3 is not optimised for Windows 7 and later', and users have reported crashes to desktop running the game. However Fallout 3 Windows 10 is still possible by adjusting some of the following settings:

• Enter the properties for the Fallout 3 application and enable 'Run this program as an administrator'
• In addition, under properties try running the game in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3.

Fallout 3 Performance Guide

Fallout 3 is an old game now so you shouldn't run into any performance issues unless you're trying to run the game on a very low end PC. Here are some tips for improving FPS.

• You can reduce the graphics further than the game allows as standard through mods. There are mods for reducing view distance, removing dust particles, and a low resolution texture mod which can be downloaded from the internet.
• Ensure you have the latest NVIDIA/AMD drivers for your graphics card.
• Run the game in fullscreen mode, not windowed, otherwise you will see an loss in FPS.

Looking for the latest Fallout game? Check the Fallout 4 system requirements.

Alternatively, if you're looking to take your Bethesda experience into space, see if you can run the Starfield system requirements. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with the Elder Scrolls Oblivion requirements for the remastered edition.