E-mail:
Password:
GameSpot Video Games, PC, Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PSP, DS, GBA, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Call of Duty 4 leaves the oft-played battlefields of World War II behind and enters the modern age. The game takes place in current hot spots around the world, rendering the ravaged landscapes with the right amount of grit and a great amount of reality. You wouldn't expect a game that looks as good as Call of Duty 4 to run well without the best hardware, but the developers made the game accessible on a broad range of computers. Call of Duty 4 still manages to look decent even at its lowest quality settings. However, multiplayer battles--the likes of which Call of Duty 4 is famous for--will tax even the best of computers. The key to making Call of Duty 4 run really well is to upgrade evenly across all the major component classes and to select the appropriate settings.

We used FRAPs and the opening sequence of The Bog mission to measure frame rates in our benchmark tests. The Bog takes place on a war-torn stretch of road with flaming wrecks, flares flying through the sky, and scores of friendly units charging. Occasionally, those friendly units are also taking cover from a substantial amount of enemy fire. The intense map acts well as a worst-case test scenario for how the game might perform.

Game Settings
Call of Duty 4 allows you to pick and choose from a host of options. We identified three guaranteed frame rate killers; two of which, you can probably live without.

Graphics
You can run Call of Duty 4 on a GeForce 6800, but it just won't look or play all that great. We tested more than 20 video cards to help you figure out what GPU best matches your budget and performance needs.

CPU
Ditch the single-core processor. Call of Duty 4 requires a dual-core processor to run well. We tested three different kinds of Intel processors and three AMD processors to help you decide what's enough versus what's overkill.

Memory
The Call of Duty 4 system requirements state that the game only requires 512MB of RAM to run, but you're going to have to turn down all the settings to get the game to run well with that little memory. A bump up to 1GB of RAM solves most of the problems, but we went ahead and checked out what upgrading to 2GB, or even 3GB of RAM, can do for performance.

Systems

We put together a few sample systems to show how the game performed using real-world computers. Our slowest machine, a 3.0GHz Pentium 4 paired with a GeForce 6800, choked out a barely playable result at the lowest quality settings and ran a slide show at the pace of one frame every 10 seconds when we tried increasing the settings. Our single-core AMD Athlon 64 4000+ paired with a Radeon X1650 XT performed surprisingly well at the highest quality settings, but we did have to relax a few of them to get the system to play nicely. The dual-core AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 paired with the Radeon X1900 XT 256MB ran the game at a more than playable frame rate with maximum quality. Both of our Intel Core 2 rigs ran the game just fine and could handle even higher resolution, as well as antialiasing settings.

System Level Performance Tests

(Longer bars indicate better performance)

1280x1024, Maximum Quality

Intel Core 2 X6800, GeForce 8800 GTX 768, 2GB RAM, Vista
76
Intel Core 2 E6600, GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB, 2GB RAM, Vista
65
AMD Athlon 64 FX-60, Radeon X1900 XT 256MB, 2GB RAM, WinXP
42
AMD Athlon 64 4000+, Radeon X1650 XT 256MB, 2GB RAM, WinXP
20

800x600, Minimum Quality

Pentium 4 2.4GHz, GeForce 6800 128MB, 1GB RAM, WinXP
26

System Setup: Intel Core 2 X6800, Intel Core 2 E6600, Intel 975XBX2, 2GB Corsair XMS Memory (1GB x 2), 160GB Seagate 7200.7 SATA Hard Disk Drive, Windows Vista. Graphics Card: GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB, XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB XXX Edition, beta Nvidia ForceWare 169.21.

Athlon 64 FX-60, Athlon 64 4000+, Asus A8R32 MVP Deluxe, 1GB Corsair XMS Memory (512MB x 2), 160GB Seagate 7200.7 SATA Hard Disk Drive, Windows XP Professional SP2. Graphics Card:Radeon X1900 XT 256MB, Radeon X1650 XT 256MB, ATI Catalyst 7.11.

Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz, Asus P4C800, 1GB Corsair XMS Memory (512MB x 2), 160GB Seagate 7200.7 SATA Hard Disk Drive, Windows XP Professional SP2. Graphics Card: GeForce 6800 128MB, beta Nvidia ForceWare 169.09.

Sign up now to post a comment on this story!

435 Comments

First to Last Latest
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9
« prevnext »
OMGitsZAL

I expected commands that take away FPS but are not necessary to be turned on. This was a let down. :/ Seriously though, all they have told us is better cards and lower settings make the FPS faster! Which any PC Gamer should know...

Posted Jul 9, 2008 1:36 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
proplaya07

No

Posted Jul 9, 2008 6:04 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
nltacderas

i have a windows 95..can it run on mine?

Posted Jul 6, 2008 8:11 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
gargarensi

I'm pretty confident that my rig can run this smoothly

- Corsair 4 GB DDR2 RAM - XFX Geforce 8600 GT 256 MB XXX
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600@2.4 ghz
- 320 GB SATA HD

Posted Jul 3, 2008 5:06 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
anamnawshad

My PC is
P4 3.0Ghz HT
XFX GeForce 8600GT 512MB
1GB DDR1 RAM

CoD-4 runs smooth with some minor slowdown when large battles take place. I'll disable 'Soften Smoke edges' and 'Shadows' to see if it runs better....

Posted Jun 30, 2008 8:43 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
division_9

Thank you gamespot for once again telling us lowering graphical settings improves ingame performance and because of that I'm going to read a gamespot performance guide everytime I buy a new game. Isn't that great!.

Posted Jun 22, 2008 2:00 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
snake15545

@ thenephariouson , umm this is a guide for the computer dip_sh1t

Posted Jun 21, 2008 4:19 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
prenandrew301

just get it on a console

Posted Jun 15, 2008 11:29 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-3)
Jose_yero

thanks gamespot like ur help ceep it up

Posted Jun 14, 2008 5:13 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
thenephariouson Posted Jun 11, 2008 11:19 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)
Armandm3

I need to change my Graphic card to play the game that very annoying... I have an onboard one and is **** a lot. Need an Geforce 8 series but cost a lot in my Country...

Posted Jun 7, 2008 10:05 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
91987

to mihailov1
yeah and to say the truth thats pretty much my laptop right there except mine has 2gb ram instead of 3 i also got vista which solws most hings down.... alot
i can run it idk how high though bc im more of a frame enthusiast on my laptop..... and usually im also runna virus scan or 2..... stupid trojans

Posted Jun 4, 2008 11:59 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
mihailov1

any chance a pc with AMD athlon 64x2 Dual core 5600+, 3072mb of memory, and nvidia geforce 6150 se be able to run COD 4?

Posted Jun 4, 2008 8:10 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
91987

man im building a computer right now and im glad to know that i can play COD4 on high or even max if i want... whew thats a relief well heres whats in this rig

Mother board Intel DX38BT
Processor Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 Processor 2.66ghz
Processor cooler Masscool Socket 775 CPU Cooling Fan
RAM memory Ultra 2048MB Dual Channel PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB) 4 GB Total
Graphics card x2 Two (2) ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro PCIe 2 x 256MB
Hard drive x2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB
Hard drive cooler x2 Thermaltake A2476 TMG HD1 3.5" hard drive cooler
Sound card Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE
Case Apevia Black/Black X-Plorer ATX Mid-Tower Case Power supply PowerUp GEN-6803 800-Watt Power Supply

and yeah this is lookin really good as of now but i know that it wont be all that great in around 6 months- but im happy right now!!

Posted Jun 4, 2008 12:25 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
stinger2404

i got a dell inspiron 9300 with A centrino 1.73ghz ,1gb ddr2 and a 64mb ati mobility x300 and i can run COD4 on 640x480 at 29fps

Posted May 31, 2008 2:54 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
pukmok

PC specs
2.4 dual core
X1950Pro 256MB
2GB RAM
550 Watt PSU
Max settings 1280x1024 2AA

Posted May 29, 2008 5:33 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
kuwakcai

My PC Specs:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 32bit
Intel Core 2 Due E8400 3.00ghz
4GB Corsair XMS2 800 (XP Home 32bit only Supports 3.50gb Ram) Asus Nvidia GeForce 8800GT 512MB 500GB HD
Cooler Master 550 Watt PowerSupply High Settings
Perfect, no Problem at all and very satisfied

Posted May 21, 2008 10:14 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
nickkcin10 Posted May 19, 2008 5:24 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)
Freddiegree0

My current specs:

WinXP
Pentium 4 3.00GHZ with HT
1GB DDR2
8600GT 256MB DDR3

Heck, if Bioshock managed to run at 15+ FPS on my previous 6200SE card, then I dont see why COD4 shouldnt run on atleast medium settings

EDIT: I would be able to run the game on medium..........right? :confused:

Posted May 14, 2008 9:48 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
alnamesareinuse

i got a old system a 3.0ghz cpu 256mb 9600 radeon atlantis card and only 512mb but i play 1280-1024 multiplayer and i dont have any lag but SP i run it 1024-786 with a little lag spike now and then

Posted Apr 26, 2008 4:25 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
halo1lover

my friend has cod4 i wish i could get it. it is a awesome game.

Posted Apr 18, 2008 4:45 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
shannon87

i play at 1024*768, 2*aa,shadows disabled
512mb 8600gt, 2gb ram, xp
i get an awesome framerate
and even at these settings the game looks fantastic
bravo

Posted Apr 10, 2008 8:17 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
Mister__

I simply crashed my computer when I tried to play that game in the maximum quality

Posted Apr 8, 2008 8:58 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
STERE_Mihai Posted Apr 8, 2008 7:45 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)
Duston15

I am running and older system. (2.8 ghz p4 w/ HT , 768 mb RAM (PC 2700), AGP 4x running 256 mb ATI 9600 pro, XP pro SP2, 20 gb WD 7200 rpm & 300 gb WD harddrives.) and i can run the demo 600 x 480 with settings low or off and get solid 20-30 fps

Posted Apr 7, 2008 11:01 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
budiy33

I run perfectly on my hd 2600pro
but I have a plan to change it with Ge force 9600 gt or Hd 3870
Any suggestion

Posted Mar 26, 2008 9:34 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
LOLUISOWNT

I got an 8400 GS budget card and my computer can run this game almost perfectly.

-3.20 GHz Intel Celeron D CPU
-2x512 DDR2 RAM

The best part is the 8400 GS was 37 dollars, an AMAZING upgrade from the ghey integrated ATI Xpress Radeon 200 that came with the computer.

Posted Mar 26, 2008 6:54 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
blackjack54

My stupid computer dosen't run any games.

Posted Mar 26, 2008 7:35 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
rudeboy4000

i doubt if i should buy this game because of its system requirements...can i run this game at full settings?

My machine:
3.06ghz pentium 4(2 cpu's)
2GB ddr2 ram
GeForce 7300gt 512mb DDR2
what do u think guys???
damn,cant buy a better video card...only 7300gt is the fastest available nvidia video card here in this damn place...buying online is too expensive....!!!!!

Posted Mar 25, 2008 3:18 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+6)
mtkinsac2

wow, 20 frames per second at maximum on an x1300! Thought I would get a 2 fps second or something. That bar DOES represent fps right?

Posted Mar 20, 2008 1:44 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+4)
necrolok

My machine runs it ok, w/ aax2 and resolution at 1024x768.

Posted Mar 17, 2008 7:43 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
zac32

I Run This Game On My Machine:

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 32-Bit
AMD Athlon64 X2 6000+ Dual Core Processor 3.0Ghz
2GB Corsair XMS2 800
XFX GeForce 8800GT 512MB DDR3 Extreme (i used one card only)
Asus M2N32-SLI Vista Edition n-force 590i (Asus Accelerated Propeller is used)
420GB HD
ZALMAN 600 Watt PowerSupply (Heat Pipe Cooled)

Im using All High Settings in this game including AA.
What can I say is, like im playing the old game. It's just fine, no Graphical Problems.

Posted Mar 11, 2008 10:02 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
xxmicahxx

E6750 2.66ghz Duo Core
2GB DDR2 800 RAM
7900 GT KO 160GB HD
EvGa 650i Mobo

I run this game on all high settings.
only thing is you have to set the resolution low.
I prefer low res on shooters anyways, quicker shooting .
800x600 w/ solid 30 FPS with my system, all maxed settings.
Runs smooth.

For 1280x1024 all max settings 8600/8800gt is a must.

lower the res and turn off AA if you have low framerates, always.

Posted Mar 9, 2008 8:03 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
destroyteachers

what should i do because when i was trying the demo it said "your video card does not support seperate alpha blend glow will be disabled". when I click "ok", it just exits.

tnx...advance...

Posted Feb 27, 2008 4:30 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
andremafia

thanks

Posted Feb 25, 2008 12:08 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
FATBACON

was wondering, im setting up a new rig and its going to be HIS radeon 3870 GDDR4, intel q6600 2.4, 2 gigs g.skill ram, and ABIT mother board.

will COD run great on high settings?

Posted Feb 24, 2008 8:57 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
rgrgfdhtfytfgy

intel is better than amd

its not 1970 its 2008

Posted Feb 23, 2008 8:30 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+4)
hoohunglow

My system is an AMD athlon 64 3800+
2 gigs of pc2-6400
and an geforce 7600gs 512
How will this run cod4 and on what settings?

Posted Feb 17, 2008 9:21 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
mattxavier

My system is a an AMD Athlon 3200+
3gb RAM
8600 GTXXX (256mb)
COD4 runs like a dream.

Posted Feb 11, 2008 10:48 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
Jocarl1215

Does the processor contribute to the FPS of the game?

Posted Feb 9, 2008 5:55 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
el_carl

matt168, the 7300 gt sucked when it released. It was for basic computing, not gaming. It shouldn't be able to play many games at a decent framerate.

Posted Feb 6, 2008 8:06 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
rooster182

Anybody having trouble with Punkbuster as mine started kicking me out. Also my machine is running 3 gig of ram A single core P4 at 2.9Ghz and a 8500gt nvidia with most settings on high and can manage COD4 no problem

Posted Feb 3, 2008 7:11 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
PimpiNbananas

Will my XPS M1530 laptop 4Gb Ram, Core2duo T7500 2.2ghz, Geforce 8600M GT 256mb run this game on Max 1280 1024 smoothly? i'm runnin vista Btw.

Posted Feb 2, 2008 2:23 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+4)
phatdiyow

jocarl1215 Pentium Dual Core E2140 is far better than a crappy Pentium D 805 eventhough it's clock is running at 2.8Ghz... its all about the CORE!!!

Posted Feb 1, 2008 6:31 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+5)
Jocarl1215

Which is better A Pentium D 805 or a Pentium dual-Core E2140

Posted Jan 31, 2008 12:56 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
matt168

what u mean by POS el carl

Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:05 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
matt168

what u mean by POS el carl

Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:03 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
damariners

ello 8600GT is mid-card so u know why.. HeHe

Posted Jan 29, 2008 5:28 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9
« prevnext »
advertisement