Can I run Half-Life 2?
Official Half-Life 2 system requirements, player reports on Half-Life 2 performance, and a check against your GPU and CPU.
Official system requirements
Published on the Steam store page by the developer. This is that text, not a benchmark.
Minimum
- OS
- Windows 7, Vista, XP
- Processor
- 1.7 Ghz
- Memory
- 512 MB RAM
- Graphics
- DirectX 8.1 level Graphics Card (requires support for SSE)
- Storage
- 6500 MB available space
What players say about performance
Half-Life 2 generally runs very well on most systems, providing a smooth experience with few performance issues reported.
Drawn from 24 reviews that mention performance.
Common problems
- Some players experience performance fluctuations or minor stuttering.
- Older hardware may struggle with high settings and resolutions.
- Rare reports of frame drops during intense scenes.
What runs it well
- Game runs well on a range of hardware with high settings.
- Many players achieve smooth 60 FPS or higher.
- The game still holds up visually on modern systems.
Check your PC
Pick a GPU and a CPU. The result compares their class with the parts named in the official requirements. It is not an FPS estimate.