Recommended system, graphical and gameplay settings for DCS World. Last updated March 2024 for DCS 2.9.3.51704.
Photo by Generic (@generic_dcs)
You MUST install DCS on an SSD (solid state) instead of an HDD (spinning disk). The base game is 160GB and a large install is 700GB+. A dedicated 1TB or larger high performance SSD is recommended.
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An SSD is absolutely essential. When installed on a spinning disk, DCS can take over 20 minutes to load into a mission and may crash during loading or during gameplay.
The best CPUs for DCS World are the AMD 7800X3D, AMD 5800X3D and AMD 5700X3D. But any fast gaming-oriented CPU is fine.
DCS primarily uses two CPU cores and makes heavy use of the CPU’s cache. Some higher-end CPUs designed for heavily multithreaded applications, such as the AMD 7950X3D, AMD’s Threadripper series, and Intel’s Core i7 and i9 series, don’t offer much, if any, performance benefit to DCS. If you’re building a computer specifically for DCS, you’re better off getting a great gaming CPU rather than a top-end productivity-oriented CPU. Spend the money saved on a better GPU, a nice HOTAS or a head tracker!
Ideally, use an upgraded CPU cooler.
GN Mega Charts: CPU Cooler Benchmarks & Comparisons | GamersNexus
8GB+ RAM recommended for small Caucasus missions
16GB+ RAM recommended for larger multiplayer missions
32GB-128GB RAM recommended for Syria and South Atlantic missions
For new builds, I strongly recommend 32GB of RAM as a bare minimum.