Ardem System Requirements
Last verified 20 August 2026 against the official Steam store page and playardem.com.
Ardem's minimum requirements are an Intel i7-7700K or Ryzen 5 1600X, 16 GB RAM, an RTX 2060 or RX 5600 XT, 50 GB of storage, DirectX 12 and a permanent internet connection. Recommended is an Intel i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32 GB RAM and an RTX 3070 or RX 6800 XT. The same figures apply to the SteamOS/Linux build.
These are the official figures from the Ardem Steam store page, verified on 20 August 2026. Below the tables, this page does the part the spec-checker sites do not: telling you what the numbers actually mean for your machine.
Minimum requirements
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 / 11 64-bit (or SteamOS / Linux) |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Storage | 50 GB available space |
| Network | Stable internet connection required |
Recommended requirements
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 / 11 64-bit (or SteamOS / Linux) |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D |
| Memory | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA RTX 3070 / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Storage | 50 GB available space |
| Network | Stable internet connection required |
What these numbers actually tell you
The RAM gap is the headline. A minimum of 16 GB with 32 GB recommended is a wide spread, and it is the signature of a game that streams a large world continuously. Ardem's Minnowa is 64 km² and fully handcrafted, which means hand-authored assets rather than repeated procedural tiles — more unique data to hold in memory. If you are on 16 GB, close your browser before you play.
The CPU jump is bigger than the GPU jump. From an i7-7700K to an i7-12700K is a much larger generational leap than RTX 2060 to RTX 3070. That points at a simulation-heavy game — dynamic weather, temperature, an electricity system, persistent world state and up to 64 networked players all cost CPU, not GPU.
DirectX 12 only rules out older GPUs regardless of raw performance, and confirms a modern rendering path.
Can your specific card run it?
Ardem is unreleased and has never been benchmarked. The table below is positioning against the published minimum, not measured performance.
| GPU | Verdict | Note |
|---|---|---|
| GTX 1060 / RX 580 | Below minimum | Roughly 40–50% behind an RTX 2060. |
| GTX 1080 / RTX 2060 | At minimum | Expect low settings, 1080p. |
| RTX 3060 / RX 6600 XT | Comfortably above minimum | Below the recommended tier but a sensible target. |
| RTX 3070 / RX 6800 XT | Recommended tier | The spec the studio designed against. |
| RTX 4070 and above | Headroom | Should not be the bottleneck; check your CPU and RAM instead. |
| Steam Deck | Unproven | Native Linux build exists but hardware is below the floor. Detail. |
The requirement people miss
Ardem requires a stable internet connection — and this applies even in solo play. Ardem's world is persistent and server-backed rather than a local save file, so there is no true offline mode. If you were planning on Ardem as a game for flights or unreliable connections, it is not one. See can you play Ardem solo or offline.
Storage and SSDs
50 GB is listed, and Steam does not mandate an SSD — but a continuously streaming open world on a mechanical drive is a bad experience regardless of what the store page permits. Budget 70–80 GB free so Steam has room to stage patches. Detail: how big is Ardem.
Test before you buy
You can verify all of this on your own hardware for free. The public playtest on 15 October 2026 is open to everyone with no invite and no waitlist, and runs the same build. That is a far better answer than any requirements calculator. Steps: how to join the Ardem playtest.
Why the spec is this high (and no, Ardem is not low poly)
A recurring question is whether Ardem is a stylised or low poly game — presumably because plenty of indie survival titles are, and that would explain a friendlier spec. It is not. Official screenshots and the 2025 visuals update trailer show a realistic art direction: photographic foliage density, volumetric fog, physically-lit interiors and detailed vehicle and building models.
That is the honest explanation for the RTX 2060 floor and the 32 GB recommended RAM. Ardem is asking a lot of the hardware because it is rendering a realistic 64 km² handcrafted world with dynamic weather while streaming assets continuously and running a networked simulation for up to 64 players. A low poly game would not need any of that.
Key takeaways
- Minimum: i7-7700K / Ryzen 5 1600X, 16 GB RAM, RTX 2060 / RX 5600 XT, 50 GB, DirectX 12.
- Recommended: i7-12700K / Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32 GB RAM, RTX 3070 / RX 6800 XT.
- A stable internet connection is required, even for solo play.
- The large CPU jump between tiers points at a simulation-heavy game, not a GPU-bound one.
- The same figures apply to the SteamOS/Linux build.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run Ardem on a GTX 1060?
Below minimum. A GTX 1060 sits roughly 40–50% behind an RTX 2060 in raster performance and lacks the VRAM headroom a 64 km² streaming world wants.
Is 16 GB of RAM enough for Ardem?
It is the stated minimum, so it will launch — but with 32 GB recommended, 16 GB users should close background apps and expect streaming hitches in dense towns.
Does Ardem need an internet connection?
Yes. The Steam store page lists a stable internet connection as required, even for solo play.
Does Ardem need an SSD?
Steam does not mandate one, but a 50 GB open world that streams terrain continuously will behave far better on an SSD than a mechanical drive.
Will Ardem support DLSS or FSR?
Not announced. Upscaling support is common in this class of game and would help significantly at the minimum spec, but Techtive Games has not confirmed it — so this wiki does not claim it.