Modern Warfare 4 PC Requirements and TPM 2.0 Check
By Samuel 76 · Founder & Editor
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Every graphics card and processor in our catalog clears Activision's recommended tier for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the one Activision sets for 90 FPS in multiplayer on High, so for most people a GIGABYTE RTX 5060 ($400 to $600) is enough. What can actually lock you out on launch day is not the card: Activision lists TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot as required, plus 115 GB free on an SSD.
The game comes out on October 23, 2026 on PC (Battle.net, Steam and Xbox on PC), PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2, according to callofduty.com, with Campaign early access from October 16 for digital pre-orders. Both dates were checked on October 2. Below: the three official tiers side by side, the two-minute check for TPM and Secure Boot, which card from our catalog lands in which tier, and two full PCs you can open in the PC builder. If you want to put two cards face to face, the comparison tool does that.
Activision's three PC tiers, side by side
Activision updated its PC system requirements page on October 1, 2026. Two changes matter if you read an older list: the recommended Intel processor is now the Core i7-8700 (not the 8700K), and there is a third tier for ray tracing that names two specific cards.
| Part | Minimum | Recommended | Ray tracing |
|---|---|---|---|
| What Activision says it is for | To play | 90 FPS in multiplayer, High settings | High quality ray tracing at 4K upscaled |
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit, latest update | Windows 11 64-bit, latest update | Windows 11 64-bit, latest update |
| Processor | Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i5-6600 | Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i7-8700 | Ryzen 7 3700X or Core i7-10700K |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Graphics card | RX 470, GTX 970 / 1060 or Arc A580 | RX 6600 XT, RTX 3060 Ti or Arc B580 | RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 Ti |
| Video memory | 3 GB | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | SSD with 115 GB free | SSD with 115 GB free | SSD with 115 GB free |
Table: official PC requirements for Modern Warfare 4, from support.activision.com, read on October 2, 2026.
The fine print on the same page: every tier needs DirectX 12 and a broadband connection, only Intel and AMD processors with the AVX instruction set are supported, Intel Arc cards need Resizable BAR, and updates can take more space than the 115 GB at launch. The 90 FPS is Activision's target for that tier, not a measurement of ours.
The part that can actually stop you: TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
A fast graphics card will not help if Windows has these two switched off. Activision's TPM and Secure Boot page says that in the Modern Warfare 4 beta, players without both could not play any online mode. Here is how to check in about two minutes:
- TPM: press Windows + R, type tpm.msc and press Enter. If it says the TPM is ready for use, look at Specification Version: it has to say 2.0. That is the check Microsoft describes. If you get "Compatible TPM cannot be found", it is probably turned off in the BIOS.
- Secure Boot: press Windows + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. In System Information, BIOS Mode should say UEFI and Secure Boot State should say On, according to Activision.
- Not sure? Activision publishes a free Call of Duty Secure Attestation Wizard on the same page that scans the PC and tells you what is missing.
Heads up if you build your own PC: Microsoft says most retail motherboards ship with TPM turned off by default. In the BIOS the option is usually called AMD fTPM or Intel PTT. Activision asks for an Intel 8th gen or newer, or a Ryzen 2000 series or newer, and Windows 10 version 22H2 or later. Every processor in our catalog is newer than that. One warning worth repeating: switching to UEFI also needs the disk in GPT format, and Activision itself says a wrong BIOS change can stop the PC from booting. If you are not sure, check your board's manual first. Our motherboard guide covers the boxes worth checking before you buy one.
Which card from our catalog lands in which tier
To check the recommended tier we used our own "Can your PC run it?" tool, which compares PassMark G3D Mark scores (read on September 30, 2026) against the cards Activision lists. A score is a guide, not a promise. The tool does not check the ray tracing tier, so that column only says whether Activision names the card. Video memory comes from each brand's spec sheet, and the last two columns come from the brand and from our PSU calculator with a Ryzen 5 9600X.
| Graphics card | Video memory | Recommended tier | Named in the ray tracing tier | PSU the brand asks for | Our calculator (with a 9600X) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNY RTX 5050 Dual Fan | 8 GB | Clears it | No | 550 W | 550 W |
| GIGABYTE RTX 5060 WINDFORCE OC | 8 GB | Clears it | No | 550 W | 550 W |
| ASRock RX 9060 XT Steel Legend | 16 GB | Clears it | No | 550 W | 450 W |
| ASUS Dual RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | 16 GB | Clears it | No | 550 W | 650 W |
| ASUS Prime RTX 5070 | 12 GB | Clears it | No (the tier asks for 16 GB) | 750 W | 650 W |
| GIGABYTE RTX 5070 Ti WINDFORCE OC SFF | 16 GB | Clears it | Yes, by name | 750 W | 750 W |
| ASUS Prime RX 9070 XT OC | 16 GB | Clears it | Yes, by name | 750 W | 750 W |
Table: our graphics cards against Activision's tiers. Video memory and PSU from each brand, checked on October 2, 2026.
When the brand and the calculator disagree, buy the bigger number: the ASRock card asks for 550 W and the ASUS RTX 5070 for 750 W. I am not putting FPS numbers next to these cards because no outlet with its own testing has published results for the final game yet. When TechPowerUp or Hardware Unboxed do, this guide gets them, with their name next to every number.
If you only want to play it well: the RTX 5060
Activision's recommended tier asks for 8 GB of video memory, and the GIGABYTE RTX 5060 has exactly that, GDDR7, with a 145 W board power and a 550 W supply on GIGABYTE's sheet. It is the card I would pick for this game if the budget is tight, because the money you save goes into the parts that decide whether the game starts at all: an SSD with room to spare and a board you know how to set up. If you also play newer single-player games at 1440p, 8 GB is where I would start to worry, and the graphics card guide explains when the 16 GB cards earn their place.
If you want ray tracing on: RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT
This is the only part of the list where Activision does not leave room to guess: for High quality ray tracing at 4K upscaled it names the RX 9070 XT or the RTX 5070 Ti, with 16 GB of video memory and 32 GB of RAM. We carry one of each. The GIGABYTE RTX 5070 Ti WINDFORCE OC SFF ($900 to $1400) is 304 mm long and GIGABYTE asks for a 750 W supply. The ASUS Prime RX 9070 XT OC ($600 to $900) is 312 mm, takes three 8-pin connectors and ASUS also asks for 750 W. Pick the one that fits your case and your budget band; Activision treats them as the same tier.
The RTX 5070 is the trap here: it clears the recommended tier, but with 12 GB it falls short of the 16 GB that the ray tracing tier asks for.
Two complete PCs from our catalog
For the recommended tier (open it in the PC builder):
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X — $150 - $200
- Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE — $25 - $40
- Graphics card: GIGABYTE RTX 5060 WINDFORCE OC 8G — $400 - $600
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE B650 Eagle AX — $110 - $150
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16) 6000 — $400 - $600
- SSD: Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB — $200 - $280
- Power supply: Corsair RM750e — $80 - $110
- Case: Montech AIR 903 MAX — $110 - $150
Activision asks for 16 GB of RAM in this tier; this build has 32 GB because it is what the ray tracing tier already asks for, and our RAM guide explains that call. The calculator says 550 W for this pair, and the RM750e is the smallest supply in our catalog, so it leaves margin. The 1 TB SSD holds the 115 GB at launch with room for updates; if you keep several big games installed, our SSD guide tells you when 2 TB makes sense.
For the ray tracing tier (open it in the PC builder):
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D — $400 - $600
- Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE — $25 - $40
- Graphics card: GIGABYTE RTX 5070 Ti WINDFORCE OC SFF 16G — $900 - $1400
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE B650 Eagle AX — $110 - $150
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16) 6000 — $400 - $600
- SSD: Samsung 990 PRO 2TB — $280 - $400
- Power supply: Corsair RM850e — $110 - $150
- Case: Lian Li Lancool 216 — $80 - $110
Our calculator gives 750 W for a 9800X3D with an RTX 5070 Ti, and 850 W if you want room for a bigger card later, which is why the RM850e is here. Will it fit? says the 304 mm card has 88 mm to spare in the Lancool 216 and the 155 mm cooler has 25 mm. For the processor, Activision names a Ryzen 7 3700X or a Core i7-10700K; the 9800X3D has 8 cores and 16 threads on Zen 5 according to AMD. Our tool does not score this tier, so this guide does not put a number on the gap. If you are between processors, our CPU guide by socket goes through each one.
Already have a PC? Check before you spend
Run the two Windows checks above and put your card, processor and RAM into the tool. My own PC, for example, has an RTX 3060 12 GB, a Core i9-13900K and 64 GB of RAM: in the tool, that combination lands in the recommended tier, and a 13th gen Intel chip is inside what Activision asks for TPM. If yours falls short, the graphics card is usually the first part to change, and the bottleneck test guide helps you confirm it before you buy.
On a gaming laptop the story is different. Activision writes that these specs refer to desktop PCs and that laptop cards with the same name can be different models that may not be supported. If you are still deciding between the two, read gaming laptop or desktop first.
How we choose
We have no lab and we have not played the final version of Modern Warfare 4 on these cards. The requirements come from Activision's support page and the launch date from callofduty.com, both read on October 2, 2026; the TPM and Secure Boot steps come from Microsoft and Activision. Video memory, length, connectors and recommended PSU come from each brand's spec sheet as stored in our catalog. The recommended-tier check is our tool's PassMark comparison, and the watts come from our calculator. No brand pays to appear here.
I write every guide with the help of AI tools for research and drafting; I decide which products make the cut, check every figure against the manufacturer's spec sheet and the price on the day I verify it, and sign the text. — Samuel
Frequently asked questions about Modern Warfare 4 on PC
Can I play Modern Warfare 4 on PC without TPM 2.0?
No. Activision lists TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot as required to play Modern Warfare 4 on its PC requirements page, and in the beta players without both could not join any online mode.
How much storage does Modern Warfare 4 need on PC?
115 GB on an SSD at launch, according to Activision, in all three tiers. Activision also warns that mandatory updates can need more space, so a 1 TB drive is the smallest I would buy for a gaming PC today.
Is 8 GB of VRAM enough for Modern Warfare 4?
Yes for the recommended tier: Activision lists 8 GB of video memory there. The ray tracing tier asks for 16 GB, and the minimum asks for 3 GB.
Does Modern Warfare 4 run on Windows 10?
The minimum tier lists Windows 10 64-bit with the latest update, and Activision's TPM page asks for version 22H2 or later. The recommended and ray tracing tiers list Windows 11, and Microsoft ended free support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.
What power supply do I need for Modern Warfare 4?
It depends on the pair, not the game: our calculator gives 550 W for a Ryzen 5 9600X with an RTX 5060 and 750 W with an RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT. If the brand of your card asks for more, follow the brand. The watts guide explains where those numbers come from.
When does Modern Warfare 4 come out on PC?
October 23, 2026, on Battle.net, Steam and Xbox on PC, according to callofduty.com. Digital pre-orders get Campaign early access from October 16.
What I would buy for Modern Warfare 4
If the PC is new: the RTX 5060 build above, with TPM and Secure Boot turned on before the first launch. If you want ray tracing at the level Activision describes, go straight to the RTX 5070 Ti or the RX 9070 XT, because those are the two cards it names. And if you already have a PC, spend nothing until tpm.msc and msinfo32 tell you it is ready; sometimes the fix is a BIOS setting, not a purchase.
