It’s been five years since GTA 5’s launch for PC, and you still haven’t played it – as your PC might not be compatible. Can GTA 5 run without a graphics card?
Everyone has been talking about the latest episode of Grand Theft Auto, i.e., GTA 5, and you are tempted to get into the world of car rides and crime. But wait! You’re no pro gamer, and you don’t have a high-end PC with a graphics card. But can GTA 5 run without a graphics card?
GTA 5 for PC, launched in 2015, is the most advanced game in the series and quite demanding in system requirements. You can’t play GTA 5 without a graphics card unless it’s a high-end PC!
Not everyone who likes to play games is a dedicated gamer with a high-end gaming computer. Some people just pick up a game to turn their boring work PC into something fun for a while. Ok, we can keep Candy Crushers and Fruit Ninjas off the list. But you can still love some good games.
There are many fun games that you must have played over the years. You’ve enjoyed the excitement of shooting virtual enemies and hatching the perfect plans to commit crimes – or prevent them. We’ve all played games like GTA Vice City, Minecraft, and Counter-Strike and enjoyed the thrill to the fullest.
But did you ever realize that these games do not need a graphics card? If you are a novice when it comes to computers and hardware, you indeed had no idea about this. In fact, you might still not know the significance of graphics cards or system requirements – or why high-end games need them.
GTA 5 is the latest episode of the game of the Grand Theft Auto series. Now, in case you didn’t know, upgraded games need high-end computers to run smoothly. Minimum system requirements must be met just to run a game like GTA 5 at the lowest settings unless you have a really high-end system.
Can GTA 5 Run Without a Graphics Card?
Sorry to break your heart, but GTA 5, the most advanced of all GTA games, cannot run without a graphics card – until your PC is high-end. Are you thinking of playing the game on your Plain Jane PC, which isn’t equipped with an integrated graphics card or any high-quality hardware? Well, forget it.
- a) Playing GTA 5 on a Regular Low PC
Let’s first talk about PCs that are not high-end. The good news here is that most PCs, especially Intel computers, come with an integrated graphics card. But the bad news is that you may still not be able to enjoy GTA 5 properly with it. A discrete graphics card can let GTA 5 run at its best.
If your computer has an Intel HD 600 graphics card, you will need to change the game settings to medium in order for it to even run on your computer. But by doing so, you won’t be able to experience the best of GTA 5 as it runs smoothly without any lag and offers you detailed visuals for perfect graphics.
GTA 5 needs an NVIDIA 9800 GT or AMD HD 4870 graphics card of 1 GB to even run on a computer at minimum settings. However, for its best performance, it is recommended that you play the game on NVIDIA GTX 660 or AMD HD 7870 of 2 GB. But then again, a graphics card may still not be enough.
You have to know that a graphics card is necessary but not sufficient for GTA 5. The game is quite demanding and needs other hardware to run the game at medium settings. These are the minimum system requirements. For the best gaming experience, you need the recommended hardware.
If you want to play GTA 5 on a low PC, the only way to do that would be by going for an upgrade to meet the system requirements for the game. Upgrades will have to include installing a discrete graphics card. You may also need to increase the RAM. It’s best to take a technician’s help for this.
- b) Playing GTA 5 on High-End PCs
Now, let’s go to high-end PCs. If your PC has an i5 or i7 processor, or your i3 processor has a clock speed of 2.4 GHZ and 6 GB RAM, GTA 5 will run on your PC, though with varying results. The higher you go with the processor and RAM, the smoother the game will be, even without a graphics card.
If your computer is equipped with an i3 processor with less than 2.4 GHZ of clock speed and has less than 6 GB of RAM, GTA 5 won’t run without a graphics card. Are you planning on playing the game on an i3 processor with a 2.4 GHZ clock speed? Does the PC also have 6 GM RAM? The game will run!
But hold on! These recos allow GTA 5 to run without a graphics card, but only at low settings. The visuals get compromised to raise the FPS. If you play it at medium settings, there will be lags. If your device almost meets the above reco, the game might run – but at the lowest setting – and with lags.
Do you have an i5 computer with a clock speed of 2.2 GHZ? Then a 4 GB Ram will be enough to run GTA 5 without a graphics card. However, you will have to once again have to sacrifice the highest game settings to prevent the game from running with lags. You can play GTA at medium settings.
Interestingly, if your PC pairs an i5 processor of 2.2 GHZ clock speed with an 8 GB RAM, it will instantly make way for high settings to play GTA 5 without a graphics card. You won’t need to struggle with poor visual effects and choppy gameplay. You will have a smooth gaming experience.
As you must’ve guessed, it’s possible to play GTA 5 on i7 without a graphics card, as long as you have a memory of 6 GB. But even though you may not need a discrete graphics card on a 4th generation motherboard, your PC needs to have an integrated Graphics Processing Unit of Intel HD 530.
How to Play GTA without a Graphics Card
So now you know that it is not impossible to play GTA 5 without a graphics card; you need a high-end computer with the latest processors, high RAM, and an integrated GPU for that. To ensure that the game runs, you must also make a few changes. These will boost the smoothness of the game.
To play GTA 5 without a graphics card on the appropriate PC, install the game first. Then, launch it, and while playing, press Escape to go to the game settings. Change the resolution to 800*600 under graphics settings, and choose DirectX 10. Reduce the game’s population of people and cars.
Save the new game settings, and you will be ready to run GTA 5 on your computer. Making these changes will reduce the visual quality of the game a little, but it will run with lags. But remember that these will only work if you need the other hardware requirements we have mentioned above.
If your PC has a somewhat modest build, you can still run the game by making the necessary tweaks. To ensure that the game isn’t choppy, you’ll have to sacrifice the visual quality for an increased frame rate. Lower the Post FX, Shader, and shadows qualities to minimize the drop in visual effects.
If you own a good computer that’s less than 5 years of age, you don’t have to worry about the system requirements of GTA 5. As long as you’re willing to make a few changes to the settings to reduce the graphics quality slightly and not use graphics mods, the game will run just fine.
What are the Minimum System Requirements for GTA 5?
Every game needs a basic set of hardware just to get started. These are the minimum system requirements for the game, and you have to play at lower settings when you’re playing with hardware. This means that the game will not be as smooth, and the visuals won’t be quite satisfying.
The minimum requirements to run GTA 5 include Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor with 4 CPUs, 4 GB RAM, DirectX 10-compatible Sound Card, HDD space of 72 GB, and 1 GB of Graphics Card. If your PC has such hardware, you’ll be able to run GTA 5 at a medium setting.
However, if you want to enjoy the best quality of the game, you need an i5 processor with 4 CPUs or an AMD FX-8350 8-Core Processor, coupled with 8 GM RAM, 2 GB Video Card, DirectX 10-compatible Sound Card, and 72 GB on the HDD. With such hardware, you’ll never want to leave San Andreas.
Final Words
The GTA series is full of fun and excitement, and GTA 5 is the best latest in the series. Anyone with a PC and a knack for some virtual thrill will want to play the game – even a non-gamer who probably has not invested in a graphics card. But a discrete graphics card is recommended to play GTA 5.
Even if your PC’s hardware is somewhat modest, you can still run the game on a 4th generation motherboard paired with high RAM. The PC’s integrated graphics card will be enough. The more upgraded your PC is, the higher will be the settings at which you get to play the game.
