What PC do you need for WoW Forever?
Talents Forever › PC requirements
Blizzard's spec, a one-minute check of your PC, and a PC to rent if yours falls short.
- Minimum
- 4 cores, 3.0 GHz · 4 GB, GeForce GTX 10 series · 8 GB · SSD
- Recommended
- 8 performance cores, 5.2 GHz boost · 8 GB, GeForce RTX 40 series · 16 GB · SSD
NZXT is a paid partner. Links to NZXT are paid links. Specs and prices come from Blizzard's and NZXT's pages, read 21 Oct 2026.
WoW Forever system requirements
Launches 4 Nov 2026. Blizzard's lines, checked 21 Oct 2026.Frames a second in Midnight, by graphics card
Measured in retail Midnight, which has the same recommended line as Forever. Beta players report Forever's new look costs more on the graphics card, so expect lower numbers in Forever.
91.2
90.6
72.4
56.0
36.8
24.1
The full table, Mac and older graphics cards
| Line | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 64-bit (May 2019 Update or newer) | Windows 11 |
| Processor | 4 cores, 3.0 GHz (Intel Core Haswell, AMD Ryzen Zen) | 8 performance cores, 5.2 GHz boost (Intel Core Ultra Series 2, AMD Ryzen Zen 5) |
| Graphics card | DirectX 12, 4 GB (GeForce GTX 10 series, AMD RDNA 1, Intel Iris Xe2 Lunar Lake) | DirectX 12, 8 GB (GeForce RTX 40 series, AMD RDNA 3, Intel Arc B-Series) |
| Memory | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | SSD, 128 GB freeBoth | |
| Screen | 1280 x 720Both | |
| Mac | macOS 12, Apple M2 or a 9th generation Intel Core with a Metal 4 GB graphics chip, 8 GB | macOS 15, Apple M4 with 16 GB |
Starts, below the minimumGeForce GTX 9xx and GTX 750 or 750 Ti, Radeon HD 7850 and Intel HD 530
Will not startGeForce GTX 760, 770 and 780, the GTX 8xxM laptop chips, Radeon HD 6950 and Intel HD 6000
WoW Forever asks more of a PC than WoW Classic did. Blizzard's minimum is a 4 core 3.0 GHz processor, a DirectX 12 graphics card with 4 GB (a GeForce GTX 10 series or newer), 8 GB of memory and 128 GB free on an SSD. The recommended spec is 8 performance cores with a 5.2 GHz boost, an 8 GB card from the RTX 40 series on, and 16 GB of memory. Read on Blizzard's shop page on 21 Oct 2026.
At the minimum, Forever asks for less processor than retail Midnight (6 cores, 4.0 GHz boost); its recommended line is the same as Midnight's. For older graphics cards, Blizzard says the GeForce GTX 9xx and GTX 750 or 750 Ti, Radeon HD 7850 and Intel HD 530 start Forever but are well below the minimum, and the GeForce GTX 760, 770 and 780, the GTX 8xxM laptop chips, Radeon HD 6950 and Intel HD 6000 will not start it (Blizzard News).
Processor or graphics card, measured
Both, in different places. No hardware site has tested Forever itself yet, so these are the nearest measurements, from Midnight, which has the same recommended spec. Midnight's capital leans on the processor, and the extra cache of AMD's X3D chips helps most:
At 1080p the processor holds the fast graphics cards back: the RTX 5090, RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 4070 land within 2.4 frames of each other. At 1440p the RTX 4070 drops to 72.4 and the RTX 5060 to 56, while the RTX 5070 Ti holds 90.6, as the graphics card chart above shows.
Forever's new look puts more load on the graphics card. One beta player's GTX 1080 ran at 98 to 100% load in Forever against 50 to 70% in retail, and 60 to 75% with Secondary Lighting set to Fair (Blizzard forums). Lowering Secondary Lighting from Maximum to Good or Fair is the setting players talk about most for frame drops in the beta (Icy Veins). Blizzard took ray traced shadows out of the beta on 1 Oct and says they will come back (development notes).
WoW Classic vs WoW Forever requirements
| Line | WoW Classic, recommended | WoW Forever, minimum | WoW Forever, recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD FX 8310 | 4 cores, 3.0 GHz (Intel Core Haswell, AMD Ryzen Zen) | 8 performance cores, 5.2 GHz boost (Intel Core Ultra Series 2, AMD Ryzen Zen 5) |
| Graphics card | GeForce GTX 960 4 GB or Radeon R9 280 | DirectX 12, 4 GB (GeForce GTX 10 series, AMD RDNA 1, Intel Iris Xe2 Lunar Lake) | DirectX 12, 8 GB (GeForce RTX 40 series, AMD RDNA 3, Intel Arc B-Series) |
| Memory | 8 GB | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 70 GB on an SSD | SSD, 128 GB free | SSD, 128 GB free |
WoW Classic still runs on its 2019 spec: in 2019 PC Games Hardware measured a GTX 660 at 194.9 frames a second at 1080p on Classic's own graphics preset, and 48.9 at maximum settings, on the 2019 client (PC Games Hardware). A PC that plays Classic well can still fall short in Forever.
WoW Classic from Blizzard Support, WoW Classic system requirements; WoW Forever from Blizzard's WoW Forever shop page, System Requirements; both read 21 Oct 2026.
From Blizzard's WoW Forever shop page, System Requirements, read 21 Oct 2026. Blizzard's shop page carries no date, and its support pages say requirements can change over time, so check it again near launch on 4 Nov 2026.
Can my PC run WoW Forever?
1 Rate your PC against Blizzard's spec in about a minute
Can your rig run Forever? It launches 4 Nov 2026. Let's check it, one part at a time.
Or ask him:See his rental quote ›
CtrlShiftEscopens Task Manager. Choose Performance.
Under GPU 0 is your card's name. If two are listed, the gaming card is usually GPU 1.
On a Mac the graphics are part of the chip: Apple menu, About This Mac.
Your PC
Flex Two
- Graphics card
- RTX 5070 with 12 GB
- Processor
- Core Ultra 7 270K Plus8 performance cores to 5.5 GHz
- Memory
- 32 GB
- Game drive
- 2 TB NVMe SSD
Where do I find what is in my PC?
On Windows, open Task Manager (Ctrl, Shift and Esc) and choose Performance: CPU shows the processor and its cores, Memory the RAM, GPU the graphics card, and each Disk says SSD or HDD. On a Mac, the Apple menu, About This Mac, shows the chip and memory. The check runs on this page; nothing is sent anywhere.
Flex Two, NZXT's picture- Drawn by
- Goblin engineer
- Spec
- Blizzard, read 21 Oct 2026
- Rating
- Not inspected
Rent a PC for WoW Forever
2 Two NZXT PCs by the month, on NZXT Flex's termsHere's my quote on Flex Two: every line of Blizzard's recommended spec, month to month, for $204 to start instead of $2,699.
Both are New, never refurbished. NZXT's pictures.
- Cancel and return anytime with no fee. Stop when Forever stops holding you.
- Hardware faults repaired or replaced while you subscribe; damage you cause is yours.
- A newer PC in your tier offered around two years, if your account is in good standing.
- Prepay 3, 6 or 12 months for a lower rate.
$1,725 less than buying the same PC so far, though a bought PC stays yours. Renting passes its price at month 18, and the PC goes back when you stop.
Paid link. To rent you need to be 18 or older in the contiguous US, with a US ID and a credit or debit card; approval isn't guaranteed and the check doesn't affect your credit score.
Rent and buy side by side, and who can rent
| Line | Rent: Flex Two, New | Buy the same parts |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $154 a month, plus $50 once for a new PC | $2,699 once |
| Parts | Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, RTX 5070, 32 GB, 2 TB NVMe SSD | Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, RTX 5070, 32 GB, 2 TB |
| Yours to keep | No, it goes back when you cancel | Yes |
| If it breaks | Hardware faults repaired or replaced at no cost while you subscribe; damage you cause and theft are yours, up to the PC's replacement cost | 2-year limited parts and labor warranty |
| Ships to | the contiguous US | the US and Canada |
NZXT rents its PCs by the month as NZXT Flex. Flex Two in New condition has the Player Two's processor, graphics card and memory, so it meets the same recommended line. Cancel and return anytime with no fee; around the two-year mark NZXT offers a newer PC in your tier at no extra cost, if your account is in good standing; prepaying 3, 6 or 12 months lowers the monthly rate. Renting passes the Player Two's price at about 18 months; by 24 months Flex Two has cost $3,746, with hardware faults covered all along and a newer PC offered around the two-year mark.
The cheaper Like-New Flex Two at $124 a month is a Ryzen 5 7600X with an RTX 4070 and 16 GB, which falls short of the recommended 8 performance cores.
To rent you need to be 18 or older with a US government ID, an address in the contiguous US and a credit or debit card; approval is not guaranteed and the check does not affect your credit score. Flex prices and terms from NZXT Flex Two page and its questions, read 21 Oct 2026 (its drive read 18 Oct 2026); the Player Two's price from nzxt.com, read 21 Oct 2026.
Questions
3 Straight answers, each with its sourceTap a question to see the answer.
The parts
Do you need a powerful PC for WoW Forever?
Not for the minimum: a 4 core 3.0 GHz processor, a GeForce GTX 10 series card with 4 GB, 8 GB of memory and an SSD. Blizzard's recommended spec is a strong gaming PC: 8 performance cores with a 5.2 GHz boost, an 8 GB RTX 40 series card and 16 GB.
Is WoW CPU heavy or GPU heavy?
Both, in different places. Big cities lean on the processor: in Midnight's capital, which has the same recommended spec as Forever, PC Games Hardware measured 96 frames a second on a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 48.2 on a Ryzen 5 5600. Forever's new look leans on the graphics card: one beta player's GTX 1080 ran at 98 to 100% load in Forever against 50 to 70% in retail.
How much RAM do you need for WoW Forever?
Blizzard asks for 8 GB at minimum and recommends 16 GB. No published test compares 16 GB with 32 GB while Discord, a browser or a stream runs beside the game, so 32 GB is room to spare, not a requirement.
Does WoW Forever need an SSD?
Yes. An SSD with 128 GB free is on Blizzard's minimum line, where WoW Classic only recommended one. One beta player measured the install at 60.79 GB, and Blizzard's notes say the install is larger than intended.
Will a GTX 760, 770 or 780 run WoW Forever?
No. Blizzard lists the GeForce GTX 760, 770 and 780, the GTX 8xxM laptop chips, Radeon HD 6950 and Intel HD 6000 as unsupported. The oldest cards it says start Forever are the GeForce GTX 9xx and GTX 750 or 750 Ti, Radeon HD 7850 and Intel HD 530, and it adds that these are well below the minimum.
Your device
Can you run WoW Forever on a Mac?
Yes, if it meets Blizzard's Mac spec. The minimum is macOS 12, Apple M2 or a 9th generation Intel Core with a Metal 4 GB graphics chip, 8 GB; the recommended Mac is macOS 15, Apple M4 with 16 GB. An M1 Mac is below the minimum, though WoW Classic runs from an Apple M1.
Can you play WoW Forever on a laptop?
Yes, if it meets the same lines. Blizzard's minimum even names a laptop chip, the graphics in Intel's Lunar Lake processors (Arc 130V and 140V, which Blizzard calls Iris Xe2). Older built-in graphics, back to the Intel HD 530, still start Forever, but Blizzard says they sit well below the minimum.
Can you play WoW Forever on a Steam Deck or Linux?
Not officially: Blizzard lists Windows and Mac only. Players do run Forever on Linux through Proton, with some glitches, and retail WoW runs on a Steam Deck the same way. Forever adds official gamepad support, but the minimum spec still says keyboard and mouse.
Is WoW Forever on GeForce Now?
Not on 21 Oct 2026. NVIDIA's library lists WoW Classic, Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary, Mists of Pandaria Classic and Midnight, and not Forever.
Lag and Classic
Will a better PC fix lag in WoW Forever?
It raises low frame rates, which many players call lag, up to a point: even the fastest processor dips in Midnight's capital. It won't lower your ping, the World and Home latency in the game menu, which comes from your connection and how far you are from Blizzard's servers.
Is WoW Classic easier to run than WoW Forever?
Much easier. Blizzard still recommends an i7-4770, a GTX 960 and 8 GB for WoW Classic, and in 2019 PC Games Hardware measured a GTX 660 at 194.9 frames a second in Classic at 1080p on its own graphics preset (48.9 at maximum settings). Forever runs on the modern client: its recommended spec is the same as retail Midnight's, and its new look needs a newer graphics card to start at all.
Renting
Should you buy or rent a PC for WoW Forever?
If your PC already runs Forever well, keep it. Rent if you'd rather not spend $2,699 at once: Flex Two costs $154 a month plus $50 once, covers hardware faults while you subscribe, offers a newer PC around two years, and goes back when you cancel, with no fee. Buying NZXT's same parts costs less once you've kept them past about 18 months, and other builders sell PCs with the same processor and graphics card for less, which brings that sooner. A bought PC, its repairs past the warranty and its upgrades are yours to handle. See the goblin's rental quote ›
What is NZXT Flex?
NZXT Flex rents gaming PCs by the month. Flex Two in New condition has a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, an RTX 5070 and 32 GB of memory, which meets every line of Blizzard's recommended spec, for $154 a month plus $50 once. Cancel and return anytime with no fee; hardware faults repaired or replaced at no cost while you subscribe; damage you cause and theft are yours, up to the PC's replacement cost; around the two-year mark NZXT offers a newer PC in your tier at no extra cost, if your account is in good standing. It ships to the contiguous US. See the goblin's rental quote ›
Sources
Checked 21 Oct 2026. Requirements: Blizzard's WoW Forever shop page, System Requirements, Blizzard News, WoW Forever graphics card requirements, Blizzard Support, WoW Classic system requirements, Blizzard Support, World of Warcraft system requirements. Measurements: PC Games Hardware, Midnight CPU benchmark, 5 Mar 2026, PC Games Hardware, Midnight graphics card benchmark, 5 Mar 2026, Notebookcheck's Lunar Lake graphics test, Arc 140V against Adreno X1-85, PC Games Hardware, WoW Classic benchmark, 9 Sep 2019, Blizzard forums, beta players on GPU load, 19 Sep 2026, Icy Veins, 1 Oct 2026. Notes and platforms: Blizzard's beta development notes, Blizzard forums, a beta player's install size, 17 Sep 2026, Blizzard, native Apple Silicon support, 17 Nov 2020, NVIDIA GeForce Now library, Warcraft Wiki, Latency. NZXT: NZXT Flex Two page and its questions, NZXT, where NZXT ships, NZXT warranty FAQ. The part pictures are drawn for this page; the PC pictures are NZXT's; the goblin is rendered for this page from the game's classic goblin model.
Also: WoW Forever beta vs launch, the most popular builds of every class, the leveling order of every class, the game's questions answered from its files.