Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: PC System Requirements & Best Hardware to Run It (2026)

Thinking about playing Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel on PC and wondering what hardware you actually need? The honest answer is: not much. This 2014 looter-shooter — an action RPG that rockets you onto Pandora’s moon — was built on the same engine as Borderlands 2 for the DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 era, and its official minimum is a GeForce 8500 / Radeon HD 2600 with a 2.4 GHz dual-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. That is hardware from 2007, which means almost any PC built in the last decade will run it. This guide covers the official requirements, which GPUs make sense at each resolution, what to pair them with, and how to get a smooth experience out of very modest hardware.

How Demanding Is Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel?

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is very light on PC hardware, and that is a product of its age rather than a comment on its quality. It arrived in October 2014 with a DirectX 9 minimum and DirectX 10 recommended, and its official recommended GPU — a GeForce GTX 560 or Radeon HD 5850 — is a mid-range card from 2010–2011. In practical terms, integrated graphics on a modern Ryzen or Intel desktop processor can handle it at 1080p with sensible settings, a low-end discrete card from the last ten years will max it out comfortably, and even 1440p or 4K is well within reach of a modest modern GPU. It is not CPU-heavy either: this is a straightforward looter-shooter action RPG rather than a simulation, strategy or large-scale multiplayer title, so core count and clock speed are not a concern. The numbers below are the official published requirements, not estimates.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Official PC System Requirements

Source: the official Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Steam store listing (app 261640), checked October 2026. Publishers can update these specs after patches.

The headline figures: the minimum asks for a 2.4 GHz dual-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, a GeForce 8500 / Radeon HD 2600-class card, DirectX 9 and 13 GB of space, while the recommended asks for a 2.3 GHz quad-core, the same 2 GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX 560 / Radeon HD 5850, DirectX 10 and 20 GB. Note that the memory figure is identical at both tiers — the game simply does not need much RAM — and that both tiers describe DirectX 9-era hardware rather than anything current.

Best GPU for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel by Resolution

1080p

At 1080p, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel will run on essentially anything. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is far more card than this game needs — it will run the game at maximum settings with enormous headroom to spare — but it is a sensible pick if the same PC will also play newer titles. Much older hardware clears the bar too: the official recommended GeForce GTX 560 / Radeon HD 5850 already covers 1080p, as do cards like the GTX 750 Ti, GTX 1050 Ti and RX 560, and even the integrated graphics in a modern Ryzen or Intel desktop chip are enough for 1080p at reduced settings.

1440p

Step up to 1440p and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 remains a comfortable choice, running the game with everything turned up. Because the game predates modern rendering features, 1440p here is a far lighter load than 1440p in a current release; a mid-range card such as the RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT is already more than sufficient, and cards from the GTX 1050 Ti / RX 570 era will still deliver a playable experience at this resolution.

4K

For 4K, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is already beyond what this game requires. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel at 4K is not a demanding scenario by modern standards — the engine’s DirectX 9/10 rendering path is simple — and a card of this class or a current-generation equivalent such as the RTX 5060 / RTX 5070 or RX 9060 XT / RX 9070 will handle 4K output with settings maxed. Older high-end cards such as the GTX 980 Ti or GTX 1070 are also more than adequate for 4K in this particular title.

CPU, RAM and Storage for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

The official requirements ask for only a 2.4 GHz dual-core processor and 2 GB of RAM, so almost any modern CPU is enormous overkill here. If you are building or buying a general-purpose gaming PC, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is excellent value for gaming, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is one of the fastest mainstream gaming CPUs; Intel fans can opt for the Intel Core i5-14600K. All three are vastly more than Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel needs — a decade-old quad-core would feel identical in this game. For memory, 8 GB of DDR4 or DDR5 is plenty, and 16 GB is a comfortable general-purpose amount; the Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB is far beyond the game’s 2 GB requirement but makes sense if the machine will also run modern titles. Storage is similarly undemanding: 13 GB at minimum and 20 GB recommended, so any drive works. A fast NVMe SSD like the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD will shorten load times and level transitions, but this is one of the few games where a mechanical hard drive is genuinely acceptable.

Recommended PC Builds for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

1080p budget build: AMD Radeon RX 7600 + AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + 16 GB DDR5 — far more than this game needs at 1080p, and a solid all-round starting point for modern titles too.

1440p sweet-spot build: AMD Radeon RX 7600 + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + 2TB NVMe SSD — comfortably overkill for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel at 1440p, and a strong setup for everything else.

4K high-end build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + fast NVMe SSD — for 4K output. Even so, this game would be perfectly happy on hardware a fraction of this, so buy at this level for the other games you plan to play.

Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel?

Probably not, and that is the honest answer. The game runs happily on hardware that predates it by several years, so if your PC can boot a modern operating system, it can almost certainly run Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Only upgrade if you fall below the official minimum — a GeForce 8500 / Radeon HD 2600-class card and a 2.4 GHz dual-core processor — which means a very old machine indeed, or if you are upgrading for newer games anyway. If you do upgrade, the graphics card still delivers the biggest jump in general gaming performance, so start there; a mid-range CPU from the last several years will not hold back a modern GPU in this game. Moving the game to an SSD is a nice quality-of-life improvement rather than a necessity, and memory beyond 8 GB will do nothing measurable here. Rather than replacing everything at once, target the weakest link in your build — but be aware that for this particular game, that link may already be strong enough.

Can You Play Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel on a Laptop or Handheld?

Yes, very easily. Because the official requirements are so low, almost any gaming laptop from the last decade — and plenty of everyday laptops with modern integrated graphics — can run Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel at 1080p. A machine with a discrete GPU will max it out without breaking a sweat, though you will still see the usual laptop trade-offs of heat, fan noise and shorter battery life when unplugged. Handhelds are an excellent fit: the Steam Deck, ROG Ally and similar devices run this game comfortably, and its age makes it undemanding on battery and storage alike. If portability matters, prioritise a device with a decent screen and enough storage for the 20 GB install plus your other games — the game’s own demands are unlikely to be the limiting factor.

How to Boost FPS in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

If frame rates are lower than you would like, note that this game predates modern upscaling: there is no DLSS, FSR or XeSS in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and no frame generation, so those are not options here. Instead, work through the in-game video settings — shadow quality, draw distance and physics or particle effects are typically the heaviest options in a game of this vintage, so reduce those first, then lower the overall resolution if you need more. Keeping your GPU drivers up to date, closing background applications, and making sure the game is installed on an SSD will all help smoothness. Because the game is old, it is also worth checking which DirectX mode it is running in if you see instability, and capping the frame rate to match your display’s refresh rate can reduce stutter. Lowering a setting or two to hit a stable frame rate almost always feels better than chasing maxed-out visuals with inconsistent pacing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my PC run Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel?

Almost certainly. The official minimum is a 2.4 GHz dual-core CPU, 2 GB of RAM and a GeForce 8500 / Radeon HD 2600-class GPU — hardware from 2007. If your PC has any discrete graphics card or a modern integrated GPU, a dual-core or better processor and a sensible amount of system memory, it will run Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel at 1080p, most likely at high settings.

Is Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel demanding on PC?

No. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a 2014 DirectX 9/10 title with a 2011-era recommended GPU, which makes it one of the lightest games you can install. Almost any modern PC, including laptops running on integrated graphics, handles it at 1080p.

What GPU do I need for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel at 1440p 60fps?

Far less than you might expect. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 will run 1440p with everything maxed and plenty of headroom, but cards several tiers below it — a GTX 1050 Ti or RX 570, or even the official recommended GTX 560 / HD 5850 — are already capable of 1440p in this game. Any current-generation card such as an RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT is more than enough.

How much RAM does Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel need?

The official requirement is 2 GB for both minimum and recommended — unusually, the two figures are identical. In practice, 8 GB is a sensible floor for any modern Windows gaming PC and 16 GB is a comfortable general-purpose target, but Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel itself will not use anything close to that, and faster memory makes no meaningful difference in a game this light.

Do I need an SSD for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel?

No — the official requirements only ask for 13 GB (minimum) to 20 GB (recommended) of available space, with no SSD requirement. An SSD will shorten load times and level transitions, and an NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro is a good choice for a modern build, but this is one of the few games where a mechanical hard drive is perfectly usable.