The game itself is a visual spectacle, but in order to enjoy it on our PC we will need two very specific minimums specified by the same developer. The two are quite diverse and involve quite different expenses, so let’s get to know them.
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War Recommended Requirements for High FPS and Ray Tracing Rates
Looking at the table, we will see exactly what hardware we can buy of similar power and at what price for each configuration, as the prices or models of processors and graphics cards are not very up to date as they are based on minimum configurations. . to play.
Cold War PC and high FPS rates
Intel Core i5-10400F or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Both processors are their maximum exponents in price / quality ratio in their respective ranges. We are talking about two processors with six cores and twelve threads without IGPU capable of reaching 4.3 GHz and 4.6 GHz respectively, where they also share a TDP of 65 watts.
The problem we have next is precisely the motherboards, because at Intel we will only have models with the most high-end chipset, the Z490, available, while AMD has a series of chipsets such as the B550. that will perfectly meet everything we need. , which will mark a difference in price or range that can tip the scales towards AMD.
RAM memory, there is no doubt 3600 MHz is the most recommended option
A lot of people try to install or overclock their modules above these speeds thinking that the only thing that matters is precisely the RAM modules, but the truth is BMI is equal or more important here. .
The voltage of the same in both processors is triggered after 3800 MHz, where it is necessary to configure and adjust it by hand, a task that requires knowledge and time, a lot of time, because several voltages are involved and as in any overclocking you need to be sure what to do.
Therefore, the most recommended “Plug & Play” option is to install two 8 GB modules at a speed of 3600 MHz with latencies ranging from CAS18 to 16, taking into account that the lower the timing, the higher the IMC and not all of them are good at supporting loads, so it’s better to go for compatibility if we don’t know how to touch BIOS settings or test for stability.
Perhaps the best option here are the Corsair Vengeance LPX 2 x 8 GB DDR4 3600 MHz CAS18, cheap, low profile, aluminum heat sink, and highly compatible with almost all motherboards on the market.
Graphics card, only two options to achieve enough FPS
Here we only have two options available depending on the game developer: NVIDIA RTX 3070 or AMD RX 6800. The lack of availability of several AMD models such as the supposed RX 6700 leaves us with a complicated and reduced catalog.
Additionally, the zero stock of both models at the time of writing makes the choice more of which model to pick from stock than for actual performance, although the AMD GPU is a bit faster and has twice the VRAM which still appreciated, although it costs a little more.
Currently recommending a specific model is a waste of time as prices are skyrocketing for the few units in stock.
SSD, at least 500 GB to power the operating system and 175 GB of the game
The problem with this game, as it happened with its predecessor, is that the game itself occupies 175 GB, a figure that forces us with what the operating system occupies and the programs we include to achieve a minimum capacity. and with guarantees of at least 500 GB.
For now and until I come on the scene Microsoft DirectStorage the difference between a SATA SSD and an M.2 NVMe is really negligible for the FPS rate we are going to achieve. Therefore, our two options will be one Crucial BX500 480GB as a first option, and for the tightest budgets, the 480 GB Kingston A400.
PC to play with Ray Tracing in Cold War
The choice of processor is complicated
They recommend an i9-9900K or a Ryzen 7 3700X, but the problem is that they have been replaced by their respective new faster processors. Here the price factor comes into play a lot, because if we find a specific offer for one of them it might be worth choosing them, but the reality is that as a rule an i5-10600K will be more faster than the i9 even with two cores less.
On the other hand, on the AMD side, it is not worth choosing the 3700X because there is already the 5600X which is much faster in gaming. The problem with these two processors? Well there is no stock on hand so the units that are for sale are going crazy prices so we’ll have to wait for them to restock.
In the GPU section there are only three options and one does not work with ray tracing in the cold war
If we want Ray Tracing, we’ll have to drag our pockets, as there are only three GPU models available on the market and also out of stock: RTX 3080, RTX 3090, and RX 6800 XT.
Therefore, and given that the situation is similar to the above, recommending models that are currently skyrocketing in price is nonsense, it will be necessary to wait for the situation to normalize, but in any case the RX 6900 XT is not available. to come out, it will be the GPUs that must be taken into account, the AIB to choose is a question of price and taste.
Also, keep in mind that currently the game only supports Ray Tracing on NVIDIA GPUs, so buying AMD may be a bet for the future, where it is not clear what benefits official support.
SSD will be difficult in terms of choice due to its size
Here, when increasing the requirements for the extra texture package, we can choose the 500GB described above or the 1TB SSD to heal ourselves and play more than one game without capacity issues.
Here are two other well-known and recommended SSDs: the Crucial BX500 and SanDisk SSD Plus SATA III, both at a price slightly over 100 dollars and which will offer us more than good and sufficient performance for any game, including this COD: Black Ops – Cold War.
Table of Contents