Call of Duty: Black Ops System Requirements (Can’t play it on your computer?)

* Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation Minimum System Requirements *
For anyone wondering the minimum system requirements of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation Content Pack are the same as the normal Black Ops game. Nothing has changed as far as system requirements are concerned.
For the past 7 years the “Call of Duty” PC gaming series has been my favorite. Sure some versions lacked features or had features that I did not agree with. But overall I have happily owned every single COD PC
game that has come out. I preordered the new COD Black Ops from Amazon last week and I can’t wait until it arrives. I looked up the system requirements and wow, they sure have rose significantly over the years.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops release date was November 9th, 2010.
Call of Duty: Black Ops destroyed last year's COD: MW2 1st day sales record by almost 1 million. It sold 5.6 million copies the 1st 24 hours (http://bit.ly/aOlV7o). No wonder why the COD: Black Ops online servers were laggy the first couple of days.
Last year I upgraded two of my nephews computers so their desktop PCs would be fast enough to run Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 smoothly. They were disappointed when I told them that both of their computers which can easily run COD: MW2 smoothly were not fast enough to run Call of Duty: Black Ops. They both need faster/newer CPUs and faster/newer graphics cards if they ever want to get COD: BO running on their computers.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops minimum PC system requirements are very demanding for the average PC owner and a lot of you may not have powerful enough systems to play the game (no, this does not include all of you hardcore geeky gamers like myself ;-). So I highly recommend that every person looking to purchase this game checks their PC specifications to make sure your computer Meets or Exceeds the Call of Duty: Black Ops Minimum System Requirements listed below.
If you are unsure of any particular computer specification you may have that is not a problem. Just follow this tutorial and it will show you how to find all your PC system specs
NOTE: The COD: BO minimums do not include any built-in/integrated graphics cards at all. So if you have a computer with a built-in/integrated graphic card your desktop or laptop is not compatible.
Also note that COD: BO will most likely NOT run on most of your laptops. The only laptops I see this game running on are those New, expensive “gaming” laptops.
PC MINIMUM System Requirements
• Operating System: Windows 7 / Vista / XP
(Any version of Vista and Windows 7 will work, 32 or 64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz / AMD Phenom X3 8750 2.4GHz Or Better/Faster CPU
• RAM: 2 GB Or Better
• Video/Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT 256 MB / ATI Radeon X1950Pro 256 MB Or Better/Faster
• Video/Graphics Card Special Requirements: Shader 3.0 Or Better AND DirectX 9.0c compatible
• Sound card: DirectX 9.0c compatible
• Minimum Free Hard Drive Space: 12 GB
IF YOU ARE UNSURE IF YOUR PC SPECS ARE COMPATIBLE OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT INSTALLING Call of Duty: Black Ops... FEEL FREE TO ASK BELOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION! :-)
Here is an excellent guide on how to make Call of Duty: Black Ops run smoother by JAMES, a site member and gamer enthusiast.
(Please note: This guide is for computers that barely meet the COD: Black Ops requirements and also the PCs that just fall short of meeting the requirements. This guide will NOT make a computer run Black Ops that doesn’t come anywhere near meeting the minimum requirements.)
From JAMES…
Okay, guys. I got my Black Ops to run smoothly, thanks to Joey, Gamebooster and a few nifty tricks up my sleeve. I have an;
ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 Containing:
Video RAM 1.0 GB
Hardware T&L
Pixel Shader version 4.0
Vertex Shader version 4.0
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU P8400 @ 2.26GHz 2.27GHz,
RAM: 2Gig (Vista)
Now, even on the lowest settings with the lowest textures and resolution it lagged a tad,
which was, quite frankly, bloody annoying!
How I got a smooth FPS:
Before doing this, make sure to set your Black Ops to 'windowed' mode.
What I did was navigate to my Black Ops Steam root directory (found in the Steam/steamapps/common folder)
and set the two BlackOps.exe files to run in compatibility with XP SP2, I enabled the 'force run in 640x480 screen resolution' setting and enabled the three boxes below it.
Since the 640x480 resolution is forced onto the whole screen and not just the game, you will see your desktop looking quite weird, but do not worry, just ignore it.
When the game launches, it will take up the whole screen regardless of it's windowed mode. You won't be in legit fullscreen, but the game window fills up your screen space (at least it did for me).
It basically looks fullscreen, and emulates a 640x480 full screen resolution with no added pressure on your CPU, due to it literally being windowed!
Now open Task Manager, and navigate to the processes tab while Call of Duty is running. You should then set Steam's priority to "low" (by right-clicking Steam.exe and selecting Priority->low), then you should raise BlackOps.exe's priority to "high".
This worked on an ASUS Laptop, with a slightly larger than average screen. It should work on normal computer screens, but smaller screens (I.E: Notebooks) won't get the full render of the game.
Here is the Game Booster site: http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html
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For your viewing pleasure... If you are not excited about playing or owning Call of Duty: Black Ops for your PC or console after watching the two videos below then Call of Duty: Black Ops is definitely not for you :-)
* Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 System Requirements (Can’t Play it on your Computer?)
* How-To Make Call of Duty: Black Ops Run Faster (Performance Improvement Guide)
* How-To Test if your PC/Mac Can Play a Game (Can Your Computer Run it?)
* How-To Enable the Console (and Cheats) in Call of Duty: Black Ops Single Player Mode
| If we helped you or if you found this article useful :-) |










Acer Aspire 1830t & Black Ops
Hi, before I go and buy black ops, I was just wanting to know if my Acer Aspire 1830t will actually run it or not. If it can't, what would be the best COD I will be able to play?
Thanx
re: AMD athlon 64 x2 dual core processor 4000+ [Guest]
Hello. I am sorry to tell you this but your computer is below the minimum system requirements of COD: Black Ops. The AMD 4000+ CPU and 1 GB of RAM are below the minimums. You are using a pen drive as a Ready Boost which may help a bit but it does not make up for real RAM when it comes to games like Black Ops.
Also I am not sure what model of graphics card you have. The most important thing about the graphics card is that the graphics engine/processor is fast enough. Some 1 GB GeForce cards are too slow to play Black Ops.
AMD athlon 64 x2 dual core
AMD athlon 64 x2 dual core processor 4000+
graphic card 256 mb
ram 1 gb but increased by pen drive
then it asked for steam software, i installed it
then also it is not playing
help me !!!!
re: BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G
Hello. The AMD Athlon II X3 455 Rana is a good CPU for COD: Black Ops. 4 GB of RAM is also good to have for playing Black Ops. Your system does have a problem with compatibility though. The ATI Radeon Sapphire 3400 HD is below the COD: BO minimum system requirements. It will probably run but it will be really laggy, maybe even freeze the game.
I recommend buying a Radeon HD 6770 or faster graphics card. Then you will be trouble-free when you play Black Ops.
sorry an i have a ati radon
sorry an i have a ati radon sapphire 3400hd
BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G
BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular LED Power Supply
AMD Entertainment Edition 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model AE34G1339U2
AMD Athlon II X3 455 Rana 3.3GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor ADX455WFGMBOX
vista 32bit
will it play black ops or do i need a better cpu
re: amd sempron le-1250 [Guest]
Hello. I am sorry to tell you that your system is not compatible with Call of Duty: Black Ops. The main reason is the processor. The game will not run well on AMD Semprons, if it even runs at all.
amd sempron le-1250
amd sempron le-1250 2.20ghz
2gb ram
32 bit op system
ati radeon sappher 512 hd
will it work for black ops
thanks for your answer, the
thanks for your answer, the notebook is kinda old so i expected the answer. i would like too buy a proper laptop but cant afford one right now.
re: Lenovo 3000 n200 [a guest]
- Lenovo 3000 n200 -
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 2.00 GHz
RAM: 3 GB
Graphics: Intel GMA X3100
OS: Vista 32-bit
Hello. You are right. The laptop will not run Black Ops. The graphics card is well under the minimum system requirements. Intel graphic cards are not upgradeable.
The only option is to do what my friend did. He went on ebay and found a used computer at a good price.
PS PS
my graphics card is Intel(R) GMA X3100
can i upgrade it or something, to play the game?
PS
the site you posted on anohter question says my notebook has not enough mb on my video card, how can i update it to 256mb?
will it work on a
will it work on a notebook?
lenovo 3000 n200
running on MS vista 32bit
RAM: 3gb (upgraded, first it was 1gb)
processor: intel(r) core(TM) 2 duo CPU T5750 at 2.00GHz
Graphics: (not sure about this, its someting of:) mobile intel(R) 965 express Chipset Family
hope it does but i dont think so actualy
please reply
re: can i run it? [Guest]
Processor: Intel Core i5-430M 2.27 GHz
RAM: ??
Graphics??
Hello. Your processor is definitely fast enough to run COD: Black Ops. I just need to know your RAM and Graphics card specs to tell you if Black Ops will work on your laptop.
To test your laptop an easy way is to visit this Black Ops PC test page: http://www.yougamers.com/gameometer/10424/
- Click the big, Green button
- There will be some message that says something about Java, allow it to run
- It will take around 30-45 full seconds for your PC to get tested
- At the end it will tell you if it pass and most importantly it will tell you what Graphics card and how much Memory (aka “RAM”) you have. It will also tell you what processor you are running but you already know that info
I need to know what graphics card and how much RAM your laptop has.
can i run it?
i have an intel core i5 cpu m430 @ 2.27GHz
can i run it?
and if i cant, is there an way to improve the proccesor i already have?
re: Can i play? [Guest]
Processor: Intel Centrino 2 3.0 GHz
RAM: 3 GB
Graphics: nVidia GeForce 9200
Hello. I am sorry to say your PC is below the COD: Black Ops minimum system requirements. The reason is because the GeForce 9200 is not fast enough. Best case scenario is that the game will install and run VERY laggy, maybe freeze your PC. Worst case scenarios is that the game will not install, instead giving you a “Device 0” error which means “incompatible video card”.
Can i play?
Processor: Intel Centrino 2 3.0 GHz
RAM: 3 GB
Graphics: nVidia GeForce 9200
re: Jovan K.
Hi Jovan. How did you get Black Ops running on the PC with an Intel Celeron E3400 and Radeon HD 4350? Was it laggy whenever there were a lot of explosions around you? I am curious b/c according to the makers of COD: Black Ops that CPU and Graphics card are both below the Black Ops minimum system requirements.
The AMD Athlon II X4 2.66 GHz is a nice CPU to run Black Ops on. It is definitely above the minimums requirements and a LOT faster than the Intel Celeron E3400.
I tried to look up gaming benchmarks from reputable sites for the Integrated AMD Radeon HD 6000 graphics card but I could not find any. I am not sure how well that ranks against the Radeon HD 3450.
In general the makers of COD: Black Ops say integrated graphics cards are below the minimum system requirements and will not run well at all.
Would this go nice in this
Would this go nice in this configuration?
Windows XP
-AMD Athlon II x4 2.6GHz
-8GB of Mushkin memory 1866MHz
-Integrated Graphic AMD Radeon HD6000 (I think it uses part of RAM memory)
I think it would, cuz I played it on this configuration:
-Windows 7
-Intel Celeron 2.6GHz Dual Core (E3400)
-3GB of Kingston 800MHz memory
-ATI Radeon HD4350 512MB (not integrated)
And if it could, how high could video settings be (resolution, frame refresh rate, shadows, textures, etc.)?
re: show ur specs with speccy [Guest]
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 630 3.0 GHz
RAM: 2.25 GB
Graphics: 32MB Radeon X300/X550/X1050 Series
Hi. Thanks for posting your specs. I am sorry to say that Call of Duty: Black Ops will not run on your computer. The CPU and Graphics card are not fast enough. If the game installs it will run very slow, it might even crash your computer.
Re show ur specs with speccy
These are my specs:
Operating System
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit SP1
CPU
Intel Pentium 4 630
Prescott 90nm Technology
RAM
2.25 GB Dual-Channel DDR2 @ 266MHz (4-4-4-12)
Motherboard
Dell Inc. 0WG261 (Microprocessor)
Graphics
HP L2208w (1680x1050@59Hz)
32MB Radeon X300/X550/X1050 Series (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) (ATI)
Radeon X300/X550/X1050 Series Secondary (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) (ATI)
CrossFire Disabled
Hard Drives
244GB Maxtor Maxtor 7L250S0 ATA Device (SATA): 47 °C
Optical Drives
PHILIPS DVD+-RW DVD8701 ATA Device
Audio
High Definition Audio Device
Operating System
re: Can i run Call of Duty Black Ops? [Trilokesh Barua]
Hello Trilokesh Barua :-) You have a nice system to run Call of Duty: Black Ops on. With your system I would run Black Ops on Medium graphics settings.
It is very important to download the latest nVidia drivers for the GT 430
Here are the exact drivers you need: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp-285.58-whql-driver.html
Have fun!
Can i run Call of Duty Black Ops?
Hi,
My computer specs are;
OS: Windows XP SP3
Processor: Intel Core2duo E7300 @2.67 Ghz
MEMORY: 3GB
VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GT 430 1GB
Please tell me that can i run the game?
re: PC [Josh]
Hi Josh, thanks for posting your computer specs.
The 4 GB of RAM and GeForce GT 220 both pass the Black Ops minimum system requirements.
Last year when Black Ops came out I remember a person complaining that Black Ops ran really slow on his computer and he had an Intel “Pentium D” 3.6 GHz processor. He had a fast graphics card and 4 GB of RAM too. The Black Ops development team might of put out a patch since them to smooth things out on Pentium D processors.
COD: Black Ops will run smooth on your PC as long as you play at low graphics settings. Also remember to do the following to make sure BO runs smooth…
#1 – Fully update Windows , then restart your PC and checked if there are any new updates. (Some games require certain Windows Updates to run properly. So be sure to download all updates you see.)
You did not say what version of Windows you are running. I assume it is Windows 7. If you need it I created a tutorial on this subject: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Update-Windows-7-Microsoft-Windows-U...
#2 – Download and Install the latest GeForce GT 220 drivers from the nVidia site located here: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
#3 – After you installed the new graphics drivers you must restart your PC for everything will work.
#4 – Download and Install the Free version of “Game Booster”: ttp://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html
(This helped me with a recent game crashing issue I had where my game was conflicting with something on my system. This temporarily shuts down all unimportant processes that may interfere with the game)
In case you need it I just finished creating a video tutorial on how to install and optimize Game Booster. The video is at the end of the article: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Get-Less-Lag-Higher-Frame-Rates-runn...
#5 Make sure the laptop is plugged into the A/C power adapter. If it is unplugged will slow down. This is bad for gaming and will decrease frame rates (it sometimes makes a compatible laptop fall into the non-compatible category and will crash the game or Windows).
#6 Place the laptop on a flat surface like a table or desk before and during gameplay; preferably in a cool area. The last thing you want to do is play with the laptop on your lap. Laptop overheating may also slow down your CPU, or crash your computer.
#7 – Run Game Booster
#8 – Run Black Ops but do not play it yet. Go into the graphics settings and set everything to the lowest possible
Save / Apply
#9 Play Black Ops
PC
Would you say it will run well on my PC?
Intel Pentium D Duo Core@ 3.0Ghz
4GB DDR2 RAM@800Mhz
1GB Zotac Geforce GT 220 Graphics Card@800Mhz
re: CAN I PLAY IT? [Guest]
Hello. I never heard of the ATI 500, at least not for gaming. Can you do me a favor and post up all of your PC specs. You can do it easily with the free version of “Speccy”.
- Download Speccy here: http://www.piriform.com/speccy/download
- When you run Speccy there is a very simple option that grabs your important PC hardware specs and posts them online so you can share anywhere. Follow this image when running Speccy: http://i.minus.com/i78MbUj4QaOm9.png
It will give you a link. Post that link on here.
CAN I PLAY IT?
Hi id like to know if ican play black ops on a windows 7 pc with a radeon ati 500 video card at 2.4ghz! Thanks!
re: Black Ops running on a Toshiba A350 laptop [Damon]
- Laptop -
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 2.2 GHz
RAM: 2 GB
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 3470
Hi Damon. Your graphics card and RAM meet the Call of Duty: Black Ops minimum system requirements. The process is a little slow for Black Ops. You might be able to run Black Ops but only at the lowest graphics settings possible. Just make sure to do the following…
1 – Fully update Windows 7
2 –Update your HD 3470 laptop/notebook graphics card to the latest driver. Get it from this site: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
3 – Always play with the laptop plugged in the A/C adapter or else your laptop will slow down
4 – Download and Install the Free version of “Game Booster”: http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html
In case you need it, the latest video tutorial I created was on how to install and optimize Game Booster. The video is at the end of the article: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Get-Less-Lag-Higher-Frame-Rates-runn...
re: can either of these Graphics cards support black ops [Guest]
The Intel HD graphics card will no run Black Ops smoothly. You will have problems.
The GeForce GT 330M is 100% compatible and will run Call of Duty: Black Ops smoothly at medium settings (as long as you pair it up with a Core i3, i5 or i7 processor).
Sorry, a correction, the
Sorry, a correction, the graphics card is an ATI Radion HD 3470