Mass Effect — System Requirements, FPS Estimate & Settings
2007 · Action, RPG · BioWare · ESRB Mature · Metacritic 89
Official system requirements
Publisher-published Minimum / Recommended values via RAWG, retrieved 2026-08-21. Real-world performance varies with drivers, resolution and your full build.
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Supported OS: Microsoft Windows® XP with SP2 or Windows Vista* | — |
| Processor | Processor: Intel P4 2.4 Ghz or faster / AMD 2.0 Ghz | — |
| Memory | Memory: 1.0 GB RAM or more (2.0 GB for Vista) | — |
| Graphics | Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compatible, ATI X1300 XT or greater (ATI X1300, X1300 Pro, X1600 Pro, Radeon 2600 HD, and HD 2400 are below minimum system requirements); NVidia GeForce 6800 or greater (7300, 7600 GS, 8500 are below minimum system requirements) | — |
| Storage | Hard Drive: 12.0 GB or more free hard drive space | — |
| DirectX | Sound: DirectX 9.0c compatible | — |
| Item 7 | DirectX®: 9.0c * WINDOWS VISTA OR WINDOWS 7 USERS: Launching “Mass Effect” from Steam requires the setting “Run as Administrator”. If the User Account Control feature of Windows Vista is enabled, launching “Mass Effect” from Steam will result in failure. For users with User Account Control enabled, launch Steam using the “Run as Administrator” option or launch from the windows shortcut. | — |
| Item 8 | INTERNET CONNECTION AND END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT REQUIRED TO PLAY. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.EA.COM. | — |
Multi-GPU FPS estimate
Estimated average FPS by GPU at 1080p / 1440p / 4K, derived from Mass Effect's demand tier (tier 8, Very demanding (flagship GPU)) and published TechPowerUp-style relative-performance indices (RTX 4090 = 100), retrieved 2026-08-29. Planning estimates, not benchmarks.
| GPU | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 | 67 | 44 | 25 |
| RTX 4080 Super | 60 | 40 | 23 |
| RTX 4080 | 58 | 38 | 22 |
| RX 7900 XTX | 64 | 42 | 24 |
| RX 7900 XT | 60 | 40 | 23 |
| RTX 4070 Ti Super | 51 | 34 | 19 |
| RX 7800 XT | 51 | 34 | 19 |
| RTX 4070 Super | 48 | 32 | 18 |
| RTX 4070 | 45 | 30 | 17 |
| RX 7700 XT | 46 | 31 | 18 |
| RTX 3070 | 42 | 28 | 16 |
| RX 6800 XT | 51 | 33 | 19 |
| RTX 4060 Ti | 37 | 24 | 14 |
| RX 6700 XT | 45 | 30 | 17 |
| RTX 3060 | 34 | 22 | 13 |
| RX 6600 XT | 38 | 25 | 15 |
| RTX 2060 | 31 | 20 | 12 |
| GTX 1660 Super | 25 | 17 | 10 |
| RX 580 | 29 | 19 | 11 |
| GTX 1060 6GB | 24 | 16 | 9 |
| GTX 1650 | 19 | 13 | 8 |
| Intel Arc A770 | 39 | 26 | 15 |
| UHD 770 (integrated) | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Method: a game's demand tier maps to a “GPU index needed for ~60 FPS at 1080p”; each GPU's relative index produces an estimate via a diminishing-returns curve, then scaled for resolution. Source: TechPowerUp GPU database (relative performance), 2026-08-29.
Similar games you may tune next
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2015 · Action, RPG
Open profile →The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2011 · Action, RPG
Open profile →Borderlands 2
2012 · Shooter, Action
Open profile →Fallout 4
2015 · Action, RPG
Open profile →Cyberpunk 2077
2020 · Shooter, Action
Open profile →Warframe
2013 · Shooter, Massively Multiplayer
Open profile →Horizon Zero Dawn
2017 · Action, RPG
Open profile →The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut
2008 · Action, RPG
Open profile →Optimize Mass Effect for your hardware
Pick your GPU, CPU, resolution and target refresh rate, then generate a printable settings card with per-preset expectations and upscaler guidance.
Optimize Mass Effect for your PC
This is a planning estimate derived from the game's demand tier, not a benchmark.
My Mass Effect Settings Card
Generated at GameFigs on 2026-09-25. Game demand tier: 8/9.
Release & version notes
Official release date: 2007-11-16. Ongoing patches and version history are published by the developer — for the latest patch notes, see the official store or support page. GameFigs summarizes the official release only and does not invent patch dates.
About Mass Effect
Mass Effect was the very start of the trilogy about Commander Shepard in his journey to save the universe from Reapers - an old civilisation that wants to kill every possible rational being in order to prevail any wars. You play as Shepard. With flexible backstory and different classes you travel to Eden Prime with Captain Anderson and Nihlus Kryik, you and your team must discover the mystery behind the attack on the human colony. In the process, it is revealed that another Spectre, Saron, has become rogue and escapes the planet to awoke Reapers and start a full-scale war with the galaxy. For BioWare, third-person shooters with tactical elements is a very common genre. Four different weapons - automatic rifle, shotgun, pistol and sniper rifle can be obtained through the game with better characteristics. Also, you can level up your protagonist and his squad to gain better stats and new skills. Dialogue panel is simple yet efficient - you choose the style of your approach and build a reputation of a hero or a renegade. With this options in hand, you can build your own story as Commander Shepard in saving the Milky Way Galaxy.
Sources & attribution
- Game data (release year, genres, platforms, system requirements, description, cover art) via RAWG.io, retrieved 2026-08-21.
- GPU relative-performance indices via TechPowerUp GPU database (relative performance), retrieved 2026-08-29.
- FPS estimates on this page are GameFigs planning estimates from the demand-tier + GPU-index model — not benchmark results.
How the Mass Effect optimization card & FPS estimate are computed
Each game is scored on a 0–9 demand tier from its published PC requirements (and a year/genre fallback when requirements are absent). The FPS estimate compares your selected GPU's relative-performance index against the tier's required index using a diminishing-returns curve, then scales for resolution. The settings card maps the demand tier and your hardware to a starting preset, an FPS band and an upscaler recommendation. All outputs are planning guides — verify in-game with the built-in benchmark when available.
Tools for Mass Effect
Check your hardware against this title, then set your gear up for it.