Modern Warfare 4 PC setup: requirements, installation and first benchmark

Start with the launch specification

Modern Warfare 4 launched on October 23. Its PC announcement lists a 115 GB SSD installation requirement, with further space potentially needed for updates. Treat the table below as the publisher’s launch specification, then compare the current installer with the free space on your chosen drive.

Source: Official PC launch specifications

Minimum and recommended hardware

Component	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	Ryzen 5 1400 / Core i5-6600	Ryzen 5 3600 / Core i7-8700K
RAM	8 GB	16 GB
GPU alternatives	Radeon RX 470; GeForce GTX 970 / 1060; Arc A580	Radeon RX 6600 XT; GeForce RTX 3060 Ti; Arc B580
Video memory	3 GB	8 GB
Operating system	Windows 10, 64-bit, current update	Windows 11, 64-bit, current update

Source: Publisher hardware table

Find the game in the right library

Activision’s installation guide places the Steam download under Call of Duty in Library. Battle.net uses the Modern Warfare 4 entry in All Games. In the Xbox PC app, look in My Library; if the game is absent, remove the Installed filter. Use the account and storefront that hold your entitlement.

A missing library entry and a stalled download need different next steps. First confirm the storefront and signed-in account. If the entry is present, record whether the download is queued, transferring, unpacking or waiting for an update before restarting anything.

Source: Official installation instructions

Check security requirements before changing graphics

TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required. Activision’s security guide specifies Windows 10 22H2 or later, or Windows 11. In System Information, check BIOS Mode and Secure Boot State; the expected values are UEFI and On. Follow the linked guide and your manufacturer’s documentation if those checks fail.

Save the exact error message. Changing texture quality cannot resolve a security prerequisite. Avoid copying firmware settings from an unrelated computer: the relevant steps depend on the machine, and this page does not provide a universal BIOS conversion procedure.

Source: Current security prerequisites and manufacturer guidance

Make the first benchmark useful

The game includes a benchmark with CPU/GPU and frame-rate results. The publisher targets 90 FPS for the recommended specification at High multiplayer settings; that is a target, not a result measured on your PC.

Record the resolution, preset and upscaling choice with the result. Change one option and run the same comparison again. Keep a baseline so you can reverse a change that improves the average while making motion or aiming less comfortable.

Record	Why it helps
Display and resolution	Keeps the workload comparable.
Preset and upscaling choice	Identifies what changed between runs.
Average result and visible hitches	Separates the headline number from interruptions.
CPU/GPU result and game version	Gives a support report useful context.

Source: Official benchmark description

Use the error to choose the next step

If the game opens but a match does not, keep that separate from an installation failure. Record the selected mode, account and exact on-screen message. If it runs but performs poorly, keep the benchmark baseline and settings together. This approach avoids repeatedly reinstalling a working download while investigating an unrelated account or performance issue.

Continue with this game

Open the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Wiki Modern Warfare 4 crossplay: Activision accounts, friends and missing progression Modern Warfare 4 DMZ: prepare the FOB, pick an objective and extract Modern Warfare 4 progression: DMZ levels, Classic Prestige and Regular Prestige

Sources & scope

This article uses the official and individually identified community references linked below. It is not a hands-on review. Screenshots are credited to their original publishers; they are not evidence that we tested these steps. Game details can change after publication.