F1 25 System Requirements (2026): 3 Tested GPU Tiers

Most gaming PCs built in the last few years already clear the F1 25 system requirements. A mainstream 16 GB graphics card like the RTX 5060 Ti with a six-core Ryzen 5 runs the game maxed on raster at 1080p and 1440p, and even an RTX 4060 holds well over 144 fps at 1080p High. You only need to spend more for ray tracing at 1440p, VR, or path tracing.

That holds for the 2026 season too. There is no standalone F1 26: EA shipped the new season as an expansion for F1 25, so the same spec sheet applies. Below are the official tiers, the tested frame rates, and the parts we would buy.

At a glance

Verdict: is a mid-range PC enough for F1 25?

Yes, for almost every way people race it. The step-up cases are narrow and specific, and the matrix below lists them.

Official F1 25 system requirements

Codemasters publishes a fuller sheet than most racing games, with separate lines for ray tracing, VR, and the path traced Ultra Max preset. Here it is, condensed into three columns.

Two things stand out. The minimum is old hardware: a GTX 1060 and a Core i5-6400 date from 2016 and 2015, and they launch the game at low settings. The recommended tier, an RTX 2070 or RX 6600 XT with 16 GB of RAM, is where F1 25 looks the way the trailers do at 1080p.

The big jump is the right-hand column. Path tracing asks for an RTX 4080 Super or RTX 5080 just to hold 1080p at 60 fps with upscaling, a bigger leap than anything between minimum and recommended. Standard ray tracing sits in between. If you are matching a card to a new monitor at the same time, our guide to matching a GPU to your monitor covers that side.

The 2026 Season Pack, which added Audi, Cadillac, the Madring circuit and the new active aero rules in June 2026, installs on top of F1 25. It runs inside the same game, so this is still the sheet that applies.

Benchmarks

These are Notebookcheck's F1 25 results on a Ryzen 7 9800X3D test bench. Read them as a ladder: raster is easy, path tracing is not. The RTX 4060 row is there because it is the card a lot of people already own. For the full field in this game, AMD cards included, see our F1 25 GPU picks.

Two numbers tell the story. At 1080p High the RTX 5060 Ti runs at 234 fps. Switch on Ultra Max and the same card drops to 36.9 fps. Everything in this guide follows from that gap.

Enough for most: MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5060 Ti 16G

msi Gaming RTX 5060 Ti 16G Ventus 3X OC Graphics Card (16GB GDDR7, 128-bit, Extreme Performance: 2617 MHz, DisplayPort x 3 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b, NVIDIA Blackwell Architecture)

Buy the MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5060 Ti 16G on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

This is the card that answers the question in the title. Notebookcheck measured the RTX 5060 Ti at 234 fps at 1080p High, so a 144 Hz or even a 240 Hz monitor runs out before the card does. F1 25 is well optimized on raster, and this tier keeps headroom for a full 2026 grid of 22 cars.

The 16 GB of memory matters long term. Ray traced reflections and the highest texture settings lean on video memory, and 16 GB keeps them from hitting a wall. Add DLSS 4 Quality and 1440p climbs into high refresh territory. At 180 W of board power, a quality 600 W supply covers it.

What you give up

Path tracing is off the table. This card manages 36.9 fps at 1080p Ultra Max native and 41 fps at 1440p even with DLSS. You can look at it, but you cannot race on it.

The 128-bit memory bus limits it at 1440p native with ray tracing on, so plan on upscaling there. Buyers have also flagged mix-ups with the 8 GB RTX 5060 Ti, which shares the name and often sits on the same listing page. Check for 16G in the title. We cover whether 8 GB of VRAM is still enough separately.

Who it's for

The racer on one 1080p or 1440p monitor who wants F1 25 maxed on raster at a high refresh rate, without paying for showcase modes. League racers especially: you turn effects down for visibility anyway.

Step-up for ray tracing and VR: MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5070 Ti OC

msi Gaming RTX 5070 Ti 16G Ventus 3X OC Graphics Card (16GB GDDR7, 256-bit, Extreme Performance: 2497 MHz, DisplayPort x 3 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b, NVIDIA Blackwell Architecture)

Buy the MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5070 Ti OC on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

At 345 fps in 1080p High, raster was never the reason to buy this card. The money goes to the two modes that load the GPU in F1 25: ray tracing at 1440p, and VR, where the game renders two views at a steady frame rate or makes you feel it. The 256-bit bus and 16 GB give it room for both.

It is also the cheapest pick where path tracing becomes a real option, at 67.1 fps at 1080p Ultra Max native before DLSS. If you are still choosing a headset, our pick of VR headsets for sim racing pairs with this tier.

What you give up

On a single 1080p monitor with ray tracing off, nothing about this card is visible. That is a big outlay for frames your display cannot show.

It also wants a 750 W supply and a 16-pin power cable, which can mean a PSU upgrade on an older build. Frame generation adds smoothness, not responsiveness, so league racers should leave it off and judge the card on its native frame rate.

Who it's for

The 1440p high refresh racer who wants ray traced reflections on wet tracks, and anyone running F1 25 on a Quest 3 class headset.

Path tracing showcase: ASUS TUF RTX 5080 OC

ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5080 16GB GDDR7 OC Edition Graphics Card

$1,831.31

Buy the ASUS TUF RTX 5080 OC on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

This is the card Codemasters names for the path traced Ultra Max preset, alongside the RTX 4080 Super. It earns the spot: 79.5 fps at 1080p Ultra Max native and 85.9 fps at 1440p Ultra Max with DLSS Quality in Notebookcheck's run.

It is the only pick where Ultra Max is a setting you race on rather than a photo mode. It also tops the raster chart at 366 fps at 1080p High, though at that point your monitor decides what you see.

What you give up

Most of what you pay for is one rendering mode in a game where the camera moves at 300 km/h. Even this card sits at 45.2 fps at 4K Ultra Max with DLSS, so 4K path tracing is still a stretch.

The TUF cooler is 3.6 slots thick, and buyers have flagged fitment problems in mid-tower cases, so measure before you order. Plan on an 850 W supply.

Who it's for

The 1440p racer who specifically wants F1 25 at Ultra Max and accepts that the extra spend buys looks, not lap time.

The CPU side: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor

$142.49$299.00

Buy the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

F1 25 is not a hard game on the processor. The recommended chip is a Ryzen 5 2600X, and even the path traced tier only asks for a Ryzen 5 7600X or Core i5-12600K. The 7600X meets the highest CPU line on the sheet, so it never becomes the reason a tier fails.

It sits on AM5, which keeps a drop-in upgrade path open, and it is cheap enough that the budget goes where this game wants it: the graphics card.

What you give up

There is no cooler in the box, so add a decent air cooler to the bill. It needs DDR5 and an AM5 board, which means an AM4 owner is buying a platform, not a chip.

It is also not an X3D part. For 240 Hz league racing where minimum frame rates matter, a cache-heavy chip holds the lows better.

Who it's for

New builders who want the processor decided cheaply so the graphics card sets the experience.

The cheap way in

If you would rather not build, our budget prebuilt gaming PCs list covers RTX 5060 class machines that clear the recommended tier. Upgrading an older PC instead? A card from our budget 1080p graphics cards roundup handles 1080p High in this game.

Then spend what you saved on the controls. F1 25 plays well on a pad, and the best controllers for F1 25 cost less than a GPU step. If you want force feedback, a wheel for F1 25 changes the game more than path tracing does.

Bottom line

If you race on one 1080p or 1440p monitor, buy the MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5060 Ti 16G and a Ryzen 5 7600X. That clears every line of the F1 25 system requirements except path tracing. If you want ray tracing at 1440p or race in VR, buy the MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5070 Ti OC. If you want Ultra Max path tracing, buy the ASUS TUF RTX 5080 OC and accept the cost. Everyone else probably owns enough PC already.

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