industry news
Here, The Lich King System Requirements
Posted by Luke Plunkett at 2:00 PM on October 9, 2008
Blizzard have released the specs sheet for their upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. And, yes, being World of Warcraft, they're nice and low (though they have been upgraded from previous WoW specs, just a pinch). So low that it feels good typing them here, like we jumped in a way-back machine and set the "TIME" dial to "The Good Old Days". PC users will need a 1.3ghz processor and 512MB/1GB RAM (XP/Vista), while Mac users will need a PowerPC G5 1.6 ghz or Intel Core Duo. Full specs after the jump.
PC System Requirements
OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 3), Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)
Processor:
* Minimum: Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+
* Recommended: Dual-core processor, such as the Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2
Memory:
* Minimum: 512 MB RAM (1GB for Vista users)
* Recommended: 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista users)
Video:
* Minimum: 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 32 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon 7200 or NVIDIA GeForce 2 class card or better* Recommended: 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT class card or betterSound: DirectX-compatible sound card or motherboard sound capability
Mac System Requirements
OS: Mac OS X 10.4.11 or newer
Processor:
* Minimum: PowerPC G5 1.6 GHz or Intel Core Duo processor
* Recommended: Intel 1.8GHz processor or better
Memory:
* Minimum: 1 GB RAM
* Recommended: 2 GB RAM
Video:
* Minimum: 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 64 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon 9600 or NVIDIA GeForce Ti 4600 class card or better* Recommended: 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA 7600 class card or betterAll Platforms
Controls: A keyboard and mouse are required. Input devices other than a mouse and keyboard are not supported.
Connectivity: You must have an active broadband Internet connection to play.
Mouse: Multi-button mouse with scroll wheel recommended.
Hard Drive Space: 15 GB free hard drive space

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
psycoking
Posted 11:13 AM 9/10/08
@Shocky: You'd be surprised. I worked as a PC repair guy for the first half of 2007. Some guy brought in his family PC for me to repair. It was a 100MHz 486. I doubt that could have run WoW. Sadly, that wasn't the only 10+ year old PC I was asked to repair T_T
psycoking
Patient
Posted 11:06 AM 9/10/08
Ouch, G4 no longer supported. C'ya!
Patient
Foxstar Sixtail
Posted 11:04 AM 9/10/08
@EnigmaNemesis:What about a IBM PC Jr or a Tandy 800?
Foxstar Sixtail
Ayanami
Posted 11:04 AM 9/10/08
@Blaine66: The current client is 10.3 GB, so I'd assume that the 15GB Includes the old data, at least I hope so.
Ayanami
Noks415
Posted 10:59 AM 9/10/08
This really sucks. I don't play WoW, but the fact that you need Leopard to run it means that Blizzard is probably gonna do the same thing for StarCraft 2 and that is gonna make me sad :(
Noks415
Flurp
Posted 10:57 AM 9/10/08
@Flurp: i should fucking read what im given, im such a dick
Flurp
Shocky
Posted 10:54 AM 9/10/08
Does your computer startup?
It runs wow.
LOL.
Shocky
Blaine66
Posted 10:51 AM 9/10/08
15 gb free space? Does that include the previous data, or is this all new? Because if it's all new, that puts WoW at almost 30 gb, meaning it's the biggest game data-wise to be on a computer.
Blaine66
Flurp
Posted 10:48 AM 9/10/08
memory requirements is listed twice
Flurp
lionkitten
Posted 10:47 AM 9/10/08
LOL. I quit WoW last month because I can't run it on my otherwise fine G4 iMac. Knew it would up a bit and I could barely run Burning Crusade. Can't afford to buy a new computer with things the way they are. Ah well. More time for my consoles.
lionkitten
PhantomVI
Posted 10:46 AM 9/10/08
I'm just hoping they continue their PPC support through Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2. Of course, by the time they come out I'll probably have an Intel Mac.
PhantomVI
anttwan
Posted 10:44 AM 9/10/08
you dont need sp3 :P
anttwan
EnigmaNemesis
Posted 10:43 AM 9/10/08
System requirements ... Timex Sinclair or equivalent.
EnigmaNemesis
generalsean
Posted 10:43 AM 9/10/08
nothing new folks
generalsean
subterfunk
Posted 11:21 AM 9/10/08
@Noks415: Mac OS X 10.4.11 is Tiger my friend.
subterfunk
EvilTim102
Posted 11:59 AM 9/10/08
World of Warcraft having system requirements?
EvilTim102
Zodduska
Posted 11:50 AM 9/10/08
What is this new fangled Hardware Transform and Lighting?
Zodduska
YHWHMystic
Posted 11:49 AM 9/10/08
Drat, I'm not going to catch up in time for the expansion. *sigh*
YHWHMystic
donjo
Posted 11:49 AM 9/10/08
@Blaine66: My Wotlk beta folder is 14.7GB with no screenshots or previous patches in the folder, so that is 15GB including all previous data.
donjo
HB0MB
Posted 11:39 AM 9/10/08
I have plenty on my desktop, but I'm not sure my poor 40gb laptop can handle it. I also hope that the 15gb includes WoW, and Burning Crusade.
@Blaine66:
HB0MB
relic1980
Posted 12:11 PM 9/10/08
@EnigmaNemesis: Damn...I suppose I'll need the 16k Expansion Pack as well? ^_^
relic1980
Chewbenator
Posted 12:11 PM 9/10/08
Hooray my laptop can run it.
Chewbenator
Spacehog85
Posted 12:05 PM 9/10/08
System Requirements:
no social life
fifteen bucks a month
your soul
Spacehog85
Sturmfalke
Posted 12:56 PM 9/10/08
@LDJosh: Then you only need 3 more gigs for wotlk. Remember that when they say 15, they're counting the first two as well. You need them to run the game.
Sturmfalke
Noks415
Posted 12:47 PM 9/10/08
@subterfunk: yea, you are right. I was still pissed because you need Leopard to run Spore so I assumed incorrectly.
Noks415
LDJosh
Posted 12:47 PM 9/10/08
15 gigs? Holy crap. i quit wow back when it was, like, 8 gigs. Even FF11 isn't that big. I think it's near 12 now.
LDJosh
WGSXFrank
Posted 1:19 PM 9/10/08
@LDJosh: Considering you can buy a 1TB (1000 GB) hard drive for under 200 bucks (newegg has one for $109.00), I really don't think 15 GB is all that bad.
WGSXFrank
negativexer0
Posted 1:51 PM 9/10/08
Is anyone really interested in this expansion? Most of the WoW players I know are meh. Too late for a good thing?
negativexer0
Xero_Azmea
Posted 2:03 PM 9/10/08
Hmm, I wonder if SLI'd 900GX2's are overkill for this... ^_^
Xero_Azmea
Crawl to China
Posted 2:47 PM 9/10/08
@Spacehog85: lol. also,
-a masochistic personality
-enjoy working for fun
-a good stock of bawls and cheetos
Crawl to China
jacke1
Posted 3:01 PM 9/10/08
Well most people like to say how unimpressed with the graphics in WoW for quite some time. When WoW was first released it was great but since then they haven't updated the engine that much. I look forward to WoLK. Maybe if WoW had higher requirements I wouldn't see as many Multiboxers in Battle Grounds.
jacke1
Tubatic
Posted 3:49 PM 9/10/08
shoot. It looks like I'm underspec for WoW now . . .
damn . . .
Tubatic
Murderdolls
Posted 4:40 PM 9/10/08
I'm just gonna upgrade my onboard graphics to a Geforce 7600 or something
Murderdolls
Kommunisator
Posted 5:15 PM 9/10/08
@Xero_Azmea: Yes, they are actually.
Because WOW does not benefit from Crossfire or SLI in any noticable way.
You can up the FSAA through your control panel though, to - say - 32x with transparency MSAA or something.
And yes, I know firsthand since my both rigs have a 3870X2 and a 9800GX2 respectively
Kommunisator
sits
Posted 6:31 PM 9/10/08
You mean... this game is only in VGA!? RAD!!
sits
Ganonmaster
Posted 7:11 PM 9/10/08
If you are getting this game, then I expect that you know that a mouse and keyboard are required.
Ganonmaster
WGSXFrank
Posted 8:19 PM 9/10/08
@Ganonmaster: Well, you can actually map a Wiimote and mouse combo, 360 controller or a PS3 controller with a program... but it would be stupid to do so unless you relied on only a few buttons to play >>;
WGSXFrank
Armagetiton
Posted 9:53 PM 9/10/08
@psycoking: I would've told the poor guy it would be cheaper to buy the same computer again than to have it repaired.
Ever see that madTV skit about the VCR repairman? That comes to mind.
Armagetiton
MoxBornAgain
Posted 12:41 AM 10/10/08
oh well i just saved 60 bucks...
MoxBornAgain
richard733
Posted 1:49 AM 10/10/08
@EvilTim102: what has this world come to?
richard733
Sai-kun
Posted 2:53 AM 10/10/08
@negativexer0:
Uhh...are you kidding me? of course people are interested. >>
Sai-kun
ionerox
Posted 3:55 AM 10/10/08
@Noks415: Upgrading to Leopard is relatively inexpensive($105 on deal via Amazon)- the big issue with Spore for most Mac users is having to have an Intel processor, no G5 PPC machine can run it (nor can the original MacBooks).
ionerox
jaypee68
Posted 3:41 AM 10/10/08
@Zodduska:
Nothing new about Hardware Transform and Lighting. It's been around since 1999 when the Nvidia GeForce 256 first had it.
jaypee68
commercial
Posted 5:14 AM 10/10/08
Time to spec into the better computer tree.
commercial
pieisdelicioushere
Posted 11:54 AM 9/10/08
buying a pc or mac that would meet the recommended wow specs would probably only cost you 200$...
pieisdelicioushere
ByteStorm
Posted 10:32 PM 9/10/08
@Blaine66: Actually, Age of Conan still holds that title, with 32 GB install without patches.
ByteStorm
ByteStorm
Posted 10:31 PM 9/10/08
@Blaine66: Age of Conan @ 32 GB without any patches is the biggest right now.
ByteStorm
Gundragon
Posted 9:55 PM 9/10/08
@WGSXFrank:
Rogues, for example :p
Gundragon
Gundragon
Posted 9:54 PM 9/10/08
@Xero_Azmea:
Namedropping hardware enthusiasts make me -_-
Gundragon
Gundragon
Posted 9:53 PM 9/10/08
@negativexer0:
Yeah, I can't imagine this will be very popular. Probably won't sell much at all.
Gundragon
ByteStorm
Posted 1:12 PM 9/10/08
@Blaine66: Actually, that title is currently being held by Age of Conan, whose first install (right out of the box) is a whopping 32GB. That's version 1, without any patches.
ByteStorm
Meteoric
Posted 11:12 AM 9/10/08
@Noks415:
OS: Mac OS X 10.4.11 or newer
10.4 is Tiger, they're dropping Panther support tho
Meteoric