Apex Legends is the most demanding of the popular esports games, with big maps, fast movement and lots of effects. This guide gives honest, conservative frame rates for every PC we sell, so you know what to expect before you buy.
The short answer: the GTX 1060 6GB and RX 580 8GB builds run Apex well at 1080p on low settings, aiming for 60 FPS and above. We don’t recommend the GTX 750 4GB builds if Apex is your main game.
How we worked out these numbers
All figures are for 1920 x 1080 (1080p) with 8GB of RAM, the standard memory in every build. They are based on published tests of these graphics cards, adjusted downwards to allow for our older processors and for game updates that have made some titles more demanding over the years. We would rather you get more than we promise, not less. Busy moments will always run lower than quiet ones, so we give a range rather than a single number, and exact results can vary with game updates and drivers.
Apex Legends FPS by graphics card
| Graphics card | 1080p, low settings | 1080p, medium settings |
|---|---|---|
| GTX 750 4GB | 40–55 FPS | Not recommended |
| GTX 1060 6GB | 70–100 FPS | 55–75 FPS |
| RX 580 8GB | 65–95 FPS | 50–70 FPS |
Apex dips more than most games. Hot drops, the dropship at the start of a match and big final-ring fights can sit well below these ranges for short periods.
Does the processor make a difference?
A big one. Apex is known for being hard on processors with fewer threads. The i7-4770, i7-3770 and i7-2600 builds run 8 threads and hold their frame rate noticeably better in busy fights. The i5-4570 and i5-3470 builds run 4 threads and will see bigger drops. If Apex is your main game, we recommend choosing an i7.
Best Apex Legends settings for our PCs
- Texture streaming budget: Medium on the GTX 1060 6GB and RX 580 8GB builds, and Low on the GTX 750 4GB builds, to stay within each card’s video memory.
- Ambient occlusion, volumetric lighting and spot shadows: Disabled. These cost a lot of performance for little benefit in a fight.
- Sun shadow coverage and detail: Low.
- Model detail, effects detail and ragdolls: Low.
- Adaptive resolution FPS target: on a GTX 750 4GB build, setting this to 60 lets the game lower the resolution briefly in busy moments to keep things smoother.
- NVIDIA Reflex: Enabled + Boost on the GTX 1060 6GB builds, to reduce input lag.
60Hz or 144Hz monitor?
Be realistic with Apex. The GTX 1060 6GB and RX 580 8GB builds suit a 60Hz monitor well and will run above 60 FPS for much of a match. They will not hold 144 FPS in Apex, so a high refresh rate monitor is not the main reason to buy one of these builds for this game.
Worth knowing before you buy
- 16GB of RAM: we strongly recommend the 16GB upgrade for Apex. It helps smooth out stutters, particularly with Discord open.
- Storage: Apex is a large install. It runs from the included 500GB hard drive, but loads faster from an SSD, so consider the larger SSD upgrade.
- Not on a GTX 750 4GB: it will launch and play, but frame rates are too low for an enjoyable experience at 1080p, so we would rather point you to a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580 8GB build.
Which build should you choose for Apex Legends?
- Best for Apex: a GTX 1060 6GB build with an i7-4770 and the 16GB memory upgrade.
- Close alternative: an RX 580 8GB build with an i7 processor and 16GB of memory.
Every PC is built to order, tested before it leaves us, and comes with a 1-year warranty, 14-day returns and free UK mainland delivery. You can upgrade the memory, storage, case and Wi-Fi when you order. See all our gaming PCs, or get in touch if you would like help choosing.