Is Siege Hard to Run on PC in 2024?

The short answer – yes! As an avid Siege player and gaming PC builder, I can confidently say R6 is well optimized enough to run smoothly on most modern systems. You definitely do NOT need the latest and greatest specs to enjoy Siege, even in 2024.

But what graphics settings, frame rates and overall experience can you expect? Does having a high core count CPU or powerful graphics card help? Let‘s take a deeper look at Rainbow Six system requirements and hardware performance.

Rainbow Six Siege Minimum System Requirements

Officially, here is what Ubisoft states you need at bare minimum to play Siege:

CPU	Intel Core i3-560 @ 3.3GHz or AMD Phenom II X4 945 @ 3.0 GHz
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or AMD Radeon HD 5870 (1GB VRAM)
RAM	6GB DDR3
Storage	61GB
OS	Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit)

These specs are now over 10 years old! Very few gamers today would actually be running such outdated components. Can a PC this weak handle Siege properly even at lowest possible settings?

Based on community tests, an aging dual core processor like the i3-560 along with a 1GB GTX 460 graphics card CAN deliver 30 to 40 FPS on average. That too at sub-HD resolutions with every graphics option set to Low.

So while Siege will technically "run", such low FPS makes aiming, reaction times and overall experience pretty bad, even for casual play. You‘ll face lag, stuttering and visible tearing issues.

Where Are the Bottlenecks on an Older PC?

Digging deeper into old hardware performance, it is clear the dual core CPU and lack of VRAM are the main bottlenecks:

• Dual Core CPU – Siege utilizes 4 to 6 CPU threads quite heavily. Having only 2 slower cores results in a choked up CPU.

• 1GB VRAM – Modern titles need at least 3 to 4GB VRAM for smooth texture streaming and rendering. The outdated GTX 460 fails here.

So realistically, playing Siege in 2024 demands hardware at least 5 years newer than the minimum specs for decent results, as we‘ll see next.

Recommended System Requirements for Solid 720p/1080p Performance

Based on my own testing and Hardware Unboxed‘s benchmarks, here is a 2023 "recommended" mid-range PC build for playing Rainbow Six Siege at 60+ FPS:

Component	Model
CPU	Intel Core i5-10400 / Ryzen 5 3500
GPU	Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB / Radeon RX 590
RAM	16GB DDR4-3000
Storage SSD	500GB NVMe

A system powered by the mid-tier 6 core i5-10400 or Ryzen 5 3500 CPU, paired with a 6GB GTX 1060 graphics card will easily deliver 60 to 80 FPS at 1080p resolution on Medium to High settings in Siege.

This covers a very smooth and enjoyable competitive experience even in 2024. Going with 16GB RAM is also plenty for stable performance thanks to Siege‘s well optimized memory utilization.

1080p Ultra Settings Require Faster Modern GPU

Now to max out ALL graphics options at 1080p including resource intensive Ultra shadows, textures and anti-aliasing, you would need a faster modern GPU with upgraded architecture and 8GB VRAM:

• Nvidia RTX 3050 or 3060
• AMD RX 6600 or 6700 XT

These latest cards can maintain 120 to 144 FPS even with every setting maxed out for buttery smooth competitive gameplay. Rest of the system remains same.

Of course, with an esports style TN panel monitor having a 240Hz refresh rate, you‘d want the fastest cards like an RTX 3070 Ti or RX 6950 XT to take advantage of those frame rates!

Benchmark Performance Analysis

Let‘s examine some real world gaming PC component benchmarks in Rainbow Six Siege to understand the performance differences in CPUs and GPUs:

1080p Rainbow Six Siege CPU Benchmarks

[CPU benchmarks chart]

CPU performance has a notable impact, but starts to plateau beyond 6 cores. While modern 8 core chips like the Ryzen 7 5800X3D hit the highest average FPS, even older 6 core CPUs like the i5-8400 are plenty capable for high refresh rate Siege.

1080p Rainbow Six Siege GPU Benchmarks

[GPU benchmarks chart]

There is more variance in graphics cards as resolution, texture quality, lighting and shadows are directly tied to the GPU. As outlined earlier, an older GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580 can still run Siege very well at 60+ FPS on high settings.

But you‘d want at least an RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6650 XT class GPU to properly utilize 240Hz esports monitors today with maxed settings.

Getting Consistent High FPS for Competitive Gamers

For PC gamers looking to really excel at Rainbow Six Siege a key focus should be chasing those highest possible frame rates.

Besides just having a high refresh rate monitor, you‘d want your overall gameplay to stay pinned as close to the 120-144 FPS (or 240 FPS) ceiling at all times. This comes down to a combination of factors:

1. Faster CPU AND GPU – As the benchmarks above indicate, having BOTH latest generation processor and graphics card ensures Siege is never CPU or GPU bound. No component bottlenecks, means highest FPS.

2. RAM Speed and Capacity – 16GB of DDR4-3600 memory or higher clocked DDR5 kit offers plenty memory bandwidth for stable 150+ FPS in Siege even while live streaming.

3. Game Settings – Lowering Shadows, Ambient Occlusion and Anti-Aliasing settings has a BIG impact in lifting frame rates by 50-100 FPS easily while having little visual change. Every bit counts for top-tier gameplay.

4. Windows and Hardware Optimization – Fine tuning Windows, chipset, BIOS and software settings to clear unnecessary background tasks and services. This reduces CPU/Memory resource contention so YOUR game gets more resources to hit peak FPS at all times!

Take the time to optimize all areas above rather than just having the fastest PC parts and you‘ll enjoy the smoothest, most consistent peak esports level performance in Rainbow Six.

How Well Can You Run Rainbow Six Siege on Laptops?

Modern gaming laptops have come a LONG way in performance and many pack some serious power now in portable form factors. Even modestly equipped laptops can run Siege very well:

Laptop GPU	Expected Performance
Nvidia RTX 3050 / 3050 Ti	1080p Medium 60+ FPS
RTX 3060 / 3070 / 3080	1080p High 100+ FPS
RTX 3080 Ti	1440p Max Settings 165+ FPS

As you can see, even entry level gaming laptops today packing a discrete RTX 3050 can comfortably run Siege on Medium setting at 100+ FPS thanks to optimized mobile variants of 12th gen Intel and Ryzen 6000 CPUs.

Mid-tier laptops go even faster with better cooling and top-end configurations with 1440p displays and 175Hz refresh rates take competitive Siege gameplay to insanely high levels!

Of course there are always exceptions. Underpowered Ultrabooks relying on integrated graphics or poorly cooled cheap laptops may struggle. But any laptop made primarily for gaming will run R6 beautifully.

5 Quick Tips for Better Rainbow Six PC Performance

Besides having capable desktop or laptop hardware, you can tweak these areas to further optimize Rainbow Six Siege framerates and response times:

1. Close Background Apps – Disable or close down any system monitoring, game launchers, OBS if not recording gameplay videos etc. Stop unnecessary apps eating resources.

2. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations – Remove Windows 10 fullscreen enhancements through compatibility tab properties to reduce input lag.

3. Game Mode ON – Windows 10 & 11 automatically minimizes background tasks when playing games for extra FPS. Keep Game Mode enabled.

4. Latest GPU Drivers – ALWAYS keep Nvidia, AMD GPU drivers updated for game specific optimizations. Avoid beta versions though.

5. Tune In-Game Settings – Start with Performance重 profile then turn down Shadows, Reflections, Ambient Occlusion and anti-aliasing for biggest FPS gains.

Follow these tips that I regularly share with my gaming community and subscribers to extract the highest possible frames per second your PC can deliver in Rainbow Six Siege for maximized competitive advantage and immersive gameplay!

The Bottom Line – Well Optimized Game Still in 2024

While Rainbow Six Siege seems fairly graphics intensive at first glance, under the hood Ubisoft has done an EXCELLENT job ensuring the game runs smooth as butter on mid-range gaming PCs – desktop or laptop.

You absolutely DO NOT need the latest generation $2000+ GPU or 12 core processor to enjoy buttery smooth Siege gameplay today or even for next few years. Even 5 year old CPUs and GPUs can easily deliver 60+ FPS.

With its strong focus on competitive gameplay performance over cutting edge visuals, solid optimization and scalability is why Siege has such as massive 200 million+ player base spanning lower end machines to high end rigs.

So rest assured your existing modern desktop or gaming notebook has plenty of power for hours of awesome Rainbow Six matches and gunfights even moving into 2023!

I hope this detailed hardware performance breakdown gave you a very realistic idea of FPS numbers and settings combinations viable on variety of PCs. Let me know which component you plan to upgrade next!