CS Source System Requirements: Minimum and Recommended Specs for Counter-Strike Source

Daniel Morris

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Counter-Strike Source is over two decades old at this point, but the classic shooter still attracts tens of thousands of players daily on Steam. The game arrived at a key moment for the franchise, and while many still just wanted to play CS 1.6 instead, Counter-Strike Source became very popular in its own right in the years to come. Because of its age, the CS Source system requirements are very reasonable, and most will have no trouble running the game really smoothly.

CS Source System Requirements: Minimum and Recommended Specs for Counter-Strike Source

Here, you’ll find all the CS Source system requirements with both minimum and recommended specs.

Counter-Strike Source System Requirements (Minimum and Recommended)

CS Source Minimum System Requirements CS Source Recommended System Requirements
OS Windows 7 Windows 7
Processor 1.7 GHz Processor Pentium 4 Processor (3.0 GHz or better)
Memory 512 MB RAM 1 GB RAM
Graphics Card DirectX 8.1 level Graphics Card (Requires support for SSE) DirectX 9 level Graphics Card
Storage 4.55 GB available space 4.55 GB available space
Additional Notes Mouse, keyboard, and internet connection required Mouse, keyboard, and internet connection required

Most modern systems will be able to handle the Counter-Strike Source system requirements without much of an issue. This means those who want to play CS Source online with friends should be good to do so, although do make sure you meet those requirements if you know you’re playing on a particularly low-spec machine.

play Counter-Strike Source online in 2025

Even if you meet the CS Source system requirements and are still having performance issues, do make sure to tweak the graphics settings. The Source engine scales very well on weaker hardware, so you should be able to improve your FPS fairly easily.

For something even more retro, you can also check out all the CS 1.6 system requirements, too.

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Daniel Morris

Daniel Morris

Counter-Strike Content Lead
Daniel is a CS2 esports specialist, and now channels that expertise to discuss the game online. Despite his knowledge of Counter-Strike, he wasn’t quite good enough to go pro himself.
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