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Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail is now live and marks one of the largest expansions for the Final Fantasy 14 universe, releasing 2.5 years after the well-received Endwalker DLC in 2021. It also comes with a bump in hardware requirements, particularly in the storage segment to account for the new DLC and graphics upgrades under the hood.
With new servers in tow to avoid long queues like the previous launch which also saw plenty of first-time gamers join in the fun thanks to the COVID-era jump in MMORPG popularity the last time, Final Fantasy 14 has, for the most part, seen an uneventful launch in terms of server issues.
Gamers, however, might be looking for some much-needed hardware upgrades, or even completely brand-new PCs to get along with the latest expansion to experience it at the maximum possible fidelity on the platform that can play it best: the desktop PC.
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail Hardware Requirements Revisited
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail’s hardware requirements (including the base game) at launch on its official site.
Final Fantasy 14 offers relatively grounded hardware requirements versus more demanding titles in 2024. This is due to it catering to a wide variety of players. It ships with newer, high-resolution textures, which can be taxing on hardware, especially the GPU which sees a minimum of 4GB of VRAM as a requirement, while the recommended hardware is either an Nvidia RTX 2060 or an AMD RX5600XT, both of which ship with 6GB of RAM.
This, in addition to a requirement for relatively recent unlocked 4/6-core CPUs and 8/16GB of RAM for recommended hardware, does show that the Final Fantasy 14 engine does require, and benefits from higher-end hardware where possible.
The team at Game Rant has made an up-to-date list of more modern PC hardware that one can build with or around to get the most out of their game, including precluded features such as real-time reflections, anti-aliasing, and ambient occlusion.
This has resulted in 3 builds being suggested: a recommended spec build to play the game at high presets, a high-end PC build that can run everything maxed out, and a budget-friendly option that gets the job done without any frame drops in play.
The Moogle’s Recommended PC For Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail
AMD Ryzen 5 7600
The Ryzen 5 7600 is the entry-level, yet very capable, gaming CPU from AMD that features 6 cores, 12 threads, and 32MB of L3 cache. It has a base clock speed of 3.8GHz and a boost clock speed of 5.1GHz. The Ryzen 5 7600 is an unlocked processor with a default TDP of 65W. It also has integrated RDNA 2 graphics and is the cheapest offering in the lineup with an iGPU.
G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB (AMD Expo)
G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo RGB series is a specialized RAM kit for the AM5 platform with up to 6000 MT/s speed. The RAM kit brings exceptional RGB lighting on top of the heat spreaders and works at low latency. It’s decently stable at the advertised speed and makes an ideal choice for gaming builds.
MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi
MSI B650 Gaming Plus is an excellent choice for AMD CPU users who are looking to get the job done without spending over $200. The 15-power phase VRM will be adequate for mid-range CPUs, while the multiple PCI-E slots will allow users to add various expansion cards. There are plenty of connectivity options too, including several fan headers, a built-in WiFi adapter, fast USB headers, and even troubleshooting options.
Samsung 990 EVO SSD 1TB
The Samsung 990 EVO SSD is a PCIe 5.0 compatible 1 TB storage drive that brings speeds that are not the fastest in the industry, but still at the peak of the PCIe 4.0 standard. It is capable of up to 5,000 MB/s read and 4,200 MB/s write speeds. It uses V-NAND TLC technology and is rated for 600TB TBW.
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC
The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC is an excellent no-nonsense take on the RTX 4070 SUPER GPU, offering better durability, better cooling and a higher overclock potential than the competition.It leverages some of the best cooling that ASUS has to offer including new axial tech in its fans to allow for more airflow even as it operates at a zero fan mode at temperatures below 55 degrees Celsius, using its massive heatsink to keep temperatures in check with ease.
XPG Core Reactor 750W
The XPG Core Reactor 750W is an 80 Plus Gold rated ATX PSU that offers full modularity. It is an all-black PSU certified by Cybenetics for its efficiency and noise levels. It features a 120mm 2400 RPM fan with an FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) design. XPG, which is a gaming sub-brand of Adata, has tuned the fan to stay at 660 RPM up till 50% load. Connectivity options on the XPG Core Reactor 750W include 1 24-pin connection, 2 ATX 12V 4+4 pin connections, 6 PCIe connections, 12 SATA connections, and 4 Molex connections.
LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 PC Case
The LANCOOL 216 is a mid-tower case with all-around mesh panels for optimal airflow. Thanks to its modular rear panel, it can be optimized for air or water cooling. It includes 2 x 160mm and 1 x 140mm pre-installed PWM fans and an innovative rear PCIe fan bracket to maximize airflow.
Target Preset: QHD/1440P (144 FPS), High Presets
Estimated Build Cost: ~$1400
For users looking to get the most out of their money while having a balanced gaming PC that offers plenty of power, future-proofing, and upgrade potential down the road, the Moogle’s Recommended PC For Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail covers users with a mid-range AMD Ryzen 5 7600 CPU and an RTX 4070 SUPER GPU from ASUS.
It doubles the VRAM requirement as well as the recommended RAM for Final Fantasy 14 currently, while also throwing in a capable, yet budget-friendly motherboard into the mix. On the storage front, fast, yet affordable PCI-E 4.0 storage makes its way in the form of the Samsung 990 EVO SSD that comes in a 1TB trim in addition to one of the best power supplies users can get under $100, the XPG Core Reactor that offers 750W of power for a future RTX 4070 Ti SUPER or RTX 4080 SUPER upgrade.
All of this is housed in an excellent Lian Li Lancool 216 case that offers RGB lighting, a dedicated fan controller, and plenty of airflow, making for a balanced yet powerful gaming PC for your Final Fantasy 14 adventures coupled with a price that stays south of a targeted $1500 budget.
The Scion’s High-End PC For Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is AMD’s latest and greatest CPU when it comes to gaming. With an excellent and highly efficient gaming performance that tops the charts currently, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is here to stay and has a crown to claim thanks to its 3D V-Cache-enabled prowess when it comes to gaming on a PC.The octa-core CPU currently happens to be the fastest in the business for gaming even as it leads efficiency charts at the top, making it a very sought-after gaming upgrade.
Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 is currently the best-performing and best-selling AIO cooler. Being able to cool flagship Intel and AMD CPUs without breaking a sweat is its specialty. While it can get a little noisier, it won’t bother you once you put its fan at 50% speed. This 360mm edition has no RGB LEDs and is cheaper than the A-RGB version but has identical performance.
G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO Series (AMD Expo) 64GB Kit CL30
The G. Skill Trident Z5 NEO sticks are a pair of 32GB RAM sticks that conform to AMD’s more stringent EXPO memory requirements for overclocking. With tight timings and a CAS latency of just 30-40-40-96.With a subtle RGB effect and a premium feel, the Trident Z Neo is one of the best premium RGB RAM sticks money can buy that is designed for AMD-based systems.
Gigabyte X670E Aorus Pro X
Boasting a fully white PCB and white heatsinks, the Gigabyte X670E Aorus Pro X looks dashing. It features an excellent 16+2+2 power phase delivery and doesn’t lag behind in component compatibility or connectivity. Four M.2 slots for fast storage and impressive memory support allow the board to push the system’s full potential.
Teamgroup T-Force Z540 M2 PCI-E SSD 1TB
The Teamgroup T-Force Cardea Z540 SSD offers some of the fastest PCI-E Gen 5 SSD speeds money can buy in 2024 while throwing in a thin, patented graphene-based heatsink to keep things low-profile by design.It offers a whopping 11,700 MB/s sequential read and 9,500 MB/s sequential write speeds with decent random read/write speeds in tow,With a 3,000,000-hour MBTF and 700 TBW rating along with a comprehensive 5-year warranty in tow, the Teamgroup T-Force Cardea Z540 SSD delivers on its promise as a premium PCI-E 5.0 SSD in 2024.
ASUS TUF GeForce RTX® 4090 OG OC Edition
The ASUS TUF GeForce RTX 4090 OG OC Edition is one of the fastest RTX 4090 SKUs on the market, dwarfed only by its more enthusiast-grade RTX 4090 Strix OC alternative.It borrows design features from the last generation RTX 3000 series TUF GPUs, making for a great contrast for users wanting a choice alternative from the more subtle design the current generation TUF GPU offers.The TUF RTX 4090 OG OC is a mouthful, but so is its performance, which sees the factory overclocked GPU rubbing shoulders with some of the best SKUs in the market with relative ease in 2024.
ASUS ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II
The ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II PSU is one of the quietest and most efficient PSUs available in the market. It comes in a sleek package that houses arguably one of the best-looking PSUs in the market currently, somewhat compensating for its relatively high asking price. The PSU also features a mirrored side panel that houses an OLED display.
Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL
The Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL is a full-tower all-white PC case with a smart design. The case allows users to reverse the chassis, meaning the tempered glass will face the right way if the PC is kept on either the left or right side of the setup. There is integrated RGB lighting and a seamless tempered glass side that flows almost seamlessly into the front panel. The Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL can accommodate up to a 420mm radiator next to the motherboard and the same at the top or front using the included bracket. A full-sized GPU that’s up to 450mm can also be used in this case.
Target Preset: UHD/4K (144+ FPS), Ultra Quality Presets
Estimated Build Cost: ~$3400
Users looking to max out their Final Fantasy 14 experience out of the box can opt for the very best hardware in terms of CPU, GPU, SSD, and RAM that one can buy. This does end up pushing prices north of $3000 with the RTX 4090 GPU alone making up more than half of the assigned budget, but does deliver a very capable gaming PC that leverages the fastest hardware in the business, utilizing the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D’s gaming performance coupled with low-latency G.Skill DDR5 RAMs in tow in addition to a PCI-E 5.0 SSD from TeamGroup.
Other components include a well-priced Gigabyte X670E motherboard with Wi-Fi 7 support, one of the best coolers in the business in the shape of the Arctic Liquid Freezer III, and a high-end RTX 4090 SKU in the form of the ASUS TUF OG OC variant. All of this is powered by an ASUS ROG Thor 1000W PSU that comes with a native 12WHPWR connector and is housed in a Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL case.
While this build is arguably overkill for a title like Final Fantasy 14 currently, it allows users to max it out at a 4K resolution with a frame rate that is, for the most part, consistently above 150 FPS, making it an excellent, but pricey way to journey across Hydaelyn in 2024.
The Hyur’s Budget-Friendly PC For Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail
Intel Core i5-14400F
Intel Core i5-14400F is a revised edition of the i5 13400F that brings higher clock speeds for the same price. The Raptor Lake Refresh architecture helps it improve in overall performance while retaining its power efficiency. The i5 14400F brings 6 performance and 4 efficient cores, resulting in a total of 16 threads.
Silicon Power Value Gaming DDR4 16GB (8GBx2) 3200MHz (PC4 25600) CL16 RAM
The Silicon Power Value Gaming RAM is a DDR4 memory module engineered to enhance the capabilities of desktop PCs. It offers a memory size of 16GB and speeds of 3200 MHz. This RAM is designed to be compatible with Intel Coffee Lake processors and adheres to Intel Extreme Memory Profile (Intel XMP) standards, ensuring seamless integration with various systems.Equipped with an aluminum heat sink, the RAM efficiently dissipates heat while its 1.35V low voltage reduces power consumption for hardware components. These attributes contribute to maintaining swift and stable performance during extensive gaming periods or intensive workloads.
MSI PRO H610M-G DDR4
MSI PRO H610M-G is an entry-level LGA1700 motherboard for Intel’s 12th, 13th, and 14th-gen CPUs with support for basic components like DDR4 memories, a graphics card, M.2 SSDs, and SATA drives. Despite being entry-level, the board comes with EZ Debug LEDs for troubleshooting and will be ideal for ultra-budget gaming/office builds.
Kingston NV2 500G M.2 2280 NVMe Internal SSD
The Kingston NV2 500G SSD uses Gen 4x4 NVMe PCIe technology. This drive delivers read speeds up to 3,500 MB/s and write speeds up to 2,800 MB/s. It’s designed for systems requiring fast performance, in both laptop and desktop builds. It is suitable for most applications thanks to the compact, single-sided M.2 2280 design. And the low power requirements mean that it produces minimal heat.
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3050 8GB GDRR6
MSI Gaming RTX 3050 Ventus 2X XS provides a dual-fan RTX 3050 design that offers decent cooling and good 1080p gaming performance on a budget. With 8GB GDDR6 memory and 2560 Cuda Cores, the card is ready to take on some modern titles on high settings. With a low power requirement, it is compatible with most budget gaming builds and requires just a single 6-pin power connector.
Thermaltake SMART 600W ATX PSU
The Thermaltake SMART 600W ATX is a power supply unit that is designed to provide reliable and efficient power for your computer. This unit delivers 600 watts of continuous output. It complies with both Intel ATX 12V 2.31 and EPS 12V 2.92 standards, ensuring compatibility with many PC builds.The SMART 600W ATX has received an 80 PLUS certification, indicating 80% efficiency under a typical load. This power supply supports two PCI-E 6 plus 2-pin connectors.
Antec NX200 M
Antec NX200 is a beautiful compact micro-ATX chassis that has a clear tempered glass side panel for full visibility of the interior. There is a fully ventilated front panel for good airflow and allows installing radiators and multiple fans. The cable management is on point, providing plenty of routing holes and a full-length PSU shroud to hide the PSU and extra cables.
Target Preset: FHD/1080P (60 FPS), High Quality
Estimated Build Cost: ~$650
For users on a budget, the more compact, yet balanced gaming PC above gets the ball rolling, offering an Intel Core i5 14400F as its CPU, paired to an entry-level H610 motherboard while opting for DDR4 RAM to keep costs low. The Hyur’s Budget-Friendly PC For Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail leverages the capable (but slightly slower) RTX 3050 that offers 2GB more VRAM versus the recommended RTX 2060, a 600W Thermaltake smart PSU and an Antec NX200M case that offers plenty of ventilation.
The build does emphasize cost savings without impacting performance where possible, opting for the stock Intel cooler as well as entry-level PCI-E 4.0 storage from Kingston in a 500GB trim. This allows it to build a brand-new gaming PC with all the components one needs to play Final Fantasy 14 along with its new DLC at a fairly high frame rate at an FHD resolution without spending north of $650.
FAQ
Q: Should I get an SSD For Final Fantasy 14?
While Final Fantasy 14 does not require an SSD outright, it recommends that users get out to have a better experience, especially for a title that clocks in over 100GB of storage, much of which needs to be accessed periodically.
Q: Does Final Fantasy 14 Come With Game Time?
All versions of Final Fantasy 14 that include the base game come with 30 days of game time.
