Some PC gamers have reported the issue whereby when they try to launch Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on their Windows gaming PC they get the Your GPU driver version does not meet the minimum requirements error prompt on startup. Needless to say, you may get this error on other iterations of the Call of Duty franchise and other games like Fortnite. This post offers the most applicable fixes for affected PC gamers.
When this error is triggered on your computer, the following full error message is displayed:
GPU driver version
Your GPU driver version does not meet the minimum requirements for running Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.
To ensure best performance and functionality, go to the manufacturer’s website to download and install the latest drivers.
What GPU driver do I need for MW2?
For the NVIDIA graphics card, the recommended driver version for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is 526.86. While for the AMD graphics adapter, the recommended driver version for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is 22.9. 1. To update your video card drivers, type DxDiag in the Run dialog and hit Enter. After the DirectX Diagnostic Tool loads, select the Display tab. The video card’s name and manufacturer are listed in the Device section. Visit the driver manufacturer’s website to obtain the most up-to-date driver.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that PC gamers are more likely to encounter the error on their gaming rig due to the following main reasons.
- The gaming system hardware, specifically the GPU does not meet the minimum requirements for the game.
- GPU driver version is outdated.
Your GPU driver version does not meet the minimum requirements
If you get the Your GPU driver version does not meet the minimum requirements error prompt when you launch or start any of the Call of Duty game franchise or other games like Fortnite on your Windows 11/10 gaming computer, then the suggested fixes as presented below in no particular order can be applied to have the issue resolved on your system.
- Verify system minimum requirements
- Make sure DirectX is updated
- Update graphics driver
- Clear the graphics card cache
- Install experimental/beta GPU driver version
- Disable & Re-enable the Integrated Graphics adapter (if applicable)
Let’s look at the description of the process as it relates to each of the listed solutions. The error could be due to the outdated Windows operating system assuming every other thing is equal. So, before you dive into the solutions proper below, check for updates and install any available bits on your Windows 11/10 gaming device and see if the error reappears.
1] Verify system minimum requirements
You have to check if your system meets the minimum requirements to run the game, otherwise, you’re most likely to get the Your GPU driver version does not meet the minimum requirements error prompt when you launch the game on your PC. Below are the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II minimum system requirements:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-3570 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
- RAM: 8GB
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
- Graphic Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX 470
- Video Memory: 3 GB
- Pixel Shader: 5.0
- Vertex Shader: 5.0
- Free Disk Space: 25 GB
If your PC ticks all the boxes for the game requirements, but the error keeps reappearing, you can proceed with the next solution. If your PC doesn’t meet one or more of the requirements, then you should consider upgrading the required hardware or the PC itself.
Read: Things to know before buying an external GPU for your PC
2] Make sure DirectX is updated
DirectX is one of the most complete libraries of DirectX drivers, distributed by Microsoft, which is specifically developed to enhance graphic and sound performance. Most games/apps if not all are dependent on these drivers that power up video and audio playing on PCs. So, you need to make sure DirectX is updated to the latest available version or the version required by the CoD: MWII game.
After you have updated DirectX (you can also do this via the game installation folder in the DXSETUP subfolder) or the DirectX version required for the game is already installed, you may want to clear the DirectX Shader cache – files created by the graphics system which can speed up application load time and improve performance. These files get regenerated automatically when needed.
Read: Fix Battlefield 2042 DirectX Errors
3] Update the graphics driver
This solution requires you to update your graphics card driver and then restart your gaming rig, launch the game and see if the error reoccurs. To perform this task, below are your options:
- The easiest way to update your AMD drivers is by using AMD’s official system software – AMD Driver Autodetect. This program is straightforward to use and will make it easier for you to manage your graphics cards, and more. If a new driver is available, you will be notified. If you don’t have it installed on your PC, you can head to their website and download the latest version. For NVIDIA graphics, you can use the GeForce Experience app or NV Updater for Windows 11/10.
- You can manually update the AMD or NVIDIA graphics driver via Device Manager if you have already downloaded the .inf or .sys file for the latest driver version directly from the manufacturer’s website.
Read: Bad GPU Driver Update causing problems in Windows
4] Clear the graphics card cache
Corrupted cache be it the app (for example the browser) cache, Windows update cache, or the graphics card cache can potentially cause problems on the Windows operating system. So, for this solution, you need to clear the cache for your GPU.
AMD
- Open the AMD Radeon Software installed on your PC.
- Click on the cogwheel or gear icon (Settings menu) in the corner of the program.
- Click the Graphics tab.
- Expand Advanced.
- Scroll down to the Reset Shader Cache option.
- Click on Perform Reset.
- Exit AMD Radeon Software when done.
NVIDIA
- Open the Run dialog box or File Explorer.
- Type the environment variable below into the Run dialog box or the File Explorer address bar and hit Enter.
%localappdata%
- At the location, find and open the NVIDIA folder.
- In the folder, find and open both the DXCache and the GLCache folder and delete all the items in the folders.
- Next, go back to the %localappdata% folder.
- Now, at that location, find and open the NVIDIA Corporation folder.
- In the folder, find and open the NV_Cache folder and delete the contents of the folder.
- Exit File Explorer.
- Restart PC.
On boot, check if the issue at hand is resolved or not. If the latter is the case, continue with the next solution.
5] Install the experimental/beta GPU driver version
Some affected PC gamers reported they were able to fix the error in view by installing an experimental/beta driver version for their respective GPU hardware downloaded from the manufacturer’s website or any trusted source. So, you can give this a try and see if that works for you too! Keep in mind that the experimental or beta driver version is likely unstable or buggy and could potentially cause other problems for you.
6] Disable & Re-enable the Integrated Graphics adapter (if applicable)
If there is more than one graphics card installed on the system (dedicated + integrated), and the iGPU is enabled, you are likely to encounter the error in focus. In this case, you can disable the integrated graphics card via Device Manager or BIOS and then see if that resolves the problem. If you have only the iGPU installed for your gaming system, you can disable and then re-enable the graphics adapter.
Read: Force a Game to use a Graphics Card or GPU in Windows 11
I hope this post helps you!
Is a 2 GB graphics card sufficient?
Generally speaking, for 1080p gaming, 2GB of video memory is the absolute bare minimum, while 4GB is the minimum to get for high-detail 1080p play. To achieve the ultimate 240 FPS, the GeForce RTX 2080 and GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics adapter is up to the task. If you want to hit 144 FPS at high settings, then a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti should get the job done.
Also read: Game not using GPU in Windows 11.
