5 Best Games That Can Run On An Intel Core 2 Duo
The Intel Core 2 Duo, at the time of its release, was an absolute powerhouse. It was a giant leap forward in processor technology that allowed for multiple core processing.
It was the go-to processor for gaming setups worldwide, and was a popular choice for competitive gaming as well. However, with the release of the Intel Core processors such as the i3, the i5, and the i7, the Core 2 Duo is now dated in terms of hardware capability.
But you’d still be pleasantly surprised to learn that you can play some of these great games from the recent past on your Core 2 Duo.
Even though you’d be hard-pressed to find a system with a Core 2 Duo today, there are plenty of old PCs that players still own.
5 of the best PC games for a Core 2 Duo system
#5 Castlevania: Lords of Shadows 2
Castlevania is one of the oldest and most beloved gaming franchises of all-time, and even spawned an anime-series on Netflix very recently that received high praise.
The Lords of Shadow timeline is the most recent set of games in the Castlevania franchise published by Konami. The new timeline follows Gabriel Belmont as he becomes Dracula, and his son Trevor, who is now known as Alucard.
The second game picks up the story when a weakened Dracula must regain his strength to defeat an arch nemesis: Satan. The franchise has now evolved from a 2D side scroller to a hack-n-slash open world game.
The Core 2 Duo is powerful enough to run this underrated gem.
Minimum Requirements:
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo e4600 or AMD Athlon 64 X * CPU SPEED: Info
* RAM: 2 GB
* OS: Windows XP
* VIDEO CARD: Direct X9 compatible video card 512Mb RAM (NVIDIA GeForce 6800/ ATI Radeon x1650)
* PIXEL SHADER: 3.0
* VERTEX SHADER: 3.0
* SOUND CARD: Yes
* FREE DISK SPACE: 10 GB
* DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 512 MB
#4 Mirror’s Edge
Mirror’s Edge is hands-down one of the most unique game franchises in gaming currently, and has 2 excellent games already. The parkour-driven platformer is like a puzzle and action game on high-octane fuel.
Players will need to make split second decisions and always maintain momentum in Mirror’s Edge. The game is exhilarating, and does not let up throughout its considerable run-time.
Mirror’s Edge is simply a game you cannot miss, and the Core 2 Duo will run this masterful experimental game without issue.
Minimum Requirements:
* CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz or 100% compatible equivalent
* CPU SPEED: 3 GHz
* RAM: 1 GB
* OS: Microsoft Windows XP SP2/Vista/7
* VIDEO CARD: 256MB memory with Shader Model 3.0 (NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or equivalent, GeForce 7300 is below minimum requirements)
* TOTAL VIDEO RAM: 256 MB
* 3D: Yes
#3 Tomb Raider
This is a reboot of the popular Tomb Raider franchise that put players in control of the iconic protagonist Lara Croft in the early stages of her career.
The recent reboot is essentially an origin story of Lara Croft, as she learns to be a hardened survivor when stranded on an island by herself.
Instead of the invincible action-movie star, Lara Croft is a much more grounded character that begins her ascent to be a legend this time around.
The Core 2 Duo should have no problem running this new reboot of the iconic franchise.
Minimum Requirements:
* CPU: Dual core CPU (AMD Athlon64 X2 2.1 Ghz (4050+)/Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86 Ghz (E6300)
* CPU SPEED: Info
* RAM: 1 GB (Win XP), 2 GB (Win Vista/7)
* OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
* VIDEO CARD: DirectX 9 Graphics card with 512 MB Video RAM (Radeon HD 2600 XT/Geforce 8600)
* PIXEL SHADER: 3.0
* VERTEX SHADER: 3.0
* SOUND CARD: Yes
* DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 512 MB
#2 Just Cause 2
There is no other game in the history of videogames that can match the Just Cause franchise in terms of explosions per minute.
There are constantly cars, gas tanks, and buildings being blown up in the world of Just Cause 2, and this makes for some really fun gameplay.
Just Cause 2 was the game that set the precedent for future games in the franchise, and is still one of the most fun games you can pick up for your PC.
The Core 2 Duo is a capable enough processor to support games like Just Cause 2 efficiently.
Minimum Requirements:
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo with SSE3 (Athlon 64 X / Pentium D 3GHz)
* RAM: 2 GB
* OS: Microsoft Windows Vista/7 (Windows XP is unsupported)
* VIDEO CARD: DX10 compatible graphics card with 256 MB of memory (Nvidia GeForce 8800 series/ ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro)
* TOTAL VIDEO RAM: 256 MB
* HARDWARE T&L: Yes
* PIXEL SHADER: 4.0
* VERTEX SHADER: 4.0
#1 Bioshock Infinite
The Bioshock franchise boasts of simply some of the most ambitious games in the history of videogames, in terms of narrative and innovative gameplay.
Bioshock Infinite, the last game in the trilogy, was released to major critical acclaim and instantly became a fan-favourite. The story of Booker Dewitt, voiced by the excellent Troy Baker, is a mind-bending narrative that will you need thinking hats on for.
The Core 2 Duo should have no problem running this technical powerhouse of a game.
Minimum Requirements:
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHz
* CPU SPEED: Info
* RAM: 2 GB
* OS: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 32-bit
* VIDEO CARD: DirectX10 Compatible ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVIDIA 8800 GT / Intel HD 3000 Integrated Graphics
* PIXEL SHADER: 4.0
* VERTEX SHADER: 4.0