The rig.
Two pages: the floor you can boot on, and the hardware that actually earns the grades.
GPU and CPU.
GPU: Vulkan 1.3, 8 GB+ VRAM, current driver, discrete device selected. CPU: 8 real cores. Everything else is secondary.
◎ At a glance
Reviewed 2026-10-13.
| GPU bar | Vulkan 1.3, 8 GB+ VRAM |
| CPU bar | 8 cores / 16 threads, x86-64 |
| Setting | Discrete Vulkan device selected |
| Drivers | Current — GPU and iGPU both |
GPU: Vulkan 1.3 or nothing
Kiln renders on Vulkan 1.3. No Vulkan 1.3, no Kiln. Install the current driver from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel — and update the integrated GPU too, because a stale iGPU driver interferes even when the discrete card does the work.
8 GB VRAM is the realistic bar for graded 1080p. 6 GB boots and plays light titles; heavy scenes page and stutter.
Two GPUs in the machine? Pick the discrete Vulkan device in the Kiln launcher. The number one support answer is stop rendering on the iGPU.
CPU: cores do the emulating
Emulation is CPU work. The floor is 6 cores / 12 threads; the lab grades on 8 cores / 16 threads. Big cities and dense hunts are CPU-bound on any GPU.
More GPU does not fix a CPU bottleneck. If Monster Hunter Wilds storms dip on the reference rig, they will dip on your 4-core no matter what card you bolt on.
AVX2-class x86-64 is assumed. Anything from the last decade qualifies; anything older is not the conversation.
Laptops and drivers
Discrete-GPU laptop on wall power, discrete device selected: in the conversation, with less thermal headroom than the desktop lab rig.
Integrated graphics alone is a boot-check machine at best. Battery power is not a test condition.
Driver rule: current releases, both GPUs, before every new title. Old drivers cause half the bug reports.
Questions
Which matters more for Kiln, GPU or CPU?
Both, at different times. GPU carries resolution and effects; CPU carries emulation and crowded scenes. Skimp on either and something dips.
How do I select the discrete GPU?
In the Kiln launcher, pick the discrete card as the Vulkan device. Then confirm it — laptops love to silently switch back.
Are Ryzen CPUs fine?
Yes. 8-core / 16-thread Ryzen parts are exactly the lab shape. Core count and clocks matter, not the badge.
Related
Minimum rig.
Floor boots, lab class plays. 6 cores and 6 GB VRAM to check boots; 8 cores and 8 GB VRAM to match the grades.
Vulkan 1.3.
Vulkan 1.3 is the graphics API Kiln renders on. Your driver provides it. Old driver, wrong GPU, no frames.
Boost fps.
The lab checklist for frames: right GPU, current driver, 1080p Performance preset, shader patience, NVMe, nothing else running.
Reference rig.
One PC grades everything: 8-core CPU, RTX 3070, 32 GB RAM, NVMe, Windows 11. Every status on the roster comes from this machine.
Windows installer · 400+ titles in the launcher
Get the launcher.
Install Firmware with your own PS5UPDATE.PUP, boot the system software, then start a game you own.