Call of Duty: Black Ops II is the next in the title in the popular COD series and will be releasing fairly soon, November 2012.

We already knew that BO2 will be using its ageing game engine, so requirements weren't predicted to be that high, but Treyarch have offficially sent word about their Call of Duty Black Ops 2 system requirements, so lets take a look at the details...

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 Minimum System Requirements

OS: Windows Vista SP2 / Windows 7

CPU: Intel Core2 Duo E8200 2.66 GHZ / AMD Phenom X3 8750 2.4 GHZ

RAM 32-Bit OS: 2 GB RAM

RAM 64-Bit OS: 4 GB RAM

GPU RAM: 512MB

GPU: Nividia GeForce 8800 GT  / ATI Radeon HD 3870

DX: 11 

Here are some obvious questions that you may like covered before you pick up a pre-order.

Does the game run on Windows XP?

No. Following the game engine upgrade, it requires DirectX11 now. Windows XP does not support that and so COD BO2 requires Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7 or better.

Does Black Ops 2 actually run ok on a machine that just meets the BO2 minimum requirements?

Yes Black Ops 2 will run on a machine that meets minimum system requirements. Treyarch assure us that they have run extensive tests on a variety of hardware and are very confident that a minimum requirement machine can run the game to a suitable standard.

What game engine does Black Ops II use?

They are sticking with a modified version of the game engine known as Black Ops. It has a number of improvements, including performance optimizations, enhanced graphics, and proprietary anti-cheat technology.

Please explain the performance optimizations of Black Ops II?

The engine now handles multiple threads much more effectively and will now also use Direct X 11 instead of the previous Direct X 9 technology.

DX11's API is much leaner than DX9 and therefore puts less stress on the CPU while still being able to do the same amount of processing. This enhancement will benefit all hardware and not just DX11 hardware. With extra quality to performance options added in to the game a gamer can now customize their experience, choosing whether to run something faster or instead to enahnce the look of the game.

Will the PC version of Black Ops 2 get enhanced graphics?

The PC version of Black Ops 2 will come with some advanced visual features that include, enhanced lighting, shadows, antialiasing, bloom, depth of field, ambient occlusion, and other enhancement effects that are currently still being worked on. Also there will be higher resolutions options and an increased framerate for the PC.

Will Black Ops 2 have a framerate cap on the PC?

No. But Treyarch will allow you to set a framerate cap if you want it. They have added in an adjustable FPS cap slider in the game options. The minimum setting is OFF (no cap).

So there we go. No doubt this is likely to be another masssive release and one that even creaky aging PCs will likely be able to play.

Our calculations suggest that a PC that is around 4 years old will be able to play this game fairly easily, providing it is DX11 capable.

Whats your thoughts on Black Ops 2?