Unsupported CPU: CPU does not have POPCNT! [ Edited ]

[GlitchPhoenix98]

Product: Apex Legends
Platform:PC
Please specify your platform model. PC
AMD or Nvidia Model Number GTX 745
Enter RAM memory size in GB 8
What is your gamertag/PSN ID/EA Account name? iiEpixGamer
Please provide your squad mates' gamertag/PSN ID/EA Account name if possible.
Which Legend were you playing (if applicable)?
Which Legends were your squad mates using (if applicable)?
Where did the issue occur? Loading into the match from the lobby
Which part of the map or menu were you in? If you don't remember the exact name, please describe the area or what you were trying to do in the menu. Opening the game.
What were you doing when the issue occurred? E.g. respawning a squad mate at a beacon, using an ability, a squad mate left the game. Opening the game
Did your squad mates also experience the issue? Yes
How many matches had you played in a row before the issue occurred? 0
When did this happen? (dd.mm.yy hh:mm) 25.05.19 10:13 AM
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
How severe is your issue? Major impacts to gameplay
What happens when the bug occurs? Unsupported CPU doesnt have POPCNT
What should be happening instead? The game running
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Open the game. Please fix it. Also people have better CPUs than me and it happens to them.

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Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q9400 @ 2.66GHz 2.67 GHz

Ram: 8GB

GPU: GeForce GTX 745

I removed the game so I dont have a screenshot

[RevGunthak]

Hate to break it to you (really), but that PC was never going to run Apex at adequate performance anyway, regardless of POPCNT.

The GTX 745 was already the 'low/medium range' part when it was released back in Feb. 2014.

Back then, its siblings the GTX 750 and - more so - the GTX 750 Ti were the prized 'affordable' gaming cards, providing PS4-like results.

The 745 was the underclocked and vastly under-cored edition.

I'm afraid with your Q9400 running at the stock 2.6Ghz paired with that GTX 745 - this wouldn't result in a great experience in Apex, even if your processor type was patched to be retrocompatible with POPCNT. Not sure how much VRAM your version of the 745 has either. If it's low, another big obstacle for modern games is low GPU vram.

Like, maybe you could squeeze by at 720p and 30-40fps, w/ low image quality settings.

I can run the likes of PUBG, Blackout, etc. at 1080p/60fps~ using High settings on a similar generation Intel quad CPU -- the Xeon X5470, but I overclock it past 3.8Ghz and I have 16GB of fast DDR3 system ram, plus my GPU is a recent RX 580 8GB edition. So I brute force this older rig to very nice 1080p gaming.

Given its performance and image quality in all other major Battle Royale titles and recent 2019 AAA game releases, I have no doubt it would manhandle Apex Legends at 1080p.

I've compared my 1070 to the RX 580 in many cases (on a 4.2Ghz i7) and when constricted to 1080p they're practically equal GPUs. Obviously the 1070 peels off ahead at 1440p.

Anyway, unfortunately that Xeon CPU also left the factory without POPCNT support sowed into its silicon, so it can't even launch Apex.

POPCNT is a rather trivial instruction set to go in and refactor in the compiler and patch, non-essential to runtime/in-engine gameplay, and several other games have been patched to remove the ill-advised restriction - handled by basic SSE 4.x instruction set retro-compatibility.

TL:DR: Nope, you can't launch Apex Legends. The game is currently flagged in such a way that POPCNT is a barrier to entry for your CPU.

Even if you could, your PC as per listed specs is likely to struggle in recent multiplayer games unless boosted in some areas.

(Fortnite/Overwatch are exempt - they run well on potatoes).