I mainly use my PC for The Sims 4, but I'd also like to play newer life-simulation games such as InZoi. I want to improve performance without spending more than necessary, preferably by upgrading gradually if that makes sense.
My current prebuilt PC is from around 2017 and has an AMD FX-6300 processor, Nvidia GeForce GT 1030 with 2GB of VRAM, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, roughly 1TB of storage, and Windows 10 Home. The computer originally had 8GB of RAM. Games take a long time to load, especially with mods, and I'm wondering which component should be upgraded first. Would replacing the CPU help with The Sims 4, and what affordable parts would work with the rest of this system? Is it practical to upgrade this computer piece by piece, or would I be better off buying a newer used or prebuilt gaming PC?
3 Answers
I wouldn’t invest much money into this system. The processor and platform are extremely old, and the GT 1030 is also too weak for newer games. If your storage drive is a mechanical hard drive, replacing it with a SATA SSD would make Windows and game loading feel much faster, but it won’t solve the overall performance problem. Beyond that, putting money into major upgrades would be difficult to justify.
The most cost-effective route is probably a newer used gaming PC rather than upgrading this one gradually. Look for something from around 2020 or later with a mid-range Ryzen or Intel CPU, 16GB of DDR4 or newer RAM, an SSD, and a graphics card with at least 8GB of VRAM if InZoi is important to you. Your current DDR3 memory cannot be transferred to a newer platform. The Sims 4 can still run on modest hardware, but large mod collections can cause long loading times and occasional sluggishness even on better systems because the game itself isn’t perfectly optimized.
InZoi is much more demanding than The Sims 4, and the 2GB of VRAM on the GT 1030 will be a major limitation. The system’s age also means newer CPUs and RAM won’t be compatible with the existing motherboard. An SSD could help with loading times, but this isn’t a simple one-part upgrade if you want good performance in modern games.
I’m not very technical, so would I need to replace the whole computer? Is there any realistic way to trade this one in or upgrade it piece by piece instead?