I'm new to gaming on a PC, having received one as a gift back in 2018. Unfortunately, I'm struggling to get decent performance out of it for modern games, often experiencing crashes, freezes, and stutters even when I set everything to the lowest options. My setup includes a GTX 1050 Ti GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1TB HDD, and I'm using a 1080p monitor with 60Hz refresh rate. I mainly want to play games like Nightreign, Space Marine 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk 77, and Monster Hunter World without issues. I'm not looking for maximum settings, just stable frame rates and medium graphics. Since I see a lot of people asking about what games I want to play, I'm hoping for some guidance on what upgrades I might need to achieve a smooth gaming experience.
5 Answers
Do you have a budget for upgrades? Knowing how much you're willing to spend will really help narrow down the options. You could also consider selling some of your collection to fund an upgrade.
You might want to look into getting a SATA SSD. It's a relatively inexpensive upgrade that can significantly improve system performance compared to your HDD. Prices are a bit high right now, though, so keep an eye out for good deals at stores nearby, especially if you have a Walmart close by.
I suggest aiming for at least a 1080/60fps setup. If you’re not against spending a bit more, look at GPUs like the NVIDIA 5070 Ti or AMD 9070 XT. Pairing that with a good CPU like the AMD 7800X3D along with 32GB of DDR5 RAM could set you up nicely for future games. Let me know if that sounds feasible for you!
If gaming is your main focus, make sure you're not limiting your potential. Are you near a Microcenter? They sometimes have great deals on components or prebuilt systems that could suit your gaming needs. If your budget is as big as you mentioned, you could consider investing in a more powerful build altogether.
First off, what's your CPU? That's an important factor too. If you're looking for a quick performance boost, upgrading your GPU would be a solid choice. The GTX 1050 Ti is getting a bit dated for modern gaming, so consider something like a GTX 1660 Super or even a newer RTX 3060 if your budget allows.
I forgot to mention it in my post, but I have an Intel Core i5-4460 CPU running at 3.20GHz.