Why is Escape from Tarkov running so poorly on my older PC?

Your hardware is pretty outdated at this point. The GTX 1080 Ti and i7 7700K were great back in the day, but they're not cutting it anymore for demanding games like Tarkov. Nowadays, even 16 GB of RAM is considered mid-range. Plus, Tarkov has its own optimization issues and memory leaks, which makes it tough on older systems. Honestly, you might need to start saving for a whole new build if you really want to improve your gaming experience.

You might want to try increasing some GPU-based settings to medium, like particles and resolution, while keeping CPU settings like draw distance on low. This game is pretty CPU-intensive, so be sure to check how your CPU and GPU are performing during gameplay. It’s possible they’re not getting fully utilized, which could be causing the issues you're facing.

For Tarkov, 32 GB of RAM is actually recommended. It sounds like you’re maxing out your 16 GB, which is likely a big part of your problem. Most gamers are moving towards 32 GB now, so upgrading your RAM could definitely help your performance. Consider adding another couple of sticks to bring your total up.

Yeah, even if you had a top-tier new PC, Tarkov can still struggle because it doesn't fully utilize multiple CPU cores and has major memory leaks. I had to upgrade to 64 GB of RAM just to handle most in-game areas smoothly! I feel your pain; it’s tough to accept that an upgrade is needed when you've invested in your rig before.