Gaming technology is growing rapidly!. It’s very common that one would purchase a gaming PC and before you know it, it’s struggling to keep up with the games and specs of the modern day. To be honest, this seems to go for all tech nowadays – including iphones, cameras and more. How on earth can we keep up?
You’ll be pleased to know buying a new PC is not the ONLY option! There is a much cheaper solution: you can simply upgrade your current PC. There are many benefits to upgrading your gaming pc such as reduced cost and more customisable – this means you can add/enhance different aspects to suit your gaming needs, rather than buy a bulk standard, off the shelf PC!
The idea of messing around with the inside of your computer can seem daunting, but with this guide, you’ll be all set! Or You can continue reading here.
Table of Contents
Peripherals
Before getting into the nitty gritty of the inner workings of a PC, let’s have a look at what can be done on the outside. You’ll want to make sure that you have a decent monitor – without a good display, you won’t be able to appreciate the immersive graphics of PC games. For gaming you’ll want a monitor with a refresh rate of least 75 hertz (Hz).
If you’ve been PC gaming for a while, the chances are you’ll not be rolling with the standard office mouse and keyboard. Still, these peripherals can undergo general wear and tear, which can hamper your gaming experience. Be on the lookout for up-to-date hardware – this can give your performance in game a big boost!
RAM
Even the most casual of PC gamers will be familiar with the term random access memory, or RAM. This is the part of the computer that stores information temporarily that it will need to access. The majority of PC users will be satisfied with around 8 gigabytes (GB) of RAM as it’s all they’ll need to load applications or browse online.
However, for modern-day PC gamers this is simply not sufficient to run the powerful games they play. Without enough RAM, your PC will not be able to store enough information for a game to run properly.
In the modern era of PC gaming, most games require at least 12GB of RAM. However, if you’re looking to upgrade, it’s recommended that you get a minimum of 16GB to meet the demands of high-spec games or future releases.
Upgrading your PC by adding more RAM isn’t all too complex – most people with a working knowledge of computers will be capable. Most PCs will have additional slots to fit more RAM, but you can also replace existing RAM with modules with more capacity. The price of RAM is relatively cheap; retailers offer 16GB as low as £30 and some even lower than that.
Move to a solid state drive
Hard disk drives (HDDs) are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Although traditionally being capable of storing more data, it is the way in which that data is stored that has become somewhat outdated.
If you haven’t already, now is definitely the time to move to a solid-state drive (SSD). These drives are considerably quicker than HDDs. In utilising an SSD, you will be able to fire up your games so much faster.
SSDs are not necessarily the cheaper alternative but, as most modern PCs come with them, we have noticed their price dip over the past few years. There are loads of SSDs on the market today so it’s worth digging around, reading reviews and comparing prices. You just have to make sure the SSD you choose is compatible with your operating system (OS).
Graphics card
The graphics card serves to perform the much more powerful tasks on your computer. Having a worn out or outdated graphics card will cause images on your game to not render correctly, giving you laggy issues, which is the last thing you want when you’re competing with the best.
Just like RAM, video game developers tend to offer recommendations and requirements as to what kind of graphics card (or video card) you’ll need. High-end graphics cards can be pricey, though. It’s worth consulting the requirements before splashing the cash.
Processor
Upgrading your central processing unit (CPU) is tricky business, so this is only recommended if you’re really clued up or if you know someone who is. When looking to do this as a means of upgrading your PC, it’s not just the CPU at play – it’s the motherboard and memory, too. Of course, improving the processing power of your PC will enhance performance, but you have to ask whether it’s worth the time, effort and money.
Summary
These have been just a few tips on how you can upgrade your PC to fit in with the current gaming landscape. If you are looking to upgrade your setup, remember to reflect on how much gaming has advanced in such a short time. Consider how much it will continue to progress. This will help you future proof your prebuilt gaming PC so you aren’t simply wasting money on upgrading again in a year or two.