Upgrading Your Gaming PC: Where to Start
The Upgrade Path: Getting the Most Performance
Upgrading a PC can be daunting. Where do you start? The answer depends on your current bottleneck.
The GPU Upgrade
For 90% of gamers, upgrading the graphics card will provide the most significant boost in frame rates. Ensure your power supply (PSU) can handle the new card's power draw before purchasing.
The RAM Upgrade
- If you only have 8GB of RAM, upgrading to 16GB or 32GB is the cheapest way to improve system stability and reduce stuttering in modern titles.
- Ensure you buy a matching stick of RAM, or ideally, a completely new dual-channel kit.
Storage Upgrades
If you are still installing games on a mechanical hard drive (HDD), upgrading to a fast NVMe SSD will drastically reduce load times and texture pop-in, though it won't increase your maximum FPS.