If you’re someone who plays video games on a PC, you understand both the upsides and downsides to the hardware. PC gaming pulls ahead of consoles in a lot of ways, but only if you stay up to date with your hardware upgrades. If you’re less computer savvy, this can be a difficult thing to try and get right on your first attempt. We’ll show you what to upgrade in your computer for better gaming experiences, so it doesn’t seem as daunting of a task.
Storage
If you start to notice that your hard drive is getting a little full, you may also notice that games start to freeze up more and even crash. Upgrading to more storage capacity lets you keep plenty of games installed on your PC at one time, allowing you to switch between them whenever you want. You’ll either want to upgrade the hard drive in the computer (pro tip: go for an SSD over an HDD) or add an external hard drive to your main system.
RAM
Your computer’s RAM is essential to your gaming experience, as this is where many games hold their textures and maps. Most computers nowadays are equipped to easily handle more RAM. If you have no extra ports, you can swap out the RAM you do have for ones with a higher capacity. This will improve functions such as streaming speed and game loading screens.
Graphics Card
Anyone who knows what to upgrade in your computer for better gaming will tell you that your graphics card is the real key. You have a ton of choices here, and you don’t need to break the bank buying the most expensive one to get a great gaming experience. Upgrading your GPU will directly affect how well your computer produces the game’s visuals, as well as reducing lag and screen tearing. If you can only upgrade one thing, make it your graphics card.
Processor
A last resort fix for your computer might be to upgrade its internal processor. The reason we call this a last resort is that this upgrade is much more difficult to get right. Everything will need to be compatible with the new processor, including your motherboard, and you’ll need to make sure your computer can handle the extra heat it may produce. If your processor seems to be the true problem with your computer, you might be better off getting a new system unless you can handle the complicated installation of a new processor.
