The beauty of being a PC gamer is the ability to upgrade your system when you please. Unlike consoles, PCs can be upgraded and updated part by part, negating the need to purchase an entirely new system.
If you’re keen to keep your gaming PC at the pinnacle of performance, it may be time to upgrade specific components to ensure your gaming experience is the best it could possibly be.
Replacing your hard drive with an SSD (Solid State Drive) will vastly improve the performance of your PC. Due to their lack of moving parts and spinning platters, SSDs consume less power and can read and write data up to ten times faster than their HDD counterparts, amounting to faster loading times. Since SSDs are non-mechanical, they are less likely to overheat, meaning your system will be quieter and cooler.
Although you’re likely to get a larger storage capacity for your money with an HDD, the performance power of an SSD makes it an incomparable option for gaming systems. HDDs are generally better suited for non-gaming systems that undergo lighter workloads.
Reliability is another factor to consider. SSDs are far more durable than HDDs and will generally last up to twice as long, even under high-stress circumstances.
Adding more RAM (random access memory) can improve performance and boost frame rates, making for smoother gameplay. Your gaming PC will run on a minimum of 8GB, although 16GB is recommended; however, this depends on your game preferences. Many more recent titles require larger capacities to run at 1080p.
When shopping for your product, you’ll notice that manufacturers often list the RAM frequency, for example, 3,200MHz. A higher frequency may look attractive, but your PC will only run as fast as its CPU and motherboard can handle. Faster RAM does not necessarily mean faster speeds and won’t do a great deal to enhance your gaming experience.
Upgrading your CPU is a relatively simple process. Providing you select one that is compatible with your motherboard, you can enjoy increased processing power, amounting to smoother gameplay and faster loading times.
Core count is a variable to consider for processor-intensive tasks. CPU cores range from 4 to 16, although six cores or higher are recommended for most modern titles. Clock speed is also a factor to pay attention to - your CPU’s clock speed measures how many clock cycles it can perform per second, determining its overall performance. A clock speed of 3.5 to 4.0 GHz is considered ideal for gaming.
Obtaining a new graphics card for your gaming PC is arguably the single best way to get more FPS and increase performance. Boosting your PC’s visual performance with a high-end GPU will not only make your games look better, but a seamless picture quality makes for increased in-game precision.
Exceptionally powerful GPUs can support 4K gaming at 60 FPS, which is more than enough for most pro gamers, streamers and content creators. While this may be “overkill” for the games you’re currently playing, keep in mind that future releases will be increasingly laborious for your components.
If you haven’t yet enriched your system with a high-quality gaming mouse and keyboard combo, then what are you waiting for? Mechanical keyboards are durable, customisable and can dramatically enhance your gameplay. Unlike their membrane counterparts, mechanical keyboards provide faster response times, averaging around six milliseconds, improving in-game accuracy.
Like mechanical keyboards, gaming mice optimise gameplay due to fast response times and customisation options. Ergonomically designed, these specialised mice provide comfort and support during lengthy gaming sessions. To get the most out of your mouse, consider purchasing a large gaming mat for superbly smooth and free movement.
If you’ve already upgraded your GPU and/or CPU, a high-grade gaming monitor will provide a visual representation of your PC’s image rendering and processing. A quality monitor makes for a higher refresh rate and a better gameplay experience. Be warned - bigger is not always better. Instead, focus on resolution, and pixel density, which is measured in PPI (pixels per inch) - too low and your image quality will be poor. A pixel density of 95 to 110 PPI is advisable for gaming monitors.
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