How to upgrade a gaming PC

When your gaming computer is running slow, has long load times, shows screen tearing, lag, or other warning signs, your hardware’s likely to blame.

If it's been a while since you bought a new computer or upgraded the components, it might be time to look at some of the best PC upgrades for gaming and see how you could improve your gaming experience.

There is a wide range of upgrades available, so we have written this guide to help you decide what to upgrade on your PC for gaming, so you can get the most bang for your buck.

If you haven’t upgraded any of your gaming PC’s hardware or components, it should last for two to four years. After that, you’ll likely start to see a drop in performance if you always play the latest games. Why? Newer games demand more of your system’s graphics, memory, storage, and CPU, making it harder for older hardware to run them at the highest quality.

Follow these steps for the best gaming PC upgrades to get the most out of your hardware:

The first gaming PC upgrade to consider is increasing or replacing your computer memory (RAM). RAM temporarily holds data that is currently being used by computer applications, with games using it to store textures and maps

Most factory-built computers have slots to add more memory modules. If there isn’t room for more modules, you can replace existing memory with larger-capacity modules.

You should upgrade your RAM in matched pairs for the best performance. Two 16GB modules will be better than one 32GB module because your motherboard will be able to run the RAM in dual channel mode, resulting in a boost in performance.

Many PC gaming systems support DDR4 RAM. DDR5 RAM is faster, but you need a modern motherboard to use it. Crucial Pro RAM is available in both types and our Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 supports overclocking right out of the box. 

The Crucial® Upgrade Selector or System Scanner can tell you which memory modules are compatible with your computer.

If your current storage drive is full or you're experiencing freezing or hangups, then it's time to get a faster one with more capacity. And if you're still using a hard disk drive (HDD), this is the perfect time to move up to a solid state drive (SSD).

SSDs start up faster and are more reliable and durable than HDDs. When comparing SSDs to HDDs for gaming, SSDs also run at a higher transfer speed, allowing the whole system to run more . You’ll be pleased to know that installing an SSD is simple and can be completed with just a few steps.

If your main drive is a hard disk drive, you will see a huge benefit from upgrading this to an SSD, but this also means reinstalling and configuring your computer, which can be a pain. If that seems like too much of a hassle, simply add an additional SSD to your computer. It’s easy to move your Steam games library to another drive, so you will free up space on your boot drive and get better gaming performance.

If you're having trouble with lag, freezing graphics, or screen tearing, consider upgrading your graphics card.

Unless a computer is built specifically for gaming, manufacturers will frequently install a low-end graphics card. If the rest of your computer is functioning well, a graphics card upgrade can really improve your gaming experience.

A dedicated GPU will handle the demanding needs of modern games. If you have older games that were not running at their full potential, you will be amazed at the difference a good, dedicated graphics card can make! Graphics cards come in a variety of form-factors, so make sure your PC case can accommodate the new card. You will also need to check that your power supply can deliver enough juice to the card as some newer cards can be quite demanding.

Finally, when the card is installed, make sure you hook up your monitor to the card video outputs, and not the motherboard, or all that processing power will go to waste.  

The days of dedicated sound cards being a requirement are long gone, as modern motherboards can deliver impressive full-channel sound with their onboard chips. A frequently overlooked gaming computer upgrade, a dedicated sound card can deliver a better, richer, and more vibrant audio experience than integrated sound.

You will need to make sure your motherboard has space to accommodate a sound card, especially if you are using a large graphics card. Once installed, connect your speakers or headphones via proper audio cables rather than USB to ensure you are getting the full quality experience. If you already have a good speaker system for your PC, this could be a worthwhile upgrade.

It’s possible that some upgrades will demand more of your system’s power supply, and powerful graphics cards are notorious for this. Check your existing power supply to see what it can deliver and compare this with the needs of your new upgrades. 

Your graphics card should make the minimum power supply specifications clear.

Upgrading a power supply is not difficult, but it can involve unplugging many different parts of your PC. NVMe SSDs will draw their power from the motherboard but SATA SSDs will have their own power cable. Some graphics cards will also need additional power.

A power supply upgrade won’t make your gaming PC faster per se, but it will allow all your components to run without compromise. 

Although upgrading your processor (CPU) can improve the efficiency of your computer, it can be quite involved.

You need to make sure that your motherboard and memory are compatible with the new processor, or you will need to replace everything at the same time. Also, check that your current cooling system will accommodate the upgraded CPU.

To determine if a processor upgrade will help your computer, there are a variety of third-party benchmark tests you can run. If these report that your CPU is underpowered, it may be easier (and cheaper!) to get a completely new system instead.

If you have to choose between upgrading the GPU or the CPU, we recommend the graphics card first. These are typically easier to upgrade and are also one of the best PC upgrades for gaming as they will have a bigger impact on gaming, although a CPU upgrade will probably be cheaper. 

Another way to give your gaming PC a boost is to upgrade your peripherals. It’s not hard to upgrade some of your computer hardware, and it can make a big difference in the speed and responsiveness of your system.

A gaming mouse and keyboard can make a big difference in your play. If you’re using a standard mouse and keyboard, upgrading to gaming-specific tools can enhance your play. Make sure you try these out before committing so you can find something that lets you game comfortably and suits your play style.

Graphical upgrades get all the attention, but upgrading your hardware to produce fuller, richer sound is often overlooked. Game developers often put a lot of work into the soundscapes, music, and effects of modern games which can be missed. Stealth games, especially, can benefit from good-quality sound which can deliver subtle clues about enemies and the environment.

If you have upgraded your graphics card, will you be able to see all that extra detail? With so many games taking advantage of improved graphics and frame rates, you don’t want to be missing out on the beautiful design of today’s video games. A monitor upgrade can deliver richer colors, higher resolution, and higher frame rates. Some graphics cards can deliver well over 100 frames per second, but older monitors would never be able to take advantage of this.

You can probably connect a new gaming screen as a second monitor, so you don’t need to replace your existing monitor.

Remember to connect it to the graphics card and not the motherboard!

A good gaming chair can make all the difference. Sitting for long periods is not good for your health, so a good chair will help you enjoy your hobby in ergonomic comfort.

Just make sure you get up and take a victory lap once in a while. You earned it!

If you love to game online, or stream your victories, then a dedicated streaming hardware deck can make a big difference to your games. These add physical buttons which can be linked to commands and macros in your game, computer, or streaming software, letting you trigger effects with a single button push.

You can also consider upgrades to your webcam and lighting if you want to look your best while playing your favorite games.

If you’re looking for the best upgrades for your gaming PC, Crucial has a wide range of RAM and SSDs to suit all needs. Find the right fit for you and upgrade your PC hardware with the memory and storage experts.