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Ho Wot Upgrade Your Gaming PC To Improve Performance
Do you want to turn your PC into a gaming rig? Instead of building a whole new computer, you can add a few upgrades to your existing setup to optimize it for gaming. All you need is a few additional hardware components and some changes to your computer’s settings. These upgrades also apply if you’re trying to upgrade your gaming rig and make it more powerful, such as if you are gaming more often than before and want to play more resource-intensive games.
Some of these upgrades are easier than others. For example, adding new RAM is a quite simple and quick task, but upgrading a motherboard can be quite time-consuming and costly. If you want to upgrade your motherboard, you might want to consider building a new PC entirely. Also, before you upgrade any component, verify compatibility! Make sure that your current motherboard and setup supports that particular component, such as your new GPU.
Add More RAM
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It’s a form of temporary memory, and when running applications or games, data is stored there for quick access. It saves time, as retrieving data from the storage drive takes longer. When you shut down your PC, all data is cleared from the RAM, which is why it's considered volatile memory.
If you have more RAM, you’ll be able to play more resource-intensive games with faster speeds, as you can store more data in the temporary memory. You can also run more programs at once with less lag time.
Check your motherboard to see how much RAM is supported. Most likely, you're not maxing out the RAM on your motherboard. A lot of standard PCs come pre-installed with only 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM. Upgrading to 32 or 64 GB will provide a massive boost in performance.
As with all upgrades, though, make sure you buy compatible RAM. RAM comes in different speeds, for example, such as DDR4 and DDR5, and they're not compatible with each other. You also need to ensure they have the same timings, which generally leads to the advice of upgrading by adding more of the exact same RAM you already have, instead of mixing it with different products.
Installing RAM is a relatively simple and quick task. You'll need to identify the RAM slots on your motherboard, which are long and thin slots, usually found in pairs and often color-coded. If they are not marked, and you can't find them, refer to your motherboard's manual.
They'll have small levers on the side; lift the lever(s) and gently insert the RAM modules until you hear a small click.
If your computer supports dual channel memory, which will be indicated by color-coded RAM slots, make sure to utilize that as well for faster performance. To benefit from dual-channel memory, you need to install at least two RAM sticks in the same colored slots.
Upgrade Your Storage Drive
Unlike RAM, your storage drives store your permanent data, including your operating system, games, programs, applications, and files.
Regardless of how much RAM you installed, when you initially load a game, it must be drawn from the storage drive. A faster storage drive will ensure that games load quickly.
SSDs (solid state drives) are faster than HDDs (hard disk drives), as they have an array of flash chips instead of a spinning metal or ceramic platter from which data is read. If you have an HDD, upgrading to an SSD is one of the easiest upgrades you can make with the biggest bump to performance.
If you already have an SSD, consider adding more storage by buying a larger SSD or adding another SSD. The more storage you have, the more games and programs you can download.
To add a new HDD or SSD, you'll need to connect it to your motherboard and PSU using SATA cables and then secure the storage drive in its tray. If you are upgrading an HDD to an SSD, you can simply replace the HDD with the SSD, using the same SATA cables.
However, some SSDs come in an M.2 form factor, which look like long packs of gum. You'll need to install it in the M.2 slot on your motherboard. Installation is easier than other types of storage drives, as you won't have to deal with any cables; just insert it into the M.2 slot and secure it in place.
Buy A Graphics Card
Your CPU may have integrated graphics, but buying a dedicated graphics card will greatly improve your performance.
A graphics card has its own vRAM (video RAM), a cooling fan, and a graphics processing unit.
If you already have a GPU, buying a more powerful one with a higher clock speed and more VRAM will help as well.
Before you buy a GPU, though, make sure it is compatible with your motherboard and CPU. Also, make sure your monitor can handle it; if a GPU supports 4k graphics, but your monitor's limit is 1080p, it's a waste of money. Finally, make sure that your power supply unit has enough power to support your new GPU in addition to your existing components.
Installing a GPU can take a bit of time, but it's not too difficult. You'll need to install it in your PCIe x16 slot and then connect it to your PSU using PCIe connector cables. Finally, connect it to your monitor using the DisplayPort or HDMI port. Check out our GPU installation guide for more details.
Upgrade Your Cooling System
You may already have some case fans installed, but consider installing a liquid cooling system if you plan on doing heavy gaming or overclocking your CPU.
A water cooling system is also quieter, offering a better gaming experience. Unless you have extensive PC building skills, it’s recommended to buy an all-in-one pre-built liquid cooling system. These liquid cooling systems come pre-built, and installation instructions will be provided.
Upgrade Your CPU And Motherboard
Unlike the upgrades mentioned so far, this one isn’t such an easy task. Not only is it more expensive, but you also have to ensure CPU and motherboard compatibility.
For example, if you are buying a new CPU, you have to make sure your motherboard has the right socket and chipset. In addition, your existing CPU cooling fan might be unsupported, so you might have to buy a new cooling system as well.
However, if you have a very old system, it might be worth it. Newer motherboards, for example, might support M.2 NVMe SSDs, allowing you to add more storage, and newer versions of DDR RAM and PCIe data transfer protocols.
Since upgrading a CPU or motherboard is complicated and expensive, you might want to consider building an entirely new rig. You can keep your old rig for fun, sell it, or sell its parts and use some of the parts for your new rig, as long as you ensure compatibility.
Optimize Your PC Settings
Did you know that Windows has several built-in settings that can help you optimize your system for gaming?
First, turn on Game mode. Game mode on Windows optimizes your resources for gaming. Search for “Game mode” in your start bar and turn it on.
You should also turn on hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, a feature in newer versions of Windows that reduces graphics load on your CPU. It ensures your GPU handles all the graphics, so your CPU is free to take care of other things. Search for “hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling" in your search bar.
If you don't see that option in your settings, you may have an older version of Windows, or you may not have a graphics card installed.
