More recently, just a year ago, the answer to the question about the minimum gaming configuration was simple and clear: GTX 1060 with 6 GB of memory and any quad-core processor. This bundle faithfully served gamers for almost a decade, allowing them to enjoy almost all new products, even if not at maximum settings.
But times are changing. Next gen arrived, and he didn’t stand on ceremony: the minimum requirements bar shot up almost instantly. So what can you now play with minimal comfort, reaching the cherished 30 frames per second at not the lowest settings? And most importantly, what configuration will allow you to stay in the game not only now, but also in the next few years?
How to identify our needs
To understand what kind of computer we need, let’s take a look at the key changes that nextgen brought with it. It is these innovations that will determine our minimum configuration, on which you can still play comfortably, and then check the conclusions on a specific build.
Why nextgen? It was he who set and sets the minimum bar. If the PS4 had a video card of the level, at most, 1060 and the most miserable eight-thread processor, then approximately these TX will be the “base”
The task is to isolate the minimum configuration that will allow you to enjoy modern games without excessive compromises. We will not limit ourselves to theory alone. To check the conclusions, I also suggest that you consider a specific build that you can build today. This will help you see how the recommendations work in practice and how much an entrance ticket to the world of modern gaming can cost.
New minimum VRAM — 8 GB
The first thing you should pay attention to is the amount of video memory. A key feature of the new generation of games is the use of uncompressed 4K textures and increased rendering distances.
If earlier 4-6 GB of video memory was considered sufficient for a comfortable game, now it is already the last century. 8 GB — this is the bar below which you should not fall. Even these 8 GB can already be called “end-to-end”. If you find a model with a large amount of VRAM for the same money-take it without hesitation.
At the same time, it is interesting to note that the requirements for the video chip itself have not increased so significantly. If you disable “heavy” effects like ray tracing, then even relatively budget cards can show themselves on the good side. For this, it is worth saying thank you to the Xbox Series S-the youngest console of the new generation, which sets the lower bar of performance for multiplatform projects.
Minimum RAM — 16 GB
Exactly for the same reasons, games have become more voracious to RAM. If earlier 4 GB of RAM was considered the minimum for running most games, and 8 GB provided comfortable gameplay, now the picture has changed dramatically. Today, 8 GB is the absolute minimum, which will only allow you to start the game, but it is unlikely to provide smooth gameplay, and for comfortable gaming you need 16.
Ideally, generally 32, so that you can run something in the background (and not think about memory as such for the next few years), but 16 is the minimum recommended by me.
Minimum of 8 cores. Or 6, but very fast
Perhaps the biggest impact of nextgen was on processors. The new consoles are equipped with 8-core CPUs with 16 threads, and this sets a new bar for gaming PCs. Suddenly, it turned out that many processors, until recently considered quite gaming, are retiring.
Specifically — everything older than Kaby Lake, inclusive, as well as ALL quad-core devices from the newer series.
So what do we need? There are several options. The first is 8 or more cores, even if not the fastest. This includes various Xeon and eight-core variants of Ryzen of the first two generations. The second option is 6 cores, but with high frequencies, preferably above 4.2-4.5 GHz on all cores. It can be overclocked older models of Coffee Lake, Ryzen 3600 and all that is better.
Of course, if you have the opportunity to take something from the new processors that exceed these characteristics, this will be an ideal option. But such a processor is the minimum for a more or less stable 60+ frames without a CPU-bottlneck.
Minimum of a terabyte SSD
The last but not least important component of our system is the drive. And here we are waiting for not the most pleasant news: games have become not only more demanding on RAM and video memory, but also significantly increased in size.
If earlier a game weighing 50 GB was considered “heavy”, now it is almost the norm. Many modern blockbusters take 100…250 GB, and some pervalivayut and for this mark. And there is every reason to believe that by the end of the life cycle of current consoles, we will see games that will weigh under half a terabyte!
Given all this, a terabyte SSD becomes not a luxury, but a necessity. It will allow you to install one, two, or three games, leaving room for the system and other programs.
The good news is that concerns about the need for ultra-fast SSDs for next-gen games have not yet been realized. Despite the fact that Sony actively promoted the idea of the importance of high-speed drives, in practice it turned out that even with a regular SATA SSD from a decade ago, you can play modern games quite comfortably if it is of sufficient volume.
Approximate minimum configuration
Now that we’ve sorted out the key components, let’s put it all together and see what the final configuration looks like. At the same time, I will also look back at the representative statistics of Steam, as the most representative source of data on gamers ‘ computers.
So, here’s what we get for “comfortable minimalism”, if you collect from modern components in DNS:
- The Ryzen 5 5500 processor is paired with a B-chipset motherboard, which will allow you to easily overclock the CPU to 4.2…4.5 GHz across all cores.
- For the video card, we have several options: RTX 3060 or 4060, or their analogs from AMD. Especially interesting from modern GPUs is the RX 6750 GRE with 10 GB of video memory — an excellent combination of price and performance. The 12GB RTX 3060 will also be a great choice, but it’s getting harder to find it on the market.
- We will supplement our build with 16 GB of RAM (even the most budget-friendly) and a terabyte SSD.
As a result, we get a system that will pull almost all modern games at medium-high settings at Full HD resolution. For some, you can take a swing at 2K.
What’s next?
The gaming industry does not stand still, and nextgen is only gaining momentum. What awaits us next is still difficult to say for sure. But one thing is certain: as long as the Xbox Series S sets the bottom bar for performance, the configuration that I brought out in this article will remain relevant for some time.
Of course, to fully immerse yourself in the world of modern games, you need not only hardware, but also the games themselves. And here you should pay attention to the Kupikod service, where you can purchase keys even for those games that are not available for Russian Steam accounts. So by building a powerful computer, you can fill its library with great games and immerse yourself in exciting virtual worlds.
Of course, to fully immerse yourself in the world of modern games, you need not only hardware, but also the games themselves. And here you should pay attention to the Kupikod service, where you can purchase keys even for those games that are not available for Russian Steam accounts. So by building a powerful computer, you can fill its library with great games and immerse yourself in exciting virtual worlds.
