Building the perfect high-performance gaming PC can take time, money and baseline tech skills. Fortunately, you can find advice and tutorials online to help you with the process, making your build much more manageable – from selecting compatible components to troubleshooting potential issues. Once you have your completed setup, you can enjoy at least five to eight years of future-proof gaming before you require any updates, provided your hardware is high-quality and well-maintained. That said, your components will eventually become outdated, and you will have to replace them. Here are some signs that indicate it’s time for an upgrade. 

It’s Starting To Slow Down

Your high-tech gaming PC may once have been lightning fast; however, it will begin to slow down over time. Generally speaking, your PC shouldn’t take longer than 45 to boot up. While boot times do vary from system to system, and there are ways of speeding up the process, like cutting down on startup programs, if your PC exceeds several minutes, there is little you can do to fix it aside from upgrading your components. Consider replacing your HDD drive with an SSD to speed things up. 

Your Files Don’t Open Immediately

If your files don’t open immediately and your programs are slow to load, it is a common signifier of needing more RAM. You may also receive an error message informing you that your PC is using 80% or more of its memory. 8 GB of RAM is generally considered the baseline requirement for gaming; however, with increasingly component-intensive AAA titles being released every year, some more recent games recommend a minimum of 6 GB. If you’re planning to stream or run photo editing programs like Photoshop, you may even need 32GB of RAM, although this is mostly considered overkill for standard gaming purposes. 

Your PC Can’t Handle AAA Games

As mentioned previously, games are becoming increasingly demanding, even for high-end gaming PCs with exceptional, top-of-the-range components. For example, according to the stat requirements for titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077, gamers require up-to-date, high-performance systems to enjoy maxed-out graphics and high frame rates. To improve your experience and gaming performance, it is worth upgrading your GPU with at least 6GB, preferably 8GB or more for 4K. 

It’s Noisy

Gaming PCs can be relatively noisy; however, if you notice a change in volume, it could signify one of several issues. For example, a grinding noise could indicate that there is a loose part somewhere, or it may suggest that your HDD is on its way out. If your fans are noticeably louder, it could mean that your CPU is having to work harder than usual, meaning you will have to scan for malware, update your drivers or reinstall your operating system. However, this could also be due to a buildup of dust and debris in the vents, so make sure you install filters on your intake fans. 

Overheating

When you purchase any pre-built gaming pc from a UK online store, it will almost always come with a rudimentary cooling system. While air cooling systems are adequate for less intensive daily tasks and will keep your components running smoothly, high-intensity gaming, streaming and video editing software will generate a considerable amount of heat. Consider upgrading to a water or liquid cooling system. Liquid cooling systems efficiently distribute heat, lowering CPU temperatures and reducing the risk of irreparable damage to your hardware. 

Crashes And Freezes

If your system is continuously crashing and freezing, or you’ve been faced with the infamous “blue screen of death”, you could have several issues to tackle. These errors could result from outdated drivers or malware, or you may have a problem with your hardware. It may even be that your GPU is too powerful for your PSU. To minimise risk, ensure your hardware components are compatible with each other. 

Inefficient Multitasking

If you’re a streamer, your PC will need to handle intense levels of multitasking. Multi-core processors are designed to be capable of multitasking, quickly switching between one task and another. If your PC is having trouble performing multiple tasks simultaneously, your CPU may need upgrading. To guarantee excellent multitasking capabilities, invest in a multi-core CPU and plenty of RAM. However, keep in mind that upgrading your CPU will typically need to upgrade your motherboard as well.