4 PC myths I was stunned to find out gamers still believe

• More RAM is always better
• Game boosters are essential
• You should always buy into the latest GPU generation
• It’s 144Hz or bust for monitors

Hardcore gamers are notorious for trying to squeeze out every last bit of their PC‘s performance. For obvious reasons though — a good gaming rig is expensive, yet inevitably loses its edge over time as games become more graphically advanced. In as little as three or four years, a machine that once cost $3,000 might be beaten by newer models priced for half that, if not less. It’s worth trying everything you can to achieve a few more frames per second.

As long as it’s based in reality, that is. Myths seem to keep cropping up, whether they’re from true believers, or people who simply want to appear smart. If you want a meaningful speed boost, avoid falling for any of these traps.

More RAM is always better

Spend your budget wisely

With RAM prices out of control as I write this, it’s fitting to remind people that you shouldn’t automatically buy the most memory you can afford, regardless of your budget. RAM is vital to gaming, no doubt. Titles like Battlefield 6 and Cyberpunk 2077 are shuffling around massive amounts of map, model, and graphical data, and having too little RAM will bottleneck performance. The days when you could get by with 8GB are long gone. Even 16GB is becoming dicey, assuming you want to run other apps in the background.

Beyond 32GB, though, the returns are minimal to non-existent with current games. They’re just not demanding that much. On my laptop with 32GB, an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX, and a mobile Nvidia RTX 5070, I can comfortably run a game like Battlefield at high detail with multiple apps in the background, including Spotify. I’d only consider upgrading to 64 or 128GB if I wanted to edit a 4K video project afterward.

Beyond 32GB, the returns are minimal to non-existent with current games.

Extra RAM does have value in terms of futureproofing, but we’re likely years away from 64GB becoming the new norm. In the meantime, the money you’ll save by sticking with 32GB might be put towards a faster CPU or GPU, a new monitor, or simply a better keyboard. There’s not much point to a high-end gaming PC if you hate the experience of controlling it. If you work from home like I do, you might be surprised at how much a comfortable and responsive keyboard can change things.

One aspect of RAM that may be worth investing in is speed. In some games, DDR5 can offer a noticeable improvement over DDR4. But with 64GB of DDR5 now costing as much as whole PCs, DDR4 might be an acceptable sacrifice. You really don’t need DDR5 if you’re sticking to indie games.

Game boosters are essential

Nothing special going on

To me, at least, there are a surprising number of apps out there claiming that they can substantially improve the performance of games. These include first-party tools from PC makers like Lenovo and Razer, as well as software from various third parties looking to cash in. I’m not talking about pure overclocking utilities, to be clear — these “booster” apps promise to pull additional software tricks to increase your framerates.

The dirty secret is that few if any of these apps do anything that you can’t do on your own.

The dirty secret is that few if any of these apps do anything that you can’t do on your own. If you want to reduce Windows 11’s performance overhead, for example, all you have to do is turn on its Game Mode and close any unnecessary background apps. The software’s Power Modes let you prioritize performance, and both AMD and Nvidia’s apps let you overclock your GPU with minimal fuss.

You may want third-party overclocking utilities to get the absolute most out of a PC, but exercise caution. Pushing a computer too far past its thermal limits can cause instability, or outright kill some components prematurely. If you’re not prepared to spend on upgraded cooling systems, it’s best to stick to the apps AMD, Nvidia, and Microsoft provide. Even then, you may want to leave overclocking off to maximize your PC’s lifespan.

You should always buy into the latest GPU generation

Often, but not always

There was a time when this myth was true, but that was before Nvidia transitioned from a niche GPU maker into the world’s most valuable corporation, riding high on AI and cryptocurrency. So many of its GPUs are used for non-gaming purposes that, in combination with general advancements, the costs of getting the best of the best can be astronomical. A desktop-sized RTX 5080 card costs upwards of $1,000 (if you’re lucky), and a 5090 starts at $2,000. That’s just not worth it unless money is no object, or you legitimately need that power for your job. Even an RTX 5070 Ti can feel ridiculously expensive at $750.

Nvidia’s 40-series cards remain more than good enough for a lot of games while being cheaper, although I wouldn’t pick anything less than a 4070.

Nvidia’s 40-series cards remain more than good enough for a lot of games while being cheaper, although I wouldn’t pick anything less than a 4070. More importantly for some use cases, you may be able to afford a card with extra VRAM. While you can get away with 8 to 12GB if you stick to 1440p resolution, 4K gaming pretty much demands 16GB or higher. An RTX 4080 with 16GB still isn’t going to be cheap, but it’s more affordable than the equivalent 5080.

Another option is going with one of AMD’s Radeon GPUs. These tend to lag behind Nvidia if you demand the highest framerates, but $600 for a 16GB Radeon RX 9070 XT is nothing to sneeze at.

It’s 144Hz or bust for monitors

If you have bionic vision, maybe

You really should choose a monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate if you’ve got the budget. While 60Hz is technically enough for a smooth 60 frames per second, once a game breaks past the 60fps mark, you may encounter visual artifacts such as screen tearing. You can counter this by enabling V-sync and/or capping your framerate, but that’s hardly satisfying or necessary when 120Hz panels are increasingly de facto.

​​​​​​​It’s alright if a monitor you’re eyeing supports 144Hz by chance, but your priorities should be things like size, resolution, brightness, response time, and panel technology.

There may be some incentive to chase down a monitor rated for 144Hz (or better) if you’re into e-sports, but for the rest of us, that spec should be a secondary priority. 120Hz is plenty fluid, so it’s difficult if not impossible to spot the difference. Also, to drive a game at 144fps, you’ve got three options: an insanely expensive video card, dialing down detail, or sticking to older games.

It’s alright if a monitor you’re eyeing supports 144Hz by chance, but your priorities should be things like size, resolution, brightness, response time, and panel technology. I’d much rather own a 120Hz, 1440p mini-LED monitor than a 1080p LCD rated over 200Hz. That mini-LED will probably look better no matter what you’re doing. Once you climb into 4K, the best refresh rates often come at a very steep price.