PC enthusiasts often delay hardware upgrades until necessary, but certain games can compel upgrades due to their advanced technology and demanding graphics.
Half-Life 2, released in 2004, introduced real-time physics and advanced graphics, leading to a surge in demand for GeForce 6600 and Radeon X800 graphics cards as players sought smoother performance.
Grand Theft Auto IV, released in 2008, required robust quad-core processors for optimal performance due to its CPU-intensive simulations, prompting players to upgrade their CPUs.
Crysis, launched in 2007, set a new standard for graphical fidelity with its advanced features, becoming a benchmark for PC performance and prompting gamers to upgrade their systems.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, released in 2015, utilized cutting-edge technologies that made midrange builds struggle, leading players to upgrade for better performance and visuals.
Cyberpunk 2077, released in 2020, created a surge in demand for NVIDIA's RTX 20-series GPUs as players sought to experience its high graphical fidelity, prompting many gamers to upgrade their systems.