Best gaming PC for Half-Life: Alyx (2026)
Choose a PC tier based on the resolution and frame rate you want for Half-Life: Alyx. We cover four tiers below.
What Half-Life: Alyx actually demands from your PC
There are no official PC requirements for Half-Life: Alyx, because there is no announced PC version. Everything on this page is our reasoned prediction, based on the console hardware it targets and how Valve's previous PC ports behaved. We will rewrite this page with real numbers the day they are published.
GPU-bound title: Framerate scales directly with GPU power. If you have a fixed budget, prioritise the graphics card and accept a mid-range CPU.
What you can skip vs what matters
- Worth spending on: GPU first, then a fast NVMe SSD (most modern games benefit from sub-3000MB/s sustained reads), then RAM at the tier amount.
- Worth skipping at this budget: RGB lighting, exotic cooling, brand-name PSUs above 850W (unless you're building enthusiast tier), and motherboards with more than 4 M.2 slots.
- Don't compromise on: The PSU. A reliable 750W gold-rated unit will outlast two GPU upgrades.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Half-Life: Alyx coming to PC?
- Valve hasn't announced a PC version. Console-first blockbusters have typically reached PC 12–24 months after their console launch, but nothing here is confirmed. We'll update this page as soon as it is.
- What's the minimum gaming PC for Half-Life: Alyx?
- A modern entry-level gaming PC with a current-generation midrange GPU will run Half-Life: Alyx at 1080p high settings.
- Is Half-Life: Alyx CPU-heavy or GPU-heavy?
- Half-Life: Alyx is primarily GPU-bound. Prioritise the graphics card; a mid-range CPU like the Ryzen 5 7600 will keep up at 1080p/60.
- Do I need ray tracing for Half-Life: Alyx?
- Half-Life: Alyx does not require ray tracing. Any current-generation GPU will deliver the intended visual experience.
- How much RAM do I need?
- For Half-Life: Alyx, 32GB is the sensible answer in 2026. 16GB still works for the budget tier but limits future-proofing.