PC for GTA 5: Enhanced and Legacy requirements and builds
GTA 5 now has two PC versions with different requirements, and for the newer one, Enhanced, you need an SSD and 16 GB of RAM in two modules. For Enhanced, Rockstar recommends a Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i5-9600K and an RTX 3060 or RX 6600 XT graphics card with 8 GB of memory. For 1080p at high detail, a build with an RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT is enough today; turn ray tracing on sparingly or with DLSS or FSR. For 1440p and a 144 Hz monitor, plan for an RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 Ti class card and a fast processor.
Summary
- GTA V Enhanced was released on PC on 4 Mar 2025 as a free upgrade. It brings ray tracing, DLSS and FSR, faster loading and DirectStorage support.
- GTA V Legacy (the original 2015 version) remains available and runs on older hardware too, but without the new graphics features.
- Enhanced requires 105 GB on an SSD. Rockstar does not support it on a conventional hard drive.
- Ray tracing and MSAA anti-aliasing are the most demanding. Turning them down gains you the most FPS.
What are the official GTA 5 Enhanced and Legacy requirements
The values come from Rockstar Games support (as of 10/2026). Rockstar points out that they may change with updates.
| Parameter | Enhanced – minimum | Enhanced – recommended | Legacy – recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| System | Windows 10 (build 1909 and newer) | Windows 11 | Windows 10, 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-4770 / AMD FX-9590 | Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-3470 / AMD FX-8350 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB in dual-channel mode | 8 GB |
| Graphics card | GTX 1630 / RX 6400 (4 GB) | RTX 3060 / RX 6600 XT (8 GB) | GTX 660 / HD 7870 (2 GB) |
| Storage | 105 GB, SSD required | 105 GB, drive with DirectStorage support | 125 GB, HDD is enough |
The minimum for Legacy is even lower: a Core 2 Quad Q6600 quad-core, 4 GB of RAM and a card with 1 GB of memory. If you have an older computer, Legacy is the safer choice for you. If you are building a new one, play Enhanced – it looks better and loads faster.
Which PC for GTA 5: three builds for 2026
The builds are put together from components available as of 10/2026 and target the Enhanced version. We don't give prices because they change quickly due to expensive memory.
| Build | Graphics card | Processor | RAM | SSD | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget 1080p | GeForce RTX 5060 or Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB | Ryzen 5 7600X | 16 GB DDR5 (2 × 8 GB) | 1 TB NVMe | Full HD at high detail, ray tracing sparingly or with DLSS/FSR |
| Optimal 1440p | Radeon RX 9070 XT or GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | Core Ultra 5 250K Plus or Ryzen 5 7600X3D | 32 GB DDR5 (2 × 16 GB) | 2 TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 | 1440p at high detail for a 144 Hz monitor |
| High-end | GeForce RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 | Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 2 TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 | 1440p to 4K with ray tracing maxed out |
To give an idea of the upper limit: with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5090, Wccftech measured an average of roughly 123 FPS in 4K with ray tracing maxed out and DLAA anti-aliasing during a twenty-minute free drive around the map. But you don't need such a powerful card for 1440p.
What matters most in GTA 5
Processor
The open world, heavy traffic and, in GTA Online, up to dozens of players on the map load the processor more than most games. Older dual-cores aren't enough even for Legacy. For Enhanced, plan for at least a six-core CPU, and if you want high FPS at 1440p, a processor with 3D V-Cache (the X3D series).
Graphics card and video memory
High-quality textures and ray tracing need a lot of video memory. Rockstar now recommends cards with 8 GB. For 1440p with ray tracing, 12–16 GB is more sensible, so textures don't have to be loaded from slower system memory.
RAM in two modules
For Enhanced, Rockstar explicitly says “16 GB in dual-channel mode”. So buy 2 × 8 GB, not a single 16 GB module. If you stream alongside the game or have a browser open with many tabs, go for 32 GB.
SSD
The original GTA 5 could be played from a conventional hard drive. Enhanced now requires an SSD and supports DirectStorage, so it loads much faster from a fast NVMe drive. For a new computer, choose an NVMe SSD of at least 1 TB, as the game takes up over 100 GB after installation.
How to set up GTA 5 Enhanced for higher FPS
- Turn off MSAA anti-aliasing. It is one of the most demanding settings and multiplies the load on the graphics card. Use TAA, DLAA or upscaling instead.
- Turn on DLSS (NVIDIA) or FSR (AMD) in Quality mode. At 1440p this gives you a big performance margin with almost the same image.
- Set ray tracing effect by effect. Reflections, shadows, global illumination and occlusion can be switched on separately – add them gradually and watch the FPS.
- Lower grass quality and extended draw distance. In open countryside, both load the processor and the graphics card.
- Leave high-resolution shadows and extended shadow distance off unless you have a powerful card.
- Update your graphics driver and keep the game on an NVMe SSD.
What next
- Choosing a new computer? We describe the process from monitor to power supply in our guide How to choose a gaming PC.
- Older PC not up to Enhanced? At the PC Praha PC service centre we will advise whether adding an SSD and memory is enough, or whether it is time for a new build.
- Gaming PCs from PC Praha are in preparation – keep an eye on our Gaming PC collection.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between GTA 5 Enhanced and Legacy?
Does GTA 5 Enhanced need an SSD?
Is 8 GB of RAM enough for GTA 5 Enhanced?
Does ray tracing in GTA 5 work on AMD cards too?
Which GTA 5 settings lower FPS the most?
This text was prepared with the help of AI. Facts, figures and procedures were checked by Yegor.