Games for low-end PCs
A selection of low-requirement titles. They run on GTX 1060, GTX 1660 Super, RX 580 and similar 2017–2020 GPUs.
Counter-Strike 2
⚡ Demand: 30/100
Dota 2
⚡ Demand: 28/100
Minecraft
⚡ Demand: 25/100
Grand Theft Auto V
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Half-Life
⚡ Demand: 4/100
Counter-Strike 1.6
⚡ Demand: 5/100
League of Legends
⚡ Demand: 18/100
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
⚡ Demand: 8/100
Counter-Strike: Source
⚡ Demand: 10/100
Hearthstone
⚡ Demand: 10/100
Half-Life 2
⚡ Demand: 12/100
Team Fortress 2
⚡ Demand: 12/100
Ultimate Chicken Horse
⚡ Demand: 12/100
Hades-like Pizza Tower
⚡ Demand: 12/100
Left 4 Dead 2
⚡ Demand: 14/100
Portal 2
⚡ Demand: 15/100
Garry's Mod
⚡ Demand: 15/100
Stumble Guys
⚡ Demand: 15/100
Human: Fall Flat
⚡ Demand: 18/100
Noita
⚡ Demand: 18/100
StarCraft II
⚡ Demand: 20/100
Gang Beasts
⚡ Demand: 20/100
Diablo III
⚡ Demand: 22/100
L.A. Noire
⚡ Demand: 22/100
Old School RuneScape
⚡ Demand: 8/100
Heroes of the Storm
⚡ Demand: 25/100
Max Payne 3
⚡ Demand: 25/100
RuneScape
⚡ Demand: 15/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Gold Edition
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Enhanced Edition
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Anniversary Edition
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Director's Cut
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Remastered
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Ultimate Edition
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Deluxe Edition
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Complete Edition
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Definitive Edition
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Grand Theft Auto V: Game of the Year Edition
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Genshin Impact
⚡ Demand: 38/100
Rainbow Six Siege
⚡ Demand: 35/100
Albion Online
⚡ Demand: 25/100
Touhou Lensed Night Sky, Kaseigai
⚡ Demand: 45/100
LUL inc.
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Fat Baby
⚡ Demand: 45/100
孤岛海妖 The Sea-demon
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Night Loops
⚡ Demand: 45/100
CarX Drift Racing Online 2
⚡ Demand: 45/100
First Class Escape 2: Head in the Clouds
⚡ Demand: 45/100
The Silent Kingdom
⚡ Demand: 45/100
Before The Night
⚡ Demand: 45/100
How to game on a low-end PC in 2026
Not everyone has the budget for a top GPU — but everyone wants to play. Luckily, there is a huge library of great games that run well on 5-year-old hardware. Here we gathered the best titles with a demand_score ≤ 50.
What counts as a "low-end PC" in 2026
A low-end gaming PC today: a GTX 1060 / 1660 Super / RX 580-class GPU, a Ryzen 5 1600 / 2600 / Intel Core i5-8400-class CPU, 8–16 GB DDR4, an HDD or old SATA SSD. 2017–2019 builds. On such hardware 2024–2026 AAA releases run at most on low at 1080p with DLSS/FSR Performance.
Which genres run on any PC
- Esports: CS2, Dota 2, Valorant, League of Legends — 60–200 FPS everywhere, even on integrated graphics.
- Indie: Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley, Hades, Celeste, Cuphead — wonderful games that need no powerful hardware.
- Oldschool: all the 2005–2015 classics run on anything.
- Strategy: Civilization VI, AoE II Definitive Edition, Stellaris (early game) — more CPU-bound.
- Co-op shooters: Helldivers 2 is well optimized — runs even on a GTX 1660 at medium.
How to squeeze out maximum FPS
- Lower settings to low/medium. Ultra costs 40–50% FPS for a minimal visual gain.
- Enable FSR (works on any GPU). Quality mode gives +30–40% FPS.
- Lower the resolution to 1080p or 900p.
- Disable Ray Tracing completely.
- Close Chrome, Discord, OBS — each takes 5–15% FPS.
- Update GPU drivers to the latest.
- Install Windows 11 with Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling on.
Frequently asked questions about games for low-end PCs
Which GPU is considered "weak" in 2026?
Weak 2026 GPUs: GTX 1650, GTX 1660 / 1660 Super, GTX 1050 Ti, GTX 1060 3GB, RX 560 / 570, RX 6500 XT, RTX 3050 4 GB, integrated graphics. These can only run undemanding games on low-medium at 1080p.
How much FPS on a GTX 1660 Super?
In 2026 the GTX 1660 Super delivers: CS2 — 180+ FPS on medium; Dota 2 — 200+ FPS; Valorant — 250+ FPS; Helldivers 2 — 60 FPS on medium; Path of Exile 2 — 70 FPS on medium with FSR; modern AAA like Cyberpunk 2077 — 35–45 FPS on low with FSR Performance.
Which games run on integrated graphics?
On Intel UHD 770 / AMD Radeon 780M (modern Ryzen iGPU): League of Legends, Dota 2, CS2 (low, 60–100 FPS), Valorant, Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, any pre-2014 games in Full HD. AAA after 2018 won't launch or run at 15–25 FPS.
Should you play new AAA on old hardware?
It depends on expectations. If 30–40 FPS on low with FSR/DLSS Performance is fine — yes, you can play Cyberpunk, Starfield, BG3 on a GTX 1660. For 60 FPS on medium+ you need at least an RTX 3060 / RX 6600.
Which old games still hold up?
The best old games that run great on any PC: GTA San Andreas, Portal 2, Half-Life 2, Dishonored, the BioShock series, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, The Witcher 1–2–3, Skyrim (with mods), Fallout: New Vegas. All run even on 2010s laptops.
Can you game on a laptop without a discrete GPU?
Yes, but with limits. On modern AMD Ryzen with integrated Radeon 780M / 880M you can run CS2 (60 FPS low), Valorant, Dota 2, Minecraft, many indies. On old Intel UHD, AAA won't work — only oldschool and esports.
GPU or CPU upgrade on an old PC?
Usually the GPU. Most gamers from 2016–2020 have an adequate i5 / Ryzen 5 but a weak GPU. Swapping a GTX 1060 for an RTX 4060 gives +100% FPS almost everywhere; swapping an i5-9400 for an i5-13400 — only +20% in CPU-bound games.
What minimal upgrade makes sense?
The minimal sensible upgrade for a GTX 1060/1660 → RTX 4060. Price ~$ 330. It gives +120% FPS in modern games + DLSS 3 + Ray Tracing (low) + AV1 encoding for streaming. The best value upgrade of 2026.
What about laptops with GTX 1650 Mobile?
The desktop equivalent of GTX 1650 Mobile = GTX 1050 Ti. A weak 2019 card. In 2026 it only handles esports and old titles. A GTX 1650 gaming laptop is a working compromise, not a machine for modern AAA.
Worth buying a used GTX 1660 / RX 580?
Only if very cheap (under $ 90). For $ 130–$ 165 you can find a used GTX 1660 Super — already better than an RX 580. But a new RTX 3050 / RTX 4060 for $ 240–$ 330 gives 2–3× more FPS and lasts longer.
What minimal gaming PC to build in 2026?
A minimal 2026 gaming PC for $ 660–$ 770: Ryzen 5 5600 + RTX 4060 + B550 + 16 GB DDR4-3200 + 650W PSU + 512 GB NVMe + case. Enough for 1080p Ultra in most games.
When should you replace the whole PC?
When the CPU doesn't support modern OSes (Windows 11 needs TPM 2.0 — absent on Intel < 8th gen and Ryzen 1000). When RAM is under 16 GB and the board has no DDR5 path. When the PSU is older than 7–10 years. 2014–2018 builds are beyond reasonable upgrading.