No, you can't play games on a potato PC.
No, you can't play games on a potato PC.
I have never really played pc games, I want to maybe try a few games on my current. I was thinking of trying minecraft . Specs: Optiplex 3020 sff i5 4590s , 8gb ram, 250ssd,500hdd, no gpu ( though there's an empty pci slot) Can i play anything on this , or can i upgrade it to make it play some games ??
I think even Java Minecraft seems to be demanding more GPU power lately, which is a bit surprising given its past performance. Still, if you're planning anything beyond the basics, you'll likely need a specific card and possibly a RAM upgrade to at least 16GB. You can find GT1030 units on eBay for about $30, but only the GDDR5 version is worth it. There aren't many LP options available, and the more expensive ones like the 1050Ti and 1650 are pricier than expected.
Consider installing a 1650 Ti processor and running Linux on this machine. No further upgrades are necessary. You’ll enjoy a great experience. The 8 GBs will comfortably handle most games, especially Minecraft, which runs smoothly on Linux.
My 3rd gen i3 works well with Minecraft. I also enjoy playing RLCraft and using the Minecraft modpack, though it doesn’t run a standalone RLcraft world smoothly.