grand theft auto 5 pc builds

Grand Theft Auto V PC Builds

Jump to: Basic GTAV BuildMax Settings GTAV Build

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grand theft auto 5 pc builds

Introduction: Building a PC for GTA V

Grand Theft Auto V has now been released and you can read the official Rockstar Newswire post to read the official release statement from Rockstar and you can visit the official GTAV for PC website to learn more about the game itself. GTAV for PC is capable of running at 4K resolutions or higher and at frame rates of 60 FPS. Below you will see the minimum and recommended specifications for the game (as seen in this Rockstar.com post). Using the recommended requirements as outlined by Rockstar themselves, and real world specs, we have compiled the builds below that will play GTAV for PC at resolutions of 1920×1080 to 4K.

Below we have two builds – one that will be based on a higher than Rockstar’s recommended hardware specifications to play GTAV (basic GTAV build) and one that will max out the game no matter what (max settings GTAV build).

The goal here is to put together a couple of builds that will be the best spent cash on hardware to get the highest playable and maxed out settings on GTAV for PC per dollar spent on hardware. Check out the builds below and best of luck building your GTA V PC build.


 

GTAV PC System Requirements

Minimum specifications:
OS: Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1, Windows Vista 64 Bit Service Pack 2* (*NVIDIA video card recommended if running Vista OS)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs) @ 2.5GHz
Memory: 4GB
Video Card: NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB / AMD HD 4870 1GB (DX 10, 10.1, 11)
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
HDD Space: 65GB
DVD Drive

Recommended specifications:
OS: Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHZ (4 CPUs) / AMD X8 FX-8350 @ 4GHZ (8 CPUs)
Memory: 8GB
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB / AMD HD7870 2GB
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
HDD Space: 65GB
DVD Drive


 

Basic GTAV PC Build – $700

The assumption with this build is that it should support “basic” gameplay of GTAV using possibly the highest /higher settings on standard HD resolutions of 1920×1080 at playable frame rates. The hardware reflected here is slightly higher then the recommended requirements as laid out by Rockstar (see above) and has been chosen to be as “slim” as possible in order to get the most performance for your dollar.

This build should play GTAV with good performance with medium-high settings at 1920×1080

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price: $693.78
Processor Intel Core i5-4460 LGA 1150 CPU – BX80646I54460 $189.99
Cooler *Using the included stock cooler
Motherboard ASRock ATX DDR3 1333 LGA 1150 Motherboards H97 PRO4 $83.99
Graphics Card Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB GDDR5 DVI-I/DVI-D/HDMI/DP Dual-X with PCI-Express Graphics Card Boost 11230-00-20G $179.99
RAM Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory BLS2KIT4G3D1609DS1S00 $58.99
Hard Drive Seagate Barracuda 1 TB HDD SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST1000DM003 $50.97
SSD *Alternative Hardware
Power Supply EVGA 600B 80PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V/EPS12V Active PFC 600W Power Supply 100-B1-0600-KR $61.37
Computer Case Corsair Carbide Series 200R Compact ATX Case CC-9011023-WW $49.99
Optical Drive Lite-On 24X SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive Optical Drive IHAS124-14 $18.99

Overview: The GTAV Basic PC Build –

This build will be able to perform and play GTA V with decent specs. I chose the Intel 4460 as it fulfills the recommended processor spot outlined by Rockstar’s GTAV requirements. One could also go the AMD route and get an AMD FX-8350, but I chose the Intel route, really it would be up to you.

The motherboard I chose is the ASRock H97 PRO4 – since the Intel 4460 has a locked Multiplier I was able to choose a cheaper H97 chipset motherboard. Even though the cost is cheap, this AsRock H97 doesn’t hold back on very much and you can read more into its specifications at AsRock.com here.

The major performance driver in this build is the chosen Sapphire Radeon R9 280 graphics card. With the recommended card from Rockstar being either a NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB or an AMD HD7870 2GB, I thought that an R9 280 hits just that sweet spot just above those latter two cards.

Rockstar is recommending 8GB of RAM, so I have included just that with a kit of Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB memory. Most gaming builds these days will recommend a minimum of 8GB, so this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. As for a hard drive, 1TB of storage is plenty with the included 1TB Seagate Barracuda – you could get a lower storage drive and save a few bucks, but in my opinion saving $5 or so for a 500GB drive just isn’t worth the savings.

For a PSU, I chose an affordable 600W EVGA 600B. This PSU fits nicely cost wise and 600W is a generous amount of power for this build – the Sapphire Radeon R9 280 only requires a 500W minimum PSU, so I chose a quality budget PSU that provided more then enough juice for about the same cost as a quality 500 – 550W PSU at the moment.

Finally, the chosen PC case is the Corsair Carbide 200R Mid Tower case. This case has been out for a while and has been a popular choice amongst budget PC enthusiasts as it is a basic, smart ergonomic case at a great price. If you want to read more into the Corsair 200R’s specifications you can read more at corsair.com.

Lastly, is the required DVD optical drive, which included is the Lite-ON 24X you see in the table above. Why Rockstar outlines a DVD drive as being a requirement is beyond me, but I believe this could be optional assuming you install your OS via a hard drive / USB stick and then purchase an online version of GTAV via something like Steam.

Alternatives / Upgrades to the Basic GTAV Build

The build above reflects one that matches just above the recommended requirements to play Grand Theft Auto V on the PC and at most likely decent settings at 1920b1080 resolutions. However, if you want to pump more FPS or make double sure your PC can play GTAV and more games then these are some of the suggestions I would have over and above the ones in the base build.

You can choose to get a Radeon R9 280X graphics card instead, which does pack more punch then just the R9 280 and would definitely be a worth buy. Likewise an SSD might be a  smart buy for those that truly want faster start times when loading your PC and while loading GTAV which one can only assume is a large software suite with a minimum required storage of 65GB – so I have included a Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD. I could have chosen the 128GB version, but in my opinion with the requirement of GTAV being 65GB of free space and then having your OS on top of that, things might start feeling a little squishy.


 

Max Settings GTAV PC Build – $1000

This build will be capable of maxing out GTAV no problem at its max settings at resolutions of 1920×1080 as well as high resolutions like 2560×1440 with playable FPS (which can put the console users to shame). If you are an over the top enthusiast with a nifty 4K display, then this build might not be up to the task, but no fear check out the alternatives table at the end of this builds table for some hardware suggestions that should do the trick.

Gaming PC Build Recipe:

This build should play GTAV at max settings at both 1920×1080 and 2560×1440 resolutions. Want to Play at 4K? – Then check out the alternatives table

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price: $1007.90
Processor Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K $229.99
Cooler *None for base build – See Alternatives (Will need for efficient overclocking)
Motherboard MSI ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z97 GAMING 5 $139.99
Graphics Card MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G Graphics Cards $339.99
RAM Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) UDIMM Memory BLS2KIT8G3D1609DS1S00/ BLS2CP8G3D1609DS1S00 $114.99
Hard Drive Seagate 1TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (ST1000DM003) $50.97
SSD *None (See Alternatives)
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA 650G1 650W ATX12V Power Supply 120-G1-0650-XR $89.99
Computer Case Corsair Carbide Series Black 300R Windowed Computer Case (CC-9011017-WW) $78.99
Optical Drive Lite-On 24X SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive Optical Drive IHAS124-14 $18.99

Overview: The GTAV Max Settings PC Build –

This build has been crafted for high settings gameplay while trying to minimize costs for those who want to build a budget PC capable of maxing out GTAV (and other games). The included processor is the infamous Intel i5 4960K, the go to standard gaming processor for some time now. This processor is full of potential with its unlocked multiplier, allowing it to be easily overclocked. To get the full potential out of this processor however, it would be smart to overclock, but I would highly suggest purchasing a separate cpu cooler, which isn’t included in the build table above but I have included the Hyper 212 EVO in the alternatives table below.

For a motherboard, I have chosen the nifty MSI Z97 Gaming 5 motherboard, which is a fully capable motherboard with a suite of features that won’t leave you hanging (you can read the full specification chart directly as msi.com). And to pair with the MSI Gaming Series motherboard, I have also chosen an MSI Gaming GTX 970 series graphics card, which coincidently matches out motherboard quite nicely. Aside from looks though, the GTX 970 should be fully capable of carrying GTAV into 2560×1440 resolutions and I have saved from going with a GTX 980 instead to save those budget conscious builder some cash if need be.

The minimum requirement for RAM as outline by Rockstar for GTAV is 4GB with their recommended amount being 8GB, so I have chosen to go with 8GB of Crucial ballistic Sport DDR3 memory. This should be a sufficient amount of memory as it usually is these days, but if all else fails one could plug in 8GB more in the future for a total of 16GB – most likely won’t be the case.

Just like the basic build, I have went with a 1TB Seagate Barracuda hard drive, more then sufficient space for a game specific pc build, but it’s also affordable – I will also include an SSD suggestion in the alternatives table, since this can also be a nice upgrade, but for now I’ll keep just the Seagate in the base build to keep costs low. The chosen PSU is a 650 W EVGA SuperNOVA G1 PSU, which has plenty of juice for this build to run and is a quality affordable PSU which can also keep costs in line for this build.

The case I chose goes hand in hand with the Basic GTAV build outlined above – I chose to go with the Corsair Carbide Series 300R PC case, which has a little more space and better cooling. You could however still get away with the Carbide 200r and save a few bucks, but I’ll leave that up to you. To read the full specifications for the Corsair Carbide case please visit corsair.com

I have included an optical drive in this build and it is a requirement in the GTAV minimum and recommended requirements, but you could get away with installing your OS via a hard drive / USB stick and purchasing GTAV online via something like STEAM, either way included is the Lite-ON 24X optical drive you see above.

Alternatives / Upgrades  to the Max Settings GTAV Build

Here are some worth while upgrades for the Max Settings GTAV build – the following hardware is for those that want to maximize their PCs performance. Likewise the following hardware could be fore those want to game at extreme 4K resolutions, which GTAV will support; you’ll just need more powerful hardware.

First, I have included the Sapphire Radeon R9 295X2, which will be more then fully capable of 4K resolutions gameplay of Grand Theft Auto V. I have also included the option to SLI to GTX 970’s with another MSI GTX 970 graphics card, which will also be capable of 4K gaming. The third recommendation I have is to add an SSD if possible with the very powerful Samsung 850 Pro – I went with a 256GB model instead of the 128GB because of large requirement of 65GB for minimum requirements for GTAV; although you could probably still get away with the 128GB model and save some cash.

Lastly, I would recommend purchasing the Hyper 212 EVO cpu cooler to help efficiently overclock your Intel i5 4960K processor.

 Final Words – Building a GTAV PC

The above two builds should be able to play GTAV no problem at all with the first Basic Build being based on the recommended requirements from Rockstar themselves (with chosen hardware just above those requirements) and with the Max Settings build being able to play the game at higher resolutions of 2560X1440.

Best of luck and have fun playing Grand Theft Auto V. For your viewing pleasure you will find below some GTA V PC Screenshots at 4K Resolutions:

Comments 66

  1. Hey corey iam dowloding gta5 from steam. So should i download social club from website or it will be automatically download during installation.

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  2. Corey is this pc is able to run gta 5: intel pentium. Screen resolution is 1920×1080. Processor speed is 1600MHz ram 8gb hdd 1tb.intel hd graphic 405

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  3. Hey Corey another question is this PC is able to play gta5 at 2k(1440p):Intel i7_7700k 4.2GHz,Nivida geforce gtx 1070 8GB,16GB ram,2GB HDD,120GB SSD,WIFi,Liquid Cool,window 10….NOTE THERE IS ONE GEFORCE GTX 1070 GRAPHIC CARD NOT TWO SO IT DOESN’T HAVE SLI.. NOW TELL ME IS THIS PC IS ABLE TO PLAY GTA5 AT 2K SMOOTHLY

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  4. Hey Corey do we need to do sometimes to play gta5 at 1440p after the installation if the graphic card or it will automatically turn to 1440p

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      Assuming your monitor supports 1440p, you would set what you display settings are in windows. It would most likely default to 1440p if you are using a 1440p monitor. Also when you boot up a game to play, you can change in game display settings.

  5. Hey Corey so we need to do something to play gta5 at 1440p after the installation of graphic card or it will automatically turn to 1440p

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  6. Hey Corey another question that there is only need of one graphic card not two right and sli is activated on gtx 970 or I doesn’t have sli

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      Hi, no you would need at least sli (which means two GTX 970’s) I would however check out our September pc builds for the latest hardware. For example you might be better getting a GTX 1070 or gtx 1080 graphics card if you are considering 4K in GTA V. My suggestion though for be the play 1440P and not in 4k.

  7. Hey Corey can you make a CPU of max setting 1000$ with efficient cooler+Samsung 850 pro 256gb ssd in it and then sent it to me and I will give you money ??

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  8. Corey i am just getting into PC gaming so i really dont know how to build a PC or have the time i was looking at purchasing a gaming PC and was Wondering if this model would Run GTA LCPDFR Multiplayer with no issues,
    or if i should move a model up Budget is 600-900

    CyberPowerPC – Gamer Xtreme Desktop – Intel Core i3 – 8GB Memory – 1TB Hard Drive –

  9. Hi Corey,
    For the $1000 build, would I be able to switch the corsair case with a Rosewill ATX mid tower gaming computer case stryker M?
    Thanks

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  10. Hi Corey,
    I was looking at the $1000 build, and was wondering if you have any good monitors with a price tag around $250-300.
    Thanks.

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      Hi Yousef,

      A really good 1080p 144hz could be the LG Electronics Gaming 24GM77 (around $300) or you could get the BenQ RL2455HM for around $180, which has a pretty fast response time.

  11. Which monitor do you recommend for the max settings PC build? my budget is around 400$.
    And if I buy the SSD, then the 1Tb HDD won’t be necessary anymore?

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      Hi Tim,

      For the max settings build and a $400 monitor budget you can get a solid 1080p monitor with a fast refresh rate such as the LG Electronics Gaming 24GM77 24-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor (about $300).

      Secondly, the max settings build is a still great build, but if the price difference isn’t too much at the moment I would also recommend check out this months $1000 build – https://newbcomputerbuild.com/newb-computer-build-home/march-2016-gaming-pc-builds-month/#1000-pc-build which uses the newer skylake processors / compatible motherboard / ddr4 memory.

      Let me know if you have any questions.

  12. Is this in Au? And is there anyway i can get a cheaper PC to run Gta v? I live in Australia where the internet is really bad so i want a good pc to play games on it! Please Reply! Thanks!

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          No everything on the site is quoted n USD, what’s your budget is Au dollars? The $600 I linked my guess would cost you around $800 Au, you could swap the processor for an FX 6300 and save a little more.

  13. Thanks a lot Corey for the instant reply. Even I was considering the 600$ build. However I was not sure about processor “AMD FD8320FRHKBOX FX-8320 FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition Processor” and gpu “XFX Double Dissipation OC 2GB DDR5 Display Port HDMI DUAL DVI Graphics Cards R9-380”.

    Are these two reliable because everywhere I’ve seen intel i5 and nvidia GPU only. Would really appreciate if you can tell if these two can run games like GTA 5, Farcry 4, Justcause 3,etc . As this would be my first rig so I don’t know much about processors and GPU.

    Or do you think I should wait and get 1000$ budget although I dont want any super detailed graphics or 4k but just graphics better than a console and install mods in games and the game should run without any lag.
    Thanks a ton.

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      Yeah the game should run no problem with the $600 build, and even if you scaled some setting doesn you’d still get better settings then console (as console maxes out at 30fps high settings instead of 60fps very high settings on pc). . If you had a tad more to spend you could swap the motherboard and cpu in the build for an i5 6500 cpu and an Asus H170-PRO for example for about $100 more total and you might get a bit more performance. Overall though, that $600 build should do just fine especially only at 1080p.

  14. Hi,
    I stay in India and was looking to build a rig for Rs.70000 ($1030) including everything from monitor,keyboard,speakers,cpu,etc. Can you tell me specs for the rig to play gta 5 for quality better than on ps4 (i’ve never played gta 5 nor own any consoles) so confused if this budget can get me better performance than console or to get a console. If yes please tell me the specs.
    Thanks.

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      Hello Ayush,

      My suggestion for you would be to check out the $600 pc build on the site for January 2016 – https://newbcomputerbuild.com/newb-computer-build-home/january-2016-pc-builds-1500-1000-600/#600-pc-build

      It will play 50fps+ very high settings gta v at 1080p, which is already higher then a console.

      If you pair that build with the “basic pc peripherals” also posted this month, then you’ll have a gaming pc for around $800USD, which should be under the amount you were quoting – https://newbcomputerbuild.com/newb-computer-build/january-2016-best-gaming-pc-keyboards-mice-and-monitors/#basic

      Should you still have extra room in your budget, you can upgrade the graphics card as mentioned in the alternatives section under the posted $600 pc build.

      Let me know if this helps or if you have any further questions. Best of luck!

      1. Thanks a lot Corey for the instant reply. Even I was considering the 600$ build. However I was not sure about processor “AMD FD8320FRHKBOX FX-8320 FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition Processor” and gpu “XFX Double Dissipation OC 2GB DDR5 Display Port HDMI DUAL DVI Graphics Cards R9-380”.

        Are these two reliable because everywhere I’ve seen intel i5 and nvidia GPU only. Would really appreciate if you can tell if these two can run games like GTA 5, Farcry 4, Justcause 3,etc . As this would be my first rig so I don’t know much about processors and GPU.

        Or do you think I should wait and get 1000$ budget although I dont want any super detailed graphics or 4k but just graphics better than a console and install mods in games and the game should run without any lag.
        Thanks a ton.

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      Hi Ethan,

      No it is 100% not required – that is unless you have GTA V or another game on DVD. But you can install Windows etc. via USB or an external hard drive.

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      Hi Varun:

      Compiled below would be a $500 PC ($505 linked to amazon below) that I would consider decent for GTA V. If you wanted a step up, then I would also consider the $600 PC build from the monthly builds article on the site for ideas –

      CPU (Fx 6300): http://goo.gl/R1JRi8
      Motherboard (Gigabyte GA-970A-D3P): http://goo.gl/8MvjBE
      Graphics Card (Gigabyte R7 370): http://goo.gl/Yyf4u5
      RAM (8Gb Crucial Ballistix): http://goo.gl/VJ7kSE
      Hard Drive (Seagate 1TB): http://goo.gl/5ZVPD6
      PSU (EVGA 500 W1): http://goo.gl/6eQL5Q
      Case (Thermaltake Versa H22) : http://goo.gl/G4qmZ5
      No Optical Drive: Install OS via USB

      Hope this helps.

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      1. Thank you very much! Just got confused because it doesn’t show anything about what to use, thank you heaps! Another stupid question but u have to buy it all individually?

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          You bet, you buy each piece of hardware separately and then build your pc. It’s a more affordable and much more fun way to have a gaming pc 🙂 Also if you were interested there are builds posted each month that you can check out. Let me know if you have any more questions.

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      Hey – yes the max settings one is still applicable – noting that this will not be on a full blown 4k setup, Rockstar has suggested that if you’re wanting to play 4K to either Crossfire or SLI the higher end cards.

      The max settings build can play max settings at 2K resolutions using “Very high Texture” quality due to the max settings build using the GTX 970 graphics card and thats at just under 60fps. That being said, if you wanted to play at higher resolutions or maintain a high fps in all situations, I would recommend either a GTX Titan X, or Radeon R9 295X2 graphics card (both very pricy).

      Hopefully this helps and let me know if you have any further questions!

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      It should run with an Intel core 2 since this does match the minimum specifications, assuming your graphics card matches the minimal specs as well.

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