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Half-Life: Alyx cover art
VR, First-Person Shooter, Action-Adventure, Sci-Fi, Horror 2020 Full Game Details
✨ Last Updated: July 18, 2026

Build Guide (2026):
Half-Life: Alyx

Choose your target resolution. All builds deliver smooth 60+ FPS with high settings.

🎮 60+ FPS ⚙️ High/Ultra 🔧 2026 Builds
3 GPU Options
3 Laptop Options
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Verified Specs

💡 Quick Summary: What is the best PC build for Half-Life: Alyx?

To play Half-Life: Alyx on PC at optimal performance, we recommend three configuration tiers: a 1080p Budget build featuring an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB VRAM), a 1440p Balanced build with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8GB VRAM), or a 4K Extreme build utilizing an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (24GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24GB VRAM). A minimum of 16GB RAM and an SSD are highly recommended for optimal load times.

Resolution Tier Target GPU Target CPU RAM
1080P (1080p – Best Value) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB VRAM) Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 12GB DDR4
1440P (1440p – Best Visuals) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8GB VRAM) Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 16GB DDR4
4K (4K – Premium Experience) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (24GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24GB VRAM) Intel Core i9-13900K / Core i9-14900K or AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D / Ryzen 9 7950X3D 32GB DDR5

📊 System Requirements

Official specs to run Half-Life: Alyx.

Spec Minimum Recommended
OS Windows 10 64-bit Windows 10 64-bit
CPU Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB VRAM) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8GB VRAM)
RAM 12 GB (Dual-channel mode) 16 GB (Dual-channel mode)
Storage ~70 GB (SSD Recommended) ~70 GB (SSD Recommended)
OS Windows 10 64-bit
CPU Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB VRAM)
RAM 12 GB (Dual-channel mode)
Storage ~70 GB (SSD Recommended)

All Desktop Builds

Choose your target resolution. All builds deliver smooth 60+ FPS with high settings.

1080P
💰

1080p – Best Value

Smooth 60+ FPS at 1080p resolution with high settings

Performance Score
60-90 FPS Targets baseline VR performance, suitable for Low/Medium in-game fidelity settings. Actual render resolution depends on the VR headset used. Quality
GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB VRAM)
CPU Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
RAM 12GB DDR4
Storage 70 GB SSD

This build delivers smooth 60+ FPS in Half-Life: Alyx at 1080p with Targets baseline VR performance, suitable for Low/Medium in-game fidelity settings. Actual render resolution depends on the VR headset used. settings. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) handles the game's requirements comfortably.

1440P
🎮

1440p – Best Visuals

Excellent visuals at 1440p with high settings

Performance Score
60-100 FPS Targets higher fidelity VR performance, suitable for High in-game fidelity settings. Actual render resolution depends on the VR headset used. Quality
GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8GB VRAM)
CPU Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 70 GB SSD

For sharper visuals in Half-Life: Alyx, this 1440p build provides excellent performance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8GB VRAM) delivers smooth framerates at Targets higher fidelity VR performance, suitable for High in-game fidelity settings. Actual render resolution depends on the VR headset used. quality.

4K
👑

4K – Premium Experience

Ultimate gaming at 4K resolution with high settings

Performance Score
60-80 FPS Ultra in-game fidelity, significant supersampling (e.g., 150%-200%+ on high-resolution headsets) to achieve maximum visual clarity. Targets highest stable framerate supported by top-tier VR headsets (e.g., 90Hz, 120Hz+). Quality
GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (24GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24GB VRAM)
CPU Intel Core i9-13900K / Core i9-14900K or AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D / Ryzen 9 7950X3D
RAM 32GB DDR5
Storage 70 GB SSD

This premium build runs Half-Life: Alyx at 4K resolution with Ultra in-game fidelity, significant supersampling (e.g., 150%-200%+ on high-resolution headsets) to achieve maximum visual clarity. Targets highest stable framerate supported by top-tier VR headsets (e.g., 90Hz, 120Hz+). settings. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (24GB VRAM) delivers exceptional performance for the ultimate visual experience.

Laptop Alternatives

💰

Best Value Laptop

Smooth 1080p gameplay on the go

GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (6GB, full desktop equivalent performance) / GTX 1660 Ti Mobile or AMD Radeon RX 5500M (with sufficient VRAM and performance). 60W+
CPU Intel Core i7-7700HQ / AMD Ryzen 5 3550H equivalent or better.
RAM 16GB DDR5

Smooth 1080p gameplay for Half-Life: Alyx on the go

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⚖️

Balanced Performance

Great performance with portability

GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile / RTX 2080 Mobile / RTX 3060 Mobile (High TGP variants) or AMD Radeon RX 6700M / RX 6800M. 80W+
CPU Intel Core i7-10750H / AMD Ryzen 7 4800H equivalent or better.
RAM 16GB DDR5

Great performance balance for Half-Life: Alyx with good battery life

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👑

Premium Gaming Laptop

Desktop-class performance in laptop form

GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU (16GB VRAM, Max TGP) 100W+
CPU Intel Core i9-13980HX / Core i9-14900HX or AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX / Ryzen 9 7945HX3D
RAM 16GB DDR5

Desktop-class Half-Life: Alyx performance in a portable form factor

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⚡ Performance Tips

🎯

Competitive FPS Settings

Lower shadow quality and anti-aliasing first. These have minimal impact on competitive play but free up significant GPU resources.

High Refresh Rate Priority

For competitive shooters, aim for 144+ FPS. Consider a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor for smoother gameplay.

🚀

Enable DLSS/FSR

If Half-Life: Alyx supports DLSS (NVIDIA) or FSR (AMD), enable it for 30-50% performance boost with minimal quality loss.

🔄

Update GPU Drivers

New games often get Day-1 driver optimizations. Always update to the latest GPU drivers before playing.

🌡️

Monitor Temperatures

Use MSI Afterburner to monitor GPU temps. Keep below 85°C for optimal performance and longevity.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about running Half-Life: Alyx on PC.

For 1080p gaming at 60 FPS on High settings, you'll need at least a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB VRAM). For 1440p Ultra settings, we recommend a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8GB VRAM), and for 4K gaming, aim for a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (24GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24GB VRAM) or equivalent.

Yes, 16GB RAM is sufficient for Half-Life: Alyx. The game requires 12GB minimum, so 16GB provides comfortable headroom for multitasking.

For the best experience, we recommend a Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or AMD equivalent. Modern 6-core CPUs handle Half-Life: Alyx well, with 8-cores recommended for streaming or multitasking.

Integrated graphics are not recommended for Half-Life: Alyx. Even Intel Iris Xe or AMD Radeon Graphics will struggle to maintain playable framerates. A dedicated GPU is essential for a good experience.

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Written & Verified by Niko Meena

Senior PC Hardware Analyst

Niko has over 8 years of experience testing PC components, constructing gaming rigs, and analyzing system requirements. Each build guide is manually compiled based on actual hardware benchmarks and community performance data.

Verified Hardware Database
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GPUs Benchmarkable
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CPUs Tested