The Best Gaming PC for Star Citizen
The 'verse is one of the most demanding games on PC. These three hand-built PowerGPU rigs are specced for how Star Citizen actually runs: CPU first, plenty of memory, fast storage.
Our Picks
Three Builds for Star Citizen
Every build below is hand-built in Wake Forest, NC, and OCCT stress-tested before it ships. Prices and ship times update live.
Altair RTX 5070 Gaming PC
- AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Processor
- RGB 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz DDR5 RAM
- 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD 7000MB/s
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 12GB
We start Star Citizen at 32GB and an X3D CPU, because that's what this game actually needs. The Altair checks both boxes with a 2TB NVMe for the install.
Aphelion RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC
- AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Processor
- 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz DDR5 RAM
- 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD 7000MB/s
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB
Same 9850X3D, stepped up to an RTX 5070 Ti with 16GB of VRAM for sharper ship interiors and busier landing zones.
PowerElite AMD RTX 5080 Gaming PC
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Processor
- RGB 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MHz
- 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD 7000MB/s
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB)
Ryzen 9 9950X3D, RTX 5080, and 64GB of RAM. Built for the players who live in the 'verse and stream every session.
What It Demands
Why Star Citizen Needs a Different Kind of Build
Most games live or die by the graphics card. Star Citizen is different. Its seamless universe puts unusual pressure on the processor, memory, and storage, so we spec these builds around all three, not just the GPU.
CPU-Bound by Design
A seamless universe with ships, stations, and planets all simulated at once. Star Citizen is famously CPU-limited, and a gaming-focused processor makes the biggest single difference.
Memory Hungry
The official minimum is 16GB, but the engine will happily use far more. When RAM runs out, Windows falls back to the page file and you feel it as stutter that no GPU can fix.
SSD Required
Star Citizen requires an SSD and streams the world from it constantly. A fast NVMe drive cuts load times and keeps planets and stations streaming in smoothly.
Watch Us Play
Star Citizen on PowerGPU
We fly Star Citizen on PowerGPU builds. Catch the highlights below, or jump into a live stream and ask Jese anything about the hardware.
Epic moments in the 'verse, live on a PowerGPU stream.
Super heavy armor in Star Citizen, from our channel.
We stream Star Citizen on PowerGPU builds. Drop in, ask about the hardware, and see it in action.
Why PowerGPU
Built for the Game. Backed for Years.
FAQ
Star Citizen PC Questions
How much RAM do I need for Star Citizen?
16GB is the official minimum, and it will run. In practice 32GB is where Star Citizen stops stuttering, and 64GB gives heavy players and streamers room to spare. Every build on this page has at least 32GB.
Why do you recommend AMD X3D processors for Star Citizen?
Star Citizen is limited by the CPU more than most games. AMD's X3D chips carry extra on-chip cache, which helps CPU-heavy simulation games like this one. All three builds here use an X3D processor.
Does Star Citizen need an SSD?
Yes. An SSD is required, and it needs well over 100GB of free space. Every PowerGPU build ships with a fast Gen4 NVMe SSD.
Why don't you list exact FPS numbers?
Star Citizen is still in active development, and performance shifts from patch to patch and from a quiet moon to a packed city. Instead of posting numbers that change every update, we match builds to a resolution and settings target, and you can watch them in action on our streams.
Can I customize one of these builds?
Yes. Use our Custom PC Builder or send us a custom build request and we'll spec a rig around how you play.
Ready to Launch?
Every PowerGPU rig is hand-built, stress-tested, and backed by a 3-year warranty with lifetime U.S. tech support.
Star Citizen is a trademark of its respective owners. PowerGPU is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Cloud Imperium Games or Roberts Space Industries. Performance varies with game version, settings, and drivers.
