Garry's Mod PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for Garry's Mod calls for a 2 GHz processor or better, at least 1GB of dedicated VRAM on the graphics card, 4GB of RAM and 10GB of storage. An SSD is not required. In our tier scale, the minimum CPU roughly corresponds to an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, a very old entry-level chip that will simply run the game.
The recommended level asks for a 2.5 GHz processor or better, 4GB of dedicated VRAM, 8GB of RAM and 25GB of storage. The recommended CPU roughly corresponds to an Intel Core i3-4130, which is also an old entry-level part. The gap between minimum and recommended is mostly about memory and free space rather than raw hardware strength, so the bar is low overall. A machine that meets the recommended level should handle typical sandbox scenes comfortably, and will cope better as maps and addons grow.
The publisher did not list graphics card reference models, so we cannot place the GPU on our tier scale. As a rough guide, 1GB of VRAM is tight, and 4GB is a sensible starting point.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players who want to play occasionally or who are upgrading an ordinary office PC. It pairs an RTX 2060 6GB or RX 5600 XT with a quad-core chip such as the Ryzen 3 3100, plus 16GB of RAM. For this game, that is well beyond the recommended requirements.
The mainstream build suits players who want Garry's Mod alongside newer titles. Graphics card options run from the RTX 3060 Ti to the RX 6750 XT, and a six-core chip like the Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i5-10400 covers the CPU side. Again, 16GB of RAM gives you room when many addons and maps load at once.
The high-end build is for players who plan to run heavier games later or who want headroom for large servers and heavy addon setups. Options include an RTX 4070 Ti or RX 7900 GRE for graphics, paired with anything from the Ryzen 5 5600 to the Ryzen 7 8700G. For this game alone, the benefit is stability and headroom rather than a dramatic visual difference.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
Garry's Mod is mostly limited by physics simulation, large numbers of props, addon content and post-processing, rather than by texture detail. In typical sandbox play, shadows, volumetric effects and particles tend to cost the most, especially when the scene is full of props or explosions. If you need to adjust, lowering shadow quality and view distance usually gives the most direct improvement.
Some addons and servers add their own effects or high-poly models, so a machine can feel stretched even with modest base settings. Our suggestion is to start at medium and adjust from there. Ray tracing is generally not a priority for this game, so there is little reason to enable it; keeping your budget for prop counts and simulation is more practical.
If your graphics card already meets the recommended level and you want smoother play, upscaling technologies such as DLSS, FSR or XeSS are worth trying. They render at a lower resolution and let an algorithm scale the image up, which often reduces GPU load with only a modest loss in image quality. Results depend on your hardware and settings, so compare them yourself.
Laptops and handheld PCs
A laptop GPU with the same name as a desktop card is not the same part, since laptop versions usually run with lower power limits and more conservative cooling. For this game, most recent laptop discrete GPUs should be enough to reach the official recommended level. However, long sessions in large scenes can cause heat-related throttling. Plug the laptop in, keep the vents clear and choose a high-performance power mode in the driver software.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally can run this kind of sandbox game too. We have no Steam Deck verification data, so we cannot give it a rating. In general, the integrated graphics and battery life are the main limits. Lower the resolution and graphics settings, turn off effects you do not need, and keep an eye on temperature and battery during long sessions.
Storage and memory
The official minimum RAM is 4GB and the recommended is 8GB. We still suggest 16GB in practice, because addons and maps can fill memory quickly and 8GB gets tight in heavier sessions. A dual-channel setup, using two memory sticks together, gives better bandwidth and helps in CPU-heavy scenes.
For storage, the official minimum is 10GB and the recommended is 25GB. Addons, maps and updates grow over time, so leave extra room. An SSD is not required, but it noticeably shortens loading times, particularly when you load large maps or many addons. A traditional hard drive will still work, just with longer waits.