Best PC for Half-Life (2026)

Half-Life stands as a cornerstone action game, masterminded by Valve, where players navigate Black Mesa's crumbling corridors as Gordon Freeman, wielding a crowbar and HEV suit against alien horrors and military squads. Core mechanics demand quick reflexes for combat encounters, clever puzzle-solving with environmental interactions like explosive barrels and radiation suits, and adaptive decision-making in branching single-player campaigns. Its multiplayer deathmatch mode adds frantic PvP arenas, pitting players in classic maps with rocket jumps and gravity gun precursors in spirit. This blend of scripted sequences, enemy AI pathfinding, and real-time action taxes CPU single-thread performance to maintain smooth frame pacing during intense firefights and loadouts. For minimum specs on an AM4 platform, we select the Ryzen 5 5500 CPU for its low cost and ample clock speeds to handle AI calculations without hitches, paired with the budget RX 9060 XT 8GB GPU to render the aging GoldSrc engine visuals effortlessly at 1080p. Recommended picks prioritize value: the Ryzen 5 7600X delivers top price-to-performance for any modded runs or multiplayer sessions, while the RX 9060 XT 16GB GPU ensures high frame rates and future-proofing for community content, balancing cost with reliable 1440p performance in this timeless tactical shooter.