Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a classic open-world action-adventure game where you control CJ across a massive map inspired by 1990s California. Players spend most of their time completing story missions, exploring three cities and countryside areas, engaging in vehicle chases, shooting, and side activities like gang territory control and stat-building RPG elements. On PC it is almost always played through the original Steam version or with community patches that add widescreen support, bug fixes, and quality-of-life improvements. Modern playthroughs usually include graphical mods that replace low-resolution textures, add shaders via ENB presets, increase draw distance, and improve vehicle and pedestrian models. These mods turn the game into a more visually appealing experience but also shift the performance demands. The base game is extremely light on hardware and mostly CPU-limited due to its single-threaded design, making high frame rates possible but also prone to physics glitches if left completely uncapped. With mods installed, the GPU becomes far more relevant because shaders, higher-resolution assets, and post-processing effects create the real load. Common pain points include crashes on modern Windows, stuttering during dense city scenes, and low GPU utilization without mods. Many players mistakenly overbuild expecting AAA-level requirements or neglect single-core CPU performance, which leads to inconsistent frame pacing in missions and free-roam driving. Before choosing a PC, understand that this scenario is about achieving a stable, mod-friendly experience rather than maximum resolution or competitive frame rates. A sensible system balances modern platform compatibility with enough overhead to run popular mod combinations without constant tweaking or crashes.