A Changing of the Guard in PC Gaming Hardware
Valve has released its September 2026 Steam Hardware Survey, and the results show significant shifts in what PC gamers are actually using. For the first time, the GeForce RTX 5070 has become the most common graphics card among survey participants, while 32GB of system memory has overtaken 16GB as the most prevalent RAM configuration. The survey remains optional and anonymous, but with millions of participants, it offers one of the best snapshots of the PC gaming landscape.
RTX 5070 Takes the Crown
The RTX 5070 now accounts for 5.86% of surveyed systems, up from 3.56% in August—a gain of 2.30 percentage points. That puts it ahead of every other individually listed GPU. The RTX 5060 Ti also saw a significant jump to 3.87%, while the RTX 5060 reached 4.20%. Notably, there is no AMD or Intel GPU in the top ten, underscoring NVIDIA’s continued dominance in the discrete graphics market. When combining all RTX 50 series entries—from the 5050 through the 5090—the family now holds an 18.21% share, up from roughly 12.93% in August.
32GB RAM Becomes the New Normal
The memory landscape also shifted dramatically. Systems with 32GB of RAM jumped from 37.45% to 42.22% in a single month, a gain of 4.77 percentage points. Meanwhile, 16GB systems dropped from 41.20% to 37.82%. This marks the first time 32GB has comfortably led the survey. The shift reflects both the increasing demands of modern games and the growing affordability of DDR5 memory kits—though prices have been volatile throughout 2026.
1440p Makes Gains, 1080p Falls Below Half
Display resolution data moved just as sharply. 2560×1440 increased from 21.86% to 27.04%, a gain of over 5 percentage points. Meanwhile, 1920×1080 dropped from 50.52% to 47.91%. Full HD remains the most common primary resolution, but it has now fallen below half of surveyed systems for the first time. This suggests that more gamers are upgrading to higher-resolution displays, likely driven by more affordable 1440p monitors and the increasing power of mid-range GPUs.
AMD Continues to Gain on Intel
In the CPU space, AMD continues its slow but steady march. AMD processors increased from 45.52% to 47.41%, while Intel fell from 54.47% to 52.59%. The gap between the two is now just 5.18 percentage points according to the September survey. While Intel still holds the majority, AMD’s momentum is clear, particularly with the popularity of its Ryzen X3D processors for gaming.
Also, Read
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- RTX 5090 12V-2×6 Connector Hits 91.7°C with DLSS 5, 16-Pin Input Peaks at 647W
The Bottom Line
The September Steam Hardware Survey paints a picture of a PC gaming market that is gradually evolving. The RTX 5070’s rise to the top shows that NVIDIA’s mid-range offerings are resonating with gamers, while the shift to 32GB of RAM and 1440p displays suggests that players are investing in higher-end experiences. AMD’s continued CPU gains add another layer of competition. As always, the survey is a snapshot rather than a definitive market analysis, but it offers valuable insight into where the PC gaming community is heading.
Source: STEAM