Kept meaning to post here and didn't get around to it during the just 2 days of activity of this thread, nor in the next few, but I guess I'll do it now, while it's still far from being a necro...
The first computer, in 1992, had a 512 kb video card that I recall being Trident. It could do 800x600x8bpp but monitor could only do 640x480 so that was the limit. As far as I recall, it was pretty much the only component that remained when the computer was otherwise upgraded in 1994 (386 SX 16 MHz w/ 2 MB RAM to 486 DX2 66 MHz w/ initially 4 MB RAM later upgraded to 8 MB). Because the monitor didn't allow more, can't say that the video card was ever a problem, the CPU and RAM being very limiting as time passed.
The computer bought in 1998 had a S3 Virge 4 MB. The moment when it obviously showed its limits was when I tried to play Arcanum and was getting some 2 fps (granted, 266 MHz CPU played a part as well), so had to wait until the next computer, which was the first I put together myself from parts, to play that. I believe I also played Monkey Island 4 on it and wasn't getting any coloring on characters, all were white ghosts, but the game otherwise worked all right.
In 2002, MSI GeForce 2 Ti 64 MB. Clearly the weakest component of that system, but for what I wanted to play, can't say it really limited me. Well, I had to play VtM: Bloodlines on near minimum settings and was still getting low fps, and in combat with particles and/or multiple enemies it'd almost crawl, but can't say I minded it too much, used to choppy performance. Oh, wait, sorry, it did make me postpone playing The Bard's Tale, started it on it but it barely crawled and gave up until the next computer. Did push through Civilization IV on it though, but that was mainly a CPU issue I guess, AI turns lasting 20 minutes, then played it again on the next computer.
The computer I put together in 2008 initially had a Leadtek GeForce 8400 256 MB (massive factory overclock) since I could afford no more at first, so just needed something to put an image on the screen (did for example play Final Fantasy 7 and 8 on it, or Perfect World International, though "enjoyed" is a different aspect), so that was the only computer I've had that I've upgraded the GPU for, the following year, to a EVGA GeForce GTS 250 1 GB. What it really struggled with, and I had to give up on the idea of playing as a result, was Witcher 2. Played the first Witcher on it, Risen, Tropico 3, Two Worlds, Drakensang, or King's Bounty: The Legend. Also Two Worlds 2 or Forsaken World, though those can't exactly be listed as "enjoyed".
And that's still put away, because this computer, bought in 2015, just has a Pentium G3440 (3.3 GHz dual-core)'s integrated graphics. As you can imagine, it severely limits what can be played on it, but having 4 GB of RAM and staying on 32-bit Win 7, since 64-bit would just lower performance, using more of that limited RAM for the same operations, may limit even more. But sticking to this 1280x1024 monitor bought in 2007 does help, far less graphical power required for that resolution than more "modern" ones, and that and the fact that I'm used to choppy performance means I could play games on it that may perhaps be quite baffling to many (Venetica, Ember, Tropico 4, Gone Home, Bound By Flame, even Lords of Xulima may count). And probably the one it struggled the most with was Gone Home, but that was because there was no need for smoothness there, so I upped the graphics quality until I was getting probably about 10 fps, and less at times. It does hit a hard limit, probably of RAM, if I really up the quality in Bound by Flame when I tried playing that, but on moderate settings that's just fine too.
Post edited March 09, 2022 by Cavalary