How to get into PC gaming

@QWERTYCommander I got a pre-built pre-tested Black-Ops barebones kit from Tiger Direct. It basically has only the things you need to be able to play games. Didn't come with an OS, so if you don't have one or cant acquire one somehow you would have to add that cost. I also browsed tiger direct and new egg doing comparisons for about 6 weeks before I finally found a deal that I couldn't pass up. I considered buying parts and building one, but I figured I would overspend and probably not buy parts that were compatible.

@ rabidpotatochip "if you're going to knock PC gaming, at least get your facts straight." Ha ha, calm down mate, I meant no offence, honestly. I was wrong to say consoles are better than PC's, this is a ridiculous argument from either side. What I was trying to say was that consoles are doing better than PC's in terms of sales and sheer numbers of people choosing the platform. And the reason for this I still maintain is that consoles do fit in to most peoples lives easier. You are right to point out that all the "problems" I make mention of are easily solved if you really want to, and I was being a bit simplistic but still, it's the instant put the disc in and play appeal of the consoles that is winning. Putting your PC onto the TV is a bit of a weak argument because you're then basically agreeing that it's better to play it like a console, also, what about the mouse and the keyboard? Most houses have a PC or a laptop (or both like ours) but still the console and TV is handling the gaming fix. Why is that if PC games are so much better and no hassle? Also, playing FIFA or Tekken with the kids is great fun and not split screen. I do concede that hogging the TV is an issue, obviously! I sincerely did not mean to besmirch PC games or gamers, whatever floats your boat. I did not disagree with any points of the article I just felt the argument was evolving purely on the technical specs line again of my machine's bigger than your machine, etc and not taking into account the way the console has crashed it's way into most every household these days and has eclipsed the PC as the gamers choice, rightly or wrongly, people will almost always end up going for the easy road.

how to get into PC gaming: 1. download Steam 2. download TF2 CONGLATURATION, YOU ARE A PC GAMER.

Now I'm not a big PC gamer. But I like the option. Honestly I liked this article more for talking about the defraggler etc. other programs just to help speed up day to day PC use let alone for gaming.

The PCs are also "backwards compatible". You can easily make a dual boot PC by installing your previous windows XP OS along with the new Win7 and choose at startup what you want to load. This way you can install most of your older games that are not compatible with Win7. And if you still can't play some older DOS games on XP, there's always the awesome DOSBOX to save the day. I can play old PC games from 1982 and Portal 2 on the same machine. I don't even have to wait for GOG versions of my favorite older games. The only bad thing about the PCs is that they don't last as long as a console. A console can last 5-6 years and judging by the current generation, they can last even longer. A new PC however lasts about 3 years. After that it stars to become slow for newer games and you have to start lowering details here and there. Also PC games are never as optimized as console games. But i don't care, as long as i can play Dungeon Keeper i don't need anything else.

I loved PC Gaming! I started being a PC gamer in 2001 when I was 9, I tell you, I had more fun then on PC than I do now at 19 on a console. Unfortuantely PC games started getting more powerful around 2005 and at 13 years old I couldn't afford nor have the permission to upgrade my grandparents PC.

I just wanted to take the time to make a note of some developers for PC games that do a really good job making their games 'scale' well with older PC's, as this might help someone if you're looking for games to get on an older machine that you want to be treated right! Blizzard - Very good optimizations on different systems, take a look at SC2 Max Graphics vs Low, it's ridiculous. Valve (and don't forget the INDIE bin on Steam, lots of cheap and GREAT games on there) Runic Games (Torchlight) If anyone else has any suggestions please post them!

@copedude: Sorry, but I could not help but point out the vast amounts of wrong in your comment. PC hardware does not go obsolete after a month. This is pretty much exactly what the article is talking about. I built a gaming PC about two years ago, and it's played every single thing that's come out (including The Witcher 2) on High settings, and played them damn well. Perhaps your console-minded brain couldn't handle reading the actual words in the article? MUAHAHAHAHA PC SNOBBERY

I made my PC for about £400 around 3-4 years ago and I can still play the newest games. Fair enough I can only play the Witcher 2 on medium settings but it still looks great.

my graphics card is £32 atm and it makes games look equal or better than console =) tbh my main problems with pc gaming is i dont get to use my comfty chair, mainly due to it being to low for my desk but this problem will apply to people who play on sofa too. So if i come home tired i just wanna flop with a controller on the sofa and shoot baddies. oh yeah and thanks for the links to the refurbished pcs, some really good deals on there...

@rockbottom - If you're going to say "consoles fit your life better" at least specify WHOSE life is made better or leave the hyperbole at home. I do play my PC games in the living room, same as my console, because I like to hang out with my family, even if we're doing different activities. I can hook my PC up to my TV (DVI to HDMI adapter, < $5) but bigger often isn't better anyway (more on that in a moment). I don't see how taking over the TV in a family consisting largely of non-gamers would really encourage them to spend time with me, they'd just go somewhere else. As for 'spending endless hours alone in a forgotten, darkened room somewhere at the other end of the house hunched on an office chair squinting at your pitiful (yet still ridiculously expensive) 15" monitor', wow, just wow. Like I said, my rig's in the same room as the TV. If your chair is that bad I strongly recommend upgrading or at using one from your dining room. You can't even _buy_ 15" monitors anymore but you _can_ buy monitors that are about the size of a smaller television for a reasonable cost nowadays. Graphics on a PC look better (assuming the game is able to generate them) because monitors display higher resolutions than televisions, check out http://xkcd.com/732/ for a witty example of what I'm talking about. Yes, monitors are smaller but they really _do_ display more detail. As for being able to play with someone I care about, I have to play Borderlands over Xbox live with my brother or lug a second TV into the living room, which isn't very practical; I'm sorry, but I hate split screen. I play Guild Wars with my wife on a regular basis though, she sits next to me at the desk on her laptop and we have a blast. tl;dr - Some people really are happier being PC gamers because it fits THEIR lives better. If you're going to knock PC gaming, at least get your facts straight.

A few weeks ago, I built myself a PC. How people are saying they got $600 builds is beyond me, because I made sure that almost everything I got was as cheap as it could be while still being relevant to modern day gaming, and it ended up costing me $970. That being said, I freaking love PC gaming. Crysis is an amazing game. I used to be one of those "It's not a game, it's a benchmark" console fanboys and I just want to slap myself for ever thinking that. But I don't think tha graphics are still the best. If you look very closely at the rocks and buildings, you can see a few low-res textures. And this was on all maxed out settings (except without any AA). Also what's the big deal about AA? I barely see a difference when turning it on. I see a few jaggies here and there without it, but seriously, what else does AA do?

I have the odd few PC games but, being a console man, have been a perpetrator of some of those prejudices named here. Mind you, that's usually in respone to a PC-snob comment, so there you go. This was a great article and may prove useful in the future. Some gaming experiences are indeed available only on the PC, and likewise some lend themselves better to consoles. It's foolish to think one format is inherently 'better' than the other. I intend to one day get an awesome rig to play Crysis on max settings, and Shogun 2 along with the other RTS'. When that day comes, I'll be back onto this article ready to take notes!

I got into PC gaming about a year or so ago. I started with MMOs since a good friend of mine plays them all the time and has really made great friendships and had tons of fun with it. I thought they were okay, but weren't for me. My favorite would have to be Guild Wars. On another note, Minecraft is one of the greatest and unique games I've ever played, and I never would have discovered it had I not taken the chance on PC gaming. I still prefer consoles for most of my gaming, but I'm really glad I can get in on the PC exclusives or play games with amazing mods.

I'm attempting to save up enough money to build a decent gaming rig -- hardly an easy feat for a skint fifteen year-old -- and this guide has been very, very helpful. My cute little laptop can't run much, but I've been dabbling in indie gaming and that's been brilliant so far.

Being someone who went through the process of getting a new PC just over a month ago, all I can say is that this guide is really helpful. As long as you can use Google and aren't clumsy, you can handle this. Just watch the hundreds of tutorials and check your pc tech forum of choice and you're good to go. Also, if you want to buy a pc rather than building one, be sure to check every single component of it. Most of the offers where I live had a good CPU but bad graphics card, or vice versa. Take your time until you find the perfect deal. In case you need some kind of orientation (what kind of hardware allows me to play which game): my computer, which has a HD 6850 (above average) and i7 2600 with 3,4 Ghz (one of the best at the moment) and 6 GB RAM you can play StarCraft II on High Settings in Full HD (1080p). I could even try Ultra if I want to, but the game already looks good anyway.

Well, he did put up some convincing arguments there. I have been a PC gamer in the past but since around 2005 I just felt it wasn't worth the hassle,gaming on it. But at this stage, after playing so many identikit shooters on consoles and put up with their rubbish controls I now feel it's time to return to where the platform where the FPS began and experience the better ones. RTS and MMo's never interested me much(allthough I did think C&C: Red Alert 2 was brilliant) I probably just wasn't adventuress enough. Some day soon I will return to PC gaming.

I love pc gaming, but what really annoys me is I spend a lot of money on it then Hard drives break or graphics card pack up. Then I don't know what I can do. Like now I am currently only running one 500GB HD because the other one is not working. And this one is about to go, I occasionaly hear some clicking sounds. hopefully go for an upgrade in the future, before christmas or around BF3 time. also my new graphics card i think is broken as sometimes when playing games it freezes and i get these funny tiny square blocks all over the screen, and yes I have updated drivers, games etc and lowered settings. console gamers never have this problem, and if they do its rare. maybe its just me and I'm unlucky. and even when a console does break you can just return it to she shop, get replacement (providing its under warranty). but with pc components you have to go the website that you bought it from, fill out forms, print out posting back details, find the parcel, take off the case, unplug everything take it out, wrap it up. PAY FOR IT to be sent back and wait 1 to 4 weeks for it to come back. So much hassle!! I just want to play games, I paid a lot of money and I don't want to keep doing this!! If anyone has any better ideas please message me.

I have always been a console gamer, but had been interested in PC gaming for years. Used to play a lot back in to days when sprite gaming was king. But after 3D cards came to into existence it did start becoming expensive to keep up with the tech. So for years my PC gaming was solely done with what ever my current PC at the time could run. Nowadays though the tech doesn't jump ahead as quickly and prices aren't as bad and say 10 years ago. Back in February I decided to jump head first and buy myself a true gaming PC but make sure it doesn't break the bank. I ended up paying a right at 1200$ total but 300 of that could have been avoided had I not Rushed the assembly and shipping of the PC. I was able to save quite a bit anyway just because I bought most of the upgrades seperatly. More Ram, the video card, monitor, etc... Yes the price was high but I didn't get an entry level PC. You can get pretty damn good PCs for around 600 to 700 easily. You won't be able to run all games maxed out but to be honest most games today even on lowest settings can blow 99% of console games outta the water. Take the Witcher 2 for instance( which happens to be the only game I have ran into taht I can't run fully maxed out, that uber-sampling is only for Beast Machines lol) I checked it out on its lowest settings with my resolution set to 720p and it still looked better than so many consoles games that I've played and when I upped my resolution to the max my current monitor can hold its truly amazing. And if you can rune the other settings close to max, breathtaking. I guess what I'm trying to say if you think getting into PC gaming is too expensive you are wrong. Even budget PC gaming outshines almost all console games.

I keep hearing all these arguments about why PC's are better game machines but you all seem to be missing the real reason consoles are best. They fit with your life better. Simple as that. You can play them in your living room, on your big 50" HD TV, sitting on your comfy couch eating snacks and generally being included in the everyday life of your family. Instead of spending endless hours alone in a forgotten, darkened room somewhere at the other end of the house hunched on an office chair squinting at your pitiful (yet still ridiculously expensive) 15" monitor. Graphics may look better but that's mainly cos your screen is smaller and you have to sit nearer to it. Also, how exactly do you play a game with someone you care about, ie someone you live with. Real friend, not online stranger. My son and I love to game together, great bonding time over Halo or Fifa or Tekken etc. PC's simply can not compete anymore for people who have a life outside their bedrooms.