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Behold the world's greatest mouse: I fear for the day mine breaks, because they don't make them anymore.
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Dec 19, 2010 22:07
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I normally build a gaming system every 2 years and have been itching to build a new one, but I can hardly justify it when my 3 year old desktop still plays every game out there on high graphics settings at 1920x1200. It's a great time to build a gaming rig on the cheap right now w/ parts that are a couple years old. It will last you until the new xbox/playstation come out and consoles, then PC games in turn are made for much more powerful systems. One part that not many consider for PC gaming is a mousing surface. I bought a Razer Destructor surface and a Death Adder mouse and it's a joy to move the mouse around. I've really never felt anything like it.
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Dec 19, 2010 22:09
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Ka0 posted:If you're into grognard stuff, war simulators, empire simulators or just play civilization, anno, whatever, a decent laptop would be ok. Anno 1404 is pretty processor-dependent, in my experience. Turn-based stuff should be relatively fine, though.
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Dec 19, 2010 22:25
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So if I had a pre-built desktop that was great except for its graphics card, could I just spend 200 and pop a new one in? It doesn't seem like it should be as easy as that.
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Dec 19, 2010 22:26
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Average Bear posted:So if I had a pre-built desktop that was great except for its graphics card, could I just spend 200 and pop a new one in? It doesn't seem like it should be as easy as that. I'd say this is probably what the majority of people seeking a "gaming" PC actually do. Just make sure the card actually fits in your case and you should be fine.
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Dec 19, 2010 22:35
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From my experience, if you have a spare PCI-Express port on your motherboard you should be able to do pop one in easily. Keep in mind: You need enough powersupply outlets and output to support it, a lot of cards now adays need some kind of connector to them from the powersupply. Usually a standard "molex" connector. You need to be able to change the way your old card (probably integrated) is handled. You can usually turn it off in the BIOS and your new card should now work.
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Dec 19, 2010 22:35
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Average Bear posted:So if I had a pre-built desktop that was great except for its graphics card, could I just spend 200 and pop a new one in? It doesn't seem like it should be as easy as that. Pay really, really close attention to what power supply you've got in your case and what card you're putting in. Whacking in a 470 with a bog standard pre-built PSU is a really good way to crap out your power supply and kill everything. The SH/SC building thread would be a good place to ask specifics, but they'll want to know what your pre build is and what resolution you want to game at in order to recommend stuff.
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Dec 19, 2010 22:39
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I think you should make an entire post, neigh, a thread, dedicated to how cheap PC games are. Ive bought multiplat titles for 10-20$ dollars and on the PS3/360 they were full-price-GTFO 60$. Realistically speaking though, I love the OP. Great job, I wish to see some conversions from consoles to PC. I don't want to scare people away, but the PC is pretty much the most complicated "console" ever. You will get upset, angry, lost, and probably crying because there may be one game that wont work until you work 20 hours on it. You will want to quit and return to consoles. But there are so many benefits, so many reasons why its worth all the fuss. And as you use the computer more and more, things get easier and you solve problems faster. And you have Something Awful tech support on your side too. You will never stop learning about your computer gaming system. Its a great experience, and all these benefits [mentioned in OP: total conversion mods, free games, dirt cheap games, so much more] stack up and make PC gaming a great experience. Ive converted a friend to PC gaming and now we are playing Killing Floor, together. Previously, he was a 360 gamer and we never got to play together. Now, we can..Its beautiful 
buglord fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Dec 19, 2010 |
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Dec 19, 2010 22:45
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Avocadoes posted:I think you should make an entire post, neigh, a thread, dedicated to how cheap PC games are. Ive bought multiplat titles for 10-20$ dollars and on the PS3/360 they were full-price-GTFO 60$. Realistically speaking though, I love the OP. Great job, I wish to see some conversions from consoles to PC. You kids today think you've got it tough. In my day we had HIMEM.SYS, EMM386.EXE and boot disks, and every developer wanted a different sort of RAM (which were all actually the same sort of RAM) and games came on a million floppies. Seriously, in the last three years I've had as much trouble with my 360 as I have with my PC - stuff tends to work without too much messing about these days, and things like Steam make worrying about patches a thing of the past.
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Dec 19, 2010 22:50
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Fil5000 posted:You kids today think you've got it tough. In my day we had HIMEM.SYS, EMM386.EXE and boot disks, and every developer wanted a different sort of RAM (which were all actually the same sort of RAM) and games came on a million floppies. I heard the glory days of that era. I myself came into the scene at 10 years old, with a Windows XP Gateway computer. Yeah I know its definitely easier today, but still, there's a world and a half of difference when you convert from a PS3 to a console outright. [Or in my case a PS2] Also do you have that hilarious picture of Doom [Not sure which game], and there's like 70 floppies of Doom that have to be installed? buglord fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Dec 19, 2010 |
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Dec 19, 2010 22:53
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poo poo, I can't even stomach the memories of installing Lemmings with a dozen floppies, god forbid one of them happened to get corrupted. Would hate to see what 70 floppies felt like.
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Dec 19, 2010 23:07
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slev posted:Does anyone have any experience with this mouse? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826146009&Tpk=GM-M6800 Great mouse, only complaint is it shines a red dot on the screen.
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Dec 19, 2010 23:15
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slev posted:Does anyone have any experience with this mouse? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826146009&Tpk=GM-M6800 This was mentioned previously but the Logitech MX 518 is worth every penny. I have (and still use) its precursor and it has held up very: its on year four and still going. The ergonomics of it are fantastic and extra buttons are quite useful as well.
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Dec 19, 2010 23:23
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AceSnyp3r posted:So I just ended up buying a $4 desktop microphone from NewEgg and a pair of Sennheiser headphones. Both the microphone and the headphones sound better than any headset I've used, and they're both still working without problems (my guess would be because there's less moving parts and wires to get broken now that the mic isn't connected to the headset). Headsets are unavoidable with consoles, but if you have a PC, there is absolutely no reason to buy the latest Logitech plasticy piece of poo poo. A pair of AD700s or HD555s and a $20 Logitech USB mic will get you headphones with infinitely better sound quality for both gaming and music as well as an unbreakable microphone that can be set all the way across a desk and still pick up your voice with no crackling or distortion for the same price or little more. If you have to get an all-in-one solution, stick to budget $30 headsets, because the gimmicky fake surround sound and Fatality logos aren't worth paying $80-$100 for. e: also thanks for making this thread DWW it owns Srebrenica Surprise fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Dec 19, 2010 |
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Dec 19, 2010 23:31
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Great thread! As much as I love PC gaming, my biggest bugbear with PC gaming is DRM. Steam is ok, as are some basic disc checks, but limited activations or always-online DRM are a major dealbreaker for me. Might be worth mentioning that in the thread as DRM can cause all sorts of headaches, and potentially cost money if you have to contact the publisher to get activations revoked or fix other DRM problems. I'd echo some other points here: Always use a decent PSU, and good quality headphones > PC headsets. Can we add Beat Hazard to the music game section please?
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Dec 19, 2010 23:45
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I love this thread. I love all of you. Especially you, OP, for doing this  .That being said, I would like to throw in Descent into the FPS category as well as UT99/04 and the Quakes.
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Dec 19, 2010 23:45
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Methos posted:The last several times I've had to call in, I never even spoke to anyone, it was all automated. But a motherboard upgrade will require that you call in for activation; just say that your motherboard failed and you replaced it. They don't ask a whole bunch of questions. The whole thing takes 5 minutes. Yudo posted:OEM copies of Windows are locked to the model of motherboard that was in use when it was activated. So you can change any part you want without your license being effected other than the motherboard. I am not trying to suggest that any of MS's licensing schemes are fair, but motherboard upgrades are pretty major and should be rare. Retail copies don't have this limitation but rather have some vague number of motherboards it can be installed to before MS thinks it is being pirated (even if only one instance of the license is activated at one time). Prices for the retail version are insane, however. I dunno how useful anecdotal evidence is here, but I have an OEM copy of Windows 7 that I got for free through my school's MSDNAA thing. I recently upgraded my computer, swapping out literally everything except the hard drives, the video card, and the power supply; I even switched from AMD to Intel for the chipset. When I got all my parts installed and booted up, I went into Windows just fine with my old installation, and all I got was the simple prompt telling me to authenticate over the internet. It was the most painless upgrade experience of my life.
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Dec 19, 2010 23:46
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Anonymous Robot posted:I fear for the day mine breaks, because they don't make them anymore. Yeah they do.
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Dec 19, 2010 23:46
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On the 'don't buy a gaming laptop' thing I mostly agree. However if you do happen to get one they're quite fun and useful. But you should NOT be buying one just for gaming alone, in my opinion. In my case I was required to have a macbook pro for a number of graphic design reasons - I managed to get the i7 macbook pro model. In windows bootcamp I can play all my windows games pretty much flawlessly. I have zero complaints about this thing performance wise since I got it. But would I buy it if I were getting it for gaming alone? Of course not. The bulk of things I've used this for has been photoshop, maya, flash, final cut pro, aftereffects, painter, etc. Gaming is just a nice bonus for having a laptop that can handle doing my maya homework and the like on the go. Overall I like it save for these issues: No blu ray option was available when I got it this last summer. (Seriously, apple...get with the program.) It's not 1080p - just shy of it. (Even though I got the 15 inch with HD screen.) Apple's hosed up microphone jack means I have to use a converter of some sort if I want to use a regular plug-in mic. Chances are I'll just cave in and get a USB headset mic instead there at some point though. Also the thing is like 500 dollars more expensive for what you get compared to windows laptops - loving apple. On that note I would like to find out what some of the best (affordable) gaming mouses and USB headset with mics are. Oh yeah also - when I graduate I'm planning on saving up for an actual gaming/graphic design desktop.
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Dec 19, 2010 23:48
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If I could trouble the thread with another hardware question, is there a handy way to look at what aftermath I would get from a new processor/motherboard? I got a pre-built cause the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a pile of pieces that I may be completely unable to put together terrified me. More specifically, I'm looking at replacing my Core 2 Duo with an i5 or i7. Do I need to worry a lot about my hard drives/video card/sound card, etc.?
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Dec 20, 2010 00:01
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404notfound posted:I dunno how useful anecdotal evidence is here, but I have an OEM copy of Windows 7 that I got for free through my school's MSDNAA thing. I recently upgraded my computer, swapping out literally everything except the hard drives, the video card, and the power supply; I even switched from AMD to Intel for the chipset. Are you sure its an OEM copy and not some weird student (or retail equivalent) license or something? I would do back flips if I could use the same OS I am using now if I switch MBs: the socket that the current i5 uses is dead and it would be nice if I did not have to buy Windows 7 again if I decided to upgrade in the future. That said I used the same CPU + graphics card for three years before it became too sluggish--well actually the MB was about to kick it: I could have gotten a little more life out of the old Q6600 if I had bought a new card. Okonner posted:If I could trouble the thread with another hardware question, is there a handy way to look at what aftermath I would get from a new processor/motherboard? I got a pre-built cause the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a pile of pieces that I may be completely unable to put together terrified me. More specifically, I'm looking at replacing my Core 2 Duo with an i5 or i7. Do I need to worry a lot about my hard drives/video card/sound card, etc.? First I would just say that, unless you are running lots of CPU dependent applications, your PC may benefit more from a new video card than a new processor. Otherwise, no: just remove everything and then plug it back into your new MB. New MBs will be backwards compatible and will likely have no issue with any cards you have. You may want new RAM, however. Yudo fucked around with this message at 00:08 on Dec 20, 2010 |
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Dec 20, 2010 00:01
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Yudo posted:Are you sure its an OEM copy and not some weird student (or retail equivalent) license or something? I would do back flips if I could use the same OS I am using now if I switch MBs: the socket that the current i5 uses is dead and it would be nice if I did not have to buy Windows 7 again if I decided to upgrade in the future. I thought I remembered it said something about OEM back when I got my key, but that was a year and a half ago and I'm no longer a student so I can't log in to check. However, some googling seems to show that MSDNAA copies aren't OEM. Not sure where I got the idea from.
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Dec 20, 2010 00:11
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^^^I can confirm that MSDNAA software has different liscence keys than OEM. A MSDNAA key won't work on an OEM disk and vice-versa.darkhand posted:From my experience, if you have a spare PCI-Express port on your motherboard you should be able to do pop one in easily. Be doubly careful if you're buying a Dell. The Dells at a computer lab I help manage didn't have any Molex connectors, and the only sata->molex converters we could find were $2 each. So, being the geeks we are, we raided old computers for AT power supplies and ran the cables that way. Now we have these nice new(ish) Dell computers with old-rear end power supplies sitting on top and cables running in through the floppy bays 
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Dec 20, 2010 00:38
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Not to be all chicken little but it feels kind of bad to see a thread on PC gaming as if it were some sort of niche. Anyways, as a kind of person that needs some form of mobility with his PC and power along with it, I've opted for the Asus G73JH. It has pretty much the same specs as the G73JW, except the video card being a Mobility 5870, which faired better in benchmarks than the nVidia 460M. Despite being a bulky, heavy and ugly looking son of a bitch, it's a great laptop. It plays all games I thrown at it in highest settings so far (didn't try Crysis but I don't really care to) quite well, and the temperature has always been a little lukewarm. I'm quite blown away at how well this thing cools, but that's maybe because my previous laptop was a MacBook Pro which would sooner melt your dick off than play an HD movie for 30 minutes without setting your pants on fire. On NewEgg, they've had a reconditioned G73JH that would occasionally go on sale for about 870 dollars, which is an amazing price for this kind of hardware. Now I can't really find it as it seems to be discontinued for good this time. The 460M version is probably just as good, if slightly slower on frames. I know the G73JH is also being sold in BestBuy with a WiMax modem installed for about 1,200, that might be a decent enough deal. It's absence might also mean Asus is going to come out with a newer 17 inch powerhouse soon, too.
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Dec 20, 2010 00:57
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A question for the benefit of a friend of mine: What's a good mainland European equivalent to Newegg?
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Dec 20, 2010 01:20
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darkhand posted:From my experience, if you have a spare PCI-Express port on your motherboard you should be able to do pop one in easily. Nah, these days you just slap in your card and it will auto-boot from that new video device, BIOS messing about isn't needed anymore. And I haven't seen a card require a molex power connector in a good long while (since my 9800 Pro), molex connectors themselves are getting rare, as everything has jumped over to SATA. Graphics cards will require a PCI-Express plug or 2.  Seriously, we've already got the best resource for actual purchasing and assembly here on SA in SHSC. It really is the best thread for purchasing advice I have ever seen. Tuxedo Catfish posted:A question for the benefit of a friend of mine: The SHSC thread recommends two places: SCAN Computers and Aria. KakerMix fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Dec 20, 2010 |
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Dec 20, 2010 01:59
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Tuxedo Catfish posted:A question for the benefit of a friend of mine: I haven't seen a real equivalent here, not in Belgium at least. Still, there are quite a few online sites that are pretty cheap but it's mostly country specific.
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Dec 20, 2010 02:05
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Some quick questions about wired xbox 360 controllers on pc - Do all of them come with a USB cable (a split cable) or do I need to specifically buy a particular 'for windows' version of it? (Or is the link on the 360 just a USB cable to begin with?) Ideally I want to get one that looks pretty cool - I want to know if I need a special adapter for it. On that note if there's a particular version of the wired controller someone could recommend as the best (aesthetically or whatever) I'm all ears.
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Dec 20, 2010 02:49
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Times posted:Some quick questions about wired xbox 360 controllers on pc - Do all of them come with a USB cable (a split cable) or do I need to specifically buy a particular 'for windows' version of it? (Or is the link on the 360 just a USB cable to begin with?) Wired controllers work out of the box whether labelled as the For Windows version or not, but all Wireless ones need a special wireless adapter.
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Dec 20, 2010 02:57
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Times posted:Some quick questions about wired xbox 360 controllers on pc - Do all of them come with a USB cable (a split cable) or do I need to specifically buy a particular 'for windows' version of it? (Or is the link on the 360 just a USB cable to begin with?) Xbox 360 wired controllers are just normal usb controllers, Vista and 7 should automatically detect them, and for games that support it, everything is automatically mapped on the controller. It's worth noting that the d-pad is about as useful as a chocolate teapot though. For third party controllers, i've heard that this is quite good. Of course there's always this: http://www2.razerzone.com/onza/ which looks great but it's not out yet
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Dec 20, 2010 03:01
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KakerMix posted:Graphics cards will require a PCI-X plug or 2. Whoa hold on buddy, PCI-X is not PCIe  As for reauthenticating Windows 7, I've had the same experience as 404notfound. I guess TechNet copies are not OEM. I dunno man, the fake surround sound on my Logitech G35s work decently enough v  vVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV averox fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Dec 20, 2010 |
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Dec 20, 2010 03:14
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Seconding the "don't buy headsets" recommendation. You're just selling yourself short, those things are crappy quality and break super easy. Just get a nice pair of headphones with some cheap rear end desktop mic. Personal recommendation: Sony MDR-V6. A tad on the pricey side, but worth every drat penny. These things sound amazing and will maintain their crystal quality even at eardrum-blowing volumes. Perfect for gaming and music alike. Also, whatever you do, never, ever buy surround sound headphones. They are a scam in the truest sense of the word. It's physically impossible for headphones to be 'surround' in the way that speakers can be. If someone wants a detailed explanation I can give it, but please, don't buy them. They're a massive waste of money and usually don't even have good sound.
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Dec 20, 2010 03:16
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On the controller front, I usually have one of the aforementioned wired 360 controllers, and one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Wii-Classic-Controller-PC-USB-Adapter/dp/B003711698 Seriously, even if you don't own a Wii, one of the above (can be had for next to nothing on Ebay) and a Wii Classic Controller is freaking fantastic for all your d-pad gaming - since the 360 D-pad is a pile of steaming horse dookey.. It's especially lovely if you dabble in emulation.
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Dec 20, 2010 03:21
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Taffer posted:Seconding the "don't buy headsets" recommendation. You're just selling yourself short, those things are crappy quality and break super easy. Just get a nice pair of headphones with some cheap rear end desktop mic. 3rding this, also never ever ever ever buy anything that has the word "gaming" on the box Seriously, "gaming" headsets are the biggest culprits but you'll see it pop up in other places as well. Gaming generally = less quality, but more XTREMEEE (and also 75% markup on something that isn't lovely)
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Dec 20, 2010 03:22
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fruitpunch posted:Xbox 360 wired controllers are just normal usb controllers, Vista and 7 should automatically detect them, and for games that support it, everything is automatically mapped on the controller. It's worth noting that the d-pad is about as useful as a chocolate teapot though. Yeah I would actually be using the D-pad with super meat boy and the like on PC - so if I can get a third party wired 360 controller that has a much better quality d-pad I would prefer that.
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Dec 20, 2010 03:30
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I tend to buy alot of gaming peripherals, and I bought the Logitech G35 Surround Sound Headset. Within a year I switched to the Audio Technica AD700s. It was a major improvement. There wasn't a single word that said "gaming" in the ATs, but it sounded leaps and bounds better than my G35 surround sound headset. However...I bought a Logitech G5 mouse. Yeah it was marketed towards gamers, but tons of people swear by this mouse, and so do I. 50$ for a mouse can be steep however I love the build quality and features of it. The included mouse weights are a little excessive and gimmicky, but its pretty much the best mouse i've ever owned. Sometimes gamer and quality get along together, but not all the time. Be careful!
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Dec 20, 2010 03:44
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abigserve posted:3rding this, also never ever ever ever buy anything that has the word "gaming" on the box Yeah. The only reason IMO to ever buy nonshitty 'gaming' type stuff is for aesthetics. If you're willing to pay extra for having it look neat, such as with art from your favorite game on it, that's all right I guess. Speaking of aesthetics, I mentioned earlier I'd like to find a neat looking wired 360 controller but after considering it I realized I'd rather pocket the extra money to buy on more games or other things. The idea of a good quality third party 360 controller with a better d-pad is quite appealing to me in particular though. A couple were linked already but I'd love to find out about ones people know for a fact are really stellar quality. In general I tend to be wary of the quality of third party controllers. Edit: Wow, the razer onza looks really good. I think that might be the one I get when it comes out. Spacedad fucked around with this message at 04:06 on Dec 20, 2010 |
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Dec 20, 2010 04:00
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abigserve posted:3rding this, also never ever ever ever buy anything that has the word "gaming" on the box I'm pretty sure Logitech G4/5 mice have been advertised that way, and they're perfectly good products.
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Dec 20, 2010 04:04
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Tuxedo Catfish posted:I'm pretty sure Logitech G4/5 mice have been advertised that way, and they're perfectly good products. The MX518 was definitely advertised as a gaming product through and through. They really ought to make one without the weird pattern though.
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Dec 20, 2010 04:05
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Magnificent Quiver posted:The MX518 was definitely advertised as a gaming product through and through. Agreed. The stupid pattern is the only thing keeping me from buying this thing. It's as stupid as those towers with useless blue or red LEDs all over the place.
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Dec 20, 2010 04:33
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