An introductory guide to the world of PC gaming, including DIY and maintenance (with usergroup!)

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I REALLY hate term mobo
I personally consider everyone who is seriously using it to be at the same level as those SOBs who keep saying yolo constantly
I prefer to call it Mother

Yeah, but Mobo is easier to type, and we're all lazy =P
To be fair MB is easier still to type, and that's what I'll normally shorten it to too. I agree Mobo feels kinda wrong but... IDK, it works.

But MB makes it sound like a Megabyte. Perhaps mothbo (muth-bo)?? It's a somewhat memorable word? o.0

okay, that's very helpful. I don't have the time nor effort to build my own computer but I found this thread very interesting to learn. Now I don't feel COMPLETELY left out in these kinds of conversations. Just one question: What is the GPU?

My laptop (not specifically a gaming laptop) has a
"NVIDIA GEForce GT320M up to 2746MB TurboCache."

I have no idea what any of this means and was just wanting to be let in on the secret

It changes dependent on the brand, but, deciphering that card:

"NVIDIA" - The card is an Nvidia card. NVIDIA is one of the two main companies that produce graphics card designs, the other being AMD.
"GEForce" - Its a graphics card, basically. More specifically its of NVIDIA's GEForce range of products, but those are graphics cards. AMD will usually use HD here.
"GT320M" - The GT denotes that it is a GT model card. NVIDIA use GT, GTS, GTX, and maybe a couple of variations in between to indicate how powerful a graphics card is relative to other products of the same gen just using that. GT is the lowest, GTX is the highest. The 320 indicates that it is a 320 model card. The three denotes it as a part of the 300 series, and the 2 indicates it is the second card in the 300 series. The 300 series was released... 4 years ago I think. The second model is the second worst model. The 'M' at the end indicates it is a mobile variant of the 320 card - one made for laptops basically. This means it runs cooler, and has lower clock speeds and voltages, however does not perform as well, and likely does not have as good cooling as a desktop card would [So really it would run hotter overall].
"2746Mb" - This I'll admit I'm not too sure about. It would seem to be referring to the amount of memory available for Turbocache. It doesn't fit with any number I'd expect to see for TurboCache though. Normally here would go the amount of VRAM a card has, though the 320M only has 1Gb, or 1024Mb, of VRAM. At a guess this number is referring to the bandwidth of the PCI-E bus, though IDK.
"TurboCache" - a technology used by Nvidia cards to allow them to use more framebuffer memory.

Thank you a LOT! I don't have much to add but a thanks is needed for this response

 

[McKitten]

I do have one query, which is the potential difficulty of having a machine able to run both older games (in my case, the first NWN and KotOR I and II) and newer games. I know I can't run new games on my rather dated laptop but I was surprised to find that, while I can run NWN, when I purchased copies of both KotOR games, I also couldn't run them. For a relative newbie to, well... technology in general if I'm honest, any advice?

Depends on why you couldn't run them. In your case, sounds like the machine is simply too old. The other way, backwards compatibility on the PC is, compared to consoles, just not an issue. If you have a modern PC, it will run any game that requires Win XP and up, i.e. pretty much any game from the last 12 years. And a couple more.
Games older than that can be a little tricky, but if you really want to play one, you can set up a virtual machine with Win 2k, which should easily run anything from the Win 95 generation and up. If that's still not enough (keep in mind we're talking a solid two decades of games already) there's always Dosbox.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

I have a question! Why is that to avoid the DRM, no used games, and always online policies would someone get a PC. PC has had all of that for years.

If people want to get into PC for a different reason OP's post is helpful, though I do have one thing to add: Google is your friend. If you have a problem or a question, google it and chances are you will find an answer.

Well, mostly because the PC's versions don't suck quite so hard. Used games are very rare, but some older titles do work second hand. I think I have a copy of Deus Ex lying around somewhere that my mum's partner bought from a Gamestation some 8 years ago.
DRM on PC is usually cracked within days or even hours of the game's release. So buy the game, then get the DRM-free cracked version. I'm pretty sure I have No-CD cracks for all of my non-steam games because I can't be fucked to switch the discs around after install.
Apart from SimShitty I can't think of any always-online games that aren't dedicated multiplayer.

 

[Commerford]

Good starter guide, but here is all you should need to know for a newbie;

Watch all three of the Newegg: How to Build a Computer Guide on youtube. While your guide is good, the Newegg guide is very newbie friendly and extremely more detailed and comprehensive, as you'd expect considering it's their job and you're just helping out some people.

Here are the three parts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPIXAtNGGCw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_56kyib-Ls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxaVBsXEiok

If you have any questions visit Tom'shardware website forum and see if someone has asked the same (they probably have).

If you don't know if some of the parts you are picking are compatible, go to pcpartpicker.com, go to the systembuild link and choose the parts for your PC, if you pick an Intel CPU and you can't find the Motherboard you wanted, it means they aren't compatible(there is a UK version of the site if you want to see where the best prices are)note that website does not check for space compatibility, for example if you are putting on an after market CPU cooling system it will not tell you if it will physically fit in the case, but I doubt newbies will be putting on their own CPU fans.

 

[Colt47]

I have a question! Why is that to avoid the DRM, no used games, and always online policies would someone get a PC. PC has had all of that for years.

If people want to get into PC for a different reason OP's post is helpful, though I do have one thing to add: Google is your friend. If you have a problem or a question, google it and chances are you will find an answer.

The PC runs off a different model than the Console market. Both have expensive day one purchases and preorders, but consoles get their value differently from PCs.

The key advantage consoles have (or had in some cases) over PCs is that people could rent a brand new game to try out or buy an older one used instead of paying strait up $50 or $60 and pray for a hail Mary. Generally, the cost of games stay pretty high on consoles compared to PCs, but due to renting, those expensive purchases were often worth it.

The PC on the other hand is more like taking shots in the dark and hoping something happens to be good. There's rarely a way to try out a game for real before making a big purchase, so instead of buying games at full retail price, people wait until the games cost around $20-$30 dollars.

In my mind, Publishers and console developers are going to wipe themselves out from their own greed if they keep trying to attack the means by which consumers make informed decisions. Reviews don't provide the same kind of hands on informed experience actually handling and playing a game gives.

 

[Roxas1359]

Really nice guide for people wanting to get into PC gaming, only thing I'd add has already been mentioned and that's the fact that you need to get specific CPUs to match up with certain parts. I myself have a nice gaming rig, but I use it more for video editing since it's CPU is fast enough to render well, and if I wanted do I could use the GPU acceleration to speed up the process.
That being said I'm still a console gamer at heart, and Sony hasn't let me down as much so I still hold hope for the PS4, and I'm going to be getting a Wii U once some more games come out for it. I do see though more of the advantage of playing PC over consoles in this current console generation though due to many of the practices that the companies are putting in place. And while PC has some of the same practices that consoles due, things on sale for PC gaming is way more frequent and cost effective than the sales that go on with consoles, well unless you have PS+ because that thing pays for itself.

 

[Seydaman]

NewEgg is a pretty neat site to check out. Their forum community is pretty helpful in getting started, last I was there I recall they had some neat graphics that helps to explain certain hardware bits.

Otherwise, if you have an old computer laying around, (my father work in software sales and has several older pcs in his back room, so I've done this before) try cracking it open and just looking at all the various parts, new stuff will look different, but just getting a basic feel for the look of computer parts can help.

 

[SecondPrize]

I don't have much to add to the discussion here, but I am pleased with myself for having just changed the RAM in a laptop without causing a fire. If I can do this, so can you. Trust me.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Great guide!

Could you perhaps do another guide for people who are interested in overclocking/increasing the longevity of their current components?

 

[karamazovnew]

The idea that PC's become obsolete after just one year is a big fat lie. This used to be the case in the days of Pentium 2-4, but not anymore. I've been using the same PC for 6 years, an early quad-core with 4gb of RAM and the commendable GTX275 graphics card. Yes, it does show it's age, and I do plan to change it, not for games, but for heavy Lightroom and Photoshop work. You know... stuff which you can't do on a console.

But since I plan to upgrade soon, here's a quick tip. Wait...
Wait for the new Intel processors out this autumn, and also wait for ATI's reply to Nvidia's 7xx series. Or just wait for the Gforce 760 lineup (buy 2 of those and put them in SLI). Also make sure to buy one solid state disk for your system. 200GB is more than enough for Windows and most big ass programs. Leave your games on a normal disk. To be crazy, buy yourself 3*2TB hard drives and put them in RAID 5 configuration. You end up with 4 TB of space, safe in case one drive fails. This should keep you happy for a long time, ready for Oculus Rift, and you will not spend another cent until something like atomic processors come out on the market Or holograms.

 

[EvilRoy]

Well written guide, thanks for posting it. I've a bit further along in experience, but since I'm self taught with input from my bro its always good to have affirmation I've been going about it the right way.

Something I could use some advice on from those in the know:

I've been considering purchasing a 64 gig SSD on the cheap to boot and load my favorite games from to improve speeds for anything from disk. I've got a 1 TB HDD, and I think I have another 512 gig HDD somewhere in my apartment, so I'm not going to be hurting for storage space at all here, I just want to know if you guys think I'm going to be seeing any decent improvement, or if this is just a money sink. I don't know my HDD model off the top of my head though, so I can't provide data density numbers for comparison.

I'm choosing the smallest available SSD for the sake of money, although I might be willing to knock it up a notch to the 128 gig SSD if I decide I need more space for commonly accessed programs beyond my OS and a couple games.

 

[Nerexor]

Hey guys, this is more of a tech question as the one issue I have with gaming on my PC is the noise. Something spins up when I'm playing any intensive game and I have to crank the volume to hear over it (which my housemates may or may not enjoy, no complaints yet but I imagine its a little annoying). Any ideas as to what in particular would make that much noise (I'm guessing the power supply fan) and what can be done to reduce it?

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Blah blah blah... Installing Windows (if you want to play games, you want Windows 7 or 8)

Vista works just as fine. I am running it and I can still play all modern games. Vista has DirectX 11 just like 7 and 8. Plus Vista ain't nearly as broke as it once was. Service Pack 2 pretty much makes it a less polished Windows 7.

Anyways yeah this is pretty spot on. Also you forgot to bring up the Computers casing when building. As well as Cooling systems. When building there are a few things you want to make sure. First if the MOBO will fit the Case. General rule is if the MOBO has more PCI/PCI-E ports then the Case has expansions on the back it will not fit. But it also does not hurt to check if the screws line up to it can be put in. Also in the way of cooling the Stock heatsink that comes with the CPU is normally crap. If you do some intensive stuff you may want to upgrade the Heatsink. Especially if you are looking to overclock. And if you do overclock liquid cooling is highly recommended.

Um...we're not at that part yet, but yes. And if someone wants to save money by getting Vista, sure I guess. Fuck it, this is a community effort. the PC people as a group will teach and answer questions, but the actual meat of the guide should come today/tomorrow.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Snippity snip snip

This guide is very well put together, but you seemed to have left out a crucial point that will screw anyone who doesn't know this prior: Make sure your parts are compatible! You can't just buy any CPU and have it work with any motherboard. You have to match slot types. Same goes with RAM. Don't buy DDR2 RAM and expect it to work in a DDR3 slot.

This guide isn't done. I haven't touched on the purchasing of parts, where you can get them, chipsets and how they tie into your CPU/RAM purchase, and the actual assembly. With pretty pictures. That was just the introduction, but I appreciate all of the praise for even the introductory part.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Hey guys, this is more of a tech question as the one issue I have with gaming on my PC is the noise. Something spins up when I'm playing any intensive game and I have to crank the volume to hear over it (which my housemates may or may not enjoy, no complaints yet but I imagine its a little annoying). Any ideas as to what in particular would make that much noise (I'm guessing the power supply fan) and what can be done to reduce it?

That's probably the fan on your GPU (video card) ramping up the speed percentage to avoid overheating. When mine was doing that, I had to unscrew the plastic casing/housing, remove the heatsink, and re-apply the thermal compound so it was evenly spread around the GPU. Dropped about 20 degrees. If you absolutely can't imagine doing that, try getting air in a can and dust all sides of it that you can from the outside of it. You might discover that the whole PC needs a dusting when you open it.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Well written guide, thanks for posting it. I've a bit further along in experience, but since I'm self taught with input from my bro its always good to have affirmation I've been going about it the right way.

Something I could use some advice on from those in the know:

I've been considering purchasing a 64 gig SSD on the cheap to boot and load my favorite games from to improve speeds for anything from disk. I've got a 1 TB HDD, and I think I have another 512 gig HDD somewhere in my apartment, so I'm not going to be hurting for storage space at all here, I just want to know if you guys think I'm going to be seeing any decent improvement, or if this is just a money sink. I don't know my HDD model off the top of my head though, so I can't provide data density numbers for comparison.

I'm choosing the smallest available SSD for the sake of money, although I might be willing to knock it up a notch to the 128 gig SSD if I decide I need more space for commonly accessed programs beyond my OS and a couple games.

You'll notice an increase in the boot time of your system, boot time of games, faster transfers of files, and loading of levels/streaming of textures in games. Plus you'll never have to defragment it. If anyone has the money, using an SSD as the primary OS drive with your most intensive games on it is the way to go to maximize performance. Then use the 1 TB to store your video/music/less intensive games.

 

[Signa]

You'll notice an increase in the boot time of your system, boot time of games,

You're not selling this very well.

Captcha: Never mind. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's going to be your response.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

You'll notice an increase in the boot time of your system, boot time of games,

You're not selling this very well.

Captcha: Never mind. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's going to be your response.

Yeah...the words "in the speed of" are notably absent. I was being rushed out the door by my wife at the time, but just one more Escapist post, syntax errors be damned!

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Just to give everyone an update, I have a rough draft written of the second part of this guide that my wife will proofread when she gets home. I've also taken pictures to accompany the guide so that it's less of a wall of text this time (especially since we'll be getting to the details). There's a very small chance it'll be posted tonight (US Eastern), but more than likely tomorrow. I'll make it the most recent post, and add a link to it in the OP.

Thank you to everyone who's had kind words for this idea, and also those who've chipped in with advice for those who had questions. I believe that if we wish to see the PC grow as a platform, it would help to make it appear more inviting and less scary for those who don't know where to begin, and I've already seen many people in this thread offer simple advice without condescension or elitism, and that's just awesome. There's a very rewarding road ahead for those who decide to follow the guides of myself and others, and once they realize that having freedom and control over their gaming experience doesn't have to be difficult or expensive, they'll be happier for it. Cheers.