How easy is it to become a PC gamer?

[omicron1]

Don't, it's a lot of money. Unless you just have to have the latest strategy and RTS games save your money.

Don't listen to people like this who don't know the first thing about computers.

My friend runs a $400 Gateway laptop (of all things) and can still run L4D2 with the best of us. Even runs mass effect 2 and Jericho without any trouble. And everyone in my dorm can run SC2 pretty easily as well.

Stick with valve games if you are running an older system since they seem to be very easy on processors, and then expand out from there once you have an idea of what your system is capable of.

Blah, blah, blah. I can run X, Y, and Z. Dude L4D isn't graphics heavy it's more about internet connection than anything. Stop being so freaking defensive. To play games like the Witcher 2, or Crysis you're going to have to drop serious bread on it. That's where they get you. You could play on low settings and focus more on processor power, but when it comes down to it you'll never be able to play with the best graphics unless you buy graphic's cards. Those can range anywhere from 2 to 8 hundred bucks, and then you're not even going to get any rumble or tactile feedback whatsoever unless you plug in a usb controller anyway.

Stick with consoles. They're idiot proof and a lot less hassle in the long term.

Remember kids, being a console gamer turns you into an idiot.

My $600 desktop could run Crysis at full graphics without a graphics card and only chugged when shot with a rocket due to fire physics. Bought at the same time as the PS3, cost the same as a PS3 then, and is still running to this day, unlike the PS3.

Stick with PC, they run games just as well as consoles of a similar price and, being a computer, can actually do other things. (Which most people tend not to factor in when talking about PC gaming)

Remember kids being a PC gamer turns you into a liar. I doubt anyone could play Crysis on full settings with a six-hundred dollar PC. Unless you just know a freaking guy who can get your stuff dirt cheap, and by cheap I mean illegally.

Postulate 1. A $900 laptop == a $600 PC. This is provable by comparing similar-quality parts.

Postulate 2. My 2-year-old, $900 laptop can run Crysis on medium.

Conclusion 1. It is possible, today, to build a $600 PC that can run Crysis on high. Four years ago, I'm not so sure, and the "without a graphics card" argument sounds really odd, but there it is.

Heck, just run over to Newegg and start counting components. You can piece together a midrange PC for <=$500 that will handle Crysis on highest settings with ease. I know; I've done so.

Good graphics cards [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125342] (the high-end of last generation or the medium-end of the current) can be had for about $100. A power supply [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371044] and case [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133179] are only $100 for all but the most modding-prone of owners. CPU [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103871] and motherboard [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130561] shouldn't set you back more than $200; 4 gigabytes of memory [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275] can be had for $50; and all the rest (mouse, keyboard, speakers) is fluff. Not to mention you can discount a lot of this if you have a previous PC. (and almost everyone has a PC of some sort lying around)
Total price for a gaming PC capable of handling The Witcher 2 and Crysis: $300-$500, depending on what you have already. QED.


Really, I'd say Steam offers the best avenue to becoming a "PC gamer." Get a few games you like the looks of, play the heck out of them, then pick up three dozen titles during the next Steam sale, and you're golden. If you like esoteric games, go for Gamer's Gate; and if you want to try old classics, go for Good Old Games. Those three pretty much form the PC gamer's "balanced diet."

 

[Krantos]

Laptops, unless they're specially designed for it, aren't good gaming rigs. Particularly since you can't really upgrade much besides the RAM.

I would still download steam as there are a lot of older games that shouldn't be a problem to run. The best part of Steam is definitely the sales. I can usually buy 2-3 games a month for less than $20. Such a good deal.


If you're interested in building a computer, a decent rig is pretty cheap these days. A trashy $200-$300 Wal-Mart computer can be tweaked to run most new games at a fair FPS for about $80-$100. Just make sure to do your research before you buy parts. Remember NewEgg is your friend.

 

[Rednog]

Going to put no, especially on a laptop, most have integrated graphics which essentially it probably won't run games unless they are more than like 5 or so years old.

Edit: From your list above, half-life 1 and Counter-Strike will pretty much work on anything, very old games tend to require little to no power.

I game on a laptop and my laptop kicks ass

Uhh unless it is a gaming laptop with a dedicated graphics card there is no way you are playing anything recent. Unfortunately most laptops aren't made to be gaming machines and thus can't preform as such, they just aren't capable. And from the OP's post it does not sound like he has a gaming laptop, sounds like he has a generic laptop which means that he won't be able to play recent games.

 

[Rednog]

Don't, it's a lot of money. Unless you just have to have the latest strategy and RTS games save your money.

Don't listen to people like this who don't know the first thing about computers.

My friend runs a $400 Gateway laptop (of all things) and can still run L4D2 with the best of us. Even runs mass effect 2 and Jericho without any trouble. And everyone in my dorm can run SC2 pretty easily as well.

Stick with valve games if you are running an older system since they seem to be very easy on processors, and then expand out from there once you have an idea of what your system is capable of.

Blah, blah, blah. I can run X, Y, and Z. Dude L4D isn't graphics heavy it's more about internet connection than anything. Stop being so freaking defensive. To play games like the Witcher 2, or Crysis you're going to have to drop serious bread on it. That's where they get you. You could play on low settings and focus more on processor power, but when it comes down to it you'll never be able to play with the best graphics unless you buy graphic's cards. Those can range anywhere from 2 to 8 hundred bucks, and then you're not even going to get any rumble or tactile feedback whatsoever unless you plug in a usb controller anyway.

Stick with consoles. They're idiot proof and a lot less hassle in the long term.

Remember kids, being a console gamer turns you into an idiot.

My $600 desktop could run Crysis at full graphics without a graphics card and only chugged when shot with a rocket due to fire physics. Bought at the same time as the PS3, cost the same as a PS3 then, and is still running to this day, unlike the PS3.

Stick with PC, they run games just as well as consoles of a similar price and, being a computer, can actually do other things. (Which most people tend not to factor in when talking about PC gaming)

Remember kids being a PC gamer turns you into a liar. I doubt anyone could play Crysis on full settings with a six-hundred dollar PC. Unless you just know a freaking guy who can get your stuff dirt cheap, and by cheap I mean illegally.

Yea....Crysis really isn't the benchmark for running games anymore.
Assuming you aren't including the price of software like Windows, etc. And you aren't counting a monitor/keyboard/mouse it is very easy to get parts of newegg to run Crysis on full settings.

 

[ILPPendant]

Ok, I'll type up what is says on my system properties. I hope you can all make some sense of it because I can't.

Manufacturer: Dell
Model: N5010
Rating: 4.6 Windows Experience Index
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU P6000 @1.87GHz 1.86 GHz
Installed Memory (RAM): 4.00GB (3.80GB usable)
System Type: 64-bit Operating System

With an experience index of 4.6, I don't see why you can't run anything pre-2007 at least.

 

[GeneWard]

You can actually get a decent gaming laptop for £330. I've got an out of the box msi CR630, and I play mid-range games like left 4 dead, team fortress 2, and bioshock, all on high (except maybe bioshock) but it works well enough with no lag on any of the aformentioned games.

 

[Atheist.]

Don't, it's a lot of money. Unless you just have to have the latest strategy and RTS games save your money.

Don't listen to people like this who don't know the first thing about computers.

My friend runs a $400 Gateway laptop (of all things) and can still run L4D2 with the best of us. Even runs mass effect 2 and Jericho without any trouble. And everyone in my dorm can run SC2 pretty easily as well.

Stick with valve games if you are running an older system since they seem to be very easy on processors, and then expand out from there once you have an idea of what your system is capable of.

Blah, blah, blah. I can run X, Y, and Z. Dude L4D isn't graphics heavy it's more about internet connection than anything. Stop being so freaking defensive. To play games like the Witcher 2, or Crysis you're going to have to drop serious bread on it. That's where they get you. You could play on low settings and focus more on processor power, but when it comes down to it you'll never be able to play with the best graphics unless you buy graphic's cards. Those can range anywhere from 2 to 8 hundred bucks, and then you're not even going to get any rumble or tactile feedback whatsoever unless you plug in a usb controller anyway.



Stick with consoles. They're idiot proof and a lot less hassle in the long term.

Remember kids, being a console gamer turns you into an idiot.

My $600 desktop could run Crysis at full graphics without a graphics card and only chugged when shot with a rocket due to fire physics. Bought at the same time as the PS3, cost the same as a PS3 then, and is still running to this day, unlike the PS3.

Stick with PC, they run games just as well as consoles of a similar price and, being a computer, can actually do other things. (Which most people tend not to factor in when talking about PC gaming)

Going to have to call you out on this one bud.

Crysis came out November 2007. The PS3 has a price cut July 2007.

There's no way a 600$ computer with integrated graphics could possibly run Crysis in its time. Ever.

Not to mention a computer with integrated graphics released a full 6 months before it was released. You really need to do some research. Now if you're referring to a desktop you bought in the last two maybe even 3 years, it's very possible it could run Crysis with integrated graphics.

The other guy isn't much better, though. You can definitely run older games like CS:S on a modern laptop with integrated graphics. The main issue you'll run into is the fact that you can't easily (or at all) update the graphics cards on most commercial laptops, so you'll hit a glass ceiling for the games you can play. The depends on what integrated graphics your motherboard has on it, though.

 

[Silas13013]

Don't, it's a lot of money. Unless you just have to have the latest strategy and RTS games save your money.

Don't listen to people like this who don't know the first thing about computers.

My friend runs a $400 Gateway laptop (of all things) and can still run L4D2 with the best of us. Even runs mass effect 2 and Jericho without any trouble. And everyone in my dorm can run SC2 pretty easily as well.

Stick with valve games if you are running an older system since they seem to be very easy on processors, and then expand out from there once you have an idea of what your system is capable of.

Blah, blah, blah. I can run X, Y, and Z. Dude L4D isn't graphics heavy it's more about internet connection than anything. Stop being so freaking defensive. To play games like the Witcher 2, or Crysis you're going to have to drop serious bread on it. That's where they get you. You could play on low settings and focus more on processor power, but when it comes down to it you'll never be able to play with the best graphics unless you buy graphic's cards. Those can range anywhere from 2 to 8 hundred bucks, and then you're not even going to get any rumble or tactile feedback whatsoever unless you plug in a usb controller anyway.



Stick with consoles. They're idiot proof and a lot less hassle in the long term.

Remember kids, being a console gamer turns you into an idiot.

My $600 desktop could run Crysis at full graphics without a graphics card and only chugged when shot with a rocket due to fire physics. Bought at the same time as the PS3, cost the same as a PS3 then, and is still running to this day, unlike the PS3.

Stick with PC, they run games just as well as consoles of a similar price and, being a computer, can actually do other things. (Which most people tend not to factor in when talking about PC gaming)

Going to have to call you out on this one bud.

Crysis came out November 2007. The PS3 has a price cut July 2007.

There's no way a 600$ computer with integrated graphics could possibly run Crysis in its time. Ever.

Not to mention a computer with integrated graphics released a full 6 months before it was released. You really need to do some research.

The other guy isn't much better, though. You can definitely run older games like CS:S on a modern laptop with integrated graphics. The main issue you'll run into is the fact that you can't easily (or at all) update the graphics cards on most commercial laptops, so you'll hit a glass ceiling for the games you can play. The depends on what integrated graphics your motherboard has on it, though.

When was the PS3 price cut?

 

[QuadrAlien]

Pardon me for interrupting the advanced PC build arguments, but you could go for older games using something like DosBox - Steam has a few such as the X-COM games, the early Elder Scrolls games have been released as freeware by Bethesda and there's also www.gog.com which has a selection of (as its full name suggests) good old games.

( Oh, all right, a selection of good old games and Master of Orion 3. )

 

[Atheist.]

When was the PS3 price cut?

July 2007. A full 5 months before Crysis even came out.

But my main point was you wouldn't be able to run Crysis on an integrated card from 5-12 months before the game even launched.

 

[Silas13013]

When was the PS3 price cut?

July 2007. A full 5 months before Crysis even came out.

But my main point was you wouldn't be able to run Crysis on an integrated card from 5-12 months before the game even launched.

Ahh well I do have egg on my face. I got computer at the tail end of '08. Crysis had been out for a while when I got it and it was one of the first games I ran, just to see if it would work.

 

[Atheist.]

When was the PS3 price cut?

July 2007. A full 5 months before Crysis even came out.

But my main point was you wouldn't be able to run Crysis on an integrated card from 5-12 months before the game even launched.

Ahh well I do have egg on my face. I got computer at the tail end of '08. Crysis had been out fot a while when I got it and it was one of the first games I ran, just to see if it would work.

Ah, well then I could definitely see running it with a rig from that time. As said before Crysis isn't really the apex of gaming anymore, as it was released over 3 and a half years ago.

 

[Silas13013]

When was the PS3 price cut?

July 2007. A full 5 months before Crysis even came out.

But my main point was you wouldn't be able to run Crysis on an integrated card from 5-12 months before the game even launched.

Ahh well I do have egg on my face. I got computer at the tail end of '08. Crysis had been out fot a while when I got it and it was one of the first games I ran, just to see if it would work.

Ah, well then I could definitely see running it with a rig from that time. As said before Crysis isn't really the apex of gaming anymore, as it was released over 3 and a half years ago.

It is still a very pretty game though.

 

[Woodsey]

1. Pay to have PC built/build one yourself
2. Buy PC games
3. Play PC games

 

[Luke5515]

Getting into pc gaming is quite a jump.
I used to be a consol only gamer, but after working for a summer and a little help from my parents, I bought a really nice pre-built computer made for gaming.
It's quite a big leap financially, but if I could go back and change anything, I wouldn't.

 

[Arif_Sohaib]

Your laptop or most laptops can not really be used for gaming becuse of two main reaosns. One is the system requirements, the second is the lack of a proper mouse and keyboard that are always there. So you should can try to buy desktop. Buy some used and some new parts and it would probably cost you less than an Xbox 360. For example here is my own configuration;
Intel Dual Core E2160
XFX ATi 4670 512 MB
2 GB RAM
80 GB SATA harddisk
15 inch Hyundai LCD monitor
Microsoft Intellimouse 3.0 and DELL Keyboard.
Combined these things cost about the same as or perhaps lower than an Xbox 360 or PS3 and it can run Crysis and Crysis 2 at full settings at my monitor's native resolution of 1024*768. And I have run games like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Portal 2 at 1360*768 at full settings on this machine.

 

[Stickwell]

PC gaming is better in my opinion... and I'm just a pussy cloud gamer.

 

[samjc3]

Remember kids being a PC gamer turns you into a liar. I doubt anyone could play Crysis on full settings with a six-hundred dollar PC. Unless you just know a freaking guy who can get your stuff dirt cheap, and by cheap I mean illegally.

http://www.geforce.com/#/Optimize/Guides/how-to-build-a-kick-ass-crysis-2-pc-for-under-600

It can be done. Easily.

Additionally, I went ahead and checked:

Xbox 360, 250gb, brand new = $300.
12 xbox 360 games, brand new = $720.

Desktop PC, built, 4gb ddr3, GTX 460, 250gb = $650, -$45 in rebates on newegg
12 PC games brand new (AAA games, at prices I bought them for on steam, Including portal 2 preorder) = $136

Xbox total = $1020
PC total = $786

Now, the PC is inarguably faster. The build I laid out has a sandy bridge i5 3.3ghz quad core, 4gb g.skill ddr3, 1gb GTX 460, and such. And if you need a monitor and keyboard and operating system, the total is still only ~$1000, and you have a far better system. And some extra cash for games. PC is far more cost effective. And it will be upgradeable for the future. Much better investment.