Many people see gaming as being the domain of consoles but that could not be further away from the truth. If you look at the big eSports competitions, the majority of games are being played using a computer, not a console and there are many reasons to get into PC gaming.
PC gaming opens a library of new games that are not available to play on console or not available in their true format. Football Manager is a good example and while this can be played on a console, you do not get the full experience of the game, which has been created with the PC in mind. The Half-Life series of games, Total War series, Disco Elysium, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Age of Empires 2 are all examples of fantastic games that are exclusive to PC.
So, if you are tempted to start playing games on a PC but do not have the hardware, we have some tips to get you started below.
You may already have a computer, but this might not be powerful enough to play the full range of games available for PC. The central processing unit is the first thing you need to consider when buying your first gamer PC and you need to be looking for at least a quad-core processor. In terms of the running speed of the processor, 3.0 GHz is a good place to start, and this will cover you for most games but if you can stretch to 4.0 GHz, that would be even better. For those on a budget, a 2.0 GHz processor would be manageable.
Moving on to the memory and this is often referred to as RAM. The more RAM you have in your computer, the faster it will be able to use a game. Different games have varying RAM requirements but in order to support most video games, you should aim for your first gamer PC to have at least 12GB of RAM. Look at the games you would like to play and see what RAM you need before making a purchase.
The graphics card is a hugely important part of a gamer PC. It is what powers the visual experience when playing games on a computer and you should be aiming for a card that has at least GDDR3 video RAM. Much like the processor, if you can stretch to a little more it would be beneficial, especially if you decide to play different games in the future that need a superior graphics card to run at their best.
As a beginner, you are best served purchasing a gamer PC from a store, with the requirements you desire. However, you also have the opportunity to make a computer from scratch and you do not need to have any skills. There are several companies out there and you can work your way through the creation process, selecting the individual parts of the computer as you go along. You do not have to put the PC together yourself; the company will do that for you and send you the computer when it is complete.
If you decide to create your own computer, which is a good experience, you must pay attention to the motherboard. The CPU, memory, and video card are all on the motherboard but when creating or purchasing your first gamer PC, you must check the number of available slots on the motherboard. You need to make sure you have enough slots on the motherboard for not only the number of graphics cards and memory you want initially, but also for any you would like to add in the future. You do not want to be in a position in a few months’ time where you want to add another graphics card only to realise you have no space on the motherboard.
A large hard drive is a must for a gaming PC and when buying your first gaming computer you should look for a solid-state hard drive. If you want to store games on your computer, you are going to need at least 400GB and that is for a small number of games. The minimum you would require for just one game is 50GB and that is the basic version of the game. If you decide to purchase add-ons in the future, this could stretch to 70GB. Some computers can store up to three hard drives and it is not difficult to add one should you require extra space.
However, if you are planning on playing mostly online games, such as casino games, you will not need huge amounts of space on the hard drive. Casino aggregators like Gamblerspro.com are home to detailed reviews of the latest online casinos and games, plus information regarding the latest promotions and tournaments.
Now you know the specifications of a gamer PC, you can begin looking for the computer that matches your requirements.
