Choosing a High End Gaming PC - Tips For New Buyers
There are many things that you need to consider when choosing a high-end gaming PC under $500. If you're not familiar with the term "high end gaming PC", it refers to those PCs that have all of the bells and whistles and are very expensive. Often, these are PCs which are also used by hardcore gamers. However, even then, there are many different aspects that go into choosing a PC that will satisfy your needs.
You need to look into a number of different features. If you're simply looking for something to play games with, then this isn't necessary. However, if you're someone who is looking to get a lot of games done on a regular basis, then this is absolutely necessary.
Here are some things to consider:
Video cards. Some games will run better with a better video card. This can be essential for racing or first-person shooters. Others, such as MMORPGs, need good graphics to really come to life. If you don't already have a powerful card, then you'll definitely want to consider spending money in this area.
RAM
This is obviously important because it enables your computer to keep track of everything that's going on while you're playing. You'll need plenty of RAM so that everything stays ready and running without a lot of stress. This also makes your games run a lot smoother, but if you're worried about having enough, you can opt for a higher RAM amount in order to reduce the amount of stress it places on your computer.
Hard drives
Every PC game developer needs to have lots of space available for storing the files for his or her games. If you're playing a particularly popular game, then you should have the option of storing more content for your PC on your hard drive. If not, you'll need to look into purchasing a bigger, more spacious hard drive. There are plenty of different sizes to choose from so you shouldn't have any problems finding one that's suitable for what you need.
Video cards
Some games may require a video card in order to work properly. The most popular ones out there right now are the Radeon and the Nvidia. Both of these cards are great for gamers and offer a lot of power in a small package. You'll need to decide which one's best for you though, as there's no real comparison between them other than they're both high end video cards.
Cooling fans
Some people spend a lot of time playing on their PC and need to stay cool. If this is the case, then you need to find a fan to help maintain your temperature levels. There are plenty of good quality fans available on the market that are very quiet. Find one that's going to be able to keep your video card cool without over-heating it.
Memory
Memory is what allows your computer to run at its fastest. Without enough, you won't be able to play games for very long before getting frustrated. The most popular choice for computers with lots of memory is the quad-core processor. Look for one that has two or four active cores so that you don't suffer from a performance hit if you decide to use a lot of programs at once.
Really good video card
If you're into serious gaming, then you need a powerful video card. You want to get one with several gigabytes of memory so that it can easily handle all of the graphics that you'll be putting into it. Two gigabytes is generally the bare minimum you should look for.
Get a solid motherboard and computer socket
When choosing a motherboard, make sure it's going to support the type of video card you're going to put in. For example, an old card with one gigabyte of memory will probably not be suitable for something that puts up to ten gigabytes into it. Check out the socket too - you'll want to make sure that it will have enough portability to connect to your components when you're using them. Most people tend to choose the cheapest sockets but that's usually because they don't have any ports on the motherboard to connect to anything else.
Check out the fans
Look for a high end gaming PC with a good set of fans. The reason you want to do this is because you want to maximize the amount of heat that goes into your computer. When you're looking at the different models, make sure you take a look at how much noise they create as well.