PC gaming is still alive and kicking. Know that nothing beats
the quality of gameplay you can get with a desktop built for gaming. But what
kind of PC can make major 3D games look and run better than they do on the Sony
PS4 Pro or the Microsoft Xbox One S? If you have deep pockets, your answer
could be a custom-built hot rod from an elite boutique PC manufacturer such as Alienware,
Falcon Northwest, Main gear, or MSI. But a couple of well-informed choices will
go a long way toward helping you get the right gaming desktop from a standard
PC manufacturer, even if you're not made of money. Here's how to buy your best
gaming desktop, regardless of your budget, and our top 10 picks in the
category.
This is admittedly simplifying a complex argument, but
high-powered graphics, memory, and processors improve the graphics detail
(cloth, reflections, hair), physical interactions (smoke, thousands of
particles colliding), and the general animation of scenes in your favorite
games. Throwing more resources, like a more powerful graphics cards or a faster
CPU, at the problem will help, to an extent.
Pick a Graphics Card
The most pivotal decision you'll make when purchasing a
gaming desktop is which 3D graphics subsystem to use. Integrated graphics are
fine for casual 2D games, but to really bring out the beast on 3D AAA titles,
you'll want one or more discrete graphics cards. These cards, powered by
technologies from longtime rivals AMD or Nvidia, make more advanced graphical
details and improved performance possible. And although both companies' cards
boast exclusive features to help smooth on-screen animation or deliver improved
visual effects of various kinds (and some games are optimized for one type of
card or another), for the most part, you should choose the card that best fits
within your budget.
Processing the Processor
The heart of any system is its processor. While the GPU
specializes in graphics quality and some physics calculations, the CPU takes
care of everything else, including making sure the soundtrack syncs up with game
play, managing the game's load screens, and determining if you hit your
targets. At the moment, Intel's 10-core CPU (the Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition)
tops the list in terms of raw processing power. AMD goes bang-for-the-buck with
its FX processors, which use up to eight cores. Lesser, but still high-powered,
CPUs, such as the AMD Athlon X4 and A10, and unlocked quad-core Intel Core i7
K-series processors, can also provide the computing muscle needed for a
satisfying gaming experience. Budget gamers should look to lower-priced (but
still speedy) quad-core processors, such as the AMD A8 or the Intel Core i5,
which will knock hundreds of dollars off the bottom line.
When given the choice between paying for a higher-level
GPU or a higher-level CPU, however, go with the graphics in most cases. In
other words, a system with a higher-power Nvidia GeForce GTX GPU and a Core i5
processor is a much better choice for 3D-intense FPS gaming than one with a
low-end card and a zippy Core i7 CPU. But you may want to choose the latter if
you're into games that involve a lot of background math calculations, such as
strategy titles like those in the Civilization series.
Remember the Memory
One thing that's often overlooked on gaming systems is
RAM; it can be severely taxed by modern games. Try to outfit your PC with at
least 8GB of RAM, and budget for 32GB if you're truly serious about freeing up
this potential performance bottleneck. Faster memory also improves overall
performance and lets you keep your CPU more stable if you decide to overclock
it. For example, DDR4-3200 SDRAM (aka 3,200MHz) will be more stable than
DDR4-2133 if you overclock your Core i7 processor. That said, installing
expensive, higher-clocked memory won't necessarily help a CPU that's running at
stock speeds, so make sure you budget wisely.
Do Storage a Solid
Solid-state drives (SSDs) have become more popular since
the prices began dropping dramatically a few years ago. They speed up boot
time, wake-from-sleep time, and the time it takes to launch a game and load a
new level. Although you can get an SSD of any size (with the larger capacities
still being relatively expensive), the pairing of a small one (such as 128GB)
with a larger spinning hard drive (1TB or more) is a good, affordable setup for
gamers who also download the occasional video from the Internet.
Make VR a Reality
With the release of the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift headsets, real VR gaming is
possible in the home for the first time. If you want to be able to use them to
their fullest, your PC will need to meet their system requirements.
The most important is the video card—you are pushing a
1,080-by-1,200 display to each eye, after all—so go with one of the most
powerful cards from either the current or previous generation. For the Vive,
this means an AMD RX 480 or an Nvidia GTX 970 or GTX 1060. For Oculus headsets,
a new processing technique called asynchronous space warp promises full
performance with lower-end video cards: specifically an RX 470 or a GTX 960.
You'll also want a newer AMD or Intel CPU with a minimum
of four processing cores; both HTC and Oculus recommend a Core i5-4590 or its
equivalent. And the 8GB of RAM we recommended should be enough to ensure the
fluid gameplay you want.
The PCs outlined below should keep you covered for VR, but
check out our roundup of the best Oculus Rift desktops for additional information
and more specific recommendations, including bundles that include the headset.
Pair With Peripherals
Don't stop at internal components. Once you have your
ideal gaming desktop, a couple of extras can really enhance your gaming
experience. We recommend that you trick out your machine with a top-notch
gaming monitor with a fast response rate and a solid gaming
headset so you can trash talk your opponents.
Comfortable Keyboards, mice, and specialized controllers round out your options
at checkout.
Which Gaming Desktop Is Right For
You?
Below are the best gaming desktops we've recently tested.
Many are configured-to-order PCs from boutique manufacturers, but some come
from bigger brands normally associated with consumer-grade desktops.
#refurbishedcomputers #cheapcomputers #usedcomputers
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