Pc gaming starter pack?

[HangTime]

I definitely wouldn't bother with a fancy keyboard or headset if you are just starting out on PC gaming, that's something you can pickup later once you've got more idea as to the sort of thing you are looking for and got some recommendations from fellow players (I realise that is kinda what you are asking for here - but it depends a bit on the sort of games that pique your interest). Also I would be more concerned about the quality of the headphones rather than necessarily thinking about headsets. I use Sennheiser cans not designed for PC use and then some desktop microphone I picked up years ago.

In terms of mice what you might like to do is buy one or two from a store that allows returns and just try them out, it's difficult to know until you do exactly what type/style of mouse suits you. Something like a Logitech MX518 is a good (and moderately priced) starting point.

 

[Gimpymoo]

As for the benefits of not needing discs etc...surely that doesn't apply as the games will be tied to your Steam account one installed anyway?

I am not going to derail this thread anymore with replys to your misunderstandings.

If you wish to PM me, feel free to do so and I will reply accordingly.

 

[Alex74]

derailed thread is derailed!!!

All your input is appreciated peeps as per popular opinion am going to stick with basic keyboard and mouse. Came across a pair of wireless headphones i forgot i had in the cuboard so that was my bonus for the week.
Bought the orange box, even though i played it on console i thought it best to play something i know while getting used to keyboard etc. Am looking forward to friday night phones switched off blinds closed and portal till the wee small hours

Whichever price you got it for, that's an excellent buy. Once you're done and want to move on to different pastures, head over to the worth buying/getting thread stickied and have a look at some of the recommended games there

Also dont forget to explore the wider variety of genres available now. RTS gameplay on the PC is unparalleled.

 

[Socaddict]

I dont recall them being that pricey though so would be hard to recomend them at that price but they are VERY comfy. I would still use them today but my dog chewed through the wire i then decided to upgrade to a 5.1 headset.

Isn't a 5.1 headset generally a downgrade? Eight rubbish speakers is worse than two very good ones in Stereo.

Sennheisers for sure.

I'm quite fond of my logitech G9, and before that I had a G5. Get whatever you feel looks to be the best for your needs, but I find non logitech mice uncomfortable these days.

 

[ordinaryjoe]

Dont forget to play team fortress 2.

This... TF2 is the best fast paced FPS on PC

 

[wnb]

I have a g15 keyboard at home and cheapo cherry keyboard at work other than a load of extra keys which I never use I cant tell the difference.

 

[darklighthim]

I use a 5 year old MS laser mouse and found it to be excellent still even in games although i'm sure an optical mouse would fine as well as long as it's nothing too cheap and nasty .

As for keyboards i used to use a Ergonomic keyboard meant for office use (i.e. long periods of typing) and gamed on it fine, i now use gaming keyboard which i don't find works that much better so any half decent keyboard should be fine even if it's not classed as a gaming keyboard unless you find that you need the extra buttons/features that you would get from a gaming keyboard.

 

[EniGmA1981]

I got a Logitech G5 mouse and it's brilliant as said though, plenty of fun can be had with baseline stuff though

 

[scrlk]

Recommended:
Mouse: Logitech MX518 or MS Intellimouse (white version/1.1A)
Keyboard: Good Filco or IBM mechanical keyboard
Headset: Sennheiser PC350

 

[ToxicTBag]

Once again big thanks for the input chaps, had a full night to myself of gaming last night and while the keyboard/mouse was a bit of a struggle i thoroughly enjoyed the orange box.
No point in having a go at each other, were all here because we share a mutual interest, well at least i will once i have mastered the basics
I did take a look at steam even created an account but not too struck with it, no particular reason other than it was a bit of a fiddle....but it was 4am and i was ready for winks
I do shop around for purchases and would not jump at the first deal i see, i can see that steam might be a bit pricey on some things but theres deals to be had on others.

 

[Joe P]

you could be a "noob" like me and use a xbox 360 controller

 

[ToxicTBag]

you could be a "noob" like me and use a xbox 360 controller

Not a bad idea but am enjoying the learning curve and the only game i would have used a 360 controller for would be bioshock 2 and its not supported

 

[Joe P]

Not a bad idea but am enjoying the learning curve and the only game i would have used a 360 controller for would be bioshock 2 and its not supported

oh well... if you have a wired pad they plug straight in too

i will pull you to the noob side

EDIT: just noticed your near me ish

 

[ToxicTBag]

Yup practically neighbours
My machines are currently set up for crunching seti/distributed computing.
When i gamed last night i would have only used 1 gpu for gaming because i didn't have an sli bridge in there. Question : if i put an sli bridge in there ( i have a 3 way bridge) which gpu's should i sli? the first 3 and set physics on 4th card or physics on 1 (thats connected to monitor) and sli the bottom 3.
Might as well get the most out of the machine while its not crunching....thanks in advance chaps

**Edit** All sorted now...sli'd 1st 3 gpu and 4th for physics/ex