What do I need to start pc gaming?

JonJ678

JonJ678

JonJ678

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Going to be a staggeringly newbie post I fear, but please bear with. Basically I've not played console games since the N64, and only played morrowind and aoe on a PC. However first person shooters appear to be where the fun's at, so I'd like to get involved.

What do I need beyond a computer? I have a £4 mouse and keyboard which may prove inadequate looking at the many available in store. Monitor is 1680x1050, is this a crippling disadvantage or does it just mean I can get by with a worse graphics card?

The 8800gt is staying (see sig), but I may add a second in sli if it proves to be useful. I think the rest of the system will cope, though it isn't clocked yet.

Will probably start with cod4, just because I've played it a little bit on a 360. Play through single player then go online and get shredded by everyone I suspect. Any and all advice welcome, I don't know what I'm doing in this field :)
 
Basically your spec looks good for gaming (remember PC games are generally designed to run on a variety of hardware*), monitor res is above average:)

About the only thing that might cause problems is the keyboard/mouse, as I tend to find cheaper mice tend not to be that good (although i've yet to ever need to buy a dedicated gaming mouse since the early optical mice**)



*I've yet to have any serious problems with my Q6600, 3870

**I'm currently using an MX 610 by logitech (about £20), prior to that it was an MX700, MS Optical Mouse Pro, Logitech Gaming mouse (ball!)
 
About the only thing that might cause problems is the keyboard/mouse, as I tend to find cheaper mice tend not to be that good (although i've yet to ever need to buy a dedicated gaming mouse since the early optical mice**)
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ive never had a problem with cheap mice , aslong as they are comfortable in your hand :P
i got buy on 5quid ball mice for a time and still did really well in online fps lol, obviously a quality lazer mouse feels a lot smoother.

im not to keen on the MS range of mouses since back in the old days when they were cheap and pretty much every mouse was plagued by the cord area that attaches to the mouse getting a broken wire inside.

i just have an image of them using as cheap parts as they can where as logitech always seem to be quality and they are awesome on warranty returns.
 
This is better news than I feared. I can probably justify a better mouse in terms of having 'common views', zoom etc on buttons for cad work. I've been thinking about that for a while anyway.

I'm not buying hardware from microsoft. One of my friends has been through a lot of their keyboards/mice, and I've seen far too many dead 360s to trust their design process. Shall stick with logitech I think.

So, I'm basically good to go once I've bought a copy? After all the threads about what cards are needed for gaming I was a little concerned that my poor 8800gt would be woefully inadequate. Thanks for the replies guys, that was seriously quick
 
l4d = left for dead? If so, one or two as there appears to be a sequel.

Probably better to be slaughtered by people I 'know'
 
JonJ678 said:
l4d = left for dead? If so, one or two as there appears to be a sequel.

Probably better to be slaughtered by people I 'know'
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yeah it's left 4 dead.

The squeal isn't out yet (comes our around Christmas iirc) the nightly 8v8's are really fun too D:

Another good game to get is Cs:s difficult to get into to begin with but will last you years and with steam no need to keep disks etc.


I must have wasted thousands of hours in that game by now :D
 
Counterstrike has been out for a very, very long time. I fear excessively skillful opponents to try that as my first game. I'll look into steam, I admit I was rather hoping disks aren't needed for anything through the magic of demon tools. I don't have an optical drive in my computer, and don't really have space for one either.

Cheers man, if I get l4d I shall email you :)

Steam appears to cost more than buying the game normally. That's very odd
 
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JonJ678 said:
Steam appears to cost more than buying the game normally. That's very odd
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well a good thing is you can buy the steam games from shops/on-line fairly cheaply then register the key with steam then just download/redownland the games from steam.
 
I'd start by buying a decent mouse

from there grab yourself a decent mousepad/surface; steelseries and razer offer some really nice ones. They cost between 10 and 30 however for playing something like CoD4 you'll notice the difference ; )

oh, and gl hf!
 
Cheers Sparta

Currently using a chair as a mouse mat. Stylish I know. Computer is in pieces across a desk as well, shameful really.

Well steam appears to be up and running. jonj678 was available too. Not having much luck beyond that, optimistically added you to msn Tefel

Remain somewhat thrown by this. If I buy a game from a shop, can I register the key with steam and play it as if purchased through steam? Or does buying retail prevent me using the service. Buying the steam games for less money elsewhere sounds ideal but I'm not having great luck with that. Perhaps I'll do better when I've slept.

Cheers all
 
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a decent mouse is must if youre getting into FPS. personally i like razer it has helped to keep me among the leaders, logitech also is good too. the mouse is your primary input device spent abit extra and get a good one :)
 
Get a logitech MX-518 i love mine. Also get TF2, lots of fun ... in fact just get steam and as many valve games you can afford :D The HL2 engine will run well on your spec.
 
i've never subscribed to 'more expensive = better' and while often true i've seen no difference in my games between the 3 main mice i've owned (MX510, MX revolution, cheap £4 logitech) i find what price gets you is added comfort and extra buttons (admittedly both useful) but having a cheap mouse doesn't stop me racking up the headshots in TF2 and the like (team fortress 2 is a game you should buy btw :)) for what it's worth if you do go for a decent mouse i'd advise logitech, razer just felt a little cheap and for the price they cost this really just shouldn't be the case.
 
JonJ678 said:
Well steam appears to be up and running. jonj678 was available too. Not having much luck beyond that, optimistically added you to msn Tefel
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Accepted you, but add me on steam my steam name is Ricorodreguez

and here's the steam names of all the ocuk l4d players :D

Add a load and put your name up to.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17977788&highlight=steam+names
Remain somewhat thrown by this. If I buy a game from a shop, can I register the key with steam and play it as if purchased through steam?
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As long as it's a valve game, l4d/hls/the episodes yes. Also a few other games will let you register the key code with steam but not many, and annoying not all the games that are on steam for purchase like Company of heroes. here's a list of the games you can download through steam/redowload/put on another computer

Code: 
Which retail CD Keys are accepted on Steam?

All retail Valve games and a number of third-party games can be registered to your Steam account. All of the following games can be registered through Steam:

    * Valve CD Keys in this format: ####-#####-####
    * Valve CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Alpha Prime CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Dark Messiah CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Dark Messiah CD Keys may also have been printed incorrectly, please see the Dark Messiah article
    * Dawn of War Soulstorm CD Keys in this format: 1AB2-3FGH-456I-K8LM-OP9Q
    * Dawn of War II CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Defense Grid CD Keys in this format (Direct2Drive only): 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Empire: Total War CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-DDEFGH3-IJK4L-MNOPQ-RST56
    * F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Football Manager 2009 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2CD3FGH456I7JK8LMNOP9Q
    * GTI Racing CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * GTR Evolution CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * The Last Remnant CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Lost Planet: Colonies Edition is not accepted on Steam
    * MLB Front Office Manager CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * NBA 2K9 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Prey CD Keys in this format: AAB1BB2C345CDD6E E7
    * RACE - the WTCC Game CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * RACE 07 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Ragdoll Kung Fu CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Railworks CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Red Orchestra CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * SiN Episodes: Emergence CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Saint's Row 2 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * The Ship CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Silent Hill Homecoming CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Speedball 2 - Tournament in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * STCC - The Game CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Unreal Tournament 3 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2-3FGH-456I-K8LM
    * Velvet Assassin CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
    * Worldwide Soccer Manager 2009 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-wusf-3601


Buying the steam games for less money elsewhere sounds ideal but I'm not having great luck with that. Perhaps I'll do better when I've slept.

Cheers all
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Bargain bins are a great place to pick em up :)

another good thing to do with steam games or games on that list. is to just buy the CD key, basically when games are damaged in product line etc they just sell of the keys registered to those products cheaply to these places who then sell the keys so the game can be dl'd through steam.


You can buy key for none steam games too but then you get into murky waters about how you obtain the files and circumvent the cd requirement* but the game will work for online etc.

However with steam as they let you dl the game through steam it's self it's 100% legit :)



http://www.g2play.net/store/Left-4-Dead/

Just remember to get the uncut version :p the cut version is german so no missing limbs green blood german video :p



*for a massive argument on the murky bits for non steam games read this thread

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18031866&highlight=legit
 
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As others said, your PC is fine for gaming. Until recently i was playing on 8800gt at that res and most games i played i had most of the settings on max.

Just a heads up on mouse, don't get logitech mx 518. :) It's a good mouse for gaming but i find it pain to work with it in CAD. My old cheap mouse felt much better. Might be that i'm just not used to it yet, only have it for 4 days.
 
ive been using an intellimouse 3 optical for 3 years with no issues. fine for gaming, prefer it to a razer deathadder by far.
 
Fps games you must play:
L4D
Call of duty 4
Counter Strike Source
Team Fortress 2
Insurgency


All on steam except if your getting cod 4 you can get it cheaper elsewhere.
 
you can pick up the orange box in some high street shops for £15 and you get portal,half-life 2 with ep 1 and 2 and team fortress 2 . all awesome games :)
 
bayo000 said:
Just a heads up on mouse, don't get logitech mx 518. :) It's a good mouse for gaming but i find it pain to work with it in CAD. My old cheap mouse felt much better. Might be that i'm just not used to it yet, only have it for 4 days.
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I've used MX518s for years and I love them (gaming and everything else). Of course it's all down to preference really, but an MX518 is what I would recommend. As for a mouse surface, I've got a 4D Steelpad (it's plastic). I'm well overdue a new mousepad as this one is well worn. I might try a decent clothpad and see what they're like. Again you'll get different recommendations for mousepads as well as that's all down to preference too.
 
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