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Do you use your PC for gaming exclusively?

entremet

entremet

Member
I'm in the process of researching a new PC build for VR and PC gaming.

I have old tower I got from my previous job (the IT department was gonna chuck it, but I was able to take it), but's it's not gaming friendly. Too old. It's in my closet right now, but I was using it for qa testing at one point.

But in terms of productivity, I do most of my stuff on a MBP, which I connect to a 27 inch monitor. I also have a fully specced Iris Pro MBP for work. While my work gives us admin rights, I don't really want use it for gaming. I like the separation of work and home computing.

I don't mind Windows for productivity, but I'm too used to Macs for productivity and I use a lot of independent exclusive Mac software that just doesn't exist on Windows. Stuff from the OmniGroup and such.

So this next build will only be for gaming and VR. Some emulation too as the Mac doesn't have as exhaustive emulation support as Windows platforms do.

But I will feel weird only using my buildout for gaming. Just curious if anyone is in this boat?

It doesn't have to be a PC and Mac thing.

Even if you're Windows only, do you have separate productivity machine (laptop?) and a dedicated gaming rig?

Or do you keep everything on one machine?
 
G

gigantor21

Member
I do pretty much everything on my desktop--gaming, image/video editing, certification prep, general browsing, and so on. I have a laptop as well, but I mainly use it at work.
 
Z

Zombine

Banned
"Yes."

I say this in quotes because I consider my gaming PC to be a super safe machine. All I do on it is play games, write, watch videos on YouTube, visit super secure sites, and do some excel/word/audio editing stuff on it. Gaming takes up about 90% of its use.
 
J

JMTHEFOX

Member
Most of my time on a PC is gaming, but I sometimes use it for college work and watching netflix and other media.
 
H

Hasney

Member
I've got a work laptop, personal laptop and a Pixel C tablet with the keyboard add-on to use like a mini-laptop so my desktop is just for gaming. Emulation all the way up to VR.
 
M

mambadragon

Banned
Pretty much. I prefer my work laptop which currently has Ubuntu Mate for productivity. And for just browsing I mostly use my Nexus 6P.
 
P

Pantaghana

Member
When I was in college I used it for studying and doing projects, mainly drawing in AutoCAD. Now that I'm out of college it's purely a gaming and surfing machine.
 
J

jblank83

Member
gigantor21 said:
I do pretty much everything on my desktop--gaming, image/video editing, certification prep, general browsing, and so on. I have a laptop as well, but I mainly use it at work.
Click to expand...

Yup

I couldn't live without it.

I mean, I could, but I'd have to use a dozen different devices to do things in inefficient ways.
 
B

bede-x

Member
My main gaming PC and my co-op PC are used exclusively for gaming. I have a laptop to do stuff other than gaming.
 
W

Watevaman

Member
No, it's an everything machine. My laptop is too crappy and I don't like watching videos on my phone so I have to do it all on my PC.
 
A

AppleSeason

Member
Nope. In fact, it's the thing I use it the least for.

PC (Desktop): Web browsing, working, desktop gaming (mainly Wow)

PC2 (Living Room): Media Center / Library, Torrents, emulation, low requirements couch gaming (Undertale, Legend of Heroes, etc)

I suppose PC2 would be the closest thing to a dedicated gaming pc, although it is more of a multidisciplinary entertainment system, booting into Steam Big Picture or XBMC depending on the moment.

PS: I don't have a laptop. Like the car, it's something that "I will buy it when I need it".
 
KonradLaw

KonradLaw

Member
Hmm...mostly. I mean the destkop one. I work on a laptop. Up untill recetly I've only used desktop for gaming. But I've been trying to exercise more, so I've started using destkop as a media player for tv shows and anime while driving on stationary bike :)
 
T

TC McQueen

Member
My gaming desktop is used for watching media and mod development, along with gaming. If I ever want to do video, I'll use it for that too, since it'll render faster on that rig than my 7 year old laptop.
 
d00d3n

d00d3n

Member
The Windows PC is 100% for gaming. For working, media and surfing I have a Mac connected to a separate display at the same table as my Windows PC setup. At work I also use a Mac.
 
J

Jimrpg

Member
I politely disagree OP!

I think the only thing Macs are better than PCs in right now are Mac/iOS development. That's literally it. You get way more power on a PC than on a Mac for the same money.

I've literally reduced my Macbook to a browser and video machine - a 15" Macbook Pro Retina that I got 4 years ago. I've used it almost every single day for the past 4 years so I wouldn't say it was a bad purchase. But the PC I got last year has taken over all my other tasks like gaming, video downloads, photo editing and photo storage, work/documents, CAD if I need it, Microsoft Project, website building to name a few.

I used to have all my photos on an OSX Journal hard drive but I'm in the process of changing the hard drive back to NTFS and storing it on that. One thing that I'm not sure of is whether i'll buy another Macbook after this one given the price difference between Mac and PC hardware.
 
Exentryk

Exentryk

Member
Yeah, my PC sits hooked up to the TV exclusively for gaming. Have a dualshock 4 ready to go with it.
My computer work is done on a MBP.
 
P

Podge293

Member
I use it purely for gaming. If I'm not gaming it's 99% likely it'll not be turned on.

I've a separate laptop for general usage
 
T

The12thGripper

Member
No, I actually rarely play games on my computer. Maybe a few times a year I'll boot up Minecraft to play it with my friends but that's really it.
 
Goro Majima

Goro Majima

Kitty Genovese Member
I use it for some web browsing and posting on GAF simply because everything is way faster than trying to do everything on my phone. Plus many mobile versions of websites are just...toxic in their user friendliness and accessibility versus the desktop versions. Can't remember the last time my desktop browser was crashed by a website.

But yeah gaming is probably ~75% of what I do with a PC.
 
R

RPGam3r

Member
I barely game on my PC. I usually code when I'm on a PC. That's why I don't consider myself much of a PC gamer bc work is an alt tab away.
 
Duxxy3

Duxxy3

Member
I use it for everything.

I might pick up a laptop at some point (pc or mac, I don't care) so I can put more of a focus on gaming on my PC.
 
W

witchedwiz

Member
Yes and no...
Unless strictly necessary i don't do more than documents if i'm at home...
But my pc is ready (via a virtual machine) so that at worst i do an svn update and i can work (sw eng here)..
 
Kudo

Kudo

Member
Rarely play anything on PC, majority of time is spend doing other things.
And specs are not the problem.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
arbok26 said:
I politely disagree OP!

I think the only thing Macs are better than PCs in right now are Mac/iOS development. That's literally it. You get way more power on a PC than on a Mac for the same money.

I've literally reduced my Macbook to a browser and video machine - a 15" Macbook Pro Retina that I got 4 years ago. I've used it almost every single day for the past 4 years so I wouldn't say it was a bad purchase. But the PC I got last year has taken over all my other tasks like gaming, video downloads, photo editing and photo storage, work/documents, CAD if I need it, Microsoft Project, website building to name a few.

I used to have all my photos on an OSX Journal hard drive but I'm in the process of changing the hard drive back to NTFS and storing it on that. One thing that I'm not sure of is whether i'll buy another Macbook after this one given the price difference between Mac and PC hardware.
Click to expand...

I don't want to turn this into a Mac vs. PC thread :)

But if you prefer PCs for productivity. Great. The focus is more dedicated gaming rigs and how you use them.
 
B

Bgamer90

Banned
Nope. I mainly use my PC for media editing and wouldn't want to mess up the ability to do that by also using it as a heavy gaming platform.

I would honestly just stick to my iPad Pro if I didn't have any interest in media editing since I use that device for web surfing. I rarely use my PC for web surfing.
 
C

Council Pop

Member
arbok26 said:
You get way more power on a PC than on a Mac for the same money.
Click to expand...

If anyone can tell me how to build a laptop that can run a Mac OS for less that it'll cost to just buy a MacBook then I will be forever in your debt. I've looked and everything I've read says it'll cost essentially the same, if not more. Need to run a Mac OS as I need Logic X for work (plus it's just a good OS IMO), need a laptop as I travel a lot, and work while travelling.

More on topic, I've been considering exactly this- a gaming only PC, but which I use exclusively with a TV in a living room. I just want something mid-level that I can smoothly run all the great Steam indie games on. But seems very expensive!
 
O

old manatee

Banned
I will always have a gigantic custom PC in my life for PC gaming, video editing, mass media storage, writing, internet use, etc.

A proper modern PC with a nice monitor, mechanical keyboard, and a bunch of crazy shit plugged into it is like something from a sci-fi movie from 30 years ago. Makes me feel like Neo or Batman when I retire to my supercomputer.

The fact that it is also a decent gaming PC is just one bullet point on a list of reasons it is awesome to have a computer that fills half a room.


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5470ccc39ef52dde0e2b32a5418baa8c0c6b4179
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A

[Agent]ZeroNine

Member
I use my desktop and laptop for work mostly.
I just retired my desktop and don't think i'll ever purchase another full
sized desktop. I will purchase a mini PC though, mainly for working from
home on Google Analytics, Excel, R, Tableau, and SQL Server. I use my
handhelds and consoles for gaming, though I paly Civ, Star Craft, and moslty
old games on the PC.

I don't enjoy nonstrategic gaming on PCs.
 
J

jblank83

Member
entremet said:
Even if you're Windows only, do you have separate productivity machine (laptop?...
Click to expand...

I can't imagine being more productive on a laptop than a PC, with a keyboard, mouse, three monitors (two landscape, one portrait), an office desk and chair.

Every once in awhile I have to use a laptop at university. Doing even simple things with a touch pad, like web browsing, is slow and grating. Having to create an entire presentation that way? To say nothing of how much faster a full size computer is in general.

Web browsing
Online shopping
Finances
Videos/streams
Music
Social sites (facedook)
Email and other communication
Calendar and OneNote organization
Research and education
Productivity software (Office)
Games

All of these I prefer on PC.
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Nope. Use it for bluray ripping and encoding, photo stuff (it's my Lightroom machine), and general use too. But I have a laptop too that I will tend to prefer for light duties.

If I had a Mac or preferred OS X as a productivity platform, then I'd have no issue having a PC just for gaming and VR. That's the on,y reason I have a dedicated GPU in there.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
jres80 said:
I can't imagine being more productive on a laptop than a PC, with a keyboard, mouse, three monitors (two landscape, one portrait), an office desk and chair.

Every once in awhile I have to use a laptop at university. Doing even simple things with a touch pad, like web browsing, is slow and grating. Having to create an entire presentation that way? To say nothing of how much faster a full size computer is in general.

Web browsing
Online shopping
Finances
Videos/streams
Music
Social sites (facedook)
Email and other communication
Calendar and OneNote organization
Research and education
Productivity software (Office)
Games

All of these I prefer on PC.
Click to expand...
My current docked setup is standing. I also love moving my laptop to my tiny kitchen table, coffee shops, etc.

Yours is like a mission command lol.
 
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