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GAF, have decided to become a PC gamer, games/things I need to know?

TacticalFox88 said:
Well I'm crossing over to the darkside. I have 4k now to spend. And I've decided to become a PC gamer. Not exclusively, but yeah I want to play every game no matter what platform it comes out on. So yeah, I need help choosing the type of PC and starting games I need. So far only two games are on my mind: Crysis and Company of Heroes. I have 4k to spend and want to spend it wisely, and where I can get my money's worth.
Click to expand...
Get your ass over the the steam sale. NOW. Watch it everyday thru Jan 3.

Today you want Civ 4 complete, max Payne pack, L4D, and Osmos. Total price just over $25.
http://store.steampowered.com/

If you want CoH, you might consider the THQ pack for $75 . . . yeah, it is more expensive but it comes with a ton of other great games.
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/2539/

Buy the games NOW even if you don't have your PC yet.

Edit: Beaten by crowd like that truck driver in the LA riots.
 
JoeBoy101 said:
Been pretty happy with my, Man, and the surround sound is pretty reasonable. But then, I'm a visual whore and let audio porn slide.
Click to expand...

If you actually heard some audiograde headphones you wouldn't be able to use them things again. You can get a pair of Senn HD555s + a clip on mic for much less than the price of them things and the audio quality will be in a completely different league. The surround seperation when paired with a suitable sound card will also be about a million times better as well.
 
Logitech have the worst audio products I've ever heard. I've tried 2 pairs of speakers and 2 pairs of headphones. All were returned. Never again. Never again.

The MX518 is amazing though. Absolutely love mine.

Also, I highly recommend a good mousepad. Make sure it's hard plastic.

Helmholtz said:
I use a logitech microphone that sits on my desk, as well as some decent speakers. I prefer this over a headset. I also recommend the logitech G5 mouse.
Build your own PC, the PC thread here is a good reference and should help you. Steam holiday sales can't be stressed enough.
Click to expand...

Don't do this. People will hate you for your damned sound feedback.
 
speculawyer said:
Get your ass over the the steam sale. NOW. Watch it everyday thru Jan 3.

Today you want Civ 4 complete, max Payne pack, L4D, and Osmos. Total price just over $25.
http://store.steampowered.com/

If you want CoH, you might consider the THQ pack for $75 . . . yeah, it is more expensive but it comes with a ton of other great games.
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/2539/
Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend L4D, might as well pick up the Valve complete pack if he's starting a fresh account considering it includes L4D2 these days. THQ pack and Civ IV are a good shout.
 
brain_stew said:
If you actually heard some audiograde headphones you wouldn't be able to use them things again. You can get a pair of Senn HD555s + a clip on mic for much less than the price of them things and the audio quality will be in a completely different league. The surround seperation when paired with a suitable sound card will also be about a million times better as well.
Click to expand...

I'll check out the HD555s.
 
things that have made the most difference in my pc gaming experience would be

1. sound card + high end headphones - completely changes your music collection (unless you have a shit hot stereo already) and destroys on board sound, don't believe anyone who says different

2. SSD harddrive - got a small one as a boot drive now and just put 3 games on at a time, the speed difference in windows is very evident

3. Lian li full tower case - get a high end case , yeah they're expensive but it'll last you 10 years and saves you so much time, effort and cut hands

4. monitor - theres a few options here, i couldn't really say anything bad about a triple monitor setup either eyefinity or triplehead2go, a friend has this but it wasn't for me really. i went for a 120hz monitor + hdtv for the best of both worlds, you get the 120hz smoothness and the option to go 3D (do it!)if you buy nvidia and you have a nice big pva/ips screen to sit back and enjoy some games with a 360 controller

5. wheel - obviously only if you like driving games, but g25 is one of the best pc purchases i ever made
 
You'd be better off spending 1.5k now, wait 3-4 years, then do it again, wait 3-4 years then do it again, instead of spending 4k all at once.

Save the rest of that money for later.

Then again, I mostly play TF2 and Strat games, so I don't need a huge amount of horses- most of my PC gaming is on a laptop (though a gaming one- those are inefficient, but I take it with me a ton so it's necessary in my case)
 
ghst said:
nah, if you're really lost, find someone who knows what they're doing to hand hold you through it. there's no better crash course in learning the fundamentals of pc hardware than click-clacking your own rig together. between the ease of this process, windows 7 and steam, any fud that the average (media saturated) gamer might associate with pc gaming will quickly dissipate.

now if you could just get the majority of the gaming population to follow suit, we'd be in a fine old place.
Click to expand...

That option isn't available to everyone. I'm just sayin...it's a hell of a lot better than buying a prebuilt machine.
 
Welcome to the superior master race of PC gamers!

Wheres that pic from Yahtzee...

As many have said, build your own if you feel comfortable. You should be able to get a PC under 1000 than plays anything and everything in at least 1080p.

Then in 2-3 years, spend another 300-500 upgrading and you will be fine again for a few more years.

If you build, buy a high quality case. I have had one for a nearly decade now and it is perfect. An Antec, simple black, enough room for everything. $100 or so and you are set forever.

As to games, steam should help you out. Valve pack is great to get started.

Otherwise, it depends on what you have already.
 
If you don't want to build your own pc look for a website like Ibuypower.com or cyberpower.com my dad got tired of spending time building his own computer only to still have it sound a bit louder than he'd like even with silent parts. He got two from cyberpower...one's really quiet. The other's just as loud as mine. So it's still a stab in the dark for quiet, but he still goes that way because he's just gotten over the build it myself routine. Would rather have something that just works, no headaches, and no time spent fiddling with case and motherboard cables.

I'm sure there's more sites out there though. I still dig building my own. Not old enough to not want to spend time on it yet :p.

Ikuu said:
What's a good sound card to get these days?
Click to expand...
The one on your motherboard. Unless you're trying to output to a reciever, then you need something like the auzentech x-fi cards with the output you're looking for. The creative cards (even with the front bay) don't output true dolby in games over the optilink or coax connections.
 
Ok, I've decided to build it myself. Thanks guys. :D Is Bose good for PC's? I love the sound i get from my surround sound system. Are they good for PC? Or should I try a different brand?
 
No bose. I like the high end Creative desktop speakers. They're only around $50 and are really decent. Kinda bright, but hey, $50.
 
TacticalFox88 said:
Ok, I've decided to build it myself. Thanks guys. :D Is Bose good for PC's? I love the sound i get from my surround sound system. Are they good for PC? Or should I try a different brand?
Click to expand...

Normally I'd tell you to stay the hell away from Bose, but honestly, when it comes to PC sound, there's not much competition out there. The Bose systems I've heard are pretty decent, and IMO, a lot better than their terrible Acoustimass stuff.

You could certainly do better with some good bookshelf speakers + amp, but that will be a pretty big setup.

Stay the hell away from Logitech and Creative speakers.
 
TheExodu5 said:
Normally I'd tell you to stay the hell away from Bose, but honestly, when it comes to PC sound, there's not much competition out there. The Bose systems I've heard are pretty decent, and IMO, a lot better than their terrible Acoustimass stuff.

You could certainly do better with some good bookshelf speakers + amp, but that will be a pretty big setup.

Stay the hell away from Logitech and Creative speakers.
Click to expand...

I like my Logitech Z4s :p

The best feature about them by far has been the headphone jacks on the volume remote, but for the price, they're perfect
 
TacticalFox88 said:
Ok, I've decided to build it myself. Thanks guys. :D Is Bose good for PC's? I love the sound i get from my surround sound system. Are they good for PC? Or should I try a different brand?
Click to expand...

Bose are not good for anything! :lol

Way overpriced. You might want to consider a good headphone setup, cheaper, doesn't annoy the neighbours and no awkward wires. No need to give up surround sound if you buy the right sound card either.
 
brain_stew said:
Bose are not good for anything! :lol

Way overpriced. You might want to consider a good headphone setup, cheaper, doesn't annoy the neighbours and no awkward wires. No need to give up surround sound if you buy the right sound card either.
Click to expand...

I will agree that you can get a much better headphone setup for the money. When it comes to PC speakers though, Bose are really not that bad. Compared to their terrible 2.1 Bose Acoustimass system that one of my friends has, they're pretty good.

Big audiophile here too (love Ultrasone and Grado). Dad's got some B&W 802D downstairs so it's not like I'm deaf to good sound.

This Bose 2.1 system, specifically:

Bose Companion 3
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HZBR64/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Is pretty good. I didn't like the Companion 2 system very much, and I thought the Companion 5 sounded worse. If you're in it for surround, you may want to look elsewhere, and for a receiver that supports Dolby Digital instead.
 
Looks like you've gotten some good advice already. Digital distribution + build it yourself = saving a lot of money as a gamer. I'd also recommend a nice pair of headphones (not 5.1) over computer speakers, but that's a personal preference.
 
Dude rule number 1...if you have decided to become a PC gamer you have to stop asking questions. Come on man...being a glorious member of the PC master race, you should already know the answer.
 
TheExodu5 said:
I will agree that you can get a much better headphone setup for the money. When it comes to PC speakers though, they're really not that bad.

Big audiophile here too (love Ultrasone and Grado). Dad's got some B&W 802D downstairs so it's not like I'm deaf to good sound.
Click to expand...

You make a fair point actually, "PC" speakers are generally terrible, that's why I stick with headphones for serious listening and just some cheapy Logitechs for day to day stuff.
 
see5harp said:
Dude rule number 1...if you have decided to become a PC gamer you have to stop asking questions. Come on man...being a glorious member of the PC master race, you should already know the answer.
Click to expand...

GAF's "master race" answer more technical questions, and are generally more helpful than any other section of the forum. Ask away, we know that it can be daunting at first, we all noobs at one time (me personally just 20 months ago! :D)
 
brain_stew said:
You make a fair point actually, "PC" speakers are generally terrible, that's why I stick with headphones for serious listening and just some cheapy Logitechs for day to day stuff.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's how I work.

I use Ultrasone HFI-580 for good listening:
0,1425,i=215959,00.jpg


And cheapie Plantronics audio 360 for gaming/casual use:
plantronics_audio770.jpg



My main issue with "good" headphones, especially Sennheisers, is that they're not comfortable over extended use. While they can be comfortable in shorter sessions (<1 hour), the clamp really starts to hurt your ears with much longer listening periods than that. That's my only reason for owning the cheap pair of Plantronics...they're damned comfortable, and even after 5-6 hours, I can barely feel them.

OP, if you do decide to go with good headphones, you probably want to have a listen to a few before you commit. Generally, PC gamers really seem to love the Sennheiser HD555, or even better, the superior HD590. Personally, I never liked Sennheiser sound, so they weren't for me. It's all subjective, in the end. Don't worry about what audiophiles might tell you. Just go with what you think sounds good.
 
A pair of studio monitors would be great. Even response so you don't even necessarily need a sub. Problem: they're expensive.
 
Studio monitors are great for accurate reproduction, but even the biggest audiophiles never seem to like them very much. Why? They're boring. Accurate response is not exactly what you're striving for when going for a gaming headset.

If you really do want to go for accuracy, these seem to be touted as the most accurate dynamic headphones out there:

AKG K701:
ifa_2005_akg_k701.jpg


Too bad they're ugly as hell. =\
 
kamspy said:
These are the speakers I mentioned, but it seems the price has gone up. o_O

http://us.store.creative.com/GigaWorks-T20-Series-II/M/B001RNOHDU.htm

21Lscy7V6aL._AA100_.jpg
Click to expand...

I was looking for these!

Yeah, stay the hell away from those. They're huge (which should indicate better sound often times), but they're not good at all. Never heard such "tinny" (bright, as you mentioned) speakers before.

Then again, I did tell you to go with what you think sounds best, so you probably shouldn't listen to me regardless. :lol
 
About Crysis...play on the Delta difficulty setting to get the most out of the game. You can always temporarily lower the difficulty if a section becomes frustrating.
 
TacticalFox88 said:
Well I'm crossing over to the darkside. I have 4k now to spend. And I've decided to become a PC gamer. Not exclusively, but yeah I want to play every game no matter what platform it comes out on. So yeah, I need help choosing the type of PC and starting games I need. So far only two games are on my mind: Crysis and Company of Heroes. I have 4k to spend and want to spend it wisely, and where I can get my money's worth.
Click to expand...

Check out the GAF PC Hardware threads for builds. You will spent between 700-800. Put the rest of the money back into your savings. Then you download Steam. Then you marvel at the fucking awesome fucktacular fucking selection of fucking ridiculous games for bargain prices.

You will then find yourself walking taller, gain muscle easier, more attractive to the gender of your sexual preference and you will gain 3 inches to your penis (or, if you're a woman, your breasts will become perfect, perky Cs for the rest of your life).

Welcome.

29f71b8.jpg
 
As said, Tip #1: Do not buy a system for $4000.
Put aside maybe $1000 - $1500 max for the system. Get a nice monitor. Then spend the rest on games, handhelds, consoles, savings, whatever.
 
Welcome to the Master Race. It's better here. Like others have said, check the Steam sale for fun and profit. Also, be ready to loose a good chunk of time and money. :lol
 
Agreed, set aside at least half that money for future upgrades. Since you're just now getting into PC gaming you can build a glorious PC and enough games to last you the next two years for ~$1400. Play the older stuff first to take advantage of the low prices, and then by the time you're ready for games like Dragon Age they'll be dirt cheap.

Also, definitely build it. It's not rocket science. I was a Mac user till I built my first PC and had no trouble assembling the parts. (other than the damn Intel push-pin CPU fan...)
 
TheExodu5 said:
Studio monitors are great for accurate reproduction, but even the biggest audiophiles never seem to like them very much. Why? They're boring. Accurate response is not exactly what you're striving for when going for a gaming headset.
Click to expand...
If you want to you could use your drivers to filter all your audio into EQ and liven it up that way. I use a pair of Yamaha MSP5a's and they sound, well, perfect.
 
TheExodu5 said:
plantronics_audio770.jpg
Click to expand...


Those are comfortable, but they don't have noise cancelling and the mic never stays on position. I upgraded after six months of owning them.
 
Just know that if you don't treat gaming like a crack addiction and can wait a month before purchasing a new title... you can get it half-off or more. Enjoy saving a shit-ton of money.
 
godhandiscen said:
Those are comfortable, but they don't have noise cancelling and the mic never stays on position. I upgraded after six months of owning them.
Click to expand...

Yeah the mic problem is annoying. What did you upgrade to, if I may ask? I'm looking for a better pair of comfortable headphones, with equal or better audio quality.
 
godhandiscen said:
Those are comfortable, but they don't have noise cancelling and the mic never stays on position. I upgraded after six months of owning them.
Click to expand...
Noise cancelling on the microphone or sound? I don't see any reason why you'd want noise cancelling for the sound on headphones for a PC or for home use at all. Sacrificing SQ for what? Unless you have a very loud home that is :lol

TheExodu5 said:
Yeah the mic problem is annoying. What did you upgrade to, if I may ask? I'm looking for a better pair of comfortable headphones, with equal or better audio quality.
Click to expand...
If you want a headset I've heard good things about:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012XFDWO/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I think they use the HD595 drivers and the Sennheiser headsets usually have excellent mics.
 
ksan said:
If you want a headset I've heard good things about:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012XFDWO/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I think they use the HD595 drivers and the Sennheiser headsets usually have excellent mics.
Click to expand...

My buddy has it. Honestly, for the price difference, I really don't see it. It's well built, and comfortable, but the sound quality is mediocre, and on par with my Plantronics 770. Also, it costs like $250 in Canada. :(

It may have the HD595 drivers, but the enclosure can have a huge effect on the sound. Definitely does not sound nearly as good as HD595's.
 
TheExodu5 said:
My buddy has it. Honestly, for the price difference, I really don't see it. It's well built, and comfortable, but the sound quality is mediocre, and on par with my Plantronics 770. Also, it costs like $250 in Canada. :(

It may have the HD595 drivers, but the enclosure can have a huge effect on the sound. Definitely does not sound nearly as good as HD595's.
Click to expand...

Aww, that's too bad then, I have a pair of HD595's myself, and they are obviously amazing, but I just love the microphones of the PC-series eventhough the SQ isn't that amazing.
Haven't tried the PC350's though.
But ye, I wouldn't buy them for $250
 
ThingontheFloor said:
Do you have any suggestions? I'd prefer a wireless as I'd be using it on my couch and will probably be about 7-10 feet away from my PC. I know USB extenders are an option but I'd rather not have a long ass cord going across the room. But if you can suggest even a good wired one, I'm just looking for a nice one for voice chat mainly.
Click to expand...
If you've followed the thread, you realize this is a very loaded question. As soon as someone recommends a headset, someone else jumps out and says his equipment is shit. Then someone else comes out and insults his choice as well. Razor, Logitech, Sannheiser, Bose, Plantronics or Turtle Beach are always shit to someone on this board. It's a vicious cycle.

I honestly couldn't tell you the model I use. I'll be the first to admit that I don't listen close enough to tell the difference between some generic earbuds and a pair of $100 headphones. I bought a headset during a woot-off and they've worked out ok. They could be a little more comfortable but my mic never gets any static or feedback and the arm stays put. I went cheap because I hardly used them. Then I bought L4D2 and upgrading my headset has taken priority over upgrading my 4 year old computer.
 
TheExodu5 said:
Yeah that's how I work.

I use Ultrasone HFI-580 for good listening:
0,1425,i=215959,00.jpg


And cheapie Plantronics audio 360 for gaming/casual use:
plantronics_audio770.jpg



My main issue with "good" headphones, especially Sennheisers, is that they're not comfortable over extended use. .
Click to expand...

Hmm, the comfort is especially why I like my Sennheisers, they're open cup and go around your ear, rather than clamping on it. I forget they're on after a short while (helped in no small part by the wide soundstage) and they're absolutey the most comfortable headphones I've ever used.
 
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