Ah, the holidays: a time for gingerbread, hot chocolate, and Holiday shopping. Whether you’re making your own Christmas list or shopping for a beloved gamer, there are some upgrades to check out that will rock your gaming world. Gaming junkies need intense graphic cards and lightning-fast processors in streamlined systems, like Alienware. A little information can really help you get the right components for the best deals. You can even add manufacturer incentives like Dell coupons to knock down the price and get the coolest gaming gadgets for cheap. That’s sweeter than a candy cane!
No one wants half-rate computer graphics. Vivid images, high frames per seconds, and high anti-aliasing are the standard for later computers. If you want sharp and vivid graphics, an awesome video card is essential. If your looking to add to your desktop, finding a video card may be a tad more difficult, just because you’re working with limited options in comparison to the aftermarket selection. According to Geek.com, some computers only offer ATI or Nvidia, the two main graphics card companies. I’m really happy with my NVidia card, but everyone has their own preferences.
As you’ve probably noticed, most graphics cards come with fans. If yours doesn’t, you’ll need to buy one separate. Without a graphics card fan, your computer may overheat and freeze up after a few minutes of playing. Most cooling fans are priced between 25 to 100 dollars, which is pretty reasonable. Also know that, if you do decide to upgrade to a bigger and better video card, you’ll probably need a heavy-duty power supply (a.k.s. PSU). PSUs range in wattage from about 300W-500W but you can get up to 800W for high-end gaming. The 600W OCZ ModXStream power supply box puts out a decent amount of power for an affordable price, and it runs fairly quietly.
To really optimize your visual experience, you will also need a decent processor — the heart of the operation. To make sure the speed of your graphics are crisp, invest in an AMD or Intel processor. Some people recommend the AMD Athlon, but it’s best to just do your research and see what works best for you. Because of the rivalry between Intel and AMD you will often see them trying to one-up each other in price and speed. To get the best deal on your processor, capitalize on their competition and buy an older generation piece when new processors come out. This way, you’ll get a great deal on a high quality product.
Next up? RAM. Many gamers neglect Random Access Memory due to their fanatical focus on video cards and processors, but you definitely don’t want to ignore the RAM, which allows your computer to handle more, more efficiently. In fact, some will contend that RAM can up your computer performance more than a brand new CPU. Really, the motherboard will do the RAM-choosing for you. Usually, you’ll see a RDRAM on higher-end motherboards and DDR, DDR2, DDR3 on other types of motherboards. DDR3 RAM can process at a maximum speed of 1600Mbps while the DDR2 can only reach up to 800Mbps. Ideally, you want 6 GB of RAM – 8 GB or more is a bit superfluous (but awesome).
Let’s say you don’t want to make all these upgrades but, instead, just want a new computer altogether. Buying a totally new computer could actually save you time and money in the long run. Some gamers avidly swear that Dell Alienware is overpriced, but, in the long run, Alienware has great (dare I say, the best) PCs for gaming. Period. They also have an array of laptops that have great gaming performance, even in their compact form. If you have the money, the Alienware M14X can give you optimal game-time, even on the road. The M14X is the recent replacement of the popular M15X, taking the place of the 15-inch laptop with a more compact 14-inch screen. Of course, it’s bulky, (no surprise there) but the M14x has plenty of ports, including two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI, displayPort, VGA, Ethernet, memory card reader, and slot-loading optical drive. If you’re just completely strapped for cash, try building your own PC, customizing your CPU, motherboard, RAM, hard drive, video card, computer case, and power supply. If you need help, you can always head to a technology store to ask a few questions. Building your own computer can be just as rewarding as buying one.
So now that you’ve reviewed a bunch of different upgrades, from CPU to buying a whole new PC, what’s it going to be? Lightning speed RAM or a brand new graphics card? Whatever you choose, you’ll surely enjoy your Christmas holiday catching up on your game-time.