13 replies to this topic

[AtariLeaf]

Just curious as I haven't done much PC gaming in years other than Worms Mayhem and maybe Sims 3 but certainly nothing that requires a beast of a computer to play. Are there many PC gamers out there and do you upgrade on a fairly regular basis to keep up with the system requirements of the newest game?

[Hyper_Eye]

There are still plenty of PC gamers out there. The upgrade cycle doesn't seem to be anywhere near as short as it was 10 years ago. I think the development process has become long enough that a beastly computer can last quite a few years before you really start seeing the machine struggle. We are also seeing engines used for many more games for a much longer period of time I think.

[Austin]

I'd like to continually upgrade my computer, but I have mostly blown all my cash on console stuff this last year or so which keeping me from doing that. I started with a new setup in '09 actually, upgrading the mobo, the CPU, RAM (partially), and lastly video card, but never finished (wanted a second video card, more RAM, and a larger case with better cooling). Like Hyper_Eye said though, the upgrade cycle seems to be spread much farther out than a decade ago, so even though in my head I feel like I'm due for new hardware, my computer is still working fine for just about anything.

Edited by Austin, Sat Nov 5, 2011 8:42 PM.

[PsychoKittyNet]

Im planning on building a new setup soon, should last me awhile once I get everything together.

[Rybags]

Occasionally.

The requirements for running games seems much the same today as it was 4 years ago, at least as far as CPU and RAM are concerned.

Graphics - it all comes down to what resolution you're running, if you only have a small monitor then a top of the range card from 4 years ago will still be acceptable.

My last upgrade was from a 9800GT to an ATI 4870 which is about 30% faster. I have a Core2Quad 6600 and 4 Gig RAM, which in itself would be considered not much above entry level for a desktop today but runs most games just fine.

The problem with PC gaming is that it's held back thanks to concurrent/shared development for consoles. So, the line in the sand gets redrawn every 4 years or so whenever the console generational leap happens. So, the PC briefly gets overshadowed (unless you're at the top of the range at the time) and fairly quickly overtakes again.

That has it's pros and cons - I've found my hardware upgrades are now a once every 18-24 month cycle, usually CPU or graphics card but not both, whereas back around 2001-2006 any new gear I bought was old hat within a year and such upgrades often involved a large part of the overall system.

[A_Locomotive]

Hyper_Eye, on Sat Nov 5, 2011 5:55 PM, said:

There are still plenty of PC gamers out there. The upgrade cycle doesn't seem to be anywhere near as short as it was 10 years ago. I think the development process has become long enough that a beastly computer can last quite a few years before you really start seeing the machine struggle. We are also seeing engines used for many more games for a much longer period of time I think.

Very true. I very recently(as in a few months ago) built a new computer to replace my old one that I built in 2007. My last computer lasted a good long time and held its own quite well with everything that had come out up until I built my new one. I had no trouble running any of the PC games I own on it. The last game I played on it before upgrading was Deus Ex Human Revolution and while I couldn't run it maxed I could very easily run it no problem without setting everything to low or anything. My new computer though is much faster, can easily handle anything I can through at it maxed with no trouble at all. I built it because the at the time upcoming Battlefield 3 looked like it would put a strain on my computer, and seeing how my brothers computer(which was similar specs wise but with a much better GPU) can only run it with the setting quite low and then still getting frame rate issues I'm glad I did. I can't wait to see what Skyrim looks like on it.

Old Computer
CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz
GPU - Evga GeForce 8800 GTS (2 in SLI)
RAM - Corsair XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2
Mobo - Evga LGA 775 Nvidia nForce 680i

New Computer
CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz
GPU - Gigabyte GTX 570 Super Overclock series
RAM - G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3
Mobo - Asus P8Z68-V Pro

[MagitekAngel]

Yeah. I just upgraded all my emulators on my five-year-old PC.

[Reaperman]

I just dropped a 512mb Radeon 5450 into my 'rig,' replacing a badly damaged 1gb Nvidia 220 GT from a couple years ago.
It's a downgrade, but at least there's no fan to break anymore.


...Onlive runs just fine.

[Seob]

Upgraded my pc last year. Now it's totally new, even the floppy disk has gone, that i used to place into newer machines ever since the 286.
The last pc before this was a Amd Athlon 3000 xp with 1 Gb ram and a Ati 9600. Now i use a Intel I5-750, 4Gb ram and a Ati 5750 XXX.
I may be adding a second videocard or some ram or a faster hdd next year.

[akator]

My 2-year-old machine is still awesome except for the video card, which needs updating. The problem is, everything works fine and I can't justify a $200 expenditure on a new video card, so for now I'm going to hold off...

[Video]

Don't see a reason too myself. I've never been into much of the "latest" crap anyways. Seems to me it was only in the 90's and earlier that you really needed a computer to play the latest games anyways. Now if you got it for the computer, it's already out on consoles, and you don't have to mess with tweaking and shit.

Anyhow, my computer is almost 5 years old now, the one I use regularly, my old computer still works just fine and it's over 10 years old at this point. Funny thing, since I actually put money into that old computer, it's actually similarly speced to the new one I have.

I'm thinking about a new computer, but I think I may forgo a new computer and get something like the kindle fire or something. I always want something small, and to be blunt, outside of a handful of obscure programs which there are NO modern day equivalents for, a few simpler games (plants vs zombies, world of goo, that type of shit) and the internet, I don't really find myself even bothering with computers anymore. I think a tablet like that would work just fine, as longa s I can get a keyboard for it.

[wood_jl]

Since consoles went HD, I hardly see the point. The only gaming I do on a PC nowdays is stuff that consoles aren't as well-suited for - emulation, be it older computers/consoles, or MAME. I know it's possible to do it on some consoles, but it's never as easy.

Call of Duty is so much fun on a console, and looks so good in on HDTV that I don't see the point to upgrading a PC, and paying for a video card more than an entire console costs. I also like gaming from the couch with a 50" screen more than sitting at a computer desk, so BONUS for less money.

Edited by wood_jl, Sat Nov 12, 2011 4:23 PM.

[HuckleCat]

wood_jl, on Sat Nov 12, 2011 4:22 PM, said:

Since consoles went HD, I hardly see the point. The only gaming I do on a PC nowdays is stuff that consoles aren't as well-suited for - emulation

Agreed.

I used to be a serious PC gamer, upgrading my rig constantly. Once I got a 360 I gave it up.

All the gaming I do on my PC now is older games, emulated games, or World of Warcraft.

If I was to get an upgrade now, it would solely be to run certain emulators better.

[StoneAgeGamer]

Just bought new CPU and Graphics Card. I prefer PC gaming for many games, but not all.