What Does Your Computer Need To Play Games?

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There are a lot of new games with amazing features, stunning graphics, and even sprawling online communities ready to help you fight devastating enemies or simply mill around in the background as you become a silent hero for them all. Unfortunately, most of these games are far more resource intensive than basic browser games and require a system with more power...but how much more? To understand what gaming on computers really means and to keep an eye on your budget as you upgrade, here are a few gaming computer details.

Understanding System Specifications

Every computer needs a certain set of specifications to perform properly. Every piece of commercial software and major computer game title will have a set of minimum requirements and recommended requirements, which will tell you what your system needs for gameplay.

The minimum requirements shows the very basic level of resources needed to at least play the game. This is not a good way to play a game, as it requires lowering the quality, performance, and general feel of the game. A game's recommended system requirements is the approximate level of resources needed to play the game with the intended quality.

A computer game doesn't use all of the listed system requirements. In order for your computer to turn on and work at all, certain system requirements must be met. Your computer's operating system (OS, such as Microsoft's Windows or Apple's OS X) are both on a game's system requirements and have their own system requirements.

If you don't have a computer yet, getting a computer or additional parts to meet or exceed the recommended system requirements is the way to go. Although it may seem tempting to exceed requirements, there's no need to spend more than $300 on a computer that already meets recommended specifications. The parts may wear out before future game generations release.

The Video Card Matters The Most

If you have a desktop computer that was built a year or two before the game you want was released, it likely has most of the necessary specifications except for the video card.

Although some computer marketing points may make you think that computers become obsolete as soon as it leaves the store, this is hardly the truth; computers have had more power than necessary for most users, and specialized systems simply need specialized parts. The video card is the vital part for computer gamers.

A video card or graphics card is a card that handles the graphics-related calculations for the central processing unit (CPU). It's like a small computer on an attachable board, equipped with its own graphics processing unit (GPU, a CPU for the graphics card) and memory.

You can't simply stack on more memory, processor power, or other parts to force a game to work. Video cards are also equipped to handle instructions and computing languages that nothing else on the computer can handle. These instructions are written by game developers and gaming technology researchers to only be read by video cards, so it's an issue of understanding and additional power at the same time.

Why separate the functions? Graphics management is a big job that requires a lot of power, but only specific tasks such as graphic design and game rendering (translating game code to something you can see) will need the power. Putting it all on a CPU would make CPUs more expensive for everyone, while dedicating it to a specialized card keeps general costs down.

Speak with an IT support professional to pick out a good computer and video card to meet your game's system requirements. Contact a company like Staffing Solutions, LLC to learn more.

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15 February 2017

Make Your Business Establishment More Appealing to Potential Customers

Have you recently opened your first business establishment? Perhaps, you’re already worried about your lack of repeat customers. If you desperately desire to increase your company’s sales, consider making your business establishment more appealing. For instance, you might wish to paint the exterior of your building. You may also wish to hire a professional landscaper to plant some flowers, shrubs, or trees on your property. Painting the interior walls in your building is another great idea. You might even wish to invest in new furniture to put in your building. If your business establishment is inviting, customers will likely want to spend more time and money in it. On this blog, I hope you will discover additional, ingenious ways to make your company thrive. Enjoy!