General PC Discussion

[Iceman]

My guy said he agrees with all you've mentioned again.

I forgot to add a part on storage that he had mentioned to me before in response to some of my questions and just putting below for info.


"I put the 1TB SSD in place so you could get quite a few games on there. I can always install the 8TB too or get a larger SSD if that’s something you wanted? If you have a rough idea of how big your library is, I can find a drive and setup to match your needs.

Transferring would depend on the speed of the Hard drive vs the speed of your internet so can’t give you an exact answer. I would recommend to not transfer the data and we just get a smaller NVME drive for windows and applications and set you up with a SSD for games – this will make windows and the loading of applications super-fast but also keep your game play snappy (it’s the current config I use at home it’s kind of the best of both worlds, fast but not ridiculously expensive.)"

 

[X Knight]

so, any advice for a gamer new to playing PC games?

Where do PC gamers usually buy their games? Steam?

Any "must have" games that are only on PC?

I've always been strictly a console player. That was due, in part, to the fact that I never had a PC/laptop powerful enough to play games.

Well, I've finally bought a gaming laptop to use mainly for business and personal use. But, since it is a new gaming laptop, I'm hoping to start playing some PC games on the side. I'm also looking to take advantage of Gamepass Ultimate and playing the Play Anywhere titles so there will be synergy with my Xbox One.

I figure with Gamepass Ultimate I can try out various PC games without having to actually purchase any. Should be suitable enough for my casual gaming needs.

 

[Gee]

My guy said he agrees with all you've mentioned again.

I forgot to add a part on storage that he had mentioned to me before in response to some of my questions and just putting below for info.


"I put the 1TB SSD in place so you could get quite a few games on there. I can always install the 8TB too or get a larger SSD if that’s something you wanted? If you have a rough idea of how big your library is, I can find a drive and setup to match your needs.

Transferring would depend on the speed of the Hard drive vs the speed of your internet so can’t give you an exact answer. I would recommend to not transfer the data and we just get a smaller NVME drive for windows and applications and set you up with a SSD for games – this will make windows and the loading of applications super-fast but also keep your game play snappy (it’s the current config I use at home it’s kind of the best of both worlds, fast but not ridiculously expensive.)"

I'm not familiar with trading platforms, but if you really need the performance and you have the money then go for the NVMe SSD. Get a capacity big enough for Windows (and its updates) and your applications. You can always upgrade to a bigger size in the future if needed.

Install your favourite games on the SATA SSD and keep the rest (games you rarely play, installation backups...) on the massive HDD. And if needed, you have the luxury of adding more SSDs/HDDs depending on how many SATA/M.2 ports you have.

 

[Iceman]

I'm not familiar with trading platforms, but if you really need the performance and you have the money then go for the NVMe SSD. Get a capacity big enough for Windows (and its updates) and your applications. You can always upgrade to a bigger size in the future if needed.

Install your favourite games on the SATA SSD and keep the rest (games you rarely play, installation backups...) on the massive HDD. And if needed, you have the luxury of adding more SSDs/HDDs depending on how many SATA/M.2 ports you have.

I don’t think I’d need all that much storage for work, just excess processing power and the ability to do many things at once without having any risk of slowing down and certainly not crashing.

Is it quick/easy to move games from a regular HDD to the SSD and back?

We’ll probably go with a setup like yours. I’m just trying to understand everything as many parts are quite new to me. When the pc is built I will watch it (maybe help) so that I finally know what goes where inside a pc!

Also I’m looking out for a good themed custom mod case. I’ve seen some great ones on the internet but those seem mainly for display rather than for purchase. I’m not sure where the best place to look would be for that.

All your contributions have been insanely helpful once again. I don’t know how anyone sensible buys a new pc without @geetard

 

[Iceman]

so, any advice for a gamer new to playing PC games?

Where do PC gamers usually buy their games? Steam?

Any "must have" games that are only on PC?

I've always been strictly a console player. That was due, in part, to the fact that I never had a PC/laptop powerful enough to play games.

Well, I've finally bought a gaming laptop to use mainly for business and personal use. But, since it is a new gaming laptop, I'm hoping to start playing some PC games on the side. I'm also looking to take advantage of Gamepass Ultimate and playing the Play Anywhere titles so there will be synergy with my Xbox One.

I figure with Gamepass Ultimate I can try out various PC games without having to actually purchase any. Should be suitable enough for my casual gaming needs.

This PC game pass is a great deal. So many games to try!

 

[Gee]

so, any advice for a gamer new to playing PC games?

Where do PC gamers usually buy their games? Steam?

Any "must have" games that are only on PC?

I've always been strictly a console player. That was due, in part, to the fact that I never had a PC/laptop powerful enough to play games.

Well, I've finally bought a gaming laptop to use mainly for business and personal use. But, since it is a new gaming laptop, I'm hoping to start playing some PC games on the side. I'm also looking to take advantage of Gamepass Ultimate and playing the Play Anywhere titles so there will be synergy with my Xbox One.

I figure with Gamepass Ultimate I can try out various PC games without having to actually purchase any. Should be suitable enough for my casual gaming needs.

Yes, Steam is pretty much the main/favourite platform for PC gamers. Pretty much all games released on PC are available on it. Though, these days some new games have been (or will be) released exclusively to Epic's Game Store. For example, PS5's Godfall will be released exclusively on EGS for a year.

Another alternative platform, especially for old games, there's GOG (Good Old Games). It is owned by CD Projekt, so if you buy the Witcher games or the the upcoming Cyberpunk on it, 100% of your money goes to CDPR (Steam and other stores take a cut). The biggest pro from buying on GOG is that the games are DRM-free. That means, once you're done downloading the installation files, you can save them on a portable hard disk so that you install your games at any time, on any computer. Think like you actually own the game discs. Also, many games come with goodies if you're into them (game soundtrack, artworks/wallpapers, game manuals).

Must haves? What genres are you into? If you like multiplayer/PVP, there's the MOBA genre. Games like League of Legends, Dota 2 and Heroes of the Storm are free to play (F2P). If you like co-op shooters, there's Left 4 Dead 2 that is still quite popular (Killing Floor 2 is a favourite of mine). There's Warframe if you like some third-person action with MMO elements (F2P). You like competition? There's R6 Siege, Apex Legends, PUBG, Escape From Tarkov, Overwatch and of course, the king daddy: Counter-Strike GO.

And let's not forget indie titles. There's a good library of them on Steam.

 

[X Knight]

hey, thanks!

as for genres, I like fighting games and RPGs. I've been leaning more towards Western RPGs lately.

Not really much of a shooter, though I will play one if it has a story.

I've always been interested in MOBA games, like League of Legends, so I might try that. Stuff like that you can't get on consoles (though I think LOL is coming to consoles in the future?).

anyways, I might as well get you guys' opinion on it. but here is the gaming laptop I ordered:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-1...-256gb-ssd-abyss-gray/6350871.p?skuId=6350871

Dell 17" G7
6 core, 12 way I7 processor
16 GB RAM, upgradeable to 32 GB
1 TB hdd + 256 sdd
6 GB NVIDIA Geoforce RTX 2060

My plan is mainly to use it for personal use and for work (trading/charting applications). So, for that, I think the specs are more than adequate.

I will use it to play games casually on the side. and also as an "extension" of my Xbox given the synergies of Gamepass and Play Anywhere.

I got an external 24" Asus gaming monitor which will be my main charting/gaming monitor:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-24-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-black/5591926.p?skuId=5591926

I also plan to hook up a 2nd external monitor to it. But that will be an older Samsung 23" LED monitor, mainly for browsing, chat rooms, and other less intensive stuff. When that goes, I'll replace it with another one of those Asus 24" if I can find one at a deep discount by then.

 

[X Knight]

and as for building my own gaming/trading desktop, I was almost tempted to go that route. I've always wanted to do that, so if nothing else for the challenge.

however, when I added up the costs of the individual parts and compared it to what I could get on sale at a local retailer like Best Buy, I figured it would be easier to just buy a prebuilt machine.

 

[X Knight]

This PC game pass is a great deal. So many games to try!

it's also great for a newbie like me, who may not know what to get or who may not want to spend all kinds of money buying games I might not like.

at least with Gamepass, you can try out all the various titles and see what you like or don't like before you go out and spend money on actually buying the games.

 

[Gee]

I don’t think I’d need all that much storage for work, just excess processing power and the ability to do many things at once without having any risk of slowing down and certainly not crashing.

Is it quick/easy to move games from a regular HDD to the SSD and back?

We’ll probably go with a setup like yours. I’m just trying to understand everything as many parts are quite new to me. When the pc is built I will watch it (maybe help) so that I finally know what goes where inside a pc!

Also I’m looking out for a good themed custom mod case. I’ve seen some great ones on the internet but those seem mainly for display rather than for purchase. I’m not sure where the best place to look would be for that.

All your contributions have been insanely helpful once again. I don’t know how anyone sensible buys a new pc without @geetard

Transferring from HDD to SSD (and vice versa) is variable. You have some HDDs with 5400 RPM which are slower than other HDDs with 7200 RPM. There are also the sequential read/write speeds of the HDD and SSD depending of their specifications. You could get a defective HDD/SSD if you have gotten a cheap one for example so you may not get the full performance.

You should definitely be there with your colleague when he builds the PC. Get some experience and one day, you'll be able to build your own computer!

As for custom cases, I'm not familiar. You can ask some computer shops around. Though, get ready to spend a bit more money if your design is complex. The easiest customization is putting Funko POPs inside the case. Other than that, you can install some LED strips and synchronize the colours with the RGB parts of your build (fans, graphics card...).

This PC game pass is a great deal. So many games to try!

Yeah, it's a great bang for your money. Got a month for a dollar to play Outer Worlds, then extended it to three more months for another dollar. My subscription ends next month but there's currently another offer for three months a dollar. I'll probably extend again since I just read that Gris and Plague Tale: Innocence are coming to the service soon.

hey, thanks!

as for genres, I like fighting games and RPGs. I've been leaning more towards Western RPGs lately.

Not really much of a shooter, though I will play one if it has a story.

I've always been interested in MOBA games, like League of Legends, so I might try that. Stuff like that you can't get on consoles (though I think LOL is coming to consoles in the future?).

anyways, I might as well get you guys' opinion on it. but here is the gaming laptop I ordered:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-1...-256gb-ssd-abyss-gray/6350871.p?skuId=6350871

You'll find a great selection of western RPGs on PC.

There are CRPG classics like the first two Fallout games and BioWare's excellent Baldur's Gate series. Then there are hack-and-slash action RPGs like Diablo. If you enjoy Diablo-style RPGs, check out Path of Exile (F2P), Titan Quest, Torchlight. For modern CRPGs, you have Obsidian's crowd-sourced games (Pillar of Eternity series, Tyranny) and Larian's Divinity: Original Sin series. You also have FPP/FPS/RPG hybrids in the original Deus Ex and System Shock 2 (precursor to the BioShock series). There's also Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines.

If you want to tip-toe in a MOBA game, I'd highly suggest Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm. It basically drops you directly in the action. No convoluted mechanics like buying items, farming lanes, denying XP... Still, no matter which MOBA you end up with, it's one of the most toxic communities in (PC) gaming so be careful with that. Heroes has a "vs AI" mode that lets you play against bots (with real or AI teammates) in case you don't want to endure the competitive stress, toxic teammates...

Nice laptop, but don't forget you're paying the premium price for the mobility. At that price tag, you could get a PC with better specs.

 

[X Knight]

Transferring from HDD to SSD (and vice versa) is variable. You have some HDDs with 5400 RPM which are slower than other HDDs with 7200 RPM. There are also the sequential read/write speeds of the HDD and SSD depending of their specifications. You could get a defective HDD/SSD if you have gotten a cheap one for example so you may not get the full performance.

You should definitely be there with your colleague when he builds the PC. Get some experience and one day, you'll be able to build your own computer!

As for custom cases, I'm not familiar. You can ask some computer shops around. Though, get ready to spend a bit more money if your design is complex. The easiest customization is putting Funko POPs inside the case. Other than that, you can install some LED strips and synchronize the colours with the RGB parts of your build (fans, graphics card...).

Yeah, it's a great bang for your money. Got a month for a dollar to play Outer Worlds, then extended it to three more months for another dollar. My subscription ends next month but there's currently another offer for three months a dollar. I'll probably extend again since I just read that Gris and Plague Tale: Innocence are coming to the service soon.

You'll find a great selection of western RPGs on PC.

There are CRPG classics like the first two Fallout games and BioWare's excellent Baldur's Gate series. Then there are hack-and-slash action RPGs like Diablo. If you enjoy Diablo-style RPGs, check out Path of Exile (F2P), Titan Quest, Torchlight. For modern CRPGs, you have Obsidian's crowd-sourced games (Pillar of Eternity series, Tyranny) and Larian's Divinity: Original Sin series. You also have FPP/FPS/RPG hybrids in the original Deus Ex and System Shock 2 (precursor to the BioShock series). There's also Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines.

If you want to tip-toe in a MOBA game, I'd highly suggest Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm. It basically drops you directly in the action. No convoluted mechanics like buying items, farming lanes, denying XP... Still, no matter which MOBA you end up with, it's one of the most toxic communities in (PC) gaming so be careful with that. Heroes has a "vs AI" mode that lets you play against bots (with real or AI teammates) in case you don't want to endure the competitive stress, toxic teammates...

Nice laptop, but don't forget you're paying the premium price for the mobility. At that price tag, you could get a PC with better specs.

hey, thanks again for the advice and recommendations. much appreciated.

yeah, I know I'm paying extra for the mobility of a laptop. but I want the portability factor and I've always had laptops. So, I guess I'm used to them.

the deciding factor for me was that my desktop space is rather limited and I need a 3 monitor setup. Having 3 full-sized desktop monitors just wouldn't have worked. whereas the laptop plus 2 externals works out nicely.

but maybe for my next gaming machine, I will try to build my own desktop.

 

[Iceman]

Transferring from HDD to SSD (and vice versa) is variable. You have some HDDs with 5400 RPM which are slower than other HDDs with 7200 RPM. There are also the sequential read/write speeds of the HDD and SSD depending of their specifications. You could get a defective HDD/SSD if you have gotten a cheap one for example so you may not get the full performance.

You should definitely be there with your colleague when he builds the PC. Get some experience and one day, you'll be able to build your own computer!

As for custom cases, I'm not familiar. You can ask some computer shops around. Though, get ready to spend a bit more money if your design is complex. The easiest customization is putting Funko POPs inside the case. Other than that, you can install some LED strips and synchronize the colours with the RGB parts of your build (fans, graphics card...).

Yeah, it's a great bang for your money. Got a month for a dollar to play Outer Worlds, then extended it to three more months for another dollar. My subscription ends next month but there's currently another offer for three months a dollar. I'll probably extend again since I just read that Gris and Plague Tale: Innocence are coming to the service soon.

You'll find a great selection of western RPGs on PC.

There are CRPG classics like the first two Fallout games and BioWare's excellent Baldur's Gate series. Then there are hack-and-slash action RPGs like Diablo. If you enjoy Diablo-style RPGs, check out Path of Exile (F2P), Titan Quest, Torchlight. For modern CRPGs, you have Obsidian's crowd-sourced games (Pillar of Eternity series, Tyranny) and Larian's Divinity: Original Sin series. You also have FPP/FPS/RPG hybrids in the original Deus Ex and System Shock 2 (precursor to the BioShock series). There's also Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines.

If you want to tip-toe in a MOBA game, I'd highly suggest Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm. It basically drops you directly in the action. No convoluted mechanics like buying items, farming lanes, denying XP... Still, no matter which MOBA you end up with, it's one of the most toxic communities in (PC) gaming so be careful with that. Heroes has a "vs AI" mode that lets you play against bots (with real or AI teammates) in case you don't want to endure the competitive stress, toxic teammates...

Nice laptop, but don't forget you're paying the premium price for the mobility. At that price tag, you could get a PC with better specs.

Ok, I will ask about getting hard drives with high RPM and read/write speeds.

Yes, seeing it in action and maybe getting my hands dirty is one of the reasons I asked this guy to help. He works in IT and is a good guy so I would like him around in future for general help, plus my dad needs help on a lot of stuff.

Haha. Will look at that the custom cases too. Thanks.

I wish I was up to date with my backlog (about 10 years behind at the moment lol). That way I would get ultimate value from gamepass. It’s something I always wanted.

 

[Iceman]

hey, thanks!

as for genres, I like fighting games and RPGs. I've been leaning more towards Western RPGs lately.

Not really much of a shooter, though I will play one if it has a story.

I've always been interested in MOBA games, like League of Legends, so I might try that. Stuff like that you can't get on consoles (though I think LOL is coming to consoles in the future?).

anyways, I might as well get you guys' opinion on it. but here is the gaming laptop I ordered:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-1...-256gb-ssd-abyss-gray/6350871.p?skuId=6350871

Dell 17" G7
6 core, 12 way I7 processor
16 GB RAM, upgradeable to 32 GB
1 TB hdd + 256 sdd
6 GB NVIDIA Geoforce RTX 2060

My plan is mainly to use it for personal use and for work (trading/charting applications). So, for that, I think the specs are more than adequate.

I will use it to play games casually on the side. and also as an "extension" of my Xbox given the synergies of Gamepass and Play Anywhere.

I got an external 24" Asus gaming monitor which will be my main charting/gaming monitor:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-24-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-black/5591926.p?skuId=5591926

I also plan to hook up a 2nd external monitor to it. But that will be an older Samsung 23" LED monitor, mainly for browsing, chat rooms, and other less intensive stuff. When that goes, I'll replace it with another one of those Asus 24" if I can find one at a deep discount by then.

That looks like a good laptop mate!

Also when it comes to pc gaming one thing that I love is seeing the performance difference from console. For eg on fighting games you can get to an insane level of frames per second for great responsiveness. On RPGs you can turn the graphics up to much higher levels.

I want full Xbox integration with more games having achievements and the ability to talk to your Xbox mates while playing. I will then play most single player games on pc where there is a choice of playing both. PC will become my main platform in a way while maintaining many of the advantages of being in a console ecosystem. This is what I’ve always wanted alongside a gamepass like system. The ability to play games at the highest settings without leaving the Xbox ecosystem.

 

[X Knight]

That looks like a good laptop mate!

Also when it comes to pc gaming one thing that I love is seeing the performance difference from console. For eg on fighting games you can get to an insane level of frames per second for great responsiveness. On RPGs you can turn the graphics up to much higher levels.

I want full Xbox integration with more games having achievements and the ability to talk to your Xbox mates while playing. I will then play most single player games on pc where there is a choice of playing both. PC will become my main platform in a way while maintaining many of the advantages of being in a console ecosystem. This is what I’ve always wanted alongside a gamepass like system. The ability to play games at the highest settings without leaving the Xbox ecosystem.

I'm to see if I can tell a difference between PC vs console gaming. One thing I want to try are mods for RPGs like Dragon Age and Skyrim.

yeah, fuller Xbox integration would be great. especially if they let you earn achievements on non-Xbox PC games. Also, extending the concept of Play Anywhere so your progress exists across both Xbox and PC.

don't think PC will be my main gaming device, though. but who knows, maybe as I get more into PC gaming that feeling will change. As of now, I'm just looking at it as a nice compliment to my Xbox gaming.

 

[Iceman]

I'm to see if I can tell a difference between PC vs console gaming. One thing I want to try are mods for RPGs like Dragon Age and Skyrim.

yeah, fuller Xbox integration would be great. especially if they let you earn achievements on non-Xbox PC games. Also, extending the concept of Play Anywhere so your progress exists across both Xbox and PC.

don't think PC will be my main gaming device, though. but who knows, maybe as I get more into PC gaming that feeling will change. As of now, I'm just looking at it as a nice compliment to my Xbox gaming.

They do let you earn achievements on some non-Xbox pc games. For eg Age of Empires. It just needs to be more widely implemented (to at least cover everything on pc gamepass). I’m hoping with the synergies that it will be a case of both are parts of the same system.

 

[X Knight]

They do let you earn achievements on some non-Xbox pc games. For eg Age of Empires. It just needs to be more widely implemented (to at least cover everything on pc gamepass). I’m hoping with the synergies that it will be a case of both are parts of the same system.

is there a list of non-Xbox pc games that support Achievements?

 

[Iceman]

is there a list of non-Xbox pc games that support Achievements?

There is. I'll have to look for it. There's quite a few on there.

 

[Iceman]

is there a list of non-Xbox pc games that support Achievements?

Quite a few at these links:

XboxAchievements.com - Browsing Windows-10 Games

XboxAchievements.com - Browsing Pc Games​

 

[Iceman]

Path of Exile II announced!

Looks interesting! Was the first game good? Also would I need to play that first to catch up on the story?

 

[X Knight]

Quite a few at these links:

XboxAchievements.com - Browsing Windows-10 Games

XboxAchievements.com - Browsing Pc Games​

thanks!!

 

[Iceman]

I’m really excited about an integrated pc/Xbox future. I used to check the Xboxachievenents forum regularly hoping there would finally be a bunch of pc games with achievements that you could play on a top pc with maxed out performance while talking to your Xbox friends and getting a career gaming score that counted towards your overall Xbox record!

 

[X Knight]

I’m really excited about an integrated pc/Xbox future. I used to check the Xboxachievenents forum regularly hoping there would finally be a bunch of pc games with achievements that you could play on a top pc with maxed out performance while talking to your Xbox friends and getting a career gaming score that counted towards your overall Xbox record!

yes. more integration would be great. would be nice if Xbox console could also play more PC games.

I still think I will always be a console player first, though.

 

[X Knight]

speaking of PC gaming, when it comes to choosing a monitor, what would be the "max" acceptable response time? 5 ms?

Would this 24" Dell monitor be good not just for casual gaming, but also for photography/photo editing?

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-s...-monitor-black-silver/6237639.p?skuId=6237639

 

[Gee]

Looks interesting! Was the first game good? Also would I need to play that first to catch up on the story?

While the developer is labeling it a sequel, it's actually a big update (overhaul) of the original game with a new 7-act campaign. So you can jump in once "Part 2" is released and play the first story with no worries.

PoE was released after Blizzard had released Diablo III. The latter was a disappointment for many Diablo fans so PoE was/is a great alternative. I really enjoyed playing PoE back then. The skill tree may seem overwhelming at first, but it allows for very interesting and unique builds. Maybe I'll jump back once the sequel is out.

 

[Gee]

speaking of PC gaming, when it comes to choosing a monitor, what would be the "max" acceptable response time? 5 ms?

Would this 24" Dell monitor be good not just for casual gaming, but also for photography/photo editing?

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-s...-monitor-black-silver/6237639.p?skuId=6237639

If you'll be doing photo editing, then yes go with an IPS monitor. IPS panels offer better/more accurate colours, better blacks and thus look less "washed out" compared to TN panels. Though, the latter definitely offer better response time (2ms).

Usually, you would go for a 1ms/2ms monitor with a TN panel when playing competitively (CS:GO, LoL...) since they also have higher refresh rates (144Hz). And then you have VA panels which come in the middle.

Honestly you won't notice the response time difference especially when using a monitor with high refresh rate. So for casual gaming and photo/video stuff, you'll be more than fine with that monitor.