| Being a gamer is more than just going out to the | | | | your standard Pentium and AMD chipsets. Dual |
| Wal-Mart or shopping on eBay to pick up a new | | | | processors have the added bonus of processing |
| game and sliding it into the CD drawer of your | | | | multiple strings of information at the same time |
| desktop. Sure, you can do that and dawdle along | | | | without overheating. I prefer the AMD Athlon Dual |
| the gaming plains for a bit until you get bored and | | | | Processor. |
| move on to something new. That is barely a | | | | Games are, without a doubt, memory hogs. Being |
| hobby gamer. True gamers realize that gaming is, | | | | able to save data to your systems cache |
| in fact, a lifestyle choice, a culture. It is nearly | | | | memory is important to keep your games |
| generation specific, beginning in the 80's with the | | | | moving smoothly. The more memory that you |
| advent of true video game classic like Pong, | | | | have translates into being able to resend the |
| Pac-Man and Pitfall. | | | | information that the software program uses |
| The games that you play have an intricate role in | | | | during the course of the game back to the |
| how you will upgrade your computer for gaming. | | | | computer quickly and easily. |
| The games that you are playing now as well as | | | | Memory also pushes the graphic processor to |
| those being released in the future need to be | | | | make the graphics smooth and crisp with minimal |
| kept in your mind when going to upgrade the | | | | pixilation. The amount of memory you need is up |
| system you are using. | | | | to you. The majority of games today will not run |
| Online gaming needs differ from the needs of | | | | on 512k very well. One gig of memory is a great |
| those playing simulation and so on. Games like | | | | starting ground for most games, however two |
| Clive Barker's Jericho or F.E.A.R have more | | | | gig would be much safer. |
| requirements than The Sims or Indy 500 Racing. | | | | I love a crisp sound to my games and I love |
| Keeping your computer's maximum upgrade | | | | hearing dialogue without having to resort to |
| potential in mind goes a long way in knowing what | | | | subtitles. I'm fairly certain you are the same way. |
| games you will be able to play in the coming | | | | Most computers will run fine with the stock sound |
| months and years. | | | | card but who wants that? |
| Your processor is the undeniable workhorse of | | | | I personally love the full richness of the sound |
| your computer system. The processor makes all | | | | that is produced from a real sound card. |
| of your games work as well as they do. Such | | | | Soundblaster has always had some of the best |
| things like how much data runs from point A to | | | | sound cards on the market and should never be |
| point B and how smooth your game will run under | | | | overlooked because it will give the game that |
| heavy gameplay will be determined by the | | | | deep sound that the developers fully intended. |
| processor. Most games will run perfectly fine on | | | | |