Basics of Gaming Equipment series 1 of 4, the computer you use

My RAM is so huge, its hard to live with

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This is the first of a four part series focusing on gaming equipment, computers, headsets, keyboards, and mice; all of which I have had a decent amount of experience with. I’ve bought a variety of all of these and hopefully can help you decide if it is worth the price for a PC and upgrading your externals. This post will be drilling down on the computers people use for audio games. What is necessary, what will be required in the future, and the different types of computer owners and my opinions on them.

It is no secret computers and other gaming externals seem to go overlooked in the audio gaming world. In times past it was common for audio games to be able to run on a standard netbook, or old outdated PC. Now with advancements in audio games and developers adding new features those days are fading into the rear view mirror. More and more games are taking advantage of 3d audio via HRTF, and we are seeing an increase of audio games bundled with graphics. It is impossible to know what will be coming in the next few years, so it may be time to start thinking about your gaming setup.

Speaking from my personal experience, it really is not worth it to spend crazy amounts of money on a computer that is overpowered for what you are going to use it for. I’ve only ever had to buy 4 computers in my lifetime, 3 laptops and most recently a desktop, none of which were over $400. There is no reason at all to drop over $1000 on a computer. The time when an audio game will require a top end I9 or I7 processor with 16 or 32 gigs of ram is a long ways off in the distance. That being said, it is still worth it to be smart when getting a computer, you want something that has a decent price, and will last you long enough in the future to make buying it worth the money spent. wasting a couple dollars on something that is so outdated its already a dinosaur is just as nonsensical as spending over $1000 on a PC. This post is only focusing on the gaming side of things, so if you really think you need to be doing advanced video editing, or other high end tasks, then waste your money, but for 99% of blind computer users, you really don’t need to blow your money on something over powered.

When it comes to computer owners, we can break them down into 4 categories.

• Those who spend way too much money on something they don’t really need, and love to try to get into a virtual computer penis measuring contest with everyone else so they can brag about their specs.
• Those who use a computer that is extremely outdated and have an unrealistic expectation that games should be made so their dinosaurs can run them.
• Those who buy something that is enough to handle what they will require of it, not going overboard just for the ability to brag about their specs.
• Then those who worship the devil and sacrifice children at the alter of their gods, not for religion, but because they enjoy it.

Nearly everyone falls neatly into one of these categories. For some it is strictly economical reasons, and for others it is more than likely their way of compensating for something else that is below average size. The best place to be, as with most things is somewhere in the middle. The happy spot is below $1000 but above using a dinosaur running vista or XP.

More in depth on these 4 types of computer owners

First is the one we have all seen on just about every online game, the person who has to brag about their computer at every chance, how big and strong it is. Either 1 of two things has to be going on with these people. They are trying to overcompensate for the fact that the only sexual experiences they have had are with silicone toys while binge watching videos on porn hub. Either that or they are trying to play out some erotic fantasy with their computers due to some deep seeded issues.

Yes we get it you spent some absurd amount of money on something with the latest I20 processor that over clocks at 29.1ghz, congratulations. but I forgot to mention, no one gives a damn but you. Should everyone now fall to their knees to worship at your magical plastic box of electricity? Remove your computer from your self value, it really does not matter in the grand scheme of things.

Sadly this is not only with blind folks, it spans every online community. Every day something reminds me to be thankful I only take part in these online communities and they don’t determine what I hold valuable. The most important thing to keep in mind when talking to these folks, they will do everything to justify their purchase. Not doing so would most likely be ungood for their mental health, admitting they wasted all that money on something completely overpowered. The best thing to do is just ignore them when they try to beat their con cave Internet chests and show how manly they are with their computer specs, it isn’t worth the wasting of calories getting drug into a conversation about it.

On the complete opposite side of the spectrum you have those who use old and outdated computers. There is nothing wrong with someone using a old PC. For many it is economical reasons, not all can afford a new PC with decent specs. There is nothing wrong with that, the issues come from someone like this complaining that future game updates will not be playable on their current gaming rig. No one can expect audio game developers to delay and hold their games back for those who are using a computer created during the mid Jurassic period. This simply makes no sense, but still you see it way more often than anyone should on game chats and forums.

This is not unique to audio gaming, however the complaining does seem to be more prevalent in our game space than others. All mainstream games have minimum computer specs, if your PC doesn’t meet these specs you simply cannot play the game. It is not the issue of the developer, they make the best product they can for everyone. An individual’s ability to play or not play a game is not the developer’s fault, it is the responsibility of the player to use a computer that meets minimum game requirements.

For the most part folks who are using older computers don’t really throw a fit about this stuff. Those who do are just so loud and annoying they drive everyone else crazy. I am sure this stems from the everyone is special and unique movement. That is a rabbit hole I really don’t have the words or space to fully go down however. So my parting words for this group of people is just stop thinking you are the most important gamer, don’t blame the developer, blame your stone age computer.

The majority of audio gamers fall somewhere between these two extremes. They have a computer that can handle any current and future audio game, and they almost never talk about their computer’s stats. This is because they don’t need to, the quality of their computer is not tied to their self worth. I myself fall into this category, I paid a big whopping $350 for my PC.

it is nothing special, an I5 quad core processor, 8 gigs of ram, and a 128 gig solid state drive. It will handle any audio game, and will also complete any task I am trying to perform with out any issues. For me my computer is a tool I use to do things, it is not my life, and I don’t need to overcompensate for other things by talking about how big it is. Buying something with a better processor or more RAM would of been a complete waste of money, it is not needed, I am not editing 4k videos, just a touch of audio editing here and there.

Why someone needs to spend crazy amounts of money for nothing is completely beyond me. It is much easier to save the money, spend it on something you will actually use like a good keyboard, headset, or mouse, and actually improve your gaming experience. Don’t go wasting your money, unless you really do have to overcompensate for something that is too small in real life by showing off a larger virtual version of it.

I know I have been hard on those who brag too much about their computers, but there is a type of computer user that is actually even worse. The plague of every forum and audio game. Yes you might of guessed who I am talking about, the dreaded mac user. I should say first, if you have a mac and you use it, that’s great, if you have a mac and you are always spouting off about how much greater it is than all windows computers, this next part applies to you.

These people simply will never shut up, they cannot stop proclaiming how wonderful their mac is, including how they like to have sex with it 5 times a week. They annoy everyone, they blab on and on about their computer to the severe annoyance and anger of everyone else. They never miss a chance to tell you how superior they are to you because of the computer they use. You can simply make a closed statement on how nice the weather is and they will reply with how wonderful their Mac is. I swear, there is no limit to their never ending advertisement for everything macintosh. If only someone over at apple could make a sex robot so they could learn what sex is, allowing them to express their undying love to their computer brand physically instead of talking about it non stop.

Oh I almost forgot, they all install windows on their Macs so they can play games cause there isn’t shit for audio games for their OS, but that doesn’t stop them from still exclaiming how terrible windows is. Personally I have had enough of these self acclaimed superior pretentious pompous blow hard’s, but that is just my opinion, I am sure all of the now butt hurt mac users will be very upset. If that is the case I am sorry, and if you believe that apology, I also have some ocean front property in Arizona to sell you. If you enjoy mac, that is perfectly fine, just don’t run around thinking you are better because you spent way too much on something based on it’s brand.

Desktops verses Laptops

It is pretty common knowledge for every one that desktops are the way to go for longevity, and that they run better than a laptop. It was not until recently I actually had someone argue heatedly that there is no difference between a laptop and a desktop. To put it simply, this is complete nonsense, and the only reasoning behind this thought process is one’s brain being torn apart by Syphilis. My apologies if you know someone who has suffered from Syphilis, It is very insensitive of me to insult them by comparing them to someone who thinks laptops are the same as a desktop; I hope you can forgive me.

The thing you have to take into consideration when you are thinking about a laptop or desktop is what will you need your PC for. If it is strictly for playing games and home use, then just buy a Desktop. not only are they cheaper for the same specs you would get in a laptop, it will last longer and repairs are simple and very affordable. However, if you also need something portable for school, work, or travel, then clearly you need a laptop. Just realize the life span on a laptop is going to be shorter, not only do they get beat up in travel, they simply do not last as long as a similar desktop. Just don’t try to justify your decision through dubious logic, if it is what you need then it is simple, get what you need.

The best option is to get both. A desktop for home use and gaming, then a laptop for traveling with. I know this is not an option for many audio gamers, so weigh the options and do what is best. I have owned 3 laptops and now currently am the owner of a desktop. I can say from personal experience there is a clear difference, my current computer runs way more smooth then any past laptop I have ever owned, and it was much cheaper than a comparable portable version.

In conclusion

There really is no replacement for information when it comes to getting a computer. Me personally, I’ve bought every one of mine refurbished on Ebay. As long as the seller is good, and they give me all the information I need to research the specs It is good enough for me. The brand doesn’t mean hardly anything anymore. You still have people saying Dell sucks, I hate HP, blah blah. Those same type of people use to argue over ford and Chevy, or skidoo and arctic cat, granted most people who care this much about computers have no idea what those 2 last ones were, but I digress. The brand really does not matter, what matters is the parts inside the plastic box. Me personally, I will not use anything that is not an Intel processor because of the reputation of AMD and how prone they are to overheating. You can research and make your own decision, just don’t get sucked down into a black hole of measuring Ram and Processor speed with other people online. The hard truth is, someone with 32 gigs of ram and an Intel I9 processor is going to run the games you play the same way, they don’t have that many requirements currently, and there is not going to be a noticeable performance increase.

The place where you can actually get a performance increase is with the externals you use with your computer, the keyboard, mouse, and headset do make a huge difference in the quality of your game play, and they can increase your game skill. In the next post I’ll get into gaming headsets, I have used allot of them, and have talked to others who use different ones. I’ll go into software accessibility, speaker quality, microphone quality, and general increase or decrease in gaming experiences with the different headsets I’ve owned, along with others opinions on their current headsets. So keep an eye out for the next post, It won’t get as heated as this one, at least I don’t think it will…

If you disagree with anything I’ve said, I really do encourage you to post in the comments. I am only this half of the conversation, you are the other half. It is dangerous if no one says anything, then I might just go on continuing to think I am correct about everything.