Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Are games using 4+ cores now?

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

I bought a nice Ode 3 machine from Digital Storm (www.digitalstorm.com) and I have been very pleased with it. Literally no issues in over two years. I do want to upgrade though because the SLI 570s are seriously hampered by the measly 1.25 GB of VRAM. I think I will wait until the 800 series of GTX cards come out though. Anyway, highly recommend Digital Storm.

Also, for custom builds, Tom's Hardware does a build competition every quarter where they price out a budget, mid range, and high end PC ($650, $1,300, and $2,600). See Q3 2013 http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...king,3617.html. The tri SLI 760s on the high end machine this quarter is an interesting choice, but the cooling is garbage. I wouldn't replicate that build.

Lately I've been into Battlefield 4, Europa Universalis 4, Arma 3, and a couple indie games.

I'm really looking forward to the release of the indie town management game Banished, which should be out in a few weeks.

Also, still following the Oculus Rift obsessively. I think the consumer version is going to be huge for PC.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Nvidia's G-Sync is going to be awesome. :) Although I don't want to replace my 27" monitor anytime soon. And they need nice IPS monitors with it.

http://anandtech.com/show/7582/nvidia-gsync-review

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=600246

That's the thread I used when piecing together my own PC. In the first post, there's a link to a spreadsheet that has a bunch of parts to build some good machines. Even if you don't have an account there, that thread is full of good information.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

I'd imagine PC gaming will move to 4 core as the standard when we start to get a lot of next gen console games coming out. Still would be nice to have a good 8-core chip released that is not too expensive.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Are many games all that CPU intensive? I'm just thinking that even though the PS4 and Xbox One are 8-core processors, they're fairly middle of the road processors, and they seem to have limitations (ie - the Xbox One only allows access to 6 of the 8 cores).

Though I guess that coincides well with http://bf4central.com/2013/11/battle...-ps4-xbox-one/

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Not yet but it looks like that is the direction we will be going. Last gen games were not really being optimized for quad core and up systems. I figure with 8 cores in new consoles they are at least going to code for 4-6 of them. Only time will tell.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

True, and credit where credit is due, BF4 is one of the most optimized games I've ever played on PC. Buggy? Certainly, but the engine itself runs phenomenally well and scales beautifully.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Agreed, Rich. I thought the same of BF3. Really amazing looking games and it is remarkable the run so well.

It was always my understanding CPU is taxed more on the back end than processing raw visuals. So your average multiplayer shooter like BF isn't very CPU intensive. Games where there is lots of AI and environmental simulation going on, physics and such, that taxes the CPU. Hopefully this means we'll get more complex and dynamic experiences down the road, rather than just marginally better graphics.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Tech specs aside, usually at the start of a new console generation i'm impressed by the graphics and the consoles hold a lead over PC's for a year or two until new video cards and upgrades are out. That doesn't feel like it's the case to me, and more like consoles are just catching up to the standard of PC's and not really eclipsing them at all, after playing Battlefield 4 and Tomb Raider on my computer

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

It's the first console generation where neither console manufacturers are losing money per each console sold. I'm sure that plays into the fact that the tech specs (and the less than impressive graphics) aren't as impressive as high end PC's. That said, I've been pretty impressed by the graphics in Killzone and Ryse.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

I wonder if this will be another short console generation. If these consoles are already outdated compared to PCs, in four years they are going to seem ancient.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

I wouldn't consider them outdated compared to PCs, and the Xbox 360 and PS3 struggled to be on par with PCs for a majority of their life time. There just is no realistic way to making a 5 year future-proof console that pushes 1080p@60fps with very high to ultra detail without it costing over a grand.

That said, I am playing a nearly maxed out copy of Assassin's Creed IV in 1080p on my big screen on a $200 card. I don't think I was ever able to max out current games on previous graphic cards without paying at least $500.

That said, Nvidia put out some guides on a few newer games (ie: AC IV) with proper settings for each setup. They try to achieve 40fps minimum FPS at 1080p. Mine recommends using FXAA but I've been running with TXAA 4X with no noticeable slow down ( I will admit, I am not capturing the framerate ). My goal for the most part is to stay on par with the console counterparts, this is easy to blow past as both the Xbox One and PS4 versions of this game run at 30 FPS locked. The Wii U version rarely hits above 25 fps.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Sure, outdated is not the right word, the actual hardware in both systems is actually pretty cutting edge. Underpowered is the correct word. The last generation systems at launch Microsoft was losing something like $200-$500 per system sold, and Sony was losing over $500.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

And you don't even need to go that far. Just throwing a decent graphics card into a stock desktop (think a Dell or HP), can give new life to an older PC. You won't be at the bleeding edge, but depending on what you have you may be able to run a lot of current games adequately, and older games perfectly.

That's one thing I really like about PC gaming is the versatility. You only need to pay for what you actually need. It's just doing the research to determine what that is that can be a bit of a pain in the ass.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Yeah, underpowered is the word I was looking for. These consoles aren't even running all games at 1080p yet. That's just sad in 2013. 1440p is becoming the new norm with PCs. Heck, some of the more "hardcore" PC gamers have three monitors linked for even higher resolutions.

I think another problem is that the last generation of consoles just lasted too long. If these new consoles had come out a year or two ago, they would have been much more impressive.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Well... ;)

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Yeah, underpowered I guess is the right word. In the past i'd be impressed with stuff like Gears of War or various Metal Gear Solid releases over the games coming out in the PC world at the same time, but with so much cross-platform stuff and the fairly conservative specs on these consoles, it just seems like a weird time to me. Although a big plus for PC gamers, I suppose.

As far as PC game performance, I think it helps that it seems like both CPU and GPU tech has slowed down a bit the last few years. The leap from Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge and now Haswell hasn't been that significant, so my i5 2500K is still a champ after 3 years. And although the 290 and 780 from AMD and Nvidia are new designs, everything else are basically rebadged cards from the last year or two which pushes the price points down for gaming at 1080p.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Intel has been holding back waiting for AMD to compete. We could have had the 8 core mainstream chips 2 years ago. I can't wait to see skyrocket prices on new Haswell-E MBs, CPUs, and new DDR4 ram.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

This is sort of an overlap but:

SteamOS Installation on VirtualBox

Build Your Own Steam Machine

Supported games: Basically any Steam Linux game, including Metro Last Light, Football Manager 2014, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Team Fortress 2, Monaco, Counter-Strike (& Source), Left 4 Dead 2, Planetary Annihilation, Europa Universalis IV, Serious Sam 3: BFE, Half-Life Complete, Broken Sword 5, Frozen Synapse, etc;

If Steam can get this to catch on, many more developers will be porting over to Linux/SteamOS as well, the biggest company to commit so far is DICE.

The Just Cause 2 Multiplayer Mod is set to launch today as well, turning the game into a thousand player+ multiplayer game :lol:.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YR2zRqAvw1M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is due on PC/Steam "any day now" as well.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yVHG028zSQo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I think this was in direct response to DmC and Lord of Shadows turning out so well on PC (both have similar gameplay to MGR:R)

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

interestingly enough, on my mediocre laptop, I can pull off ultra settings in DMC somehow.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

For anyone that plays Planetside 2, a big patch that in part balances the game out is being released today.

https://forums.station.sony.com/ps2/...pm-cet.162621/

Assassin's Creed IV DLC is now available as well.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hROqF8ZOjak" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

For some reason I decided to get Fallout 3 GOTY, it was $6 or something. The mod community is just crazy. Crazy I say!

And yeah, I already have played more than 200 hours in the Xbox 360.

But they have this new mod, where you have a sister, looks awesome!

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

a game that will blow your mind with mods on PC is Left 4 Dead 2. There are TONS of completely new campaigns to play. it is ridiculous

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Speaking of triple monitor setups. I'm considering hooking my new PC to three monitors. I currently have it attached to a 42 inch TV. Any ideas on a good set of monitors? I really don't have much experience with PC gaming monitors lol.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

What do you want to do?

And what kind of hardware do you have?

Other than that, your typical 3 24'' (1080p) from a good brand: Dell, Asus, etc.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

I'm primarily using my new PC for gaming and media storage. I've been reading up on monitors today and a lot of people mentioned the BenQ XL2420TE. Not sure if it is really a noticeable difference in quality over the cheaper screens that Asus puts out that many seem happy with.

My Equipment List:




Some pics:

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

The latest GeForce Experience lets you stream to Twitch, for those with Nvidia cards.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/12/17/g...ame-streaming/

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Assassin's Creed IV just got a PhysX update:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/m6a4MbYAPFU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Lot of complaints about how the game runs on PC. Maybe it's because of my video card being recent but it runs beautifully here.

Metal Gear Rising is $19.99 (Pre-Order, due Jan 9th, 2014) on Steam.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Since it's called PC gaming thread...

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...psdc4cd582.jpg

What a unique and original gaming experience. I got it on sale over at Steam but I would've paid full price had i known how great the game was. I guess I would describe it as

I can see this being used in video game classes in the future. It really deserves to be on best of 2013 games lists...

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

This article seems appropriate for a lot of people after Steam sales.

http://kotaku.com/were-buying-more-p...lay-1493402988

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Also, this site is fun if you plug in your steam ID. I'm not that crazy, but here's mine...

http://steamdb.info/calculator/?play...an&currency=us

My Steam Profile (from SteamDB)

• Worth: $992.56
• Games owned: 63
• Games not played: 21
• Percentage: 33%
• Hours spent: 642.2h

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

I be cray cray

My Steam Profile (from SteamDB)

• Worth: $5950.40
• Games owned: 516
• Games not played: 444
• Percentage: 86%
• Hours spent: 69.1h

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

All those games and only 69 hours played? :eek:

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

My Steam Profile (from SteamDB)

• Worth: $2262.42
  
• Games owned: 185
  
• Games not played: 107
  
• Percentage: 58%
  
• Hours spent: 274.0h
  

The dollar amount spent is obviously incorrect as I've purchased most of those games well below the current price.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

My Steam Profile (from SteamDB)

• Worth: $1478.26
• Games owned: 83
• Games not played: 21
• Percentage: 25%
• Hours spent: 1,066.6h

Not as bad as I thought over the course of 3 years. About 350 hours and $500 a year.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Games owned 74
Games not played 35 (47%)
Hours spent 575.2h
Account worth $1334.40

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

I bet I own 3000 games and, if you subtract Kingdom Rush, played 50 hours last year.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

My Steam Profile (from SteamDB)

• Worth: $1244.27
• Games owned: 82
• Games not played: 51
• Percentage: 62%
• Hours spent: 524.7h

My actual cost was probably 15-20% of the Worth value. Also the unplayed % is a bit high because I just bought a dozen games.

The great thing about having such a backlog is that I have no problem waiting for new games to go on sale.

Re: PC Gaming Thread
 

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was released yesterday (Currently $29.99, though it was like $17 a week ago pre-order).

Konami has admitted there is an "Always Online DRM Bug" that has been fixed, and I guess a patch should be pushed out soon if it hasn't already which restores off-line gameplay. The game is also currently resolution locked to a maximum of 1080p, though workarounds are available and there seem to be suggestions going around that Konami may patch it up to 4K in the future.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tUVkzZaiOi0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>