Welcome back to the Game Shop. Last time around, I reviewed Modern Warfare 3. I had a lot to say about that subject, and I think there’s even more in store for this one. We’re going to talk about my new computer.
I’ve been in need of a good computer for a very long time. My very first computer was a very old Windows 98 machine that couldn’t do anything that I wanted to do. I didn’t have this computer for long. Back in the day, I didn’t know a single thing about computers. I ended up getting a virus that killed it, pretty much.
Shortly after that, I upgraded to a computer that was, at the time, below average (that’s saying something). I had that computer for about three years, from 2006 to 2009. There’s nothing special to say about it, so I’ll just leave it at that. I got my newer computer in early January 2009. The only reason I remember that is because I got that computer the day President Obama was inaugurated. That’s a true story. Anyway, that computer was the best one that I’ve had at that point, but again it definitely wasn’t anything to be proud of.
In today’s day where all the latest games and video editing software, etc. run so slow on older computers, I felt like it was time to upgrade. I have done a LOT of combined research, starting back in July 2011. So anyway, upgrading is exactly what I did.
The computer (on around January 31) I got was almost $2000. I was gearing up to do some long-term gaming and video editing, since I make YouTube videos, and Sony Vegas renders really slow on anything below a quad core processor. Gaming is my first priority (have you read this blog before?), YouTube comes second.
The parts I purchased in my computer leave me room to possibly upgrade this computer’s components down the line when things start to get a bit slow, which probably won’t be for a while. That’s what I’m hoping for at least, technology is always rapidly changing…
The processor I got is still one of the best out there, coming in at around $300. It’s an Intel Core i7-2600K. Now if you don’t get around with computer parts, let me explain. Core i7 is (and has been since 2008 or so) one of the fastest and best chipsets out there. The processor has great architecture that makes it fast, and it’s built for anything you need it to do. 2600K is the model number. The “K” means that it’s unlocked for “overclocking,” which is making it run at a higher frequency than factory settings. So if I need to render videos faster, or just boost my performance a little bit overall, I can increase the frequency the CPU (Central Processing Unit) runs at.
The video card that I purchased is still the second-fastest single GPU (Graphical Processing Unit) card on the market right now. Coming in at roughly $500 is the nVidia GeForce GTX 580. All you need to know is that nVidia is the company, GeForce is the product line it’s in, and GTX 580 is the card’s name. The 580 was first introduced in November 2010. It’s been known for its amazing performance in games, as well as anything else it needs to do. It can handle current games with a breeze—running Crysis 2 at 1080p with ultra settings, and not stuttering in the slightest bit. The same goes for Battlefield 3 (it’s a million times better on PC). I’m very happy with this graphics card. Later on if a single one just isn’t cutting it, I can buy a second one and use them in SLI mode, giving me potentially double performance.
I didn’t skimp on RAM (Random Access Memory) here. I got 8GB (2 sticks of 4GB) of memory installed in the beast. Everything that runs on a computer nowadays is most likely going to take a LOT of memory. So to counter that, I got a respectable amount of memory put in this thing. I have to say, it runs really fast and it’s a lot of memory for what I do.
Everything else isn’t really necessary to know, or it gets too geeky for people to understand. Kind of ironic saying that, seeing as how if you made it this far, you’re probably thinking, “… what did I just read…?” However, the case is something to note. It’s a fantastic case for air cooling, having multiple places to have a case-mounted fan installed. I have two spots open on the top of my case that I’m going to fill whenever I get some fans. That should help cut down on some of the heat. It does get somewhat hot in there, but I expected it to be hotter than it is actually. My graphics card runs at 65o Celsius when I’m playing an intense game, and that’s a low temperature for GTX 580 cards! I’ve also got some blue LEDs in the case, and it looks awesome with the side window on it. It lights up my room when it’s on and the lights are off.
I think I’ve covered everything that needs to be covered about my new computer. Next time around, I’ll be talking about NCAA Football 12 from the perspective of a player who started football games with Madden NFL 11, and possibly my project to create the 2011-2012 Paoli Rams in NCAA 12. Hopefully that will be an interesting one. Until next time, stay classy my friends.
Blog by Ron Compton
