It is said that there are two types of gamer in this world. The PC gamer and the console gamer.
The former’s demise has long been predicted, but statistically, PC gaming is even more popular today than it was when it started. Steam game sales hit an astonishing $4,3-billion in 2017, increasing by more than 18% from 2015, and PwC has predicted that gaming will be worth more than $31-million by 2019.
For those who love the creak of the keyboard and the strafe of the mouse as they hurtle through virtual worlds at the speed of reflex and storyline, PC gaming is the ultimate immersive experience. But, like anything, there are ways to make it even better …
According to Tony Yu, South African country manager at ADATA, there are some subtle tips and tricks that can transform your gaming experience and give you that extra edge in the boss fight.
“The first step is to upgrade to a solid-state-drive (SSD),” he says. “These are so much faster than previous hard drives and have the potential to reduce loading times and improve performance significantly. Their capabilities are not to be confused with graphics performance, though. Your graphics processing unit (GPU) is your key to unlocking exceptional visuals so improving gaming graphics should start with you ensuring that it, and all your other hardware, are regularly updated. It’s also worth running regular PC diagnostics to ensure that both your SSD and GPU, among other essential elements, are working properly.”
SSD may not introduce gorgeous graphics, but it does really deliver on loading times which, for those who play open world games and in vast online vistas, makes a big difference to the experience. Constant ‘hitching’ in a game is frustrating and an SSD is your secret weapon in defeating it. For additional online security, especially for people who enjoy playing online, a virtual private network (VPN) is another vital element to help you smooth over the edges of your experience.
“Some parts of the online gaming community have been known to attack players and force them offline, so by using a VPN you protect your identity and remove the threat,” says Yu.
The next step is to invest in memory designed specifically for gaming. As Rock, Paper, Shotgun says: “What you absolutely, positively need and what will make your computing life, in general, more pleasant and your gaming, in particular, more enjoyable aren’t the same thing”.
What you want is beautiful memory designed specifically for PC gaming that can handle the worlds and beasts thrown at it with elegant aplomb. That’s gaming.
“Discerning gamers with an eye for the perfect gaming experience should consider investing in technology that has hybrid cooling capabilities as this instantly improves performance and gain,” adds Yu. “High-quality chips and cooling systems designed to work optimally with leading GPUs and systems will make any game into something special. These are also excellent tools for anyone keen to move into eSports or play games on a more competitive level.”
Finally, to really round off the perfect game, you need the right mouse and keyboard. Your mouse must have incredibly high DPI, at least 3200, and a smooth ride with a comfortable grip, and it is advisable to invest into a mechanical keyboard as it offers superb tactical feedback and control. With most ranges designed for gamers, you can even adjust the lighting effects which is, let’s face it, cool.
“Of course, great gaming technology, such as the ADATA XPG Spectric D80 DDR4 RGB, not only has liquid nitrogen cooling but can be overclocked to take advantage of it,” concludes Yu. “It’s a world first RGB DDR4 memory with hybrid liquid-air cooling to deliver extraordinary performance and in May 2018 it reached the Specrix D80 LN2 OC 5531 MHz record. We are committed to keep improving on our performance and we are proud that our DRAM is already compatible with at least four mother board brands, namely Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and ASRock. We will continue adding other brands to this list.”