Gaming computers minimum requirements?

[FifeingEejit]

A while ago internet latency was the key. I had ISDN and others didn't, so I won a lot of fights. 

Back in the day me and a mate played doom over a nulmodem

The main problem was that one PC was a 486SX running at a stonking 33mhz and the other was a 486DX4 running at iirc 75mhz or maybe 100 cannae mind, anyway this had obvious impact on the ability to respond, who ever drew the SX was in for lots of deth, and we would swap PC if whoever was on the SX killed the ne on the DX, he was also tactically better so usually spent most of the time on the DX, I failed to learn where the spawn location was.

Sent from my IV2201 using Tapatalk

[Lightning Phil]

Back in 8 bit days you could write code that did stuff based on the computer interrupts.  One was to code for the keyboard interrupt to enable super human firing in any shoot them up.

[quixoticgeek]

This whole thread is terrifying.  I don't think I've ever spent £700 on a computer in my life.  And I've spent half my life at a computer.

I have, but it wasn't my money...

J

[ian]

My first actual grown-up computer cost somewhere north of $4000. That's what it cost for a laptop willing to run Windows 95 at Pentium 100 speeds. It never agreed with PCMIA cards, but then it turns out no computer ever did.

I did once buy a CT scanner, though not for personal use, and I wasn't even allowed to stick my head in it (because I've had several scans previously and likely exceeded my lifetime recommended dose of radiation).

[Kim]

I did once buy a CT scanner

This is an excellent strategy, as it allows you to obtain a legal copy of the LTSB release of Microsoft Windows, which has all the crapware stripped-out.

[ian]

It was a long time ago, but I have a suspicion the software ran on OS2 Warp.

My first-ever DNA sequencer, which required a ladder to load, also ran its software on OS2 Warp. Took a night to run and another day mapping the contigs which were teeny by today's standards.

[Kim]

Underappreciated OS, that one.

It stands to reason that any sufficiently expensive piece of scientific/industrial/medical equipment is likely to outlive the service life of the computer you need to run it, to say nothing of the company responsible.  You'd think people would be wise to this by now, but I suppose the people buying Shiny! New! equipment aren't the ones tasked with keeping that ancient Solaris box running so the telescope doesn't get bricked.

Not that there's much you can do about it.  Open source helps, but that only gets you so far.


On a related note, MS finally gave up on Windows CE this year...

[FifeingEejit]

OS2 was for a while the main OS of ATMs, until XP took over.

[ian]

OS2 Warp seemed to be the OS of choice for bigly science machines back in the day. That said in the 90s we had an HPLC machine that still needed an Apple II and a big floppy.

[Morat]

Silly-high frame rates have become quite an obsession lately but there is more to it than beating 24FPS. If the whole game is running at 60FPS vs 40FPS there's a noticeable increases in what I'm going to call "fluidity" when you waggle the mouse around and aim. I have a 60Hz monitor so I can't comment on 144Hz which is usually the next step up but I strongly suspect there will be diminishing returns as you go up higher. I DO have a VR headset and the difference between the 45FPS and 90 FPS options is very noticeable, VR being very sensitive to Framerate as a poor and/or fluctuating framerate has some grim effects on your stomach. It also requires a boatload more GPU power than "pancake" gaming.

[TPMB12]

Ordered an i5 processor with Asus motherboard,  rtx 30something gpu with 12gb, 16gb RAM and I think a 1tb ssd. Got it for 800 or so quid. Capable of 1440p at 144hz. It was actually the same price as one with basically the same bit only 8gb for the gpu and 500mb ssd I think.

Now we need a monitor. I assume it's no good being 1440p 244hz pc with 1080p and less than 144hz monitor.  I think the cheapest I saw that in a monitor was a Samsung on black Friday dark at £229 not on that deal now.

What monitor would you get with a pc capable of 1440p at 144hz? If you need to cut costs would you get a 1080p at 144hz, 1080p at lower than 144hz or 1440p at lower than 144hz? Any good monitors for sub £200?

[Kim]

If you need to cut costs would you get a 1080p at 144hz, 1080p at lower than 144hz or 1440p at lower than 144hz?

For me (at least now I've been to the optiquak and invested in some 4k-capable glasses) pixels trump framerate every time.  But I'm not a gamer, and spend the vast majority of my time at the computer reading things.

Indeed, the compromise I made with my current primary monitor was that it can't do a clean multiple of 24fps.  Which is mildly irksome for watching films.

[TPMB12]

Well we chose and ordered a gaming pc with a delivery date well before Xmas in fact this week.  Just had email saying its on backorder and delivery will be some time next year.  She said we'd been told that at time of order. BS! It told us delivery this week in time for son's birthday!

OK! Plan B - cancel order,  place order for computer with 5 day lead time from argos instead. This would be cyberforce gaming pc from argos instead of the ordered stormforce bought direct.

Anyone know anything about cyberforcs and are they as good as stormforce gaming computers?

I think the specs are as close as you can get. This alternative is £25 less than the one we've ordered (the ordered one is now £80 more than the deal n we got).

Really not sure of the best option. Either way son will not be getting the pc for his birthday on Wednesday but we can shift it to n Xmas instead.

[HTFB]

Can you buy a gaming computer for £700 that's worth having?

Minimum spec is surely 48KB. Colour TV, 14". 2-cassette tape deck with tape-to-tape copy (or nobody will do swapsies). Anna Kempston joystick.

A 48K ZX Spectrum was £175 on launch in 1982, which is £724 after RPI inflation.

So, no.

[Kim]

GPWM!

Similarly, the Amiga 500 Batman Pack is shirley canonical, and £399 in 1989 would be £1,008.88 in today's money.   

[HTFB]

I was trying to explain to the bright young things in the team that my mental model of a computer is that it is fundamentally a ZX Spectrum, and that I like C because it is the language that tries hardest to let you believe that that is still true. They had not heard of the ZX Spectrum. "But I was born in 2002!"

 

[Morat]

GPWM!

Similarly, the Amiga 500 Batman Pack is shirley canonical, and £399 in 1989 would be £1,008.88 in today's money.   

Mine came with Battle Chess
My parents saw that running in the shop window and thought "there's a way to make him learn a proper game!"

[tonycollinet]

I don't understand the concept of gaming PC's when even the high end consoles will do a better job for about the price of a good (not top end) graphics card.

[TPMB12]

When you get good at games it seems gaming computers with gaming mouse and keyboard with right coloured switches give you a competitive advantage vs your console playing mates. Mind you,  ps5 isn't cheap at £500 on brand website. Horses for courses anyway. Plus will be good for homework too.

[Mr Larrington]

If the game(s) you use most are amenable to modding a console isn’t going to cut it.  Doubly so if you make your own mods.