How to buy a great PC for playing games

If you wanted to transport a horde of kids, you’d use a people carrier or a minibus, but if you wanted a quick runaround for town shopping, you’d probably prefer something more like a Micra or a Smart Car. The same logic applies to PCs – you should buy a system that’s right for the jobs you want it to do.

Gaming is one of the most demanding tasks a PC can undertake, and a good gaming system has to have a high-end graphics card that is capable of running the latest 3D games. Just as the processor determines how fast a PC runs overall, its graphics card determines how fast it can draw complex 3D scenes.

Play your cards right

Most people agree that Nvidia and ATI make the best cards right now, so these are brands you might look out for. Games are written to run well on the current mid-market range of cards, which for Nvidia means the GeForce 7600 and for ATI the Radeon X1600 range. Both ranges have models costing around £100.

You’ll find there are GS cards, GT, Pro and all manner of variations in these ranges. Some will be worse (GS). Some will be better (GT). There are also ranges below and above these two, and they are priced accordingly.

Just to complicate things, both Nvidia and ATI are working on the next generation of cards. Nvidia already has the GeForce 8800 while ATI is expected to launch a new R600 range any time now. They’re top-end parts, so prices are high, but they do offer support for DirectX10.

Both Nvidia and ATI also now offer the option of having two graphics cards in one PC. Nvidia’s SLI system and ATI’s CrossFire only work with specific types of motherboard and graphics cards, but a system branded as one of these will either come with dual cards or be capable of having a second card added at a later date for a performance increase.

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Our recommendations

Even armed with this knowledge, looking for a computer that is going to ensure games look great and play even better is no small task. To help with this, here's three machines that we'd recommend for a good gaming experience.

Gamer Infinity SLI KO

Look no further if money is no object. Oozing cutting-edge technology from every pore, the Cyber power system has the very latest Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX, a Quad Core Intel X6700 processor and 2GB of memory.

Price £2,199 | www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk

The package also comes loaded with peripherals: a 19-inch display, Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse and a full 7.1 surround system. For hardcore gamers, the KO incorporates illuminated blue fans – no, not just one, but four side-mounted beauties, keeping things cool during the most frantic of fire-fights.

Mesh Elite E6600 Express HX

Scoring a Windows Experience Index of 5.0 proves that this affordable system has the power to run the latest games. With a tasty selection of peripherals including a Creative Labs Inspire 7.1 surround system, 19-inch Sony LCD display and internal memory card reader, this system is ready to go out of the box.

Price £1098.99 | www.meshcomputers.com

The system itself contains 2GB of memory, a Core2 Duo E6600 processor, an Nvidia 7950GT graphics card and a Sound Blaster XFi Xtreme sound card – everything needed in a desirable gaming system that won’t break the bank.

Evesham Technology Solar VX

The Solar VX is packed with 2GB of memory, a speedy Core Duo E6600 processor and a sizzling NVidia 8800GTS graphics card, so it will play the latest DirectX 10 games in eye-popping detail. Best of all, the package comes with a 22-inch widescreen monitor.

Price £1,599 | www.evesham.com

An extra £300 will get you the Solar VX Plus with Core Duo E6700 processor and an upgrade to the NVidia 8800GTX – trust me, that letter on the end makes all the difference.

Neil is a long-time PC user, having had the pleasure of installing, troubleshooting and using PCs for over a decade. He regularly contributes to Windows Vista: The Official Magazine

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