Gaming Computers: Why Not to Upgrade

Why Any PC Can Be a Gaming Machine

April 20, 2012

Source: Getty Images

Nearly any PC can now be a gaming computer.

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When you think gaming computers, the typical image that springs to mind (besides a giant question mark, if you're not a video games enthusiast) are pricey systems from the likes of HP and Alienware. But while desktops and laptops offering superior 3D computing performance were the norm yesterday, consider. Thanks to the emergence of new video game genres and trends, even older PCs can now provide a satisfying electronic entertainment experience.

From massively multiplayer online (MMO) virtual worlds that exist and evolve 24/7 online, and let thousands of players interact in real-time, to social games designed for play on Facebook, options are suddenly endless. Case in point: Literally thousands of games can be downloaded from, or played free within, your Web browser. Likewise, streaming "cloud" solutions such as OnLive and Gaikai (which process games on cutting-edge, remotely-located servers and beam them down on-demand over the Internet), now let everyday machines run new and premium game experiences.

The next time that your teenager tells you they need a gaming computer, consider pointing out the following trends - most of which your average, reasonably-priced system can run without major upgrades. While doing so may earn you a nasty look, you may wind up saving thousands in the end.

Free to Play Games - Literally tens of thousands of simple and free downloadable video games - some even starting to approach retail quality - can be had at websites like Shockwave, Kongregate, and NinjaKiwi.com. While most are lightweight, coffee-break style experiences, many are beginning to feature added depth and 3D complexity, and are designed around affordable, low-end hardware requirements. Collectively, all have turned the Internet into the ultimate arcade.

Social Games - With more than 850 million people actively using Facebook, a new breed of "social games" that piggyback on it and similar sites' infrastructure has rapidly gained in popularity. Packed with free, user-friendly titles meant for play in short spurts and designed to run in your Web browser, popular networks now offer titles in nearly every imaginable genre. From FarmVille (simulation) to Bubble Witch Saga (arcade action) and Empires & Allies (strategy), these outing are designed for mass appeal - and hence to run on nearly any PC.

Indie Games - Most retail games are sprawling affairs made by large corporations. By contrast, indepdent (indie) games are often made by small groups or lone individuals. Many such as Braid and Minecraft eschew fancy graphics, eye-popping special effects and other CPU-hogging clutter for more practical benefits like novel themes, catchy storytelling and unique gameplay concepts. Frequently among the most innovative and boundary-pushing titles available, they're also among the least punishing on system resources.

Digital Downloads and DLC - Courtesy of online retailers like Steam, GamersGate and GameStop PC Downloads, entire games and reams of downloadable content (DLC) add-ons (i.e. new missions, maps and characters) can be download right to your desktop. While some are simply copies of boxed retail cousins, many more like Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 are original, download-only options. Not only are many choices provided here value-priced and more affordable. They also typically offer highly-polished experiences (albeit in smaller chunks) in a format that - because of bite-sized price points and corresponding fan expectations - delivers hours of fun that even budget-priced gaming computers can enjoy.

Cloud Computing - Cloud computing - and cloud gaming - are growing in popularity as well. Using this practice, software developers don't store files and software on your home machine, but rather offload intensive computing and graphics processing functions remotely, then beam results back to your PC via high-speed broadband connection. Courtesy of providers like Gaikai and OnLive, cloud gaming technology allows even value-priced and older systems to provide high-end gaming performance. That way, you can play many of today's top titles without having to worry about hiccups, stutters or programs refusing to run because of hardware limitations.

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Dave | Jul 18, 2012

Lol Lets go over this list : 5 Reasons not to upgrade? 1. Free to Play Games (Ie. crappy games) 2. Social Games (Ie. Crappy games) 3. Indie Games Fair point, most indie games aren't very hardware taxing 4. Digital Downloads and DLC.. Thats more a reason not to get out of the house rather than not to upgrade.. 5. Cloud Computing.. Have you tried Onlive? Sorry, but it's not there yet. It's playable, sure, but not anywhere near the quality of a good computer. And Yes, you have to worry about hiccups and studders, because Internet latency is a thing. Also, a hardcore gamer? Forget it, because it will eat your data cap like nothing else. So, yeah, I guess If you're huge into indie games or not really much of a gamer, don't upgrade. Its true, any pc is a games machine, as well as any cell phone, but can it run Crysis?

Anonymous | Jul 10, 2012

Ok So I read the article and I read a lot of peoples comments and I have to say that both were really disappointing. Scott A better way to go about writing an article like this would ve to actually do some research first to look at the state of pc gaming the current hardware and current software. If you had you would see that you do in fact need a "gaming PC" to run most modern games, you would also however have seen that a gaming pc does not have to be expensive in fact if you build it yourself a good gaming pc can be had for around $500- $600. A better article might have been 5 reasons not to spend a bunch of money on a gaming pc the short version of which had you done your research would have looked somthing like this. 1. Modern PC gaming si bound by the console market . The majority of pc game releases are ports of xbox 360 and playstation 3 titles deigned to run on lower end 8+ year old hardware and can easily be played on maximum settings by a fairly low budget gaming pc. 2. Speaking of Maximum Settings.... although a $3000 monster pc may be needed to play games like battlefield 3 and metro 2033 at maximum settings most of the time those same games run fine on a much less expensive gaming rigs at near maximum settings and the image quality difference between the two is so small that you can barely tell the difference unless you play your games under a microscope. 3. Many great games don't require a high end pc and are still a ton of fun (this would be where you work in the face book games and what not. 4.Saving Money by building your pc yourself can be great way to teach your little gamer at home a new skill and help them appreciate all of the hardware that drives those awesome new games. 5. something newer and better is always around the corner top of the line hardware is often incredibly expensive but last years hard ware which is often nearly as good can often be found used or even new at a fraction of the price. see there you go take that spend a day researching and an hour writing and you have.... a way better article that actually communicates something meaningful. Now on to the comments I am going to go out on a limb and guess most of the comments were written by pc gamers and as a gamer myself I have to say that I am disappointed. guys if we ever want people to stop viewing our hobby negatively or us as a bunch of anti social hot pocket eating basement dwellers we have to stop behaving like this in public forums. You all accuse this writer of being in competent and writing a poorly thought out article but then you post poorly thought out responses to the article filled with rage and childish insults; that are completely devoid of any meaningful constructive criticism and make yourselves look even more ridiculous. If you didn't like the article say so but then do what I did and actually point out the flaws and offer meaningful feedback and suggestions for how to improve. to quote Ghandi "you must be the change you wish to see in the world"

Anonymous | Jul 1, 2012

But all those things are horrible!

An Actual gamer | Jun 20, 2012

If you want to sit down and play Call of Duty, Guild Wars II, or the beast of computer gaming "Diablo III", then you're going to need to invest some cash and get yourself a good strong pc. No, never by a premade Alienware machine, always build your own computer via online websites "I am not going to name any because it's not my place to plug other peoples websites." While building a pc online, you can choose what psu "500w" what video card, what motherboard, how much RAM, which operating system "windows 7 is popular", which cpu, the case, and all other cool kinds of bells & whistles that could add to your computer, and still come out paying much less than paying for a low-end prebuilt computer. And since you built it, you understand the innards of it, so if anything goes wrong with it, you will be able to fix it easily due to your knowledge on it. And also, all these FREETOPLAY facebook games & some mmos are mentally riddled with so many ADS ADS ADS!!! that will make you sick to your stomach and never want to play a free game again.

Anonymous | Jun 20, 2012

I'm not going to insult you, but I am going to tell you that unless you have a Good PC, having an old PC is useless when you try to play some of the bigger flash games and the majority of games on Steam. I had a old pc, and steam games just destroyed it as an effective machine, forcing me to get a new one.

Anonymous | Jun 19, 2012

Bad article. If you use a crap PC, it will NOT run Battlefield 3, Witcher 2, Batman Arkham City, etc... Who wants to play stupid Facebook games on their PC?

Moises | Jun 19, 2012

I think nothing beats a good gaming computer. Why? Well, for starters, there are lots of games out there that won't run on a regular pc. I'm a gamer and I play online more then I play the story mode of a game. When your pc it's a "regular" one, the game that it's been played tends to LAG a lot making the gaming experience a miserable one and don't even get me started with online gaming. If you are trying to play those little flash games that they have for free everywhere then I guess a "regular" pc would do, however, if you want to do some real gaming like C.O.D, Medal of Honor, Metro 2033 or Battle Forge…. Then I suggest you use a real pc. There are many ways to save on gaming PCs like building it yourself per instance. If you compare a pc that you build yourself to brand names ones like DELL, or Alien Ware you will notice that not only you save a lot of $ but your pc its better. There is a website you can visit to see if your pc is capable of running a game that you want to play its called Can You RUN It? www.systemrequirementslab.com/ I rather use a pc then a console. To me, the graphics look a lot better, the online gaming experience is better because there is no lagging (as long as you have a good internet connection).

What the hell is this? I'm surprised I didn't see a "in this economy" reference in there. I doubt Metro 2033 is a browser based game. My computer was hand built for around 2500 dollars. You're a moron.

Anonymous | Jun 17, 2012

I'm not sure why in the world you would write an article with the premise of "Want a fast computer to play video games? Why not just play something else instead?" Pretty terrible.

Anonymous | Jun 15, 2012

The next time your teenager tells you they need a gaming computer, you better get them a gaming computer and be proud that your kid is a gamer. It's the number one prevention to teenage pregnancy, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Well number two actually, the number one is death.

Gaming Computers: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade

Why Any PC Can Be a Gaming Machine