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In their old age, all computers eventually start to creak. However, with a bit of tweaking and application of a few techniques, you can prolong the life of your gaming computer. There are lots of info on gaming, such as are found on Bobby Kotick’s Crunchbase that can be of help to you. Thus, follow this guide to enjoy the best entertainment without breaking your bank account for new hardware.
1. Clean your computer
A clean system can enhance all applications; this is also true for your games. Before considering buying new hardware, do some thorough cleaning on your machine. Your operating system (OS) benefits from reinstallation every few months to get rid of memory-resident applications, cobwebs, and other shackles that pile up over time. If you notice that your games are running slower than they were, this should be your first step.
2. Increase your memory
Any major component of your machine can drag your system if it is not powerful enough. Memory is less expensive to buy and simple to install; just pop in new RAM sticks and you are good to go. If you have a 4GB RAM and a 64-bit OS, you are well prepared to run anything in the market. But if you are not sure, go to Crucial.com and run the System Scanning Tool. It will give you an idea of how much memory you need to install.
3. Switch your video card
If your PC is a couple of years old, or it is not a dedicated gaming machine, the graphics card is likely to be terrible and inferior. 3D games need your computer to have a powerful graphics card. But buying a video card is not as easy as plugging one in. Graphics cards can be big and may require both cooling and space to handle them. They will also need a connection to your computer’s power supply, and if it is not powerful enough, the card may not work even after you fit it. Thus, check its specifications before making an order. However, if you have to make a choice between Nvidia and ATI cards, go for the Nvidia.
4. Update your drivers
Even if you have the best video card, this is easy to forget, and you will encounter problems with your card without up-to-date drivers. Thus, if you experience problems playing your favorite games, first update your drivers. This is painful but necessary.
5. Boost your processor
Without a decent video card, your CPU has little to offer you. But it still plays a vital role in determining how fast your system runs. A dual core is good for running most modern games. But a quad core processor is better, but only if you can afford it. At the moment, you don’t need more than this.
6. Don’t overclock
This sounds like heresy. Overclocking your CPU is not likely to make any significant difference in most games. However, if you plan on trying this, ensure that your cooling can handle it. You may have become used to overclocking because you enjoy it. But you can avoid it if you are uncomfortable getting your hands dirty.
7. Clean the machine
If you don’t mind bits of dirt on your hands, check the state of your computer case. If it is dirty, and the airways are blocked, it is probably not being cooled properly; this can seriously affect your computer’s performance. To clean your computer, turn the power off, and use a can of compressed air to blow away the dust. This is especially beneficial if you keep your computer on the floor.
8. Use solid state drives
With everything in its place, you can now check your hard disk. It is time for you to get a solid state drive (SSD) for both your OS and your game files. An SSD is smaller than the regular drives, but its performance compensates for this. It is recommended to have two drives. The second drive should be a big, traditional, terabyte-sized drive to hold your files such as photos and videos, and the other one for application handling. But you will need a large SSD because modern games are massive, and they will get even bigger as the graphics technology improves.
You can enjoy fast and smooth gaming even on a tight budget by cleaning your computer, improving the graphics and memory and boosting the processor. Follow this advice to improve your gaming experience.
