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[Walpurgis]

My new PC arrived this week. Here are the specs.

• MSI H81M-E34 mATX LGA1150 H81I DDR3 1PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 SATA3 USB3.0 HDMI DVI VGA M
• EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB Superclocked 4GB GDDR5 PCI-E DVI-I DP HDMI SLI G-SYNC G
• Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB SATA3 7200RPM 32MB Cache 3.5in Internal Hard Disk Drive H
• Crucial CT102464BA160B 8GB 240-PIN DIMM DDR3 PC3-12800 Desktop Memory
• EVGA 500W 80 Plus Certified Active PFC 12V 34A Power Supply 120MM Fan
• Intel Core i5 I5-4460 Haswell 3.2GHZ Processor LGA1150 6MB Cache

I still have to install drivers to get internet but it's basically ready to go.

As a console gamer, I've always looked at Steam with envy of all the different types of games it has and the low, low prices. I've been especially jealous of those open world multiplayer sandbox titles. Now that I have my PC, I feel overwhelmed and am not sure where to begin. I don't have a lot of money so I want to purchase one game that isn't anymore than $40 CAD.

I want either DayZ, H1Z1, Ark: Survival Evolved or Rust. I am also considering CounterStrike: GO and Garry's Mod. I'm not sure about Garry's Mod because there doesn't seem to be much to do and I am wary of CounterStrike: GO because it looks hard (I'm not skilled with the mouse) and the gameplay videos were boring (probably because the player had a 100% hitrate).

I really wanted Arma but it's waaay too expensive (like wtf). I guess that is what Steam sales are for. Speaking of which, when is the next one and how low does Arma go?

 

[misses bull]

Dota 2! You will never need another game again

 

[GuitarGuruu]

Out of what you listed I would personally go with DayZ, a great game with more still being added to it.

Don't forget to perhaps check out some free to play ones if that's your thing. Steam has some decent ones as a starting point.

Enjoy watching your consoles collect dust now though!

 

[Crisium]

Looks like you know the most important part: Steam sales. Next should be Thanksgiving (late November). And there will be a Christmas sale as well.

 

[Flandy]

You mean 970 OP? I don't think they make 4GB 960s

Spoiler

Rebuy all your old console games during big sales like I did when I became a PC gamer

 

[Persona7]

I've never played H1Z1 but I've seen friends play it and it looks pretty fun.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

Bloodborne

 

[BennyBlanco]

Check out the GAF B/S/T thread and you can get some pretty nice deals. Those games aren't really my thing but DayZ seems to have staying power. A lot of those games come and go as flavors of the month.

 

[fluffydelusions]

You mean 970 OP? I don't think they make 4GB 960s

Spoiler

Rebuy all your old console games during big sales like I did when I became a PC gamer and never play them

fixed!

 

[Crisium]

You mean 970 OP? I don't think they make 4GB 960s

Spoiler

Rebuy all your old console games during big sales like I did when I became a PC gamer

They do make them. In fact rumor is they might kill the 2GB version completely:

http://wccftech.com/nvidia-discontinue-2gb-versions-geforce-gtx-960/

 

[Hazaro]

Ark just went on sale, can probably pick it up off someone for pretty cheap.

Also the 4GB 960 is a trap card

 

[fluffydelusions]

Ark just went on sale, can probably pick it up off someone for pretty cheap.

Also the 4GB 960 is a trap card

Doesn't ARK require a beast PC to get a decent frame rate?

 

[impact]

get CS:GO and play that until the black friday sale

don't buy PC games that aren't on sale

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

get CS:GO and play that until the black friday sale

don't buy PC games that aren't on sale

 

[Hugstable]

Undertale

 

[CheesecakeRecipe]

Arma 3 has hit 50% off fairly regularly, which should bring it down nicely should you still be interested. CS:GO is a safe bet if you're itchin for an intense competitive game, but I'd recommend rolling with some friends to make life easier.

In the vein of survival stuff, I'd heavily recommend any of the STALKER titles. Single player only, but immensely brutal FPS games with an unmatched atmosphere of industrial misery with light survival elements to keep you on your toes.

 

[bathsalts]

Out of what you listed, probably Dayz, out of what exists...Stalker

 

[TP]

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
System Shock 2

put that new computer to work with some old ass games

 

[Finaika]

WildStar.

 

[Jigorath]

Open your eyes to the glory of Paradox and say goodbye to your life. Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Mount & Blade, shit will consume you.

 

[NeoAthanasius]

You can download and play the Star Wars Battlefront beta for a couple of days. It will at least look really pretty!

Also for a really interesting indie game you can't get on consoles you should look into Gunpoint. It was a big surprise for me when I played it.

 

[Primethius]

Join the MOBA life. That's all you need

 

[TheSeks]

I really wanted Arma but it's waaay too expensive (like wtf). I guess that is what Steam sales are for. Speaking of which, when is the next one and how low does Arma go?

Bohemia will never put Arma 3 on sale at a reasonable price. Trust me. At least you aren't shafted like us early access adopters with DLC passes. You can at least get the game and the expansions now for cheaper than those of us that bought in early. :|

Just get it if you can for under $30, I guess.

As for recommendations, depends on what you're into really.

Go for what looks interesting and cheap. But wait until the Winter Sale before you go hog wild on Steam, really.

 

[Uriah]

FTL and XCOM if you haven't played it on console yet.

 

[Finaika]

Join the MOBA life. That's all you need

HotS is pretty good.

 

[pislit]

Civ V because you can play it while reading / posting here.

 

[Walpurgis]

Ark just went on sale, can probably pick it up off someone for pretty cheap.

Also the 4GB 960 is a trap card

What?! What's wrong with it?

I will keep this in mind.

WildStar.

As an MMO fan, of course.

You can download and play the Star Wars Battlefront beta for a couple of days. It will at least look really pretty!

Good call!

 

[Walpurgis]

Open your eyes to the glory of Paradox and say goodbye to your life. Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Mount & Blade, shit will consume you.

Mount and Blade looks epic but I have decided to wait for Bannerlord. I do plan to buy Crusader Kings or Europa Universalis at some point, just not as my first game.

Civ V because you can play it while reading / posting here.

I actually bought this on sale a few months ago. It's really fun but ran like shit on my laptop.

 

[Omega]

I want either DayZ, H1Z1, Ark: Survival Evolved or Rust.

out of those

probably Rust > Ark > H1Z1 (if battle royale) > DayZ > H1Z1 (not battle royale)

 

[Renekton]

Out of what you listed I would personally go with DayZ, a great game with more still being added to it

DayZ must have been improved a ton since I last read about it?

First few months out of the gate with own engine, the alpha was so heavily lambasted.

 

[spode]

Undertale

Gotta agree with this. Not really a fan of JRPGs and haven't played Earthbound but this game really grabbed me. New release and currently only released on PC.

 

[Balmung421]

I am hearing really good things about Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

 

[Finaika]

Also the 4GB 960 is a trap card

What?! What's wrong with it?

Yeah what's wrong with the 960?

 

[MMarston]

This should seem incredibly basic, but people seem to do it anyway for some reason:


Don't

fucking

vacuum

your

gaming rig

 

[LurkerPrime]

You just missed an Ark sale this week. Everything you listed will go on sale this Winter at the latest, with CSGO or Garry's Mod reaching the lowest prices.


But let me tell you about the PC games you should really be playing.
OP, I present to you, Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale.

Embrace niche gaming like never before. Also, get Mount&Blade Warband if you're interested in the franchise at all--it is a phenomenal game, and I think the sequel will be a while still. (Don't worry--everything'll be on sale eventually.)


Lastly, here is a link to PC gaming's Pandora's Box. It's incredible, but brace yourself! The power it holds is formidable so don't go too crazy.

 

[Finaika]

This should seem incredibly basic, but people seem to do it anyway for some reason:


Don't

fucking

vacuum

your

gaming rig

May I ask why?

 

[Walpurgis]

This should seem incredibly basic, but people seem to do it anyway for some reason:


Don't

fucking

vacuum

your

gaming rig

Not even a little?

Spoiler

How do I clean it? My old PC got super gross with all the dust and started overheating before we had to put it down.

 

[TheSeks]

I actually bought this on sale a few months ago. It's really fun but ran like shit on my laptop.

Defo try that now. You'll be sucked into it easily with the hardware you have.

Not even a little?

Spoiler

How do I clean it? My old PC got super gross with all the dust and started overheating before we had to put it down.

Compressed air. Or use an industrial air compressor (if you know someone that has one) but be VERY CAREFUL with that last one. Too much power from the industrial stuff can break your hardware. 99% Isoproal Alcohol will also work, but you have to wait until that evaporates enough (an hour or two, maybe 30 minutes. Forget) to where the "water" in the 1% of it is gone.

 

[pantsattack]

May I ask why?

Static shocks can blow parts up. Use canned air and get a case with filter screens to keep dust out in the first place.

Bloodborne

This is pretty cool. I guess I should branch out though because there are lots there that I passed over.

 

[Walpurgis]

Static shocks can blow parts up. Use canned air and get a case with filter screens to keep dust out in the first place.

My case has a transparent plastic window. Is this what you mean?

 

[pislit]

I actually bought this on sale a few months ago. It's really fun but ran like shit on my laptop.

It will still run like shit when you have mods + 12 AIs + 24 City-States + Epic Length in around turn 150.

Good game while you are downloading other games for your PC. lol

 

[NormalFish]

My case has a transparent plastic window. Is this what you mean?

Nah, he means like a lint trap on a clothes drier built in to parts of your case where there's lots of air flow. I think.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Compressed air. Or use an industrial air compressor (if you know someone that has one) but be VERY CAREFUL with that last one. Too much power from the industrial stuff can break your hardware. 99% Isoproal Alcohol will also work, but you have to wait until that evaporates enough (an hour or two, maybe 30 minutes. Forget) to where the "water" in the 1% of it is gone.

Be careful with canned air too. Some have a bitterant added that will leave residue on your stuff.

 

[pantsattack]

My case has a transparent plastic window. Is this what you mean?

No I mean filters that go over air intakes coming into the case. Example

 

[khaaan]

Put that power to use and download Hearthstone.

 

[Crisium]

Yeah what's wrong with the 960?

Some people think the extra cash for a 4GB 960 isn't worth it over the 2GB?

It's been discussed here before. My opinion is that it can make a difference between unacceptable and acceptable minimums:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=176212946&postcount=85

Although I also think the 960 in general is a bit overpriced generally since the Radeon 380 matches it 1:1 in price but is a tad faster, and the Radeon 290 still has some good sales for just $50 bucks more or so and is a good 45%+ faster.

But rest assured the 4GB 960 will age better than the 2GB version.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

Static shocks can blow parts up. Use canned air and get a case with filter screens to keep dust out in the first place.



This is pretty cool. I guess I should branch out though because there are lots there that I passed over.

It's missing a lot but still has some of the most influential, quality titles available in the medium.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

You've picked a great time to get into PC gaming as it's almost sale season again. The next one will be the fall sale sometime in November. The big one is the winter sale, of course.

This is a great subreddit that I check daily for great deals.

There's also a thread on here where generous users give away Steam games from time to time.

There are a ton of F2P games on Steam that are actually great. I'm not into MOBAs, but I know plenty of people with 250+ hours in Dota 2. I've got over 200 hours in Team Fortress 2, which is still a pretty fun time sink.

Out of the games you've listed that you want, I'd probably go with Ark.

 

[Finaika]

Some people think the extra cash for a 4GB 960 isn't worth it over the 2GB?

It's been discussed here before. My opinion is that it can make a difference between unacceptable and acceptable minimums:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=176212946&postcount=85

Although I also think the 960 in general is a bit overpriced generally since the Radeon 380 matches it 1:1 in price but is a tad faster, and the Radeon 290 still has some good sales for just $50 bucks more or so and is a good 45%+ faster.

But rest assured the 4GB 960 will age better than the 2GB version.

Does it have real 4GB unlike the 970?

 

[NormalFish]

Some people think the extra cash for a 4GB 960 isn't worth it over the 2GB?

It's been discussed here before. My opinion is that it can make a difference between unacceptable and acceptable minimums:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=176212946&postcount=85

Although I also think the 960 in general is a bit overpriced generally since the Radeon 380 matches it 1:1 in price but is a tad faster, and the Radeon 290 still has some good sales for just $50 bucks more or so and is a good 45%+ faster.

But rest assured the 4GB 960 will age better than the 2GB version.

This was basically my rationale when picking out a replacement GPU recently. Needed a cheap, modern, 4GB card and the 960 was what seemed best. The radeon options didn't seem as nice for my rig at the time (a couple months ago) though it's possible had I been more patient I could've gotten a nice deal.