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I’ve finally built my first PC and I’m unsure why now

Draper

Draper

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
4,281
Harrisburg, PA
So I just completed my first pc build: EVGA RTX 3080, AMD 5900x, etc.

And now, I'm unsure why? I've always wanted to build my own PC just to learn the process but now that it's finished, I'm not sure how to take advantage of it over my PS5.

What should I do to utilize it to its full potential? What does everyone else do? Should I mod, mine, VR?

I guess I'm asking is what sets it apart from everything else.
 
Chadtwo

Chadtwo

Member
Oct 29, 2017
655
...what prompted you to build it? Weren't you thinking of this ahead of time?

not to rain on your parade, congrats on the build, putting together a PC is very satisfying in its own right. Default answer is enjoy games looking beautiful
 
Dest

Dest

Has seen more 10s than EA ever will
Coward
Jun 4, 2018
14,039
Work
Use Steam and GOG to play through the biggest catalogue of old and new games imaginable.
Use emulation to revisit old classics in new light.
Do that cool project thing you've been meaning to try doing.
Crank the fuck up the graphics and look in awe.
 
GalmLikePalm

GalmLikePalm

Member
Nov 29, 2017
71
Go play a fast paced shooter now that you have mouse and keyboard controls. You'll understand why people make a big deal about it.
 

Brandino

Banned
Jan 9, 2018
2,098
With those specs, find any game, and turn everything to max. Play some game or run a few benchmarks
 
baconcow

baconcow

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,814
1. Play games that are not available on console (Rimworld, Oxygen Not Included, Factorio, etc.).
2. Play games at native resolution at 60+ fps where it isn't possible on the PS5.
3. Play games that have popular mods.
4. Get free (weekly, usually) games from the Epic Game Store.
5. Take part in some of the excellent Early Access games that won't come to PS5 for some time (e.g. Monster Train, Satisfactory, etc.).
6. Get Hades.
 
Teeth

Teeth

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,936
Entire genres that don't exist really on consoles (like builders, RTS games, MOBAs).
Modding, even light stuff like adding tone mapping or SSAO to games that don't have them.
Play any old game now at 120fps with all the bells and whistles cranked with no need for a remaster.
Have a library that extends decades into the past and future.

Play any game with any controller from any system. Play them with a mouse and keyboard.

Emulate your old console exclusives at hi res and better frame rates.

Try blazing VR exclusives.

Dive into the indie-est of indie games on itch.io or steam. Try some experimental stuff.

Get lots of cheap or free games.

It isn't something that gives you a big splash... it's that once you've had these benefits for a multi-generation library, it's hard to go without.
 

icecold1983

Banned
Nov 3, 2017
4,243
Multiplatform games at higher settings/res/fps is what you gain over PS5. If you were expecting something game changing you have been misled.
 
ColdDeckEd

ColdDeckEd

Member
Jul 25, 2018
524
Draper said:
So I just completed my first pc build: EVGA RTX 3080, AMD 5900x, etc.

And now, I'm unsure why? I've always wanted to build my own PC just to learn the process but now that it's finished, I'm not sure how to take advantage of it over my PS5.

What should I do to utilize it to its full potential? What does everyone else do? Should I mod, mine, VR?

I guess I'm asking is what sets it apart from everything else.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Start by downloading all the free games you can get. Battlefront 2 being free on Epic Games Store is a good start.

Any interest in streaming?
 
Ra

Ra

Rap Genius
Moderator
Oct 27, 2017
12,203
Dark Space
You should probably play some videogames?

This is like the weirdest dilemma I've seen posted in a while. "Built new PC, what now?"
 
sedael

sedael

Member
Oct 16, 2020
853
congrats, now you can have spotify, netflix, and whatever game you want open at the same time. go get yourself a gamepass trial and have fun
 
Lobster Roll

Lobster Roll

signature-less, now and forever
Member
Sep 24, 2019
34,325
With those specs the only thing you should be playing on a PS5 are exclusives. Everything else should flow through the PC.
 
Masagiwa

Masagiwa

Member
Jan 27, 2018
9,899
Dest said:
Use Steam and GOG to play through the biggest catalogue of old and new games imaginable.
Use emulation to revisit old classics in new light.
Do that cool project thing you've been meaning to try doing.
Crank the fuck up the graphics and look in awe.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
tenor.gif
 
Rosebud

Rosebud

Two Pieces
Member
Apr 16, 2018
43,512
Step 1: Make a Steam account
Step 2: Find something you like
Step 3: Buy it and play

My suggestion:
 
Zomba13

Zomba13

#1 Waluigi Fan! Current Status: Crying
Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,916
Take it apart and put it back together again.
 
OtisSpunkmeijer

OtisSpunkmeijer

Member
Oct 25, 2019
589
Word of advice - a PC like yours is not just about the extremes of playing the latest games at the best settings etc. A good or decent PC is a game changer to your day to day as well, when things just work quicker, or more things can be done at once without noticing any impact on performance. Its like the change from mechanical HDD to SSD back in the day - its a massive change that is immediately noticeable, but even more so if you were to then go back to a mechanical HDD afterwards.

So as a fellow 5900x user, go wild and do whatever the hell you want all at once!

More specifically, if you're all about the gaming run whatever game you want and with that 3080 crank up the settings, the frame rate or the resolution (or some mix of all three). You pretty much don't need to worry unless your other components are a bottleneck somehow.

Try out genres of games that are best or perhaps only on PC like strategy and sim games.

VR is a game changer on your system if you can get a decent VR set up of which there are now more than ever available.

Or just run as many things as you want all at once.
 
PlatypusDude

PlatypusDude

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,143
Play nothing but Runescape and MOBAs of course.

Sarcasm aside that's a perfectly valid thing to do if you want to do so. Beauty of PC is the flexibility.

Maybe try strategy game like a Total War game that you can't experience on console, or play the latest AAA game. Both are valid.
 
Bing-Bong

Bing-Bong

Banned
Feb 1, 2019
797
First thing i did last year was play something on Max graphics or modded. I'm still impressed my Pc can run Skyrim with 600+ mods without crashing or struggling with it, lol.
 
Arthands

Arthands

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,039
Just use however you want to use it? I don't use mod, just using Pc because of better fidelity, free online, vast amount of games that are not on consoles, discuss about games with fellow players on Steam forum, etc. sometimes i take nice screenshots in Steamphotoshop them and upload them

Emulator, VR, whatever controllers you want, streaming etc. everyone use their pc to play differently

You can subscribe to Humble Monthly to get some games per month for cheap (include older AAA and indie games), follow isthereanydeals, whenisthenextsteamsale etc for sales
 
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Reluctantly Gumblesmug

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,283
now you have steam sales to build a huge backlog of cheap games that you'll never touch, you can emulate everything, and now you have infinite backward compatibility.
 
scabobbs

scabobbs

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,103
If you aren't sure why you just spent $1500, maybe you shouldn't have spent the $1500. There are a lot of pc gamers dying for those parts you just purchased out of boredom I guess?
 
Nekrono

Nekrono

Member
May 17, 2018
565
Welcome to PC gaming where you build the most badass PC you can afford, build then, test a few games and then use it for browsing and youtube since you won't play much on it.
 
TheDanimal

TheDanimal

победитель победитель куриный ужин
Member
Oct 25, 2017
854
Buy Sonic Adventure 2, of course
 
Yueezy

Yueezy

Member
Dec 12, 2020
274
I also started playing on PC, liked playing on Max at 60fps until random crashes happen. I am curious if it is just my PC being moody or it is a general PC gaming thing.
 
Nacho

Nacho

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,110
NYC
Just play some games. VR is a fun thing too. I wouldn't bother mining, you're not really going to get a return on that (if you're paying for the electricity) unless you have a specifically built mining rig.
 

Deleted member 13188

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,970
Play all the stuff that requires mouse and keyboard as it's default controls. So all 4x and grand strategy, real time strategy, construction and management sims, get into computer FPS, mobas, CCGs... I mean there's a lot you probably haven't tried or played before.
 
Cloud-Strife

Cloud-Strife

Alt-Account
Banned
Sep 27, 2019
3,140
Now is time to get a 144hz 1440p monitor and enjoy the most sweet and smooth gameplay you have ever seen.

Pc is all about framerate smooth refresh rates and playing anything you want.. any multiplatform game on PC is better than on console with a PC like yours.

Try emulators like CEMU and Yuzu and watch Wii U / switch games at 60 fps that on the original console only run at sub-30 fps and at resolutions 5x better than consoles.

PC is a wonderful thing compared to console gaming.. I love a good console exclusive every now and then but PC is the way 99% of the time with a capable gaming rig.
 
HaremKing

HaremKing

Banned
Dec 20, 2018
2,416
Posts like these are always so weird to me. If there was no impetus to do something, then why do it? And why would an internet forum of all things be the best recourse of information for this dilemma you brought on?
 
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