• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
  • We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.

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

Shozuki

Shozuki

Member
Mar 5, 2018
182
don't treat it like a console... it's so much more...

Higher resolution/better FPS/Better image quality
Emulation
Mods on fave games
Free games (EGS for example)
Freedom of control (KB+M, any console controller)
Content creation

As a side note, I'd ask about your monitor - your monitor really makes a difference when getting the most from your PC. I use a high end Asus Ultrawide (PG35VQ) and that's the main reason I prefer gaming on PC. I love Ultrawide...
 
psilocybe

psilocybe

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,402
Cheat in boring parts or difficult spikes of a game.
Remove weight limit in RPGs with mods.

Use a gamepad of mouse and keyboard. Choose how you want to play.
 
Iztok

Iztok

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,138
TBH for me, it's VR + playing games at higher refresh rates.
Not all PS5 games will support 120, your PC will.
 
degauss

degauss

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
4,631
Shpeshal Ed said:
These new consoles at $499 have never made building a PC a more fruitless endeavour than it is right now.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Agreed.

I bounce on and off PC every generation ever since my teens.

Having used the PS5 for a few months now, it's been a sea-change moment. Any thought of ever owning a desktop PC again has been completely shredded from my mind, now that the HDD and CPU caveats the PS4 had have been completely resolved.

Maybe some of it is age. I had time for tinkering with in my teens, twenties, but now I just want to push the button in the centre of the controller and play. And certainly my peers have mostly gone a similar path, any who continue gaming into their thirties will mostly just pick up the appliance.

The expense, the build, windows, and all the little paper cut issues PC gives you isn't worth it anymore in exchange for... the same games as on console with slightly better settings, maybe, if you've spent enough and configured them correctly. PC exclusives are so few and far between, and when they crop up they tend to be be designed to run on low spec laptops (League of Legends, Valorant), or white elephant exceptions like Star Citizen.

Sure there are advantages it still has, tinkering, modding, emulation, early access titles, but plenty of paper cut inconveniences to balance that out.

If I was to get anything to supplement the PlayStation it would just be Series X.
 
dunkzilla

dunkzilla

alt account
Banned
Dec 13, 2018
4,762
The world is your oyster my man. Play some older games that you like, try some indie games you never got around to. Grab some Xbox exclusive games that you're interested in (Gears 5 Hivebusters is on Gamepass pc for example). Don't stress on the "I need to play the latest and greatest right now" or "I need to take advantages of what PC can do (modding etc. over console" that stuff will come with time. Just go with the flow. Your pc will be with you for a long time.
 
PixelatedDonut

PixelatedDonut

Chicken Chaser
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,966
Philly ❤️
PC threads always seems so weird here, people spend thousands of dollars, then act confused about the platform, or act like they can only play a PC with M&kb on a 13in tn monitor.
 
Horned Reaper

Horned Reaper

Member
Nov 7, 2017
1,560
wafflebrain said:
Get a mechanical keyboard and write a dissertation on why you should know why you're buying things ahead of time :P

Seriously do some of ya'll just buy stuff based on the length/popularity of threads (looking at you 3000 series pre-order thread of insanity)?

For a less abrasive response, get into indie games big time OP, check out itch.io, and bask in the glory of the gray market of game keys and sales, CDKeys and isthereanydeal.com are now your best friends.



I'm about to blow your mind are you ready? You can use that PC on your oled. I've been using mine on bigscreens for 10+ years. It's like you're actively trying to give the PS5 an arbitrary advantage. I guarantee 2077 on my 55 inch 4k tv on ultra with full RT looks plenty impressive. But hey I get it not everyone wants a PC in their living room. Mini itx will definitely by my next from the ground up build.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
No need for the passive agressiveness, I simply don't have a computer close to my tv and don't even own a PS5. I have an mAtx so it's a bit chunkier than a mini itx. Plus I mainly use my desktop for development, so bringing it to the living room is not an option.

I get that people building a pc for gaming only have that advantages though. In other words I simply prefer the display over things like framerate and RTX since that's my situation.
 
Rosebud

Rosebud

Two Pieces
Member
Apr 16, 2018
43,611
degauss said:
Agreed.

I bounce on and off PC every generation ever since my teens.

Having used the PS5 for a few months now, it's been a sea-change moment. Any thought of ever owning a desktop PC again has been completely shredded from my mind, now that the HDD and CPU caveats the PS4 had have been completely resolved.

Maybe some of it is age. I had time for tinkering with in my teens, twenties, but now I just want to push the button in the centre of the controller and play. And certainly my peers have mostly gone a similar path, any who continue gaming into their thirties will mostly just pick up the appliance.

The expense, the build, windows, and all the little paper cut issues PC gives you isn't worth it anymore in exchange for... the same games as on console with slightly better settings, maybe, if you've spent enough and configured them correctly. PC exclusives are so few and far between, and when they crop up they tend to be be designed to run on low spec laptops (League of Legends, Valorant), or white elephant exceptions like Star Citizen.

Sure there are advantages it still has, tinkering, modding, emulation, early access titles, but plenty of paper cut inconveniences to balance that out.

If I was to get anything to supplement the PlayStation it would just be Series X.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

PC exclusives really aren't "so few and far between", especially if you like indies. Console exclusives are so few and far between lol (basically only SIE and Nintendo games)

And I never "tinker" with anything, I play on the recommended settings for my machine. Took much longer to decide the options I wanted in TLOU II.
 
Unaha-Closp

Unaha-Closp

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,728
Scotland
This happens to everyone. Just the other day I walked into the Kitchen and was unsure why. Hate when that happens. I would play a video game on your PC personally speaking but you could just browse Era instead.
 
Plum

Plum

Member
May 31, 2018
17,299
wafflebrain said:
I'm about to blow your mind are you ready? You can use that PC on your oled. I've been using mine on bigscreens for 10+ years. It's like you're actively trying to give the PS5 an arbitrary advantage. I guarantee 2077 on my 55 inch 4k tv on ultra with full RT looks plenty impressive. But hey I get it not everyone wants a PC in their living room. Mini itx will definitely by my next from the ground up build.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I mean they did specify that they were using an ultrawide, so unless there are some high-end HDR OLED ultra-wides out there (that they can afford to buy right now) going to a TV is going to be more of a sidegrade than anything. That's not to mention space concerns; PCs tend to fit a lot nicer on dedicated desks than they do on home TV stations (as your desire for a Mini ITX build shows).

Even then, as someone who played a bunch of PC on my own OLED, there are still many issues. HDR was either completely absent or a pain-in-the-arse in most games whilst it's been a standard on consoles for years now, and it didn't support 4K/120hz in the way my Series X does. Then if you're willing to into more subjective territory a PC doesn't have most of the Playstation exclusives that are generally seen as benchmarks in both graphical fidelity and HDR quality; even on the best of PCs you'll still mostly just be playing multi-platform games at higher settings.
 

Deleted member 37928

Banned
Jan 10, 2018
6,927
You've built yourself both a very powerful gaming and a great working platform. Get into music, video or photo editing and it will soon become the most valuable thing in your home. I use my PC mainly for gaming but it's also great to have as a creative working tool.
 
medyej

medyej

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,441
If you want to experience AAA games that you can't on a console: Half Life Alyx, Cyberpunk 2077, and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
 
Plum

Plum

Member
May 31, 2018
17,299
grandmedjey said:
If you want to experience AAA games that you can't on a console: Half Life Alyx, Cyberpunk 2077, and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

???

I've put 40 hours of generally-decent gameplay on my Series X, and Flight Simulator is literally getting a console version this Summer. Neither of those are PC-exclusive experiences lol

Half: Life Alyx is amazing though, but that still requires a few-hundred dollars more for the VR headset necessary.
 
medyej

medyej

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,441
Plum said:
???

I've put 40 hours of generally-decent gameplay on my Series X, and Flight Simulator is literally getting a console version this Summer. Neither of those are PC-exclusive experiences lol

Half: Life Alyx is amazing though, but that still requires a few-hundred dollars more for the VR headset necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

CP2077 is basically a different game on consoles, if he plays it on a 3080 he'll know what I'm talking about.

and MSFS isn't on console yet so my point still stands, it's something new you can play that he couldn't before.
 
RedShift_

RedShift_

Member
Jul 24, 2018
507
Stacey said:
Just do what the rest of us do

1. Download MSI afterburner.
2. Enable onscreen display.
3. Ruin whatever enjoyment you had with a game when it drops below 60fps or stutters and you then spend the next three days messing with the in-game settings trying to work out what's causing the performance issues.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I didn't need this personal attack
 
Horned Reaper

Horned Reaper

Member
Nov 7, 2017
1,560
Plum said:
I mean they did specify that they were using an ultrawide, so unless there are some high-end HDR OLED ultra-wides out there (that they can afford to buy right now) going to a TV is going to be more of a sidegrade than anything. That's not to mention space concerns; PCs tend to fit a lot nicer on dedicated desks than they do on home TV stations (as your desire for a Mini ITX build shows).

Even then, as someone who played a bunch of PC on my own OLED, there are still many issues. HDR was either completely absent or a pain-in-the-arse in most games whilst it's been a standard on consoles for years now, and it didn't support 4K/120hz in the way my Series X does. Then if you're willing to into more subjective territory a PC doesn't have most of the Playstation exclusives that are generally seen as benchmarks in both graphical fidelity and HDR quality; even on the best of PCs you'll still mostly just be playing multi-platform games at higher settings.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Well said. I also feel that things like attention to detail and motion capture add to the graphical impressiveness of a game eventhough it technically doesn't count as graphics. The only pc game that has really wowed me has been Half Life Alyx, but I wouldn't mind some graphical showcase recommendations for pc though :)
 
Plum

Plum

Member
May 31, 2018
17,299
grandmedjey said:
CP2077 is basically a different game on consoles, if he plays it on a 3080 he'll know what I'm talking about.

and MSFS isn't on console yet so my point still stands, it's something new you can play that he couldn't before.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves; the 3080 version might look amazing but it's not a "different game," than the 60fps, relatively high-resolution versions on PS5 and Series X. It's still incredibly buggy and lacking in many crucial gameplay systems; the game just looks a lot nicer and plays a bit better.

Your point does still stand technically but, I mean, saying that your $2,000+ device's main exclusives is a few months of playing a relatively niche Flight SImulator game before console owners isn't exactly a massive benefit imo.
 
Vex

Vex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,213
Dude you can literally do ANYTHING. You can even run android games on your pc (gachas, etc) using emulators.

You have so much backwards compatibility, you could just play old games (at insane resolutions) and never run out of content. All with a dualshock 4 controller too! (Or dualsense!)

I think the better question is what CANT you do. Because there's far less of that than vice versa.

Oh btw, enjoy free online gaming....
 
Reckheim

Reckheim

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
9,385
play games on it that run and look better then on the PS5.

I mean, that's the entire point of getting a PC.

you can also sub to MS gamepass and play the free games on there. Make sure to get the free Epic games game every week as well.
 
medyej

medyej

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,441
Plum said:
Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves; the 3080 version might look amazing but it's not a "different game," than the 60fps, relatively high-resolution versions on PS5 and Series X. It's still incredibly buggy and lacking in many crucial gameplay systems; the game just looks a lot nicer and plays a bit better.

Your point does still stand technically but, I mean, saying that your $2,000+ device's main exclusives is a few months of playing a relatively niche Flight SImulator game before console owners isn't exactly a massive benefit imo.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Agree to disagree then, I and many others playing it on PC find it to be a totally difference experience. Even the bugs are lessened somehow.

And I didn't say it was the device's 'main exclusives'. I merely pointed out if he's looking for big budget amazing looking games that he couldn't play elsewhere you can play those. Everyone knows there is literally thousands of PC exclusives to play through, these are just recent and high profile.

Seriously sometimes I wonder why I even bother talking about pc gaming on this forum, lol
 
Shpeshal Nick

Shpeshal Nick

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,856
Melbourne, Australia
degauss said:
Agreed.

I bounce on and off PC every generation ever since my teens.

Having used the PS5 for a few months now, it's been a sea-change moment. Any thought of ever owning a desktop PC again has been completely shredded from my mind, now that the HDD and CPU caveats the PS4 had have been completely resolved.

Maybe some of it is age. I had time for tinkering with in my teens, twenties, but now I just want to push the button in the centre of the controller and play. And certainly my peers have mostly gone a similar path, any who continue gaming into their thirties will mostly just pick up the appliance.

The expense, the build, windows, and all the little paper cut issues PC gives you isn't worth it anymore in exchange for... the same games as on console with slightly better settings, maybe, if you've spent enough and configured them correctly. PC exclusives are so few and far between, and when they crop up they tend to be be designed to run on low spec laptops (League of Legends, Valorant), or white elephant exceptions like Star Citizen.

Sure there are advantages it still has, tinkering, modding, emulation, early access titles, but plenty of paper cut inconveniences to balance that out.

If I was to get anything to supplement the PlayStation it would just be Series X.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Well yeah, with Xbox basically establishing a PC like Backwards compatibility foundation, a Series X might as well be your "PC" at $499 and a Game Pass sub.
 
Plum

Plum

Member
May 31, 2018
17,299
grandmedjey said:
Agree to disagree then, I and many others playing it on PC find it to be a totally difference experience. Even the bugs are lessened somehow.

And I didn't say it was the device's 'main exclusives'. I merely pointed out if he's looking for big budget amazing looking games that he couldn't play elsewhere you can play those. Everyone knows there is literally thousands of PC exclusives to play through, these are just recent and high profile.

Seriously sometimes I wonder why I even bother talking about pc gaming on this forum, lol
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I literally just correct some objectively false statements and it's made out to be akin to forum-wide discrimination against PC gamers. Huh.
 
SAKY

SAKY

Member
Oct 25, 2017
174
Earth
I'd say you built a rig at the wrong time. Halfway through a console generation is prime time to get a gaming PC as the visual improvements are immediately apparent and gratifying. Perhaps though it will be, even now. Keyboard and mouse access is slowly becoming a non-issue as console games start to support such inputs. While fine tuning settings is still in favor of PC I personally find it to be the most annoying thing about PC when all I want to do is simply play without feeling like I am missing out in something that improves the experience.

On the plus side you have access to modern VR setups and a multifunction machine that can do more than than play games and stream media. Also you can play games with just about the best visuals that are currently available.
 
MrFreeze

MrFreeze

Member
Oct 13, 2019
128
OP, I was in the same situation as you back in 2016. Wanted to build a PC for years to play games like WItcher 3, but once I got it, I didn't know what to do with it. Turns out I don't really like PC gaming. I was more concerned with running benchmarks and getting the most FPS with the highest graphical fidelity than I was actually enjoying the games I was playing.

I liked researching the parts to get the most out of my budget and building the PC more than playing on it. Once I found that out in 2017 I sold the PC during the crypto boom back then and managed to get most of my money back. Lesson learned I guess. I did like PC for all the reasons mentioned in this thread, but right now it's not for me and that's fine.

I do keep up with new hardware releases and such, so maybe I'll dive back in in the future.
 
PixelatedDonut

PixelatedDonut

Chicken Chaser
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,966
Philly ❤️
Plum said:
I literally just correct some objectively false statements and it's made out to be akin to forum-wide discrimination against PC gamers. Huh.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
There's been forum wide PC problems for a long time, anyone who's apart of the PC community already knows that. Hell it's been talked about in pretty much any PC thread about people not getting the platform. And we've had many of these threads before.
 
TaterTots

TaterTots

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,968
You had a reason to build it in the first place. The answer is that. Guessing this is a stealth brag thread or something odd.
 
OP
OP
Draper

Draper

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
4,283
Harrisburg, PA
Shozuki said:
don't treat it like a console... it's so much more...

Higher resolution/better FPS/Better image quality
Emulation
Mods on fave games
Free games (EGS for example)
Freedom of control (KB+M, any console controller)
Content creation

As a side note, I'd ask about your monitor - your monitor really makes a difference when getting the most from your PC. I use a high end Asus Ultrawide (PG35VQ) and that's the main reason I prefer gaming on PC. I love Ultrawide...
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I kinda feel like I cheaped out on the monitor side- went with the Dell 2721DGF, and it's kinda dull? Doesn't really compare to the CX I have hooked up to the PS5 downstairs.
 
TerremotoDePorta

TerremotoDePorta

Member
Nov 21, 2017
765
Stacey said:
Just do what the rest of us do

1. Download MSI afterburner.
2. Enable onscreen display.
3. Ruin whatever enjoyment you had with a game when it drops below 60fps or stutters and you then spend the next three days messing with the in-game settings trying to work out what's causing the performance issues.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You mean below 144fps. Because I bought 144hz so I'm gonna USE all 144hz.
 
Tacitus

Tacitus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,039
Now you can partake in the time honoured tradition. Playing games that ran on a potato a decade ago with your shiny new machine.
 
voOsh

voOsh

Member
Apr 5, 2018
1,665
Draper said:
I kinda feel like I cheaped out on the monitor side- went with the Dell 2721DGF, and it's kinda dull? Doesn't really compare to the CX I have hooked up to the PS5 downstairs.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Hook your PC up to your TV or stream via Moonlight/Steam Link. Use your best hardware together.
 
Polyh3dron

Polyh3dron

Prophet of Regret
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,860
Draper said:
I kinda feel like I cheaped out on the monitor side- went with the Dell 2721DGF, and it's kinda dull? Doesn't really compare to the CX I have hooked up to the PS5 downstairs.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Well at 1440p you're guaranteed to run basically everything at the full 144FPS except for maybe Cyberpunk with full raytracing, and even then you'll get over 60FPS with the proper DLSS setting.

That Dell is a decent monitor but no, nothing will compare to that LG CX OLED.
 
Shozuki

Shozuki

Member
Mar 5, 2018
182
Draper said:
I kinda feel like I cheaped out on the monitor side- went with the Dell 2721DGF, and it's kinda dull? Doesn't really compare to the CX I have hooked up to the PS5 downstairs.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Ah there you go man, if you connect it to a screen significantly worse then what your PS5 is connected to it's not going to help seeing the difference... Maybe look into that or even connect the PC to the TV if that's possible...
 

c bweezie

Member
Jan 8, 2020
717
I've done literally the same thing (lucked into a 3080 so I built a PC) and have the same "what should I play now" question. Love the suggestions I'm seeing.
 

Sandersson

Banned
Feb 5, 2018
2,535
You should definately sell that card to me ASAP. Since PC has no games and the SSD is slower than the one in PS5, what on earth could you possibly want to use it for? Hit me up and ill transfer the money.
 
OP
OP
Draper

Draper

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
4,283
Harrisburg, PA
Shozuki said:
Ah there you go man, if you connect it to a screen significantly worse then what your PS5 is connected to it's not going to help seeing the difference... Maybe look into that or even connect the PC to the TV if that's possible...
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah, with my set up, it's not really possible. Even in 2K, windows font and the like just seems oddly jaggy and rough. And yeah, the colors feel washed out so I've cranked the intensity. It's a bit better now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.