The "Gamer Stereotype"
Sep 05 '00 (Updated Sep 29 '00)
In my opinion "gamers" have been rather unfairly stereotyped, especially here at Epinions. If you've read any of the "buying guides" at this site, you probably know the stereotype I'm referring to. The "gamer" is a computer fanatic who will do (and spend) anything to have the latest cutting-edge hardware, and is absolutely single-minded in that rabid pursuit of the "best hardware money can buy". The "gamer" will do whatever it takes to get that extra 2 frames-per-second in the latest shooter game, just to have the slightest edge over his opponents (human or virtual). Words like "reason", "depreciation", and "obsolescence" aren't even in the gamer's vocabulary. In fact, after blowing his entire checking account on state-of-the-art hardware, it's a miracle he has any money left to actually buy games.
I may be exaggerating a bit here, but I'm sure you get the point. And whether to this extreme or to a lesser one, it's definitely the way gamers are perceived, to the point where it practically goes without saying. But do we ever take a step back and wonder if this stereotype even makes any sense? Not often, it seems, considering the number of articles and reviews that perpetuate the idea without even a second thought.
Are there far, far worse stereotypes of gamers out there? Sure. Who knows how many editorials and articles have been written about gamers being stereotyped as childish, geeky, anti-social, even violent (remember when Doom was blamed for Columbine? And when computer game publishers were sued for the Paducah shootings?). Of course, all of those stereotypes have practically been discussed to death, and I'm pretty tired of that debate personally (of course, anybody notice who Al Gore's running mate turned out to be? ;-).
As for the idea that gamers are rabid, cost-is-no-object hardware fanatics, it seems a little strange that playing PC games as a pastime would make someone lose all reason when it comes to making intelligent hardware buying decisions. In fact, of all my gamer friends not one of them even remotely fits the stereotype. If anything, the "hardcore gamer stereotype" sounds more like an uninformed computer novice with far too much money on his hands, not a real "gamer" with expert knowledge of the latest technology.
Of course, it's not hard to see where the stereotype comes from. Who else but a hardcore gamer would buy the latest $400 Geforce 2 Ultra graphics card, or the soon-to-be-released $600 Voodoo 5 6000? Why would anyone want to buy the latest 1.1 gigahertz Athlon, if not to play the latest 3D games on it? After all, in the history of personal computers, games have generally been the single most hardware-intensive type of software, with by far the most demanding hardware requirements. The problem is, it's the classic "stereotype fallacy". Sure, 99% of the people who splurge on really high-end gaming equipment are also hardcore gamers, to no surprise. But that doesn't mean every hardcore gamer fits that description, or even that more than a small percentage do.
OK, enough editorializing... To illustrate an example of what I would consider a "gamer" PC, here's a rundown of the system I just put together in the last few weeks, with a description of why I chose the parts I did, where I found them, and how much I paid. I'll also be arranging the info by "orders", as in grouped by the actual orders I placed from online vendors. It's a bit cumbersome, I know, as opposed to just listing out all the parts in one neat little list. But by arranging it this way, I hope to show how you can get some great deals, and put together a much more powerful PC for less cost, if you take a slightly "atypical" approach.
Please note that my definition of a "gamer PC" is NOT simply a listing of top-of-the-line components, which seems to be a common definition of a "gamer PC" these days. Instead, it is simply the PC put together by myself, a self-professed "hardcore gamer" who spends a great deal of his spare time playing PC games, many of which have very demanding hardware requirements.
Order #1 from Buy.com:
Unlocked Duron 650 Retail CPU $97
50X Acer CD-ROM $39
Voodoo 3 1000 16 mb AGP $50
$30 off $150 coupon
Total cost: $160.91
Buy.com is generally an excellent source for just about any hardware component. In my experience they have excellent customer service, a generous return policy, and the best order-tracking around. Plus, they usually have very competitive prices on just about any given item (with the exception of video cards; for some inexplicable reason many of Buy.com's video cards are so horribly overpriced they're still selling at LAST YEAR'S prices). Combine those prices with discount coupons, all of which can be found at www.techbargains.com, and you can get some incredible deals that you'd have to go with a small, no-name vendor to match. (for more on Buy.com, see my Buy.com review at: http://vicwang.epinions.com/gift-review-3779-1053FE0-38C82A5D-bd1 ) In this case, I used a $30 off $150 coupon to get my CD-ROM, graphics card, and CPU for almost the same price as a Duron 700 would have cost by itself.
I'll discuss the parts briefly one by one:
50X Acer CD-ROM
I'll actually be putting this in my old PC, and swapping it with the Pioneer 10X DVD-ROM drive. I went with the 50X Acer simply because it was the cheapest drive Buy.com had. Since it will only be used for occasionally installing software on my old PC, performance was a non-issue (of course, anything 50X+ is quite fast, and it's even faster than my 10X DVD drive, which is roughly equal to a 40X CD-ROM in terms of speed).
Duron 650
I actually would have bought the Duron 600 for $82, but it was out of stock. Why penny-pinch over something as performance-critical as the CPU, you may ask? Because the AMD Duron is no ordinary CPU. All Durons are basically "underclocked" to fill out AMD's product line, and are actually at least Duron 850's in disguise. I know that sounds pretty weird, but otherwise AMD would have no products to compete at the low-end of the spectrum, and AMD would lose business with vendors who want to sell low-cost PC's (I personally disagree with the philosophy, but that's Intel and AMD's reasoning, anyway). In fact, rumor has it that almost every AMD CPU (Athlon or Duron) produced these days is actually at least a 950 in disguise, with most Athlons being capable of 1000-1100 mhz speeds. If that's true, it's a pretty fascinating irony: Intel continues to be incapable of producing anything faster than 950 in volume, while AMD is unable to produce anything slower.
Durons are also very "unusual" for some reasons. For one thing, Durons are almost identical to AMD's high-end Athlon, with the exception that they contain 64k of L2 cache instead of 256k. That might sound like a huge difference, but remember that both CPU's also contain 128k of L1 cache, giving the Duron an effective 192k of total cache. Without going into the technical details, the Duron's 192k of effective cache is pretty good compared to the Intel PIII's 256k of effective cache, and the Celeron's 128k. Plus, Durons also use the same 200 mhz EV1 bus as the Athlon, while PIII's are still stuck at 133 mhz and Celerons at 66 mhz bus speeds. That translates into performance that is typically within 5-15% of the socketed "Thunderbird" Athlon, and roughly equal to the "old" slot Athlons at any given speed. Bottom line: don't be fooled by believing the Duron is a "budget" or "low-end" CPU. Especially when overclocked, Durons are flat-out barnburners in terms of pure performance (see the comments on my "Buying a PC for $1500-2000" article, or my upcoming Duron review, for details on how to overclock the Duron).
Voodoo 3 1000 AGP
I'm sure this is another "shocker" for most readers out there. The Voodoo 3 was outdated technology practically when it was first released, with no 32-bit color, no AGP features, and definitely no T&L acceleration. Now it's been about out for about 18 months, and the latest cards blow the V3 out of the water in terms of performance and features. To make this decision even more surprising, the V3 1000 is actually *slower* than the V3 2000 that was first released, with only 125 mhz RAM instead of 143 mhz. But here's my reasoning behind this card: Modern cards may offer mind-blowing performance, but they are also extremely expensive when compared to the historical cost of video cards over the last few years. The latest cards, with FSAA and onboard T&L, cost updards of $275 each, with anything cheaper offering little more than faster performance. And that's the key to 3D cards in the Voodoo 3 performance range: in terms of raw performance, they're easily capable of handling the latest games. It's simply the latest features that they lack, and most of those features have very little support in actual games anyway. Even hardware T&L, which has been on the market for almost a year now, is still practically nonexistent in terms of games that use it.
If you look at the current crop of cards, only recently have cards been released with real "killer" features that make an upgrade from a V3/TNT2 class of 3D card worthwhile:
1) True full-screen anti-aliasing, and the fill rates capable of handling it
2) 32-bit color with enough memory bandwidth to handle it
Both of these relatively-recent advancements are some of the most major developments since the first Voodoos were released. With FSAA, 32-bit color, and 60 fps, cards have finally achieved visuals that are a huge step-up from the image quality that graphics cards had been "stuck at" for years.
Unfortunately, only three cards truly fit these "requirements": The ATI Radeon, the Voodoo 5 5500, and the Geforce 2 GTS. And these cards cost at least $250 each, with some Geforce 2 models in the $400 range. Sure you can get TNT2's and first-generation Geforces for less, but TNT2's don't have the bandwidth to truly handle high-speed 32-bit color, and Geforce 1's are not quite adequate for FSAA. The way I'm looking at it right now, I'm waiting until one of the three aforementioned cards (preferrably the Geforce 2) falls into the $100-130 range. Not only will they be much more affordable at that time (which should be within the next 6 months), but by that time 32-bit color textures will finally be incorporated into all games, and there should be MUCH more support for T&L also. It's the classic case of "buying the hardware for cheap, when you actually can put it to good use, instead of buying it now and ripping yourself off when you can't". Hence, my decision to go with the dirt-cheap V3.
Order #2 from Buy.com:
2 Linksys Fast Ethernet PCI 10/100 cards: $30
$20 Linksys rebate
$10 off $15 coupon for new customers
Total cost: $5.70 shipped (after rebate)
I had my girlfriend place this order for me, since I've already used the Buy.com $10 discount for new customers. To get two PCI 10/100 Ethernet cards from a reputable company like Linksys, for only $2.65 each after rebate... well, it's hard to beat a deal like that ;-). Especially considering the fact that comparable 3COM cards (which from what I hear are pretty much the same thing) can cost as much as $75 each. By using the two network cards and a $10 network cable, I'll be able to share the printer, drives, and internet connection between both PC's, as well as play network games.
Order #3 from Buy.com:
30 GB IBM Deskstar 75GXP HD: $159
$30 off $150 coupon
Total cost: $135
Simply put, this is the fastest IDE hard drive currently on the market. It supports ATA/100, has a 7200 RPM spindle speed, and uses several patented IBM technologies (ex. glass platters) for incredible areal density and performance. And with the $30 discount, I was able to get it for the as much as many inferior drives would have cost (note: I also had my girlfriend place this order under her account, since I used the $30 off $150 on order #1). Tom's Hardware recently reviewed this HD, and its performance lead over any other drive even surprised me. To quote the review, this drive "is able to beat all formerly tested hard drives in each and every benchmark."
Besides being the best drive on the market, I didn't mind spending $135 on a hard drive for several other reasons.
If you measure a computer's performance (or lack thereof) by how much time you spend waiting on it, then buying the fastest HD possible (within reason) is the best way to go. It won't increase your FPS in games, or make those Photoshop filters finish faster, but it will cut those load times significantly--especially on games that can often take seemingly forever just for levels to load. Take my favorite PC game, for example: System Shock 2. Phenomenal game, but the load times are killer. Even with a "maximum" install, which results in all the data being read off the HD instead of the much-slower CD-ROM, levels take about 45 seconds to load from my 5400 RPM 10 gig HD. Everquest is even worse, with some levels taking 2 MINUTES. With my new HD, load times have pretty much been reduced by half. Boot times are also a good 15-20 seconds faster, and going into and coming out of "sleep mode" (where information is "saved" to the HD and recovered when "waking up") only takes a few seconds.
Fast HD's can help in other less obvious ways as well, since the swapfile is used by Windows even when data is not being read from the drive. Windows itself still reads and writes to the drive for its own internal processes, and especially if you're performing highly RAM-intensive tasks, a fast HD can noticeably improve system performance.
Order #4 from Powerstart Computer (www.powerstartpc.com):
Asus A7V motherboard with multiplier dip-switches: $157
This was simply a no brainer. The Asus A7V has received nothing but rave reviews all over the 'net for being THE socket-A motherboard to get. Not only does it have all the features one could want (AGP 4X, ATA/100, 4 USB ports, etc), and come from the most respected name in the motherboard business, but it's also one of the only socket-A boards with the infamous "clock multiplier dipswitches", making overclocking of Athlon and Duron CPU's incredibly easy (again, see the comments of my Buying a PC for $1500-2000 article for the details). Since getting my new system up and running, I've been gradually increasing the clock speed by a speed grade every few days. Right now I've reached 900 mhz with excellent stability, and the heatsink is still only warm to the touch. I'm also running at a 1.85 core voltage, which is the highest the motherboard allows (higher voltages generate more heat, but allow you to overclock the processor to higher speeds). I'll post an update once I overclock my CPU as high as it will go without sacrificing stability.
Order #5 from Dynasty Express (www.dynastyexpress.com):
Enlight 7237 case with 300 watt Sparkle power supply: $95
For most people, $95 probably seems rather steep for something as basic as a case and power supply. My current system's case and PS only cost $30, for example, and most people seem to just buy whatever's cheapest and gets the job done. They're all the same, after all, right? Definitely not. Although I can't say for sure whether I've had PS problems myself, since it's hard to tell if a problem is PS related or not, buying a very low-quality, no-name power supply can often prevent you from attaining a stable, reliable, and overclockable system. The PS is especially important with Duron and Athlon systems, since AMD suggests 300W power supplies at the very minimum. Not only that, but they also have a list of AMD Approved power supplies (bet you never thought there was such a thing!), which can be found at: http://www1.amd.com/duron/power .
So what's the deal with power supplies, anyway? Two things, mainly: having enough juice to power all your components, including worst-case-scenarios when you've got your HD, CD-ROM, 3D card, CPU, etc. all being pushed to the max simultaneously; and being able to deliver a "clean" source of power without interference, power spikes/dips, fluctuations, etc. Of course, buying a top-quality power supply is not as mission-critical as some people make it out to be (PC Magazine once had an article where the author claimed something like "90% of all system crashes are caused by the power supply", which was completely idiotic and unsubstantiated) but I know that MANY Athlon/Duron owners have run into major problems because they bought a crappy 200 watt power supply (and then proceeded to blame AMD, of course ;-).
As far as my specific choice of case and power supply, Enlight and Sparkle are both "name brands" in their respective fields, (although the 7237 is one of Enlight's lower-end cases) and I found the two components at Dynasty Express cheaper than anywhere else (I think the next best price was $115 or so).
Order #6 from Staples.com:
Pixie 750 17-inch monitor: $70 (after rebate)
Unfortunately, although I got this monitor for about a THIRD of what most 17-inch monitors cost, there is a reason it was so insanely cheap: it only supports resolutions up to 1024x768, and can only handle a 60 HZ refresh rate at that resolution (thankfully it can go to 75 HZ at 800x600). It does, however have a good dot-pitch rating of .27, and the monitor does indeed look pretty darn good for the price.
Of course, it's worth noting that many, if not most, PC users leave their monitors at the default 60 HZ anyway and don't even realize it. Personally, 60 HZ bugs the heck out of me, so that's why I'll be swapping it out with my old system's Sampo Alphascan 711, which I absolutely love. My Sampo goes up to 75HZ at 1024x768, which is my favorite desktop resolution.
The remaining parts will of my "Gamer PC" will be filled out with parts from my old machine:
128 MB PC100 SDRAM: $50 (bought in April when RAM prices had plummeted)
Voodoo 3 2000: $53 (purchased from Value America last year before they shut down)
Microsoft Keyboard Elite: Free (see my review of it for details)
Microsoft Intellimouse with Intellieye: $30 (I've got a review of this one, too)
Logitech Soundman X2 speakers and subwoofer: $25 (ditto)
Floppy drive: Free ("salvaged" from my 1st PC, which is used only for Internet and email anyway)
Pioneer 10X DVD-ROM: $100
Sigma Designs Hollywood Plus DVD decoder: $35
Aureal SQ2500 sound card: $35
Here's my final configuration after all is said and done:
AMD Duron 650, overclocked to 900
Asus A7V motherboard
Enlight 7237 case with Sparkle 300W power supply
Voodoo 3 2000 overclocked to 175 mhz
IBM Deskstar 75GXP 7200 RPM 30GB HD
128 MB PC100 SDRAM
HP External USB modem
Pioneer 10X DVD-ROM
Sigma Designs Hollywood Plus DVD decoder
Aureal SQ2500 sound card
Logitech Soundman X2 speakers and subwoofer
Sampo Alphascan 711 17-inch monitor
Linksys 10/100 PCI Ethernet card
Total cost (including the cost of parts from my old system that I "migrated" to this one): $875
(Note that this cost doesn't match the total I spent on all six orders, which was $625, since some of those parts ended up in my old PC and some of my old parts ended up in this one. I also included the cost of the Pixie 750 monitor in the $875 figure, since I got my Sampo monitor three years ago as a "free" upgrade).
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. Not the "ultimate gamer's PC" by any means, but not too shabby for a system in the $800-900 range (monitor included). In fact, a system in this performance class would have cost at least $2000 just 6 months ago. Today, pre-built systems in the $800-900 range are still pretty pathetic by "gamer" standards. Even if you were to buy such a system from a local computer shop, which often provide lower-cost PC's than "name-brand" manufacturers, you'll have a hard time even finding one without integrated audio, integrated video (a gamer's worst nightmare), a 5400 RPM HD, no DVD, etc. With this system, you've got a top-of-the line HD and motherboard, a CPU what would have been top-of-the-line just a few months ago, DVD capability, and network support. Plus, I'll have the peace of mind that I've used no "generic" or really low-end parts. Even if not all the parts are "high-end" they are all name brands with a reputation for quality.
Just for the heck of it, here's how my "old" PC ended up after migrating the parts to my new PC, and after I replaced them with other parts that I either ordered or had left over from previous upgrades:
AMD K6-2 550, overclocked to 560 (112 x 5)
Epox MVP3-G motherboard
Voodoo 3 1000
IBM 10 GB 5400 RPM HD
64 MB PC100 SDRAM
US Robotics Sporster ISA modem
Acer 50X CD-ROM
Aztech PCI-338 sound card
Pixie 750 17-inch monitor
Yamaha YST-MS28 speakers and subwoofer
Linksys 10/100 PCI Ethernet card
Total amount spent on this system, including cost of old parts but excluding monitor: $590
If you found this article useful, please check out my articles on "Buying a Computer for Beginners", "3dfx vs. nVidia", "Buying a Graphics Card", "Buying a Computer for $1500-2000", and my review of the Voodoo 5 5500. All five are intended to complement each other as "companion" articles, and all are written in the same vein. I'll also be updating this article once I have my system up and running, so please check back in a week or so for the update.
Thanks for reading,
-vicwang
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Epinions.com ID:
vicwang
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Member: Vic Wang
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 216 members
About Me:
Systems Analyst and all-around computer guru who's always keeping up with the latest technology.
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