Expert: Bobbert - 6/10/2009

Question
Hello, ive recently been looking at a variety of gaming PCs looking for one that has good load time and graphics for online gaming, i have heard good reviews from Velocitymicro and Alienware but i am a little confused on all the system specs and things. My budget range is ~1200, Im not looking for anything fancy though just something that I can play games on and have them look good and load fast. i play mostly Mass multiplayer rpgs. thanks

Answer
It would really depend on what titles we're talking about, specifically, as older titles, such as World of Warcraft, will not require anywhere near the processing power as more modern games, such as Fallout 3 or Crysis. Generally I would suggest looking to run the newer titles, as it ensures older titles will run with no issues (allow me to qualify this: quite old titles, for example PC games from the mid 1990's, may have issues with newer hardware).

Regarding "load times", this depends heavily on your internet connection (in the case of MMO's), so while having a fast computer may improve performance, it is not a gurantee of "flawless" performance with online gaming (if you have a high speed internet service, such as DSL or DOCSIS (Cable), thats about the best you can do, and should generally be no trouble with online gaming).

As far as Velocity Micro or Alienware are concerned, given your budget (which I'm assuming is in US dollars?), I wouldn't take that route, given their generally high prices (as a result of their boutique status). In that price range, I would either consider a machine from Dell, Gateway, or HP, or building the computer yourself (if interested, I'd be glad to provide some online resources for you).

-bob