By Lily Asis
PC gaming is as popular as it has ever been. With millions of people around the world playing thousands of different games at any given time, it is little wonder why more and more people are getting involved. Unfortunately, however, PC gaming is not as simple as console gaming; consoles are made to be “plug in and play” machines that will work no matter what, whereas not all PCs and laptops can run the same games. Besides your computer, accompanying equipment, like a good gaming mouse will determine your overall gaming experience as well. We’d recommend getting the Razer gaming mouse if you’re searching for a reliable one. Unfortunately, this will not be sufficient if your computer is not optimized.
Your success with playing games on your computer will massively depend on your computer’s hardware, and this can leave many people feeling frustrated and annoyed that they cannot handle the latest games.
However, there are multiple ways you can optimize your computer and make it much faster and more suited for gaming. We are going to run you through some simple tips, which you can use to make your PC perform better, both in general and for gaming. By following these steps, you may soon be running the likes of Destiny 2, Dark Souls, Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto V. Plus, with the new Hitman game coming out this fall, this is the perfect time to give your PC some much-needed TLC.
1: Update Graphics Drivers
If you’ve never heard the term “graphics card”, where have you been?! Without a shadow of a doubt, your computer’s graphics card is the most important component when it comes to running modern games. The fact is, games are getting increasingly more realistic, and it takes very powerful, modern and updated graphics cards and drivers to run the latest ones.
Graphics cards use drivers that update and control them, and if these drivers are outdated, your graphics card is going to be outdated too and may struggle to run the latest games. Updating your drivers can provide an instant boost to your FPS and enable it to perform at its optimum, providing you with a smooth gaming experience.
2: Upgrade to a Solid-State Drive
A Solid-State Drive (SSD) pretty much comes as standard with most modern desktops and laptops. However, not all of them have one, and if you have an older PC, you may still be working with an old, outdated and clunky Hard Disk Drive (HDD).
SSDs are much, much faster than mechanical HDDs, and while this will not provide a noticeable improvement to your actual gaming experience, it can reduce loading times to a fraction of what they would be on an HDD. Once you move to an SSD, there is no going back; the loading times are phenomenal as the drive does not rely on mechanical parts, which can get worn out and slow down with time.
While SSDs are quite expensive, you get what you pay for. They are well worth the investment, and upgrading from an HDD to an SSD will be like buying an entirely new machine!
3: Use a VPN
Playing online can come with several security problems. Unfortunately, there are people out there who don’t like to lose and will personally attack the machines of other players to force them offline. It happens a lot, and it’s a well-known problem in the online gaming community.
Many serious gamers invest in and use a high-quality VPN and remain behind it while online to solve these issues. A VPN service will provide you with increased levels of security while playing online for not just your gaming experience, but your identity. A reliable VPN will encrypt your web traffic and enable you to safely interact with other people online on public servers. With many online gaming services being provided by private individuals, it’s always a good idea to protect your personal information and identity, as you never know who’s behind a game server or who their friends are.
PC gaming is something which has rapidly increased in popularity throughout the last few years. Given that it’s quite difficult and expensive to get started from the perspective of sourcing the right computer and optimizing it for your favorite games, it is important to protect your gaming experience by taking measures to secure yourself, your identity, and your connection.