i’M OFFICIALLY A PC GAMER: QUICK TAKE #8
PC gaming has always been something I’ve looked at with mixed feelings – the biggest of which being intimidation. I’ve only ever been a console gamer, where my experience has always been to plug in the box, pop in the disk, and play the game. That’s it. No worries about whether or not my console had a sufficient enough GPU or CPU to run the game, because the game I was trying to play was made for that system. However, over the past year as I’ve gone deeper and deeper into this passion of gaming, the idea of moving to a platform that would allow me to experience the most amount of gaming all in one place became more and more appealing. Now, I’ve made that dream a reality and I’ve jumped into the world of PC gaming, and I’ve got a few things to say about my experience so far.
The PowerSpec G521
Let’s start by talking about the PC itself: the PowerSpec G521 – a Microcenter exclusive built in-house by their team of experts. Initially, I wanted to go the route of building it myself, however, since I’m a novice in this world, I figured there could be no safer option than choosing a PC built by the store I wanted to buy the it from. I also figured this would allow me to learn about the parts and how they work without any of the risk. As someone transitioning from that plug and play console experience to the PC experience, I feel this was the right move. As for the specs, the PowerSpec G521 is built with the following:
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Graphics Card
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D (4.1GHz) Processor
RAM: 32GB DDR5-6000 RAM
Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
How This PC Has Improved My Gaming Experience
For the past four years, my main console has been the base PS5, which houses an AMD Zen 2 CPU paired with a AMD RDNA 2 GPU. By the numbers, the performance of the G521 more closely compares to the PS5 pro, so when looking at the performance leap, it’s about the same as jumping from a base PS5 to the PS5 Pro. However, there’s much more to gain from the switch to PC than just the leap in raw performance – there’s the freedom and ability to enhance that performance even further with tools like NVIDIA DLSS, which uses AI to upscale graphical performance without placing extra strain on the PC. Let’s take a look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard as an example.
Without NVIDIA DLSS and Frame Generation toggled on, I’m able to achieve between 60-70 FPS at any given moment in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which is roughly the same performance I would achieve on PS5. With both of these settings toggled on, the FPS jumps to 101-110, making the game look and perform smoother than anything I’ve experienced up to that point. Though I typically lean towards performance, I prefer to balance the performance and quality settings where I can. That said, with my RTX 4060, I’m able to achieve 1080p resolution at just over 100 FPS, resulting in a smooth gameplay experience with beautiful, crisp visuals. From what I can tell, this is likely the ceiling for what my current GPU and CPU can do, or atleast close to it, but I’m excited to know I can improve this performance down the line without having to purchase an entirely new system – especially given the recent announcement of NVIDIA’s 5000 series GPU’s. But for now, playing graphically demanding games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard with the PowerSpec G521 has been nothing short of a dream, making the upgrade well worth it.
Steam: Jumping Into A Whole New World Of Games
While my gaming history largely revolves around consoles, I do have SOME experience with the Steam storefront. I’ve owned a Steam Deck for about two years now, so I’ve been able to access the selection of games that work for the PC handheld. However, there are many, many games I’ve had to pass on due to them not being Steam Deck compatible – but no longer. According to MobyGames.com, there are currently 3,142 PS5 and 11,020 PS4 games. According to Backlinko.com, the entire U.S. based Steam storefront has 101,035 games in total. One could argue that these numbers don’t matter because there’s no way that anyone could even come close to playing all of these titles. However, I would argue that these numbers represent the potential for discovery. If you take a closer look at what Steam has available, games from all walks of development are constantly being added all the time – many of which never see the light of day on console, but can shine on PC. Additionally, I’m particularly excited to now have the ability to play and review early access titles. To be able to peek behind the curtain for games like Hades 2, Hyper Light Breaker, and many many more is going to change my perspective of gaming as a whole.
In conclusion, I’m extremely happy to have finally made the jump to PC gaming. With improved performance with an ever growing ceiling and a massive, seemingly never ending storefront for games, I feel like I’ve made the right investment. Sure, the upfront cost compared to grabbing a console is much higher, but it’s more effective in the long run given that it’s no longer necessary to buy the latest console to keep up with new titles, and also given that Steam is constantly running sales on many games. Though, I do want to make it clear that I’m not writing any of this to say that console gaming is a bad choice. One thing I’ll certainly miss is buying physical titles, something I’ve done my entire life. If you’re someone who prefers the ease of console gaming, then go for it! It’s still an incredible option, especially given that console tech is constantly improving. However for me, I can confidently say that I feel right at home with PC gaming.
If you’d like to check out this PC for yourself, check it out here: https://www.microcenter.com/product/684526/powerspec-g521-gaming-pc
Are you new to PC gaming? Did you build your rig or grab a pre-built? Are you considering the jump to PC gaming and were able to make a decision after reading this? Let me know in the comments!