Think a gaming PC is out of your budget? Think again. In the labyrinth of computer specs and jargon, there’s a path to affordable, high-quality gaming — and it’s easier to navigate than you think.
Firstly, let’s talk about the machines themselves. Gaming PCs – for those who aren’t acquainted with the computing market, such a product might sound specialised, futuristic, but most likely, very expensive. However, in reality, a gaming PC is none of these things.
Firstly, the word “gaming” doesn’t really hold that much weight when it comes to classifying computers and their various parts. PCs, compared to consoles such as the various PlayStations and Xboxes, are actually very unspecialised. The personal computer is capable of a great deal of tasks; word processing, movie watching, spreadsheet making, and, on more powerful machines, gaming. And, to be clear, this level of gaming is the exact same quality (and very often better) that the aforementioned consoles are capable of achieving.
Many components used in gaming-branded computers are very often found in “regular” computers you might find at work; but they are still made by the same people, in the same factories. Intel and Nvidia, two of the biggest computer component manufacturers, make parts for both the casual and professional industries, many of which are capable of playing games regardless of who they are aimed at. Dell, Acer, and Lenovo, manufacturers who often supply schools and offices, all have their own gaming lines too. To be clear – gaming PCs are powerful – but they are no more specialised than a school laptop is.
Gaming PCs aren’t futuristic either, though the “next-generation” and “out-of-this-world” straplines of advertisements could convince you otherwise. “GeForce”, Nvidias’ gaming line, released its first GPU more than 20 years ago. Games playable on the personal computer long pre-date that too; Mystery House, one of the earliest horror games made for PC, sold more than 80,000 copies – it was released in 1980. Gaming PCs have been around for many, many years, and in that time, the companies that sell them have become very good at making their shiny new product, which can conveniently cost in excess of £2000, seem like the next best thing since the GameBoy, when in reality it is often only 5% more powerful than the machine they released in the previous year. This rampant upselling brings us nicely to our third point.
Whilst the storefronts of gaming PC manufacturers such as Alienware or OMEN might convince you that owning one of their machines requires parting with your entire wallet and a leg, it’s important to note that powerful computers can often be picked up for very reasonable prices. However, a quick look at other sites such as eBay should quickly dispel any worries previously instilled. A new gaming computer can routinely sell for £300 on sites such as eBay, where smaller manufacturers can competitively sell their wares, free from the marketing-dominated industries that Dell and HP compete in.
But often, these cheap gaming computers are not what they seem. Listings can make many promises about how “insanely powerful” a gaming computer being sold is, but a more experienced buyer can quickly see where this steep discount comes from. These PCs are often constructed from old components sold off from offices upgrading their computers, which may have been okay for gaming 5 years ago but are now woefully underpowered for the modern gaming scene.
Based on the above information, you might think that buying a new PC is the easy way to avoid getting scammed. However, it may confuse you even more to know that many components from more than 6 years ago are actually perfectly capable of running modern games and that it is heavily dependent on the model number of the product! Navigating the second-hand PC market is very confusing indeed, and is almost not worth doing if you’re not an expert. That is, if you don’t have the right tools.
That’s where CanItGame.com comes in – with just a few clicks, any user can quickly find out whether or not a second-hand PC is capable of gaming. Compatible with eBay listings (but with many more online marketplaces on the way), Can It Game takes an in-depth look at PC listings, whether they be new, old, used or refurbished, and provides in-depth feedback concerning what parts the computer is made out of, how powerful it is compared to modern needs, and also performance predictions based on the most popular games.
If you’re looking to buy parts, Can It Game has you covered as well – with daily articles on the best deals we found online, anybody can quickly acquire bargain components to avoid the charge associated with pre-built computers, whilst also having the experience of building their own machine.
With a site as powerful as Can It Game, there’s little excuse if you buy a computer below your requirements. In just a few seconds, you can acquire reliable knowledge that would have previously required endless searching through computing blogs, reviews and bloated marketing in order to gather a surface level understanding of the capabilities of what you’re being sold.
Ready to game without breaking the bank? Dive into CanItGame.com and discover the best deals tailored just for you.
