Building A Better PC 

How to Maximize Your Games for Windows® Experience

News flash: With fall and holiday months fast looming, every gamer worth their weight in joysticks knows that the coming weeks will bring a dizzying whirlwind of high-profile Games for Windows®-branded releases.

Mind you, the average high-end Windows XP or Windows Vista™ user can readily dive right into blockbuster titles like Hellgate: London™ and World in Conflict™. But to fully appreciate these all-star outings, it’s a given that you’ll want to invest in an ultra-powered PC.

 Thanks to manufacturers like Dell™, coasting on technology’s bleeding edge needn’t cost a fortune or require that you possess a Masters in computer engineering, though. Company gaming guru Abizar Vakharia reveals the secrets to shopping for a killer desktop rig without breaking a sweat: 

• Case – Your system’s chassis is its backbone, Vakharia insists, and should therefore provide maximum flexibility. That means featuring 4-6 USB ports for connecting add-ons like a racing wheel or Xbox 360™ Controller for Windows and equally many slots for devices like a CD-RW, DVD drive and sound card. At least a couple bays should be free for further expansion as well, “just in case something else cool comes out in the next 6 months.” Dell’s just one of several providers who offer custom kits that let you build your own PC from scratch. 
• Central Processing Unit (CPU) – “Choose systems with multi-core processors,” Vakharia advises. “As more games become optimized for use with them, they’ll deliver better and better performance.” Certainly, you can save cash in the short run by opting for a dual core system, which will offer solid results. But Vakharia counsels springing for a quad-core unit if you can afford it instead, as it’ll provide greater scalability in the future. See Dell’s XPS™ 720 H2C™ ultimate gamer’s PC for a prime example – LightFX™ technology that dynamically adjusts the system’s backlighting to fit the mood of various games is just a brilliant bonus. 
• Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) – As gaming accessories go, your computer’s video card offers maximum bang for the buck. The more power and memory (256MB should be a bare minimum, with 512MB more highly recommended) it possesses, the sharper in-game visuals will look and the faster and smoother they’ll run. “When shopping for a GPU, DirectX® 10 support is also a must,” adds Vakharia. “Your video card should further offer the ability to be paired with a second GPU to achieve even more impressive visual results.” 
• Memory – “Windows Vista will be the driving OS going forward,” Vakharia insists. Meaning that, as per its basic requirements, you’ll need no less than 512MB of RAM, or a full 1GB of it for optimal functionality. Likewise, response time is also important here – the reason Dell, like many other vendors, uses specialized RAM in its systems that can be overclocked for enhanced speed and performance. “For that extra cool factor,” says Vakharia, “consider brands that are backlit, so you can see how much memory is being used at any time just by looking through an optional, transparent system case.” 
• Monitor – Gorgeous, big-screen viewing such as that provided by Dell’s 27-inch UltraSharp™ 2707WFP or 30-inch 3007WFP-HC flat panel monitors is the way to go. The bigger your monitor and the higher its resolution, the more colors and details will jump out. If money’s no object, you can additionally link two, or even three, separate monitors to form the ultimate viewscreen. Vakharia recommends LCD models, which are just as speedy as, yet frequently provide sharper visuals than, CRT counterparts. 
• Hard Drive – “The hard drive directly supports your gaming experience,” says Vakharia. “That’s why I suggest buying as much space as you can afford.” Games have a large footprint, he explains, and you’re bound to use your PC for other storage space-intensive uses, like collecting videos and music. “The worst part is figuring out how to scale upwards later on down the road,” he chuckles. Using a RAID solution – which writes information on several drives, thereby improving speed and facilitating data recovery – is also recommended. 
• Physics Card – Dedicated cards exist now that make in-game physics more mind-blowing and realistic than ever, allowing for unrivaled cinematic intensity. Outfitting your PC with one means being able to stay ahead of the game, says Vakharia, who anticipates even more titles will begin to take advantage of this technology shortly. Ever dreamed of destroying entire environments, or just blowing a hole in the wall and striding through the smoke-filled silhouette? Congratulations – wish granted.

Prefer something a little more portable?  

Keep your ears open for a jaw-dropping announcement in just a few weeks, as Dell’s laptop division gets ready to redefine the possibilities for gaming on the go. 

The best part, however you choose to play: Either way, with Dell’s PCs and Microsoft’s Games for Windows initiative, you just can’t go wrong.