How good hardware improves the gaming experience
Almost everyone plays nowadays. And by that we don't mean skat or ludo. Video and computer games have long since ceased to be a niche topic and have entered the mainstream. Most people play on their smartphone or tablet. Much more is possible on mobile devices these days than just simple puzzle games with colorful sweets or precious stones. Elaborate games like Genshin Impact prove this. Nevertheless, if you want to experience the highest quality gaming experiences, you need a PC or a console. The really big blockbusters with cinematic staging and the best graphics can only be seen on the big screen. If you want to enjoy it without having to make any compromises, you have to be willing to invest some money in strong hardware. But then it really pays off.
It doesn't necessarily have to be the best of the best
Anyone who decides to buy a gaming PC should first think about what exactly is supposed to go into the computer or what their own requirements are - and whether the budget is sufficient for it. A high-end computer is anything but cheap. If you want the best performance, you're going to have to shell out several thousand dollars for it. So always ask yourself whether you really need that much hardware power. You want to play every game smoothly in 4K and enjoy chic ray tracing effects? Well, then there is no way around a top graphics card and a top-class processor. On the other hand, if you only play on a Full HD monitor, certain high-end components are hardly worthwhile and you can turn to cheaper alternatives.
Nevertheless, a powerful graphics card is the most important element of any PC for a 1A gaming experience. You can save a little money on the CPU side, since the absolute top models are aimed less at game fans and more at creative people who want to use their computer for video editing, for example. But for a gaming PC, a fast graphics card with future-proof features is practically a must. Ample video memory and a high clock not only ensure that you play smoothly, but also allow you to select higher graphics settings. Having a lot of FPS (frames per second) is one thing, but the games should still look good. In addition, modern graphics cards are worthwhile due to the support of ray tracing and functions such as Nvidia's DLSS, which provides an additional performance boost.
Fast storage and monitor pay off
But a great gaming experience requires more than just strong main PC components. In addition to a fast CPU and graphics card and sufficient RAM (at least 16 gigabytes), you also need sufficient data storage. The operating system and games should be installed on SSDs, ideally on so-called NVMe models that are installed directly on the mainboard. They are significantly faster than ordinary hard drives and therefore offer the advantage that everything loads faster. With an NVMe SSD, your computer starts up in no time and the loading times in games are very short. Even ordinary SATA SSDs still offer a significant speed advantage over hard drives, which should only be used to back up documents, pictures, videos and other amounts of data.
Last but not least, the monitor you use plays an important role when it comes to enjoying gaming at its best. Whether you go for a 4K model, 1080p is enough, or you want to strike a middle ground with 1440p is up to you. But keep in mind: The higher the resolution, the more power your computer has to muster. But if you don't have the space for a particularly large monitor anyway, going beyond Full HD is only partially worthwhile. It is then much more important to choose a display with a high frequency that also supports Nvidia's G-Sync or AMD's FreeSync. Then it's possible to play at high frame rates without unsightly tearing, and at the same time you can do without V-Sync, which limits the FPS and results in increased latency.
A good TV for the best console gaming
Anyone who has chosen a console as a gaming platform has far fewer things to consider than PC gamers. After all, a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X comes with almost everything you need for a flawless gaming experience. However, keep your eyes open when buying a TV! The fact that it should already be a 4K-capable device is obvious with the current consoles from Sony and Microsoft. But just like in PC gaming, not only the resolution plays an important role. Admittedly, when it comes to refresh rates, a 60 Hertz device is sufficient in most cases. Only a few games have an alternative 120 Hertz mode. However, it is important that the television has at least HDMI 2.0 connections. Otherwise it is not possible to play in 4K with 60 FPS. Then get yourself a suitable HDMI 2.0 cable and let the fun begin.
Don't neglect the acoustics!
A good picture is important for the finest gaming entertainment, but let's not forget the sound. Sound plays an important role in modern games. Elaborate soundtracks are best enjoyed when the sound quality is very high. The soundscape of a game also contributes a lot to its atmosphere and, depending on the title, can even be important for the gameplay. Think of competitive online shooters, where it's beneficial to be able to hear exactly which direction shots or footsteps are coming from.
Most PC gamers probably grab a good headset because they don't have room on their desk for a proper sound system. There is a wide range of models to choose from, and if you want, you can use headphones that emulate surround sound. When it comes to gaming in the living room, a 5.1 or even 7.1 system is the best you can have. Alternatively, there are also very good soundbars nowadays - or you can also rely on a high-quality headset in this case. This is an advantage if you don't want to disturb family or roommates.
Frequently asked questions about gaming
How to get more FPS in games ?
The more powerful your PC is, the smoother the games run - it's pretty simple, isn't it? If the FPS is too low for you, you can help yourself by buying a better graphics card or a new PC right away. But that's anything but cheap. Luckily, there are a few little tricks you can use to get one or two more frames per second out of your computer. The modern graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD offer the functions DLSS and FSR, for example. This is an upscaling process in which a cloud AI calculates the image in a low resolution and then upscales it. This saves a lot of performance and only slightly affects the image quality. These technologies are extremely worthwhile, especially in 4K gaming, but the games must actively support them.
Other ways to get more FPS without having to buy new hardware right away include activating the Windows game mode so that the computer prioritizes games when allocating resources, and of course reducing the graphics settings in the games themselves. Sometimes it's worth it anyway not to select the highest detail levels, because they only improve the picture minimally, but cost a relatively high amount of performance.
What do anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering mean?
Anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering are two well-established graphics technologies that ensure better image quality or compensate for weak points in 3D graphics. Anti-aliasing smooths edges. The use of pixels always leads to the formation of stairs with sloping or rounded edges. Anti-aliasing, which comes in many different forms with varying degrees of effectiveness, prevents exactly that, resulting in a smoother, sharper image.
Anisotropic filtering means that textures that are far away still appear sharp. Especially at flat viewing angles, they would appear blurry if no filtering process was used.
What affects latency in games?
Fast internet access is a good basis for enjoying low latency when gaming online. But it is also important how the PC or console is connected to the router: via WiFi or cable? In general, it is always advisable to use a LAN cable. This makes the connection more stable, be it with a CAT-6 , CAT-7 or CAT-8 Ethernet cable .
Which game consoles can do 4K?
The first 4K capable console was the PlayStation 4 Pro, released in 2016. The Xbox One X followed the following year. In both cases, however, games can hardly be played in native 4K because the hardware cannot provide enough power for this. It was only with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X that real 4K gaming entered the console market on a larger scale. Many games offer different graphics modes. If 30 FPS is enough for you, you can enjoy the virtual worlds in native 4K. If you prefer 60 FPS, you have to be satisfied with a dynamic resolution. The console will still output the image in 4K, but will render it at a lower resolution in most situations.
What are G-Sync and FreeSync?
G-Sync and FreeSync are technologies that on the one hand prevent screen tearing (image tearing) and on the other hand ensure a smoother gaming experience. You match the monitor's refresh rate to the FPS your graphics card is outputting. You won't achieve higher frame rates this way, but micro-stuttering will be avoided. To be able to use G-Sync, you need a GeForce graphics card from Nvidia and a monitor equipped with the G-Sync module. Unfortunately, monitors of this type are very expensive. FreeSync from AMD is an alternative that is available on significantly more and, above all, cheaper screens on the market - and for some time Nvidia graphics processors have also supported FreeSync.
What is cross play?
In the past, PC and console gamers were completely separate from each other and it was also not possible for PlayStation and Xbox users, for example, to play together online. Fortunately, times have changed. Crossplay support is now de rigueur. The term simply means that players from different platforms can meet on multiplayer servers. As a result, the question of which system you get game XY for no longer plays a major role in terms of playing with friends.
What is ray tracing?
Ray tracing is a graphics technology that realistically simulates the course of light rays in real time, which improves the graphics of games in several ways. Not only does it allow for authentic lighting conditions, but also much better shadows and reflections. Other reflection effects, for example the so-called screen space reflections, have the disadvantage that they are only visible when the objects or figures to be reflected are also in the picture. If you turn the camera so that, for example, a building that was just reflected in the nearby river is no longer on the screen, the reflection disappears. In the case of ray tracing, that wouldn't happen. Unfortunately, the technology costs a lot of performance. In most cases, without DLSS or FSR, it is not possible to play smoothly with ray tracing effects cranked up.
Which cable is right for me?
Choosing the right cable initially depends on whether you are playing on a PC with a monitor or a console with a television.
Which cable do I use for PC and monitor?
With higher resolutions, faster response times, higher refresh rates and better latencies, gaming monitors are constantly getting better. But the connection options are also increasing with the new devices, making it more difficult to choose the right monitor cable.
In the PC gaming area, DisplayPort prevailed as the optimal connection option, in which no compromises have to be made in terms of resolution and refresh rate. With a VESA-certified DisplayPort 1.4 cable with 32.4 Gbit/s bandwidth, 8K@60Hz, 4K@120Hz or FullHD and 2K@240Hz are possible. For maximum FPS (frames per second), there is no way around DisplayPort, because only DisplayPort offers a refresh rate of up to 240 Hertz.
If your graphics card or monitor does not have a DisplayPort connection, then you have the choice between HDMI and DVI.
Although DVI is a bit older than HDMI, it still offers advantages over HDMI in some areas.
For FPS games that require a fast response time and a high refresh rate, a DVI cable to use. 144Hz with a Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) can be achieved via DVI Dual Link with 24+1 pins.
For games that do not require a high refresh rate and instead require a higher resolution, the recommendation goes to HDMI cable . Resolutions of up to 4K and a refresh rate of 60Hz can be easily implemented via HDMI. Although the HDMI standard also enables higher refresh rates of up to 120Hz, older graphics cards and monitors without a DisplayPort connection usually only support a maximum of 60Hz via the HDMI port.
Which cable do I use for a console and a TV or projector?
While DisplayPort has established itself for monitors, HDMI is the common standard in the home cinema area for televisions and projectors. However, there are a few things to consider in order to find the right HDMI cable. For last generation consoles like the Xbox One or Playstation 4, you can use a High Speed HDMI 2.0. For all modern consoles such as Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X Ultra High Speed HDMI the cable of choice. A optical Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cable is ideal for larger distances from 5m, so that the signal can be transmitted without loss and you can use all HDMI 2.1 functions without restrictions.
