Get your game on!

Video games are all about precision as well as reaction times or speed, so why not make sure that your mouse is up to snuff to deal with the competitive nature of new games? There is definitely a difference in using a plain USB mouse that costs $5 and using a quality gaming mouse with enhanced dpi that has extra buttons among other features. What’s dpi, and what extra features do some mice offer? This article will educate you on a few different mice that are considered great quality for gaming and the features that they provide.

1) Logitech G5- The Logitech G5 is an excellent choice for those looking to be competitive of those who’re simply looking for a higher quality in there mouse. The G5 offers a button in the middle that allows you to change your dpi (dots per inch) settings on the fly, which can make your mouse feel much more sensitive and responsive. It’s important to note, though, that the DPI can be turned down if you feel its set too high. The G5 also has 2 mouse buttons on its side as well as a middle scroll bar and middle mouse button. These extra keys that can be bound in games increase its functionality. This mouse even offers weighting that can change the overall weight of your mouse accordingly! The G5 can be yours for $50.

2) Razer Series- I’m posting this set of mice as a series, simply because it’s hard to narrow down to one specific mouse as many people like the different weights and feels of each specific mouse. Razer mice always offer a high dpi, and are almost always more visually appealing from a ‘cool’ point of view. If you’re a simplistic person though, the G5 will be more up your alley in regards to aesthetics. Razer mice are commended for being comfortable for use, and they come in large and small models offering you a wide array to choose from. The common complaint against Razer is their expensive price, they’re almost exclusively $50+.

3) Microsoft Sidewinder- A new series by Microsoft, the sidewinder has made a decent entrance into the world of gaming mice by offering a high 2000dpi coupled with 9 buttons, of which 5 are programmable. The mouse includes adjustable weights and even different feet for the mouse that gives a different gliding feeling. The sidewinder is listed at all different price ranges depending on the model ranging from $30 to $50.

Most gaming mice boil down to what feel you like on your mouse, and for this reason it’s very important that you try to find them in a retail store and feel them before ordering. These mice are sure to boost your performance in any online game and will be leaving you most satisfied.

Photo Credits: William Hook

Originally posted 2009-11-12 03:30:50.

Xbox and computer hook up

How to connect Xbox to computer using a hub/switch:

You need to plug in the network cable (RJ-45) from your modem to the hub in the uplink port and form one port of the hub connect another network cable (RJ-45) to the NIC (Network Interface Card) of the computer and use the second port of the hub to connect the Xbox directly using the same kind of network cable (RJ-45). This way your Xbox will be on the same network on which your computer is.  It’s basically the same procedure using the switch.

How to connect Xbox to computer using a router:

The installation is bit same as done for the hub. Plug a network cable (RJ-45) that comes from the modem into the port of the router (WAN Port) and then from router connect second network cable (RJ-45) to the NIC of the computer and in the same way connect another network cable (RJ-45) from another port of the router to the Xbox.

IMPORTANT: Avoid using the port beside the uplink port of your router as the uplink port is use to connect the other routing device. In addition, you need to forward the port (both the incoming and the outgoing port) to the internal IP address of your computer if your router had an inbuilt firewall. You can do this by going the GUI page of your router.

How to connect Xbox to computer using crossover cable:

In this type of connection, you will need a modem with the USB port on your computer and the modem; here you will have to connect the USB cable from the modem directly to the USB port of your computer. Then you have to use the network cable to connect the Xbox directly to the NIC card installed on your computer

Crossover cable connection is only used when you don’t have a hub, router or switch where you are connecting the Xbox directly to the NIC (Network interface card) on your computer. In all other cases you should use the Network cable (RJ-45).

IMPORTANT: This type of connection requires a program called Winroute which can be downloaded from the Internet.

Photo Credits: Hexidecimal

Originally posted 2010-04-03 03:11:31.

Things to Remember When Buying a Gaming Computer

* RAM-Ram or Random Access Memory is one of the biggest problems that many people face when trying to create a PC that can run high end video games. The good news is that RAM is probably the least expensive hardware cost that you will spend, being about $150 at most. Make sure if possible that the RAM you buy is DDRM3 and not 2 because DDRM3 will be faster. It’s important to have at least two gigabytes of ram if you’re running Vista, but you should shoot for four.

* Graphics Card-Your GPU or graphics card is probably the most important part of your purchase when buying a gaming computer. It’s important to note what memory associates your GPU. You should ideally shoot for about 512 MB along side of your card, but it’s completely acceptable to buy a 256 card. It’s extremely important to realize that you should never buy any computer utilizing an integrated graphics card if your purpose is playing high-end 3D games.

* Processor-Processing data and multitasking is very important for gaming computers because it plays a part in determining the speed of your computer. If you get a duo or quad core processor you’re splitting up the work done by your computer making it much more efficient. Processor speed is measured in Ghz and a 3.0Ghz duo core processor is probably the most value you can get for your money. While quad core processors are new and flashy, they aren’t fully utilized in gaming yet, though you may want to purchase one for the future.

* Hard Drive- Making sure that your computer has enough hard drive space is very important when you’re playing video games since many games now can cost you up to 10 gigabytes in hard drive space. This isn’t as important for in-game performance, but hard drives are still a important part of your computer that is required.

When buying your new gaming computer be sure to question your needs while trying to minimize your cost. If you consider the above parts carefully you can construct a very powerful computer that can last you for the years to come.

Photo Credits: Steve Crane

Originally posted 2009-12-03 03:23:07.