Any And Every Gamer Loves To Accessorize Their Vita

Any And Every Gamer Loves To Accessorize Their Vita

Anyone who purchases games knows that just having a console and its software can offer a great experience, but if you want to expand your gaming experience or get the most out of your games, then you’ve got to pick up the additional accessories to make it happen. Whether you’re just looking for something to add a little bit of immersion, take better advantage of the beautiful musical scores in your games, or just add some life to your console, games, or handheld, then having the right accessories is an absolute must.

The Vita has a handful of “official” accessories out right now as well as many other “unofficial” accessories that can be just as useful as their branded counterparts. If you want to get the most out of the life of your Vita, then the obvious first step is to protect it from harm. The absolute first thing you should buy for your Vita is a screen protector for its front OLED. Being both the visual display and an control surface means that the last thing you want to do is see it scratched or damaged. You can go with the official screen protectors put out by Sony, but I find that any type of protector that will work with a smart phone will do just fine, especially those “cut to fit” sheets.

Another important piece of protective gear is either an individual case or carrying case. Cases for the Vita itself will protect it from some damage if dropped and can also keep it safe from spills or foreign objects it might come into contact with (especially important if you’re playing outside). The NERF soft foam case makes a great shock absorber if your Vita happens to slip out of your hands and its foam will protect the handheld itself from wear as well. If you don’t want to carry it around in your pocket, invest in a carrying case where you can also store your games and other accessories as well.

While the speakers on the Vita are remarkably powerful and high quality, you can really immerse yourself in your games’ environments with a nice pair of headphones. Sony has an official pair of in-ear headphones available for the Vita, but once again there are many unofficial products as well. In fact, the Vita supports most standard headphones with its 3.5mm audio port on the bottom next to the charging port. Practically any kind of headphones you might already use for your PC/laptop, audio player, or even console will work.

The last and arguably most important accessory for the Vita is the memory card. Unless you purchase a bundle, you’ll need to purchase the memory card separately (which can potentially get a little expensive) so make sure you get the size you want. Sizes are 4, 8, 16, and 32GB so you should aim for one that will be able to store all the music, movies, games, DLC, and other content you might want so you don’t have to end up purchasing a new one or having to delete or shuffle around your data to make room. You may not need to purchase any extra accessories for your Vita, but having them can extend its life and make your gaming experience that much more fulfilling.

You Don’t Have To Be Rich To Be A PC Gamer

You Don’t Have To Be Rich To Be A PC Gamer

There is a common misconception that you have to take out a second mortgage on your house if you want to get a computer that will run all of the latest and greatest games. I don’t know who started the rumor that you need to spend 00 to get a gaming computer. The truth is, if you are smart about it, you can easily afford to get a high-end gaming computer. Here are a few simple rules to follow to put a gaming computer within reach.
Rule 1. Never buy the newest technology.
I know we all want to be the guy or girl with the newest toy, but you will never be able to keep up with technology. That top-of-the-line graphics card that came out today will be old news in just a couple of months and a new one will be released that is “so much better”. Guess what happens to the price of the new graphics card you just broke the bank on? It dropped by about 50%. If you would have just been patient you could have purchased it for a fraction of the cost.
Rule 2. You only have to keep up with the software.
Rule 2 closely correlates to Rule 1. It usually takes software companies two years, give or take, to develop a new game. During this time there are new technology breakthroughs. If they went back and re-engineered the game every time a new processor or a new graphics card came out, the game would never be released. Another important factor is that they want the game to be available to the largest number of consumers. For this reason they do their best to make sure the game can be played on a wide variety of systems. Check out the system requirements for some of the more popular games. A 1.8GHz processor and a Direct X 9 compatible graphics card will run just about everything out there. Granted you might have to turn some of the settings down but it will run it.
Once you reach a certain point the added performance of the new technology is noticeable. For example, the Athlon 64 chip has been out for more than a year, yet there are very few applications that require a 64 bit processor. If you check out benchmarks on the new PCI Express graphics cards you will see that they are running games at 300+ frames per second. When you watch a movie it runs at roughly 60 frames per second. A game will still run relatively smoothly at 20 frames per second. Basically anything over 60 frames per second likely will not be perceived while playing the game. You will only see the difference in your benchmark programs.
Rule 3. Build Your Own Computer
This is important for two reasons. First, you can be assured of better quality components when you pick everything out on your own. When you buy an off-the-shelf system, chances are you are getting a big name CPU and everything else is most likely generic. Do you know what motherboard, power supply, or type of RAM you are getting? This of course, is my personal opinion, I’m not saying every manufacturer builds sub standard machines, but from experience I’ve had greater longevity from the computers I’ve built myself. I’ve also noticed that you will often get little system memory, unless you pay a great deal more for it. You will often get 256MB of RAM with these base system. Windows XP will run, but likely with problems, on 256MB of RAM. It seems to be the most stable with 512MB or more. Other areas they cut costs is by using integrated graphics chips. This saves them having to put in a graphics card, but you will pay the price for it when you try to play a game.
The second reason to build your own computer is that you can cut your costs by stealing parts from your old computer. You can save hundreds of dollars by reusing the drives, case, monitor, keyboard and mouse. Plus, you don’t have to worry about calling a technician to install RAM or a new graphics card because you’ll already know how to do it.
How Much Can You Build A Computer For?
I just checked out some pricing and you can build a very nice midrange gaming computer for around 0-0 using an AMD Athlon 64 3000+. If you can steal a DVD drive from your old computer and maybe the case, you can bring the cost down even more. You can build a high-end machine for under 00. The internet is full of useful websites about how to build computers. Look around and you’ll find all the information you need. There are several books published about the topic as well. If you follow these simple rules and do a little research you can enjoy all of the best computer games even if you are on a shoestring budget.

Memory Upgrades: An Inexpensive Way To Boost Computer Performance

Memory Upgrades: An Inexpensive Way To Boost Computer Performance

Many people buy a computer with only the minimum amount of memory (RAM) installed. The reasons for this vary, but usually computers with the minimum amount of RAM are cheaper than the others, so appear to be a bargain.

Other folks have older computers that might have had a reasonable amount of memory installed at the time of purchase, but struggle to keep up with the memory requirements of modern applications. Installing additional memory is a relatively inexpensive way to boost performance in old and new computers alike.

If your computer is 2-3 years old and it is running somewhat slow, then it’s worth considering purchasing a memory upgrade before lashing out on a new computer. The majority of people that I talk to about computer memory upgrades (especially those with a computer over 2 years old) are surprised at the increase in overall performance after installing a memory upgrade. Typically it can extend the useable life of the average computer by another 2-3 years, at a mere fraction of the cost of buying a new one.

Installing a memory upgrade is usually a simple process, requiring at most a phillips screwdriver to either undo the memory hatch on your notebook, or to remove the case if you have a desktop pc. Once you have access to the memory slots, it’s just a simple matter of pushing the memory module into the spare slot firmly, closing the hatch or putting the case back on, putting the screw back in, and rebooting the computer.

It can be a more complicated exercise if your memory slots are fully populated, but a competent memory supplier should be able to provide you with advice on the upgrade options available and whether or not you will need to remove one or more of the existing modules to make room for larger ones.

The question a lot of people ask me when considering buying a memory upgrade is “What size memory upgrade should I buy?”

I usually answer this with a question: “Tell me about the sort of things you use your computer for?”

Generally speaking I recommend you install 512mb if you are running Windows XP on your computer. Microsoft say that the minimum is far less, but it really is the minimum in my opinion. 512Mb of installed memory will give you enough room for Windows XP to load, and a little spare for a couple of web browser windows, an email client, antivirus application, and a spreadsheet or word processor.

If you run OSX or a flavour of Linux, I still recommend 512mb as a minimum.

If you only have the generally accepted minimum of 256mb, this is barely enough to load Windows XP. As you start up other applications, your pc will begin to allocate “virtual” memory. This means that a section of your computers hard drive is used for moving around data in the same way that physical memory is used, only it goes a lot slower.

If you do photo editing in addition to the basics, think about going up to 1GB of installed memory. If you are a home video buff or play a lot of computer games, then 2GB is really going to keep you productive. (Is gaming productive?).

Memory upgrades are available from many different sources, and made by a lot of different manufacturers. Kingston are probably the best known manufacturer, and they make modules for most of the top OEM’s, who rebrand Kingston memory as their own.

Before purchasing an RAM upgrade, be sure to ask if the memory is guaranteed to be compatible with your PC or laptop, and is backed by a no-quibble return policy. Always make sure a lifetime warranty applies as well.

So if you or your kids are complaining about their latest computer game running too slow, consider that you might not need to buy a new computer even if it is a couple of years old, but simply upgrade the one you have with some more memory. It can make a world of difference, and make your computing investment last a lot longer.