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Suggestions for gaming? new htpc.

post #1 of 16
7/13/09 at 12:47pm
Thread Starter 
It's been a long time since I've been in the gaming world. The last time I was into gaming was when CS 1.6 came out. I remember the hours spent.. ahhh...

Anyways, I just built a HTPC in the hopes to do some gaming as well. I'm really into FPS games. I've played call of duty on ps3 and really enjoyed it. Is the PC version as good? Any suggestions on games?

Also right now all I have is the dinovo mini for my keyboard/mouse. It does a wonderful job for controlling the htpc, but I'd need a full keyboard and separate mouse to do any gaming for sure. I've never gamed with anything wireless before, always been wired. Let's say where I'd be sitting is at the max 10 feet directly from the tv. Is there any advantage to go bluetooth? Or is it fine to go with the cheaper wireless alternatives?

As far as sitting with this keyboard and mouse on the couch, I did find this very helpful tip I'll be using:
http: //www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=14235080&postcount=7

Lastly, I am running Windows 7 64bit RC. Am I going to run into a lot of compatibility issues with different games?

And here are the stats of my HTPC if it may help on giving me advice:
TV: Samsung LN32B360 32" 720p LCD HDTV -
MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H w/ onboard hdmi (geforce 9400 graphics)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz
Memory: G.SKILL 4GB PC2 6400
HD: WD Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB Sata
HD: WD Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB Sata
BD-ROM: LG GGC-H20L
Wireless: Rosewill RNX-G300LX
Tuner: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250
OS: Windows 7 RC
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post #2 of 16
7/13/09 at 12:54pm
You shouldn't have any real issues playing games with Win 7, but your onboard 9400 won't do them justice. Consider swapping in something more robust, say an HD4850? Onboard video will limit your options when gaming, even when running 720p.
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post #3 of 16
7/13/09 at 1:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 257Tony View Post

You shouldn't have any real issues playing games with Win 7, but your onboard 9400 won't do them justice. Consider swapping in something more robust, say an HD4850? Onboard video will limit your options when gaming, even when running 720p.

Good to know that windows 7 shouldn't give me a problem.

I had a feeling that the onboard video wouldn't be enough. The only restrictions that I'd have is that it needs to be a low profile card, and either pci or pci express 2.0 x16.
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post #4 of 16
7/13/09 at 1:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigers06 View Post

Good to know that windows 7 shouldn't give me a problem.

I had a feeling that the onboard video wouldn't be enough. The only restrictions that I'd have is that it needs to be a low profile card, and either pci or pci express 2.0 x16.

What are your thoughts on this card?

SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Video Card - Retail
http: //www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102829
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post #5 of 16
7/13/09 at 4:11pm
It looks about the best you can get low profile, but keep in mind it won't be that great for modern games and you'll probably have to set things to 'medium'.
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post #6 of 16
7/13/09 at 8:04pm
Since you can only display 720p widescreen max, the 46xx/47xx series will be fine. If you can snag a low profile 48xx/NVidia 98xx for under $100, that would save having to upgrade in a year or two.
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post #7 of 16
7/14/09 at 8:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by WJonathan View Post

Since you can only display 720p widescreen max, the 46xx/47xx series will be fine. If you can snag a low profile 48xx/NVidia 98xx for under $100, that would save having to upgrade in a year or two.

I'll do some more searching for cards like that.

Eventually I'll be upgrading to a 46" 1080p hdtv. So that will need to be considered.

So what's everyones favorite first-person shooter game?
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post #8 of 16
7/14/09 at 9:06am
On the PC, easily Crysis.

edit: well, Deus Ex is the best FPS ever (best game ever actually), but that won't "show off" your comp. You should play it anyway, though.
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post #9 of 16
7/14/09 at 10:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigers06 View Post

So what's everyones favorite first-person shooter game?

You must play Crysis, but Half-Life 2 still hasn't been dethroned.

It is difficult to make that determination since I play so many FPS games. I still play the old Doom and Quake games from time to time. Your machine will certainly have enough power for those.
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post #10 of 16
7/14/09 at 12:03pm
By the way, make sure to play your FPS games in moderation. You may develop this disease if you take it too far.
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post #11 of 16
7/14/09 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MSmith83 View Post

By the way, make sure to play your FPS games in moderation. You may develop this disease if you take it too far.

That's great! I really liked when he was trying to walk through the front door.
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post #12 of 16
7/15/09 at 9:07am
Thread Starter 
Haha, great stuff, that video was funny.

Thanks for the suggestions on games. I'll check them out. I played half life a long while ago, never finished it. I tend to lose interest in "story mode" games. Really enjoy the multi player part.

Right now I'm looking into getting a wired keyboard. Everything I've read about wireless points me back to wired for gaming.

So I've got the Logitech G11 Gaming Keyboard and Logitech MX518 mouse in mind. Will get a usb extension for the keyboard, and the keyboard has usb spots available for the mouse. That should do the trick.

For the expansion video card, I'm looking at the SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI Radeon HD 4650. Seems to be the better of the low profile choices.
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post #13 of 16
7/15/09 at 9:35am
You may have weird issues with your keyboard/mouse if you use a USB extension cable. The cable has a max length to power ratio before it becomes too weak and won't properly power devices, and you want to power a keyboard and mouse off of it. If you notice issues, then try a USB self-powered HUB.
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post #14 of 16
7/15/09 at 12:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrwalte View Post

You may have weird issues with your keyboard/mouse if you use a USB extension cable. The cable has a max length to power ratio before it becomes too weak and won't properly power devices, and you want to power a keyboard and mouse off of it. If you notice issues, then try a USB self-powered HUB.

I had no clue that usb cables could have that affect over distances. Thanks for the heads up.
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post #15 of 16
7/15/09 at 12:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigers06 View Post

I had no clue that usb cables could have that affect over distances. Thanks for the heads up.

It's that way for any wire that is meant to carry an electrical current. Over distance, it becomes weaker and weaker and you have to use a larger guage, which equals less resistance, or feed more power into it (but not too much or you'll melt the wire )
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post #16 of 16
7/20/09 at 11:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigers06 View Post

Good to know that windows 7 shouldn't give me a problem.

I had a feeling that the onboard video wouldn't be enough. The only restrictions that I'd have is that it needs to be a low profile card, and either pci or pci express 2.0 x16.

You need a case that allows a full height card and it needs to accomodate at least an 8 inch and preferably a 9 inch card. Your choice of cases has severely limited your options. What case are you using, how deep is it, how many slots, etc.?? How long did you extend your USB cables for your mouse and keyboard? Generally you don't want to go longer than about 15-16 feet without special extenders. You can go much longer if powered properly http://www.usbfirewire.com/Parts/rr-usb2-ext-65ft.html, usually a 16 foot data extender with some sort of repeater to keep data integrity will do the job, just make sure it is USB 2.0.
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