Campo1988

Hi everybody! What a coincidence this site has a gaming section? I think that's quite convenient! I wish to build my own (first) gaming machine. I have read about how to build, and have a fair amount of knowledge. Also, I am doing a course in Computer Maintenance, so I am still learning. My current machine is just a standard SOHO-type machine, and is more than 3 years old, one Forum told me upgrading specs to what my manufacturer site says the MOBO can handle may not work, but one of my tutors told me it should work. In any event, I have already decided (which I decided ages ago anyway), to want to, and actually build my own machine for gaming. Any tips on where to get started, e.g. finding an up-to-date MOBO with ability to handle good enough specs to play some of the up-to-date games (and obviously older ones also), including RAM, CPU, and PCI/PCIe slots and decent-enough HDD size, Sound Card, and of course, a very good Graphics/Video Card? Currently, all the games I have (well, the ones I play, because I have some I got given to me that I haven't tried playing, so I don't know if they work) do work, except for 2. Not this PC I am on right now, but my other one (both with BAD specs) can't play these two games. Here are the specs for these games (without advertising): Game 1 Minimum Required Specs 1 GHz Intel Pentium 3 or AMD Athlon Processor 512 MB RAM 64 MB Video Card with DirectX9 compatible drivers (Windows 2000 & XP, Vista Basic) 128 MB NVIDIA GeForce 6 Video Card (Vista Premium/Business/Ultimate) 8X speed DVD-ROM Drive 3.6 GB free HDD space for minimal install DirectX 9 compatible Stereo Sound Card Recommended Specs Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon XP Processor (or better) 1.5 (+) GGB RAM 256 (+) MB NVIDIA GeForce 6 or better Video Card with DirectX 9 compatible drivers 16X speed DVD-ROM Drive 4.7 GB free HDD space for full install DirectX 9 compatible Surround Sound Card (Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Series recommended) Gamepad with twin axis analog (USB or Joystick Port) Supported Operating Systems Windows 2000 Pro (Workstation) (plus SP1 or higher) plus DirectX 9 Windows XP Home and Pro (plus SP 1 or higher) plus DirectX 9 Windows Vista (Basic/Premium/Business/Ultimate) Windows Vista systems requirements must be met Generic Requirements DirectX 9 Keyboard & mouse Game 2 Minimum Specs XP/2000/98SE 768 MB RAM Intel Pentium 4 2 GHz DirectX 9 compatible graphics cards (Radeon 9500, GeForce 5800) Recommended Specs XP/2000/98SE 1024 MB RAM Intel Pentium 4 2.6 GHz DirectX 9 compatible graphics cards (Radeon x800, GeForce 6800) Other 3 GB available fixed-disk storage, DirectX 9.0c, minimum 16 bit sound card (recommended 3D compatible sound card with support for EAX 3.0) They are the, well not single-most, I guess double-most two of the largest demanding games I have. They both installed. And the splash screen comes up for game one, and the introduction FMV, but for game two, I can only view the options, setting them all to low or minimum the game still doesn't load. My specs for this PC are: Windows XP Professional SP2 DirectX 9.0c AMD Duron 1400 MHz 128 MB DDR SDRAM NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X (Microsoft Corporation) (64 MB) EVEREST Home Edition C: 7.11 GB D: 7.15 GB But I can't play either of the games on this PC because I don't have a DVD-ROM Drive on here, on my other PC I obviously do though, and the specs for that are: Windows XP Professional SP1 DirectX 9.0c 1'000 Mhz 192 MB RAM C:\ roughly 750 MB (I accidentally chose a wrong option when formatting & installing Win'XP!) D:\ roughly 19 or 20GB. I don't know the Video Card spec though, and I either do or don't have EVEREST Home Edition on it. Also, no Internet connection on this PC. Like I said, all of my other games I have (that I have tried) work, some obviously better than others, one game, once again without advertising, but also without specs (because I don't know them without looking...) works OK but after a while it goes really slow. Even stop playing the game/rebooting then trying it again, it still is slow, that is because of, apart from my appauling specs, how far I am in the game. Any help with websites I could use for me building a gaming machine, and any other tips from anyone here would be appreciated. Also, I'm from UK, so please no stores/sites I either haven't heard of, or I cannot use. Thanx. P.S. Also, any way to get good deals on any of my wanted upgrades, rather than going to, for example, PCWorld, I could may be get a better deal somewhere else, would be appreciated also.

I have an AntiVirus program, so I'm quite safe, but I want to know, in case I may get one at some point in such a place where it would be the most dangerous place for a residing virii to be kept on your PC, that if I probably "find" a virus in such a place, and it's in what might be (on of) the most dangerous place(s) for a virus to reside, I know how to get rid of it, but what would be the most "dangerous" place(s) for a virus to be on someone's PC? (If any of that made sense). Edit: Forgot to add, I'm using XP Pro SP2. Edit 2: Make that not just or virii, but trrojans, worms etc... aswell.