From Issue #10

The ultimate gamer want killer graphics and serious speed, but are high-end gaming machines worth the extra cost?

Throughout the ages, warriors have always relied on specialized equipment, often times customized for personal use. Whether it was the English long bowman, the German knight or the Japanese Samurai, the equipment helped practically define the warrior. The same holds true for athletes today, especially when the equipment is high-tech -- you certainly don't see a NASCAR racer picking up a car from the dealer's lot, despite the so-called "stock car." Hence for computer gaming, which has actually launched a few professional gaming leagues, many players look for an edge that a specialized computer has to offer -- but it wasn't always this way.

Back when gaming transitioned to the PC, there were two options: an IBM PC or an IBM clone. Settling for an "off-brand," as opposed to an official compatible like Compaq, often meant you had to worry about whether a game would even run properly, or at all. With the introduction of Windows 95, the PC became a serious gaming platform, and in the last decade several high-end PC manufacturers have catered to the business of gaming. Like the sword makers of ages gone by, companies like Alienware, Falcon and Voodoo have created a mystique about gaming "rigs." The question is: Do you need to spend the big money to get a solid gaming computer?

The Gaming PC

The first thing to make clear is that there isn't really anything special about a "gaming PC." Practically any computer can be used to play games, but because computers aren't standard, game designers have to set what are called "system requirements." These are almost always listed on a game's box and describe the necessary memory, processor speed and video card specifications, as well as software that might be necessary such as Microsoft DirectX. Of course, as technology improves a machine built for gaming a few years ago, it won't likely cut it today. That is just part of the business models for the various companies that have jumped into this niche market.

The first true gaming PCs were born out of necessity in the early to mid '90s, because many machines were out of date before their time. Games were driving the need for improved technology, yet most manufacturers including IBM, Compaq and (at the time) upstarts like Dell and Gateway were producing very generic computers that really weren't very gamer friendly.

As a result, Nelson Gonzalez saw an opportunity. He and friend Alex Aguila had been passionate video gamers, but generally found that most of the computers just didn't serve their needs. "When we would purchase a computer, we would always have to go inside of it and upgrade it to get adequate game performance," tells Gonzalez, who co-founded Alienware with Aguila in 1996. "We realized that other people were doing this as well, and that there was a market of gamers that wanted a high-performance turnkey solution for gaming."

Today Alienware, which started with an investment of $13,000, is the largest minority-owned PC manufacturer in the United States. It's also one of the most successful specialty manufacturers. However, they have some fierce competition from rivals including Falcon Northwest, Voodoo and Screamworks. Much of the success of these companies is in how they essentially broke the mold. While Dell and Gateway sold affordable machines via mail order to the masses, their computers all had a look that wasn't that much different from the IBM PC of a decade earlier.

Instead, Alienware created oversized cases that resembled the head of some otherworldly creature, complete with glowing eyes, while Voodoo had machines with names like the Omen and Hex. These certainly weren't your father's office computer -- and that appealed to gamers. "Aside from the performance aspect there is a comfort level for gamers," says Richard Shim, an analyst with research firm IDC. For gamers, the computer is often more important than a car, so they should have a system that is truly theirs. "There are those things like ports in the keyboard for a headset and keys that can be customized. Little touches that you're not going to find in a Dell or HP system."

More importantly, these gamer-friendly manufacturers didn't over-bundle their machines with OEM software, such as AOL logons, Encarta encyclopedia and other non-gamer applications. It was those types of applications that can seriously affect performance, and for gamers that can make or break your gameplay. "As a gamer I know how frustrating it is when you get fragged because your computer dropped a few frames or froze just as you were coming around that corner," emphasizes Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel, the current Doom3 champ and three-time world champion gamer in the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL). "Having good hardware is important when you're gaming for fun. It's one less thing to worry about and allows you to focus on your game and not your hardware."

The benefit of these specialized brands has been that they understand gaming, and thus offer machines with gaming first and foremost. This has even resulted in companies like Dell, Gateway and HP offering their own gaming machines. Dell's XPS systems feature stylish cases that go way behind the beige tower, with more powerful video cards and more options such as additional USB ports and headphone jacks. These systems are also priced to be competitive with the higher-end systems from Alienware and Falcon. "They're really targeted at different markets," stresses Shim. "Overall gamers are a very lucrative market, as they're willing to spend a lot of money and they want a somewhat customized system full of performance-enhancing components. Now the big guys, like Dell and HP, are getting in on the gaming market. Theses machines are not as powerful a lure, but they're going after a mainstream, as opposed to ultra-hardcore gamer."

Do It Yourself?

Before the arrival of companies that specialized in gaming rigs, many of those ultra-hardcore gamers just built their own machines. For many this remains true today, especially as it is still possible to built an ultra-fast machine for less than what it costs to buy it.

While a good PC can easily be had for under a $1,000, a truly intense gaming machine can run three or four times as much and that's why gamers like Richard M. Fame, a Detroit-based IT specialist, take the time to build their own computers. "I think a person gets the best PC when they buy each part they want over what parts a company offers in different models of the computers that they are selling," suggests Fame, who even had a small business for a while selling customized computers designed for gamers. "Even if it is called a 'gaming' PC, it does not mean it is the fastest PC that can be built. This way, the person gets exactly the right video card, CPU, memory, etc. They want to fit their gaming needs and budget."

Washington, D.C. resident gamer Ian Marotto agrees about going the home-built route, saying he has saved a lot of money by putting his own computers together. "I build all my PCs with the best that is out at the time and I still come under the big boy's prices by at least a grand if not more."

Both Fame and Marotto stress that going this route does require time to tinker. There is no proven parts list, but some of the key ingredients should be a good motherboard (one that can be overclocked should you desire to go that route), a CPU (Intel or AMD), as much memory as you can afford (Fame suggests 2GB if possible), a fast video card (DirectX 9.0+ is a must) and a reasonable sized hard drive. Marotto further emphasizes that by building a computer he can make sure to avoid conflicts that sometimes creep up with high-end gaming machines. "In a nutshell," says the gamer whose favorite game of the day remains Call of Duty, "high-end gaming rigs are overkill in my opinion!"