All computers serve to play … but not all games. The computers to play exist and in fact they are a great investment if what you want is, that, to play the most modern titles and – generally – pointers. If you take a look at the technical requirements of the latest games ( Fallout 4 , Star Wars Battlefront , Metal Gear Solid V , Street Fighter V ) you will be surprised, and what is worse … you will realize that your current team is probably not enough.

One of the solutions is to buy a new computer to play. Well, and how to do it? What should I keep in mind if I want to buy a computer to play all the big premieres? Well, this is precisely what we are going to talk about today: the essential components and features that your new desktop computer should have.

Most importantly, the graphics card

When we talk about a computer to play there is a component whose importance is superior to that of the rest: it is the graphic card , responsible for generating the graphics and the environment that users see.

A good graphics card is essential to enjoy a good gaming experience , although it is necessary to mention some nuances. There are more demanding games, and others less, according to the decision of the developers. It is very important to check the requirements of each title, both recommended and minimum, and keep them in mind to know if our computer can execute them effectively.

There are many graphic cards, in almost all cases belonging to two manufacturers: NVidia and AMD. We speak of dedicated graphics cards (physical cards that are ‘punctured’ on the computer’s motherboard), and that because of their structure and characteristics offer greater performance than the other type of card, the ‘integrated’ or included in the processor itself. Yes, since a few years ago also the processors incorporate a much simpler and limited graphic card, which may be enough for some simple games but that certainly is not the best option if we want to play all the major releases of the videogame market.

Our option should be a dedicated card. These also exist in laptops, with another format – a chip other than the processor – and equally manufactured by NVidia and AMD.

Within the different ranges, if we want to enjoy a good experience, it is highly recommended to go for medium-range graphic cards, or products of superior quality . For example:

• NVidia GTX 950 // AMD R7 370: they represent an interesting difference with respect to the graphics integrated in the processors, and by their cost they can be the first step of a PC to play.
• NVidia GTX 960 // AMD R9 380: even more performance for a little more price.
• NVidia GTX 970 // AMD R9 390: already represent a significant outlay, but they are hugely competitive products and can play games with the best quality at high resolutions.
• NVidia GTX 980 Ti // AMD R9 Fury X: the top models of the market, are expensive but necessary for example to enjoy the game in multiscreen, with monitors with 4K resolution or maximum graphic detail

These are just a sample of the existing ones in the market, in this case for the market of desktop computers. Each of these graphics cards has its counterpart for laptops, following a similar scheme of objectives and experience in the world of video games.

But do not forget the processor

The processor is the central “brain” of the computer, which manages almost all information. In games, however, its importance is less – partly because the graphics card does a good part of the work – but it also influences. To play you do not need the best processor, but a decent one.

There are dozens of different processor models, many of them tremendously specific. In my experience I have always recommended, in the case of Intel processors and with the goal of video games in mind, to choose at least one Intel Core i5 processor , or the even higher Core i7.

With these families we will not have problems to not only enjoy the game with good quality, also move around the computer with ease, with fast loads between levels and, in general, with a very positive experience with the computer.

A computer designed for video games – such as the Lenovo Y50 already has this type of processors with 4 or more process cores at frequencies of 2.6 GHz., From now on. A good central core to process all the information that the computer needs at each moment.

The SSD will notice

The magnetic hard drives reached a limit for flash drive repair, and then the SSD appeared : solid state storage that initially was tremendously expensive, but over the years have been reducing its cost to be a tremendously attractive product.

With an SSD we will gain in computer speed. This will be able to read the information much faster, so that everything will ‘load’ faster. In video games, it does not affect the graphic quality or the number of images per second that the computer generates, but it does affect the speed at which the levels are loaded . When you finish a phase it is better to wait a few seconds until the next, and not a time that can even be minutes.

With an SSD it also improves the user’s ‘general’ experience, that is: the whole computer works faster. This includes from the beginning of the system (Windows starts in a few seconds) until the opening of applications, such as an image or video editor, the music player or the web browser. Everything is loaded almost instantly, providing an experience that was unimaginable a few years ago but nowadays anyone can have it on our computer.

A PC with a personal touch

If there is something that the gamer community likes, that is without a doubt the striking computers. Lights that shine and flash in different colors are purely aesthetic details that do not affect the performance with which the games will be played, but which certainly attract users a lot.

A very interesting feature of this color is on the keyboard, with backlit keyboards. The case of the Lenovo Y50 , for example: its keys have a red illumination that besides the aesthetic touch, they fulfill the function of being able to see the keys at night. A lot of vision and design, but also of functionality and comfort.

However, if there is a pure and hard gaming computer that is the next Lenovo Y Series ‘Razer Edition’ , a desktop computer that will be released throughout 2016 incorporating all the usual technologies in the gaming world: good components and characteristics, specific chassis for good ventilation and the aesthetic part, with areas illuminated in colors that can be customized.