PC Gaming Components - They Are Not All Equal

Gaming components are all the same right? Memory is memory right? One NVIDIA graphic card is the same as all other NVIDIA cards right? One Intel i7 motherboard is the same as any other Intel i7 motherboard right? So totally wrong dude! No way, not even close, nada, zip, zero! It is the old adage, "you get what you pay for." And it is so very true with gaming components because they are not all equal in speed, quality or reliability. Let me explain.

Within the gaming components industry, certain manufacturers are known as tier 1 suppliers while others are known as tier 2 and 3 suppliers. Tier 2 and 3 companies produce inferior, lower quality, lower price and lower performance products. Some companies will buy and "remarket" a component under their own name. They will take a tier 2 product like a graphic card and add their value to it, like additional military class pieces and parts, to create a tier 1 product. And the reverse is true also. Some companies can take a great tier 1 product, add all kinds of features to it and destroy the functionality and speed of that component. Remarketing a product is very common in the gaming industry. So, if you see two ATI 5970 Radeon cards from 2 different remarketers/companies and one is much cheaper than the other, BEWARE. Chances are the cheaper one may have some significant faults. Same Radeon 5970 graphic card but not equal in quality or performance.

So, why is all of this important to the gamer? Very easy, when you buy a pre-configured gaming PC, the supplier probably has built it with a combination of tier 1, 2 and 3 components. That's why you see incredible price differences from different suppliers. These systems may be similar but very different in quality of components. Have you ever notice some suppliers will not tell you what memory they are using? Or what graphic card? Or what motherboard? Chances are extremely high they are using tier 3 components. That's where they can make a bigger profit by using a no name tier 3 components but charge you a tier 1 price and hope you don't notice or that you don't know anything about gaming PCs.

I am not saying profit is bad, they need it to stay in business, but gouging on price is a little questionable. Remember you want a finely tuned gaming PC to enjoy your gaming experience. If you build your own gaming PC, remember to do your homework and build it with tier 1 components. A great gaming PC must utilize good tier 1 components, all of which are working in sync with each other to take advantage of the other component's performance and features. The basic rule of physics in business, life and nature is that you or it are only as strong as your weakest link or in game speak "your system is only as fast as your slowest gaming component". To enjoy and compete well in a game, buy a gaming PC that utilizes tier one quality, high performance pieces and parts. Beware of the supplier who doesn't list the brand name of their gaming components. Don't walk away from these suppliers, RUN!

How to Choose a Starcraft 2 Strategies Resource

There are a lot of ways to make money on the internet these days and one way that a lot of gamers are using is by selling the information that they have about the game that they play. The problem is that if you are looking for Starcraft 2 strategies, you might end up buying inadequate or incomplete information from people who don't really know their stuff.

If you are looking for a Starcraft 2 strategies resource, then it goes without saying that you need to look online. Although you may find a few books in your local bookstore on the game, they will be out of date and will be based on older versions of Starcraft. So, make sure that the Starcraft 2 strategies that you buy are new and these are almost always found online.

The other thing to look out for is who is writing the book or resource. Any kid with a few years' of experience playing the game can charge you for a few tips, so make sure that the reviews of the product you are buying are fully descriptive and give you the confidence that you are buying a quality product.

Finally, the goal of any strategy resource, whether it is online or in a book, is not to help you cheat your way to the top, but rather to enable you to see the tricks that you may have missed that can really aid in your enjoyment of the game. You would be surprised at the number of people who have been playing the game for years who have missed some very obvious cheats along the way and have struggled because of it. So, take advantage of the information that is out there so that you can enjoy playing Starcraft even more than you already do.

Using Creeps To Unleash Hell Is The Key To Zerg Strategy

Zerg Strategy using Creeps in Starcraft 2 plays a crucial role that unleashes spot on terror of the alien swarm. Zerg units gain multiple benefits from creeping that can aid in almost any situation, which is why formidable Zerg players often leave their maps colored in signature purple.

With a lot more micro-play in Starcraft 2, players may forget to spawn creep tumors in important locations or not enough of it to reap its supporting features. In high level plays, proper creep spreading is essential. Let's remind ourselves why Creep is a powerful catalyst to your Zerg legion.

The most noticeable feature is the speed bonuses given to your ground units (except drones!). Zerglings are the fastest units in the game, but on creep they gravely outrun any other units including the speedy hellions. Some mobility, such as of Zerg queens and spine crawlers, are extremely sluggish without creep and would appreciate if you expanded their domain some more. Creep will significantly multiply speed for any ground mobility action, be it for a raid, to defend a base, or to rendezvous your force at a tactical location. The speed will allow you to charge in your enemies to do damage quickly before dying, making your units worth more for its resources per damage done. In essence, speed is the idiosyncratic bloodline of the Zerg. Have multiple queens especially in the early game ready to spawn creep tumors approximately every 15-30 seconds starting from your base and proliferate pathways to either your expansions for defensive purposes or towards the map center for map control.

Once you establish highways of creep, you'll also benefit from the vision it provides. This means you don't have to sacrifice your overlords to gain total map vision. Creeps once completely spawned can only be revealed by detection abilities. One tumor covers a large area with creep and vision, and can duplicate itself once by your command, at no cost of resources. Overlords although are mobile in air is more costly to lose: they can be easily spotted. Losing one can possibly supply-block your unit count. Having vision at the center of the map eliminates a lot of guessing. When possible try to spread your creep towards Xel-Naga watch towers. You'll be able to seize the towers quickly with zerglings and retreat from it easily when needed.

Creep can also be an aggressive play by impinging any enemy construction. If you want to keep your enemy's economy low, implant a solo creep tumor into their natural expansion site or any site that might interest them. This tactic will require early planning with no hesitation: send your overlord to excrete creep at the location and a queen to produce the tumor before retreating. Upgrading overlord speed and research ventral sacs for transportation is recommended if you lack creep highway for the queen to move at a decent rate. You will prevent many expansions and proxy builds, especially if your opponent desperately needs resources but is unexpectedly denied additional mining. Try this on expanding sites on your opponent's side of the map to agitate their game.

The most basic method is to first have plenty of creep surrounding your base. One, it allows defensive maneuvers, and two, provides full vision of your base if you have your creep spread up to the edges. If there is smoke, place creep on both sides, as you want to worry less about vulnerable blind spots. When spreading tumors beyond your base, you may try using two queens to juxtapose two or more tumors. This method saves time and allows easy micro; you can branch them off towards different directions after.

Three Fantastic Explanations To Play Icy Tower

What factors to consider if Icy Tower can be a excellent game or not? Well, I love that flash game and I guess I can cite a number of motives to play it.

For starters, this online game can seem too much straightforward. And he is certainly straightforward! Your objective is jump platforms until achieve top of tower - however it is not a straight forward task. As greater you get to achieve, faster screen will move up, forcing you to leap extra and far more quick.

Yes, you may believe that it is particularly quick to do, nonetheless it is not. Some platforms are really small and difficult to reach and in the event you fall down, online game more than. Let's talk about support program as well. It is very simple (and funny) to comprehend - it shows (employing graphics) it is possible to run and use walls to get greater jumps.

Other thing to look at is the song. Those little songs are genuinely funny and enjoyable, becoming simpler to keep playing it for long hours. Oh, and we can't forget about those graphics - you'll be able to uncover a lot of flash video games with ugly graphics, but that sport graphics are truly nice!

This game is spreading more than the world rapidly - it has desktop versions (Windows and Linux), Facebook version and is present in a lot of free flash games! And, to finish, in my opinion, Icy Tower has a beneficial replay factor, using level design generated procedurally, that is, randomly created, and one high score system able to motivate any user to perform more and a lot more attempting to be the most beneficial. And now, are you convinced that Ice Tower is really a outstanding activity?

Hidden Object Games Overview

In the days of the amazing 3D and fast shooting games, the hidden object games might sound something that belongs to the past and the days when the computers were slow and bulky and the 3-inch disks were the only removable storage that we knew. However, millions of kids and grown-ups play hidden object games and if you have not tried them yet or if you have not played them in a while, then simply get on the Internet and you will find hundreds of websites where you can download such games for free or play them online. Some of these games you can play from your browser, while others you have to download and install. There are even games that you can play with your friends and family and get some help solving all the mysteries, collecting all the clues, and advance from one level to another.

What makes the hidden objects games fun and exciting is the fact that they come in all shapes and forms. Of course, as the name implies the main goal is to find hidden objects, but in most cases no two games are alike and each one comes with its own twists and turns that could keep you glued to your computer screen for hours. Many of these games would let you be a detective, who has to solve a deep mystery and unearth all the hidden objects along the way, while others are set in ancient castles, haunted by ghosts and scary creatures, and quite many of the hidden object games are based on well-known detective novels as well. Some of them are easy to play, with vivid colors, and relaxed background music, but finding what you are looking for is not always easy. You might have to solve tough puzzles, collect clues, find your way through a maze, and defeat evil enemy or question number of characters in order to get to the next level.

As already mentioned, great number of flash hidden object games can be played online and many can be downloaded free of charge, but the best of the best are paid, yet worth every cent. Quite often, they would come with fully functional demo versions, which would let you try a game or two and help you decide which one you would want to purchase. Most of the hidden object games, unlike the graphic-rich 3D games, does not require the latest hardware and can be played even on an older PC. They are an excellent way to exercise your mind, have fun, and relax, and mastering a level after level can be quite challenging, but very rewarding as well.

The hidden object games are also created with the various age groups in mind - some of them are simple, easy, and perfectly suitable for kids, while others are ideal for the grown-ups, as they require strategic thinking and careful planning. With hundreds and hundreds of hidden object games out there, all of them with interesting, peculiar, or downright weird characters and settings, there is certainly a game for everyone. After a heavy day at work or a long day at school, instead of watching yet another dull reality TV show, power up your computer, load your favorite game and start finding all those hidden items one by one!

World of Warcraft Guide - AOE Grinding With a Paladin

The paladin is a very versatile class, they have strong armour, strong attacks, de-cursing abilities, and healing. They are the perfect hybrid class and one of the most important in the game right now. Another thing that makes them great is the ability to AOE grind. Currently, only warlocks, hunters, and frost mages are the only other classes which are able to do this. The paladin has a great advantage over these other classes though, that if done right, paladins have no downtime when using this method to level.

A few things are required to prepare your paladin for AOE grinding. First of all, it is recommended that you don't start choosing your talent build for this until you reach level 40. It is possible to do use this method before level 40 but to use it to its maximum potential wait until you do. Talents for this method are in the protection tree so make sure you spec into that. The main required skills your paladin needs are blessing of sanctuary, righteous fury, retribution aura, seal of light or wisdom (depending on if you need more mana or health), consecration, and holy shield. You will also want to stick a shield spike onto your shield.

Now, how to put this plan into action.

Start off by finding an area with quite a few mobs that are your level or slightly lower. Now, put your retribution aura on, and bless yourself with sanctuary. Your next step is to run into the group of mobs and get about 4 or 5 after you, then cast consecration to start dealing extra damage. If you start running low on health judge your seal of light to regain health points. Holy shield will increase your block and also reflect holy damage so use this to your advantage.

After some practise you will have no problem doing this and you can even pull in more mobs at once. If some enemies run away to grab more mobs just let them come as you will most likely be able to take them and you won't have to do any running around.

That's it! A very easy to use method but very effective as well. You can use this to level faster or even farm enemies for an item you may need.

Develop Scouting Skills Using SCV's And Build A Winning Terran Strategy In SC2

If you're debating how to scout as a Terran player, you may find it difficult to choose between sending a harvester away and discharging a scanner sweep. Both methods are simultaneously available to you anyways so there is no need to fence yourself to one side, when you can and sometimes require both techniques.

The SCV is easily built, can travel to most areas on its own, fit through small openings and perform tasks, but is physically fragile and cost one unit supply. The scan can reveal a location anywhere on the map; it detects any concealed units or buildings within its range and is immune to attacks, but the effects lasts only 12 game seconds and economically costs the ability to summon a MULE. To review, summoning a MULE costs 50 energy points from the orbital command, which shares the same pool of energy with the scanner sweep ability. If you choose to call down a MULE you will temporarily benefit from its mineral harvest that boasts at least 30 minerals per load, gathering twice as quickly as an SCV. Additionally it can harvest at the same mineral patch simultaneously with an SCV. Choosing to spend the energy for a scan rather than a MULE seems costly then. But it also seems that they each can suit you differently depending on the situation-why not use both?

The SCV can provide you effective early scouting as you lay out your base. It's available earlier than the scan, the SCV will face limited danger in early game and can be quickly remanded back to harvesting. It won't be cost effective to burn off 50 energy points for a scan right after upgrading into an orbital command, especially when a MULE can be called down otherwise for an economic boost. Additionally the SCV can harass your enemy, build over their vespene geysers and temporarily block constructions, such as impinging any add-ons for Terran barracks. As well, it can provide longer vision as long it remains in their base.

However, when it's too dangerous to send your SCV into enemy territory, and you desperately need some incentives to work with, don't feel reluctant to use the sweeper scan. You will likely get some if not all the information you need to progress your build order, instead of remaining stingy in the fog. Playing Starcraft 2 like banking corporations and being cost-effective every time can sometimes put you in the negatives in the long run: you have to give priority to the situation you're dealing with.

Scanning will also reveal any cloaked units in range or distinguish a hallucination from an actual unit. Make sure to reserve some energy when challenging an opponent who prefers stealth tactics. The SCV can build a missile turret to provide a similar ability but would cost you 100 minerals and can be destroyed along with the harvester, even during the building process-use your discretion for either method. The scanner will save you time when dueling on a large map. When you realize the moment of attack is now, meticulous timing is everything. Sending SCVs is too sluggish, whereas quicker units like hellions or medivacs are more effective. But when you can't afford your army to be dispersed or out of position, use a scanner to aid your scouting and have your army readily mobile.

When you're recovering from an economic raid or just expanding in mid game, call down your MULEs and let your SCV take care of scouting for the time being. Once you have several orbital commands and healthy economy, you may insist on using more scanning than SCVs because of the surplus of energy available to you. But if you need to free up supply, send your SCV to its scouting perdition. So whatever comes your way in battle, the combination of scanning and SCV scouting is the Terran way to show off their versatility that make sure your resources are plenty and your game under your control.