Rising popularity of gaming PCs and how to take care of them

GHENT, WV (WVNS) – The popularity of owning a video game console like Xbox or PlayStation is slowly on the decline, with PCs beginning to become more prevalent in the gaming realm.

According to Hypebeast, “The Playstation 5 has sold in 59.2 million units as of March 31, 2024. This is slightly behind the PS4 in the same time frame (60 million).”

The gap may be small, but PCs are statistically leading the gaming community with over 900 million gamers while the total of console gamers is almost 200 million players behind at 629 million. With the popularity of PCs surpassing gaming consoles, before you make the purchase, it is essential to know how to properly take care and maintain your technological beast.

Below are a few tips into prolonging the life on your PC.

AIRFLOW

Gaming PCs are built with numerous fans to help eliminate the potential of overheating and maintain proper airflow. Without proper airflow, your PC is at risk of getting too hot and this can potentially harm internal components of your build.

If you notice that your gaming PC is running warmer than usual, check the ambient temperature of your room. Believe it or not, if your room is not very cool, this can make your PC heat up as well. Proper airflow is essential in your PC and the environment around it.

Dust build-up can be a big issue if not taken care of. Usually, the fans on a gaming PC have a filter under them that catch dust and other air particles. Over time, dust and other particles can build up on these filters and restrict some air flow. Take your filters out, get a can of pressurized air, and clean them every once in a while.

If you do not have room on your desk for your PC and you have carpeted floors, this tip is a must read. Compared to hardwood floors, carpet can collect hair and dust which can build up in your PC. If you have carpet and must put it on the floor, consider purchasing a floor stand so it is safely off the ground and doesn’t collect build-up and other things from the carpet.

UPDATES

The GPU (graphics processing unit) is the backbone of a gaming PC. No matter the brand of the GPU, companies will release updates for them to fix bugs and resolve other issues.

If you are gaming and notice that something isn’t performing right, go to your GPU settings and see if you need to update the drivers in the graphics card.

Overall, be sure to check the settings on your PC for updates.

MONITORS

New generation gaming consoles are becoming more powerful when it comes to graphics and how many frames you can play at. Still, gaming PCs are proven to produce higher quality graphics and much higher frame rates.

When you are shopping for a gaming monitor, it is important to consider the refresh rate on the monitor. You may be wondering, what does refresh rate mean?

Refresh rate refers to how fast (per second) the monitor can display a visual image. For example, if a monitor performs at a maximum of 144Hz, this means that image is being produced 144 times per second. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the image being displayed on the screen.

Keep in mind this all depends on the power of your PC. If your PC can run games at 250 frames per second, it would be nice to have a monitor with a refresh rate of at least 200Hz or more.

So, whether you are looking to build your own PC or buy one pre-built, keep these tips in mind to properly care for your PC and get the most out of your purchase.

And don’t forget, with great computer power, comes great digital responsibility.

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