MeleeMonk
Cartoon Pony Wrangler
Part-time gamer, full-time environmentalist, and member of PAPO (People Against Palm Oil)
Posts: 3,651 
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Post by MeleeMonk on Dec 13, 2016 3:43:08 GMT
So I plan on buying a gaming PC soon. At first I was considering having Windows XP as my operating system, but then a user (Imperial Khador I think) told me that Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft or something along those lines, is limited to 4 GB of RAM, and will be more prone to viruses since it's no longer officially supported.
Soo.....are there other Window OS that would be a better choice for gaming? Like Windows 7 or Windows 10? And what about other OS, like Lineux? (correct spelling?)
Keep in mind that I do not want to be connected to the internet regularly, so if an OS requires frequent internet connection or something, it probably isn't for me.
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Cervantes
Off-Brand Transformable Robot
A former Incompetent Evil Commander (XP: 2423)
Posts: 2,819
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Post by Cervantes on Dec 13, 2016 9:29:08 GMT
If you plan on playing modern games, then it's best you go already with Windows 10. Although Windows 7 isn't a bad option either, some future games probably won't support it fully, especially since it never got DirectX 12 support (and any future DirectX version won't be released for it). Linux is always a good option, but most games aren't compatible and you may have a hard time adapting to it. I'm completely lost when using Linux.  You shouldn't worry about viruses. In any modern OS, a virus can't really damage your PC - the absolutely worst thing it may do (and I never had to come to that point in 15 or so years of pc gaming) is make you format and then reinstall your OS. Once you do that, your pc will be completely new. And any current OS will be very safe against them. In my experience, you usually only need the free versions of two programs (found on their own official websites) to keep your PC safe: 1. A free antivirus, for which I do recommend Avast (there are better ones, but I'm pretty satisfied with it). 2. Malwarebytes anti-malware. It's pretty good; you use it to scan your pc once in a while, and it will detect and fix any problems that may have passed through your anti-virus. Besides those, I recommend you use Chrome as your internet browser, as it's pretty safe and easy to use and will warn you about most dangerous sites (Avast will take care of others). You shouldn't be afraid of using an internet connection on it - actually, a connection will keep your programs (especially anti-virus) updated, which will make your pc safer. Also, when did you buy your previous pc? If it's not an old machine, it may be better to just fix it without having to buy a new one - if you know its technical specifications (CPU, amount of RAM, if it has a GPU, HD space...), you could post then here so we may give you advice if it's still useful. And it's perfectly possible too to reuse any parts of it - the only component that can carry viruses is the HD, and once you format it, it becomes completely clean and ready to use. I suggest you look for a technical assistance in your city. |
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Armored Core Raven
Vanguard Ranger
Radio: The test is over. From this moment on, you are a Raven!
Posts: 1,737
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Post by Armored Core Raven on Dec 13, 2016 11:03:38 GMT
You could opt for Windows 8.1, it's newer than 7 but not as bad as 10.
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MeleeMonk
Cartoon Pony Wrangler
Part-time gamer, full-time environmentalist, and member of PAPO (People Against Palm Oil)
Posts: 3,651
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Post by MeleeMonk on Dec 14, 2016 0:05:06 GMT
If you plan on playing modern games, then it's best you go already with Windows 10. Although Windows 7 isn't a bad option either, some future games probably won't support it fully, especially since it never got DirectX 12 support (and any future DirectX version won't be released for it). Linux is always a good option, but most games aren't compatible and you may have a hard time adapting to it. I'm completely lost when using Linux. You shouldn't worry about viruses. In any modern OS, a virus can't really damage your PC - the absolutely worst thing it may do (and I never had to come to that point in 15 or so years of pc gaming) is make you format and then reinstall your OS. Once you do that, your pc will be completely new. And any current OS will be very safe against them. In my experience, you usually only need the free versions of two programs (found on their own official websites) to keep your PC safe: 1. A free antivirus, for which I do recommend Avast (there are better ones, but I'm pretty satisfied with it). 2. Malwarebytes anti-malware. It's pretty good; you use it to scan your pc once in a while, and it will detect and fix any problems that may have passed through your anti-virus. Besides those, I recommend you use Chrome as your internet browser, as it's pretty safe and easy to use and will warn you about most dangerous sites (Avast will take care of others). You shouldn't be afraid of using an internet connection on it - actually, a connection will keep your programs (especially anti-virus) updated, which will make your pc safer. Also, when did you buy your previous pc? If it's not an old machine, it may be better to just fix it without having to buy a new one - if you know its technical specifications (CPU, amount of RAM, if it has a GPU, HD space...), you could post then here so we may give you advice if it's still useful. And it's perfectly possible too to reuse any parts of it - the only component that can carry viruses is the HD, and once you format it, it becomes completely clean and ready to use. I suggest you look for a technical assistance in your city. The most recently released game I plan on playing is The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Most PC games that came after 2007 or 2008 don't really interest me. So in that case what OS do you recommend I use? Also, did you just say free anti-virus software??  Back when I owned a PC in 2010-2011 I always bought anti-Virus software (usually Mcafe) at my local Walmart for $50 every year, because I thought there was no such thing as free anti-virus software. If free anti-virus software is available, then why the blazes would stores make you pay for it? And I should've specified that I no longer have that old PC, except for a few parts (graphics card, power supply, RAM). And I don't feel comfortable building a new PC as I've never done that before and my knowledge on computer hardware is very limited. I've done simple stuff like swap graphics cards and power supplies, but building a PC seems beyond my ability at the moment. That's why I've been eyeing up pre-assembled PCs on Newegg.com. Their prices seem pretty reasonable. That's the site I got my old PC from. |
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Post by Richard on Dec 30, 2016 2:54:40 GMT
Linux is always a good option, but most games aren't compatible and you may have a hard time adapting to it. I'm completely lost when using Linux. I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX. Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called "Linux", and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project. There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called "Linux" distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux. |
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Cervantes
Off-Brand Transformable Robot
A former Incompetent Evil Commander (XP: 2423)
Posts: 2,819
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Post by Cervantes on Dec 30, 2016 3:37:21 GMT
@richard - That was a pretty good explanation, mate. Thanks. Now I get why it's usually called GNU/Linux instead of just Linux.
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Back when I owned a PC in 2010-2011 I always bought anti-Virus software (usually Mcafe) at my local Walmart for $50 every year, because I thought there was no such thing as free anti-virus software. If free anti-virus software is available, then why the blazes would stores make you pay for it?