Do you need a monster machine to play RTS games?
Let’s face it: personal computers are no longer just workhorses. For many years people have used them to play different games. And while some games don’t require any updates from your home PC, other games require monster machines.
PC gaming is becoming an expensive hobby. When it comes to RTS games, the hole in your budget can be even bigger.
Well, it is true that not all available RTS games require a full update of your computer. Older versions of many games like Starcraft, Warcraft, and Age of Empires will run on an average PC. However, the newer versions of most RTS games will require a better chipset, a large video card, and a lot of RAM.
You might be annoyed that this is the story: you need expensive PC parts not for work but for play. However, each new feature takes its toll. The newer RTS games have stunning 3D graphics, movies, and a host of gameplay elements that just won’t work on a normal machine.
What do you need to play RTS games in terms of hardware? The best thing to do is check the requirements of the games you want to play. In general, there are several things to consider.
3D graphics acceleration is one of the common requirements of most RTS games. Before this was a non-standard feature, however today all PCs and even laptops have it. It is essential as it handles many of the 3D functions rather than asking the processor to handle them.
Direct X is also something that many games require. You will need the version that a specific game wants and in many cases you will not need to buy a new video card.
RAM is the other thing that influences the fluidity of the game. 256 MB of RAM is the minimum you need. Since Ram isn’t that expensive, add a few of course if your motherboard allows it.
Video cards are also one of the most important pieces of PC hardware for a real-time strategy game. While you may have a great video card, your favorite RTS game may not play well on it. This is because gaming video cards have different functions than the standard ones. You will have to carefully check what the requirements of the game are and then look for a new card as video cards are expensive.