The graphics, sound and networking needs of computer games are different than those of standard business applications. In fact, there are games that are among the most demanding applications you can run on a personal computer. Building the Ultimate Game Machine pulls together information not found in another single source and shows you how to optimize the performance of your PC. This includes topics such as 3D graphics acceleration, Microsoft's DirectX, Internet gaming and more.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Rarely is the raw calculating power of your computer as evident as when you're playing a modern game. If a spreadsheet takes a couple extra seconds to update, no big deal. But if your man takes a couple extra seconds to look around a room in Quake, he'll probably have copious amounts of the most heinous sort of death rained down upon him. In games, hardware matters. Building the Ultimate Game PC will help you understand how games use processors, video cards, disks, and Internet connections. Further, it will help you design and build a fireball game machine that will strike fear into the hearts of your opponents, cybernetic and otherwise. This book gets beyond the hardware holy wars and shows you how to build what you want.
The risk in writing any hardware book is that it'll promptly become obsolete, and author Loyd Case makes his share of specific product recommendations, but he improves the shelf life of this book by also explaining game technologies a step back from the devices that implement them. His explanations of widely used technologies (like three-dimensional sound) and specific implementations (such as DirectX and OpenGL) are excellent. Similarly, Case's advice on assembling a machine, optimizing it for top performance, and performing maintenance (keeping drivers updated, for example) are strong too. If you want an informed opinion on high-level PC hardware that will give you the edge in competition, you'll be very pleased with this book. --David Wall
Topics covered: Processors, memory, motherboards, graphics cards, sound systems, disks, and other physical devices. Graphics chipsets, including the 3dfx Voodoo series, ATI's Rage products, the Matrox G400 series, the Nvidia TNT2 and GeForce 256, and S3's Savage4 and Savage 2000. Programmer's instruction sets (including OpenGL, DirectX, DirectSound, and Direct3D). Building and optimizing a computer, starting from scratch.
From Library Journal
There are two kinds of PC game players: those who buy PlayStations and Dreamcast machines, which are entertainment appliances, and the technonerds who like to build their own game machines from scratch. This manual is for the builders. Case covers everything from memory, sound, and speed to networking, power tools, and special hardware drivers. Definitely not for beginners or those shy around screwdrivers. Recommended for all public libraries.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the book gamers have been waiting for!,
By Daniel Hill (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Building the Ultimate Game PC (Bradygames Take Your Games Further) (Paperback)
Hooooyahhhh! Building the Ultimate game PC is destined to be the hottest selling book for online and offline gamers! This book answers the tough questions that all gamers are asking about the best 3D graphics cards, motherboards, processors, monitors, memory, CDROMs, DVD, controllers, networks, etc. Not only does Loyd answer the tough questions with bold and cold facts, but he also shows you how to build a bad boy PC for yourself! Makes your hair stand on end thinking about it! Loyd futher explores average and advanced topics such as: DirectX, positional audio, ping times, bandwidth, chipsets, SCSI, pipelines, rendering, OpenGL, Direct3D, DSL, cable modems, and even LAN parties! As an added bonus, compared to other books about building PCs, this book is actually up to date! Loyd describes in detail the very latest in technolgy products including the new GeForce and Savage 2000 3D cards and the pulse pounding AMD Athlon and Intel's upcoming Coppermine. I honestly can't see how any gaming buff could do without this highly informative book. If your a hardcore Quaker, Unrealist, or Mechhead then this book will help your tweek your computer to it's best performance level to aid you in your quest to be the one. Or even if you are just getting started, the how to build a UGPC sections will guide you smoothly through the process of building the ultimate gaming PC monster! For all those who miss the oppurtunity to buy this secret treasure trove of game kicking knowledge, then I have to say: you are nothing more than a pingless, jinking gimp just begging to get fragged!-Daniel Hill
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book has it all,
By
This review is from: Building the Ultimate Game PC (Bradygames Take Your Games Further) (Paperback)
I borrowed this book from the public library but now I am buying it as an easy to read resource in my computing library. As a new comer to building computers as a hobby, I found this book extremely helpful. Not only did it help me build a superb gaming machine at a reasonable price, but it also gave me a great foundation in the science of how things work and and interact inside my computer. This understanding will help me for years to come. Thanks for a great book!db
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Building the ultimate game PC,
By Walter ramirez (Boca Raton, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Building the Ultimate Game PC (Bradygames Take Your Games Further) (Paperback)
This book is a "must have" for all computer gamers. All the questions a gamer could have, are answer in this book. When it comes to computer parts, Mr. Loyd Case have all the answers. When I started to reading this book, I could not stop. The best part is that everything is up to date. Anybody that is thinking about buying or upgrading a computer, must buy this book. The information in this book is easy to understand and even give information about ISP, ISDN, DSL and cable modems. This is "The Bible" for PC gamers and upgraders
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