Need advice/help/opinions/answers. New to PC Gaming.

Just recently I acquired this PC.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-ideacentre-desktop-12gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-black/6012005.p?id=1219182330485&skuId=6012005

Lenovo
Windows 8.1 64 Bit
I5-4460 3.2
12gb DDR3
Nvidia GeoForce GT 635 2GB
1 TB HDD


I've been messing with PCs for years now but never was into PC Gaming. I needed a new PC so I figured I'd get something I could play a few PC Exclusives on also. I just have a few questions that I'm unsure of.

I'd prefer to use a controller instead of mouse/keyboard, could I use a Wired 360 controller?

Is Steam the best place to get games? I've heard of GreenManGaming also?

I know this PC isn't that great and I don't want to have the Biggest & Baddest PC out there. If I were to upgrade this PC at all, which component should I start with? A larger HDD? Maybe add 4GBs of RAM? Get a better Video Card? Or does this seems like a decent setup?

Some games I'm interested in playing:

Rust
DayZ
Skyrim
The Forest
Probably a lot more that I haven't even heard of yet.
I'll most likely pick up a ton of games when they come on sale.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts and suggestions.

The only thing you would NEED to change out is the video card. 12GB is plenty of RAM, just like 1TB is plenty (although you can get an SSD and clone the OS to that, make that a primary boot drive and turn the 1TB into a secondary). The i5's a good choice...but the GT635 video card's only a DDR3 .

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+GT+635 The benchmark is also alarmingly low on it. I run a pair of GeForce GTX 660s in my rig. Costwise v performance, that would be a good card to start with in looking toward. You must also see if your power supply has enough connections to support the upgrade. If it's got a single 6-pin (2x3pin) connection, you can run a video card with that power supply...for now. I worked on a guy's Lenovo Ideacentre and his rig was pretty nice for the most part, but he put a Radeon 6850 into it when he got it and his PC was having both motherboard AND power supply issues less than a year later. If you're gonna get a good video card, anything running "1GB DDR5" will be adequate enough.

The trinity of game sales I abide by is Steam, Greenmangaming, and GOG (Good Old Games).

360 controllers are supposed to be plug and play. Not all games have native controller support, or a control scheme that lends itself to a controller.

Steam is very popular and convenient most of the time but you'd be best served looking at deals on reputable sites wherever they are. When buying digitally on Amazon, GMG or elsewhere you can sometimes find better deals. Often these sites are selling you a steam code anyway. Check out isthereanydeal.com, GreenManGaming and Gamersgate.

Upgrading your video card will probably be the biggest improvement you can make. The only thing I'd add about that is make sure any new card will physically fit in your case. Adding a SSD would be next on the list, something at least large enough to install Windows and all your basic programs on, maybe certain games.

As for other setup suggestions, it depends what else you're working with. A better monitor or decent speakers can make a big difference.

Welcome to PC Gaming.

You can get any and all PC games to play via gamepads if you want. While many games are natively supported some are not.

If you are using Windows - you will find programs like Joy2key (http://joytokey.net/en/) and Xpadder (http://xpadder.com/) help you play games anyway you want with the game pad of your choice.

Since you are in cheapass forums - let me school you on the ways to game on the cheap/free.

1) STEAM - http://store.steampowered.com/ - The current big daddy on the block. Digital Distribution personified. You can create a free account they even have a lot of free titles to enjoy.
 

2) GOG - http://www.gog.com/ - Unlike STEAM you do not have to install any Digital Distribution service.

3) Desura - http://www.desura.com/ - It has a program like STEAM that you can install if you want or you can scroll through their library of games and find a direct download for the games you want get. Lots of free games and some of their games come with STEAM keys when you buy.
 

4) Humble Bundle - https://www.humblebundle.com/ - This is my personal favorite. They do not OFTEN give you free games but they have done some free giveaways here and there. To me - they are a great place to support since they give you no drm versions of your games.

5) Green Man Gaming - http://www.greenmangaming.com/ - Many of their titles come with STEAM keys. These keys work for all versions of the game on Linux, Mac or Windows. They also - very often - give out games for free. You can also trade in some of the games you own through them for store credit towards your next game purchase.

6) Origin - https://www.origin.com/en-us/store/ - People will complain but they give out free games every freaking month.

PS - I highly recommend everyone make a free account on all of these services as some of their giveaways are time sensitive and making an account on the day of the giveaway will prove to be problematic.

Added Note - I would not upgrade anything at all. Just enjoy your RIG and keep in mind it's specs as you pick games to play. Enjoy it! Have fun! with it a lot. When you feel it's time to upgrade for a better experience come back to the forums and hit us up.

Skyrim was just on sale, hopefully you picked it up since you listed it.

Wow guys thanks for the responses and advice. I didn't even think to mention. I have a 26in monitor, nothing too impressive and I have the Logitech Z-5500 5.1 surround sound speakers. I absolutely love those speakers. I purchases them new years ago when I was still in High School.

Bleedingwickedly said:

Wow guys thanks for the responses and advice. I didn't even think to mention. I have a 26in monitor, nothing too impressive and I have the Logitech Z-5500 5.1 surround sound speakers. I absolutely love those speakers. I purchases them new years ago when I was still in High School.

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I wish I had more time to game on my pc, I'm working on one for my living room now so maybe I'll be able to more. My current pc is kind of out of the way and the wife gets p'od when I'm locked in my dungeon playing hearthstone or mmo's. Lol. Truthfully, if I were you I would return the pc, unless you didn't buy it yourself or something and build one. For $700 list price you could build a badass machine.