Application #3: Online Gaming Of course, you're not limited to playing games with other members of your household. Connect to the Internet and you can play games with opponents from all around the world! As with network gaming, online gaming works best with a fast connection. That means a broadband connection (cable, DSL, or satellite), the faster the better. (Dial-up gaming just doesn't cut it these days.) Naturally, you'll need to beef up your PC in all other aspects, as well. Upgrade Checklist for Internet Gaming Broadband Internet connection (see Chapter 15) 80GB or larger hard disk (see Chapter 4) CD/DVD drive (see Chapter 5) 512MB or more RAM (see Chapter 6) 256MB video card with 3D graphics accelerator and DirectX 9 compatibility (see Chapter 9) 19-inch CRT or 17-inch LCD monitor (see Chapter 9) 3D sound card (see Chapter 10) 4.1 surround sound speaker system with subwoofer (see Chapter 10) Joystick or other game controller (see Chapter 7) THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM If you plan on using your PC to play the latest games, keep these points in mind: Playing games is one of the most demanding applications for your PC. To play the most-demanding PC games, you'll need to start with at least a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 machine. For best game play, you'll need a big hard disk, CD/DVD drive, 512MB or more RAM, 256MB 3D video card, a big monitor, a 3D sound card with 4.1 surround sound speaker system, and a joystick or other game controller. To play multiplayer games over a LAN, go with wired Fast Ethernet connections. To play multiplayer games over the Internet, get a cable or DSL connection.
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