Cheap Graphics Cards - Choosing Cheap Gaming

Console or PC, the never ending debate over which platform is better to play video games on, still rages on. However - what help is there for those of us that really couldn't give a monkeys? Those of us who just want to play a few games here and there, and aren't really that bothered about weather the graphics are better on PC or on Xbox? There's hope. Below I have compiled a list of things you need to know when buying a new Graphics Card for your computer, even if you haven't the slightest clue on how they work.

A GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is one of the main components in a computer. It allows us to view the information created by the computer on our Monitors. However! Some of these GPUs are better at their jobs that another, meaning playing a graphically intensive game on one GPU (e.g. Skyrim) could provide a smooth seamless game-play, however on another one, could produce about 1 frame per second. (frames per second, or fps, are what defines how much lag there is in a game. The average human eye captures image at around 30fps, so it is required that the game is shown in more than 30fps to make sure no lag is seen). So deciding which card to replace your current one with (if you're getting lag with particular games) is key. You need to pick a card that your computer can handle and will play all the games you want.

As you are on this page, I will assume that you are not particularly bothered about Hardcore gaming, hence the title of the post, and therefore the graphics card I suggest and the information I will give will provide you with an around average gaming experience. If you are looking for more, please check out another blog on Hardcore gaming.

Firstly, there are some things you need to know about your own computer:

- Dimensions of slots (which the card sits in)

- Power of the computer (in watts)

These are essential to know, as if the power used by the card is more than the computer can provide, it will crash the computer, or simply fail to work. The dimensions bit is obvious. You can't have a card that doesn't fit in your computers case! 

Information about your case can usually be found online on the website of the manufacturer you bought your desktop computer from. 

Secondly, you need to find a card that meets these requirements.

- Dimensions that fit your computer

- Same or lower wattage to your computer

- Good, positive reviews from customers and reviewers

Clearly you're not going to but a doughnut that people say contains cyanide, so don't buy a card that says it melted someone's computer! 

Price: So you want your card to play all games, on about average setting, or some less intensive games in full graphics, well, there are different price ranges in the GPU world that you need to note.
$70 and below - Probably wont get a very good card for this price, usually are just for speeding up computers or playing low intensity games

$80-$200 - This is where we want to look. It contains reasonably priced cards that provide us with everything we need to game at an average level. 

$300+ - This is for the hardcore gamers that require better resolutions for multiple screens etc. 

Now that we've chosen a price range for our card ($80-$200) we need to find one that also fits our requirements. For this price range, and the average computer (300W) I highly recommend the Asus Nvidia GeForce GT 600 Range. Sounds scary, and far more complicated than it is, but it is basically a range of cards that can play games such as Skyrim, Slender, Fallout, Crisis, Batman on low to med settings. For this price, and for someone who is not very bothered about gaming, this is a fantastic choice, as its easy to install too, requiring no further power input.

I am using the 630 model and I can tell you I'm very impressed so far. I often play skyrim, and have had no issues thus far! 

If you don't know how to install a card, I will be posting a guide soon, but in the meantime, check out YouTube. 

So there you have it! Choosing a card, that's not too expensive, not too good, not too bad, made easy. This card should provide you with endless gaming fun, and will last up to 25% longer than other cards, due to the fan that comes added to it. I hope this has helped you to better understand what you are looking for, and hopefully make a decision on what you want for your computer. 

Thanks for reading, and please feel free to +1, subscribe and comment. 

Why You Should Buy Minecraft

Minecraft is an ever-growingly popular sandbox game, that you're bound to have heard of. But if you've arrived at this page, its evident that you are contemplating whether or not the game is worth all the hype, and your hard earned cash.
As an avid player of the game, I will try to be as unbiased as possible. However, as a side note - it's amazing!

• Many different game modes - It's not all just about building as you probably assume! Many servers (worlds that you can join on the Multi-player menu) have their own take on how the game should be played, and what provides the most fun. For example, factions servers allow players to collect in teams called Factions, and set out to find other enemy team bases and raid them for goodies. You can make allies and friends, and is a very addictive take on the game.

• The graphics - One of the main reasons people are put off by Minecraft is simply on the aesthetics. Personally I think this is quite a shallow view, as, people know Tetris is a great game, but let's face it, it looks like it was made for 3 year olds. Sure, Minecraft is only textured 16x16bit, but the overall effect of the blocks and lighting system can create a rather beautiful experience

• Relaxation - There's no time rush in Minecraft to do anything. Unlike most games where there are time trials and races, Minecraft simply allows the user to do whatever he/she pleases, creating a relaxed game-play when desired. You could come home from school or work, kill a few pig and go to bed, or call in sick and create the Eiffel Tower!

• Updates - One thing that most games do not do well, are updates and patches. Minecraft however, consistently provides users with new content, completely free! Updates have ranged from adding new monsters, to cookies, that add to the overall enjoyment of the game.

• Goes on forever - It can't be completed! Well, unless you count killing the Boss Dragon as 'winning' the game, there really is no end to what can be done in Minecraft. You could completely industrialise a whole world, or simply live with the landscape, creating rudimentary homes as you travel around in search of the coolest ravines and waterfalls. 

• Never ending worlds - The worlds generated in Minecraft are simply enormous. They're practically infinite. Worlds usually end at a point known as the far-lands, where the level is so large that it starts bugging out! But for this to happen, the player must walk the equivalent of 8x the Earth's length! Taking years to complete. 

Minecraft is not a game for everyone. It is for the creative souls among us, who don't care about the label of 'geek' or 'nerd' when we admit to playing it. Its a fantastic game that will have even adults hooked for hours if they put in the time to give it a go, and really let their creative spirit flow!

5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Potatoes

There are few vegetables in this world that are as versatile as the beloved potato. Mashed, fried, sautéed, boiled, baked, roasted, wedged, or French fried - the potato will find some way of making you love it every time. However, other than being a starchy staple of the average man's life, the splendid spud is host to many secrets that will mash your mind.

1) Potatoes are poisonous - You heard me correctly. The much loved veg that we all enjoy is actually capable of making us very ill. The plant contains toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids in the stem and leaves. The potato itself can also turn green when left for a while, as a result of a high concentration of the glycoalkaloid poison. Although it is rare for potato poisining to occur, it does occasionally happen. Death normally occurs after a stage of weakness and confusion, followed by a coma.

2) Potatoes are from the same family as the Deadly Nightshade - The potato is part of the Solanaceae family (don't ask me how to pronounce it, I honestly haven't the foggiest), which the Atropa belladonna (Deadly Nightshade) plant is also a member of. The Nightshade is one of the most toxic plants found in the Eastern Hemisphere, with 8-10 of its berries being fatal if ingested. Scary stuff.

Blue Swede - Potato Variety

3) There are close to 4000 different varieties of potato - ...and you thought they were versatile enough already! Potatoes are usually categorised into groups of: russets, reds,whites, yellows and purples, based on their common characteristics.

4) Some potatoes are BLUE - Blue (or purple) potatoes originated in South America. The skin is purple, becoming blue when cooked. Looks rather unappetising, however the variety, known as 'Cream of the Crop' has proved popular in Ireland.

5) Potatoes are used to brew Vodka - Though this is probably more well known than some of the other facts included here, this is also quite interesting, and unexpected from a seemingly innocent vegetable! The potato is high in starch, which, when put through a series of processes, is broken down into sugars, and then into ethanol (alcohol) and used in Vodka, Potcheen and Akvavit.

Gotta love potatoes.

5 Places on Earth You've Probably Never Heard Of

The world. It's big, and bad, and good, and cool, and interesting. However the average person, even the intelligent person, knows only a tiny bit about the hidden mysteries and wondrous places on the Earth we live. Here are five places you probably haven't heard of, and will probably want to have heard about. They're damn weird. 

1. Socotra

The Isolated Island of Socotra, 200 miles from mainland Yemen. I'd heard of Yemen about once before discovering this, let alone of Socotra. The Island of Socotra is hot, harsh and windswept, and yet it is home to some of the most unique and wonderful animals and plants. How something as extraordinary as this can go unnoticed is beyond me, but there's the Media and Education System for you. Its like an alien realm, hidden away on earth.

2) Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic 

Okay.. so this is located in a cavern under a church in Prague, and is possibly the most disturbing thing I've ever seen. The Sedlec Ossuary boasts bones from between 40,000 - 70,000 people, and has been featured in a few films! 'House of 1,000 Corpses' used the fear inspiring Ossuary as inspiration for its 'Satans Lair'. I'd love to see an episode of Most Haunted filmed here, Yvette Fielding would probably break down into tears.

3) Hell's Door, Turkmenistan

This glowing crater is found in the Kara-Kum desert in Turkmenistan, and was allegedly created when Soviet prospectors drilled into a large chamber filled with natural gases. The story goes that the prospectors eventually decided to light the gas rather than to risk a build up of concentrated gas, and there you have it!  Some people even call it The Gate to Hell. The inside of the crater is black from carbon building up, and the heat is so intense that its impossible to stand by the edge for more than a few minutes.

4) Pamukkale, Turkey

The strange, yet beautiful pools of Pumakkale were discovered and first appreciated over 2,000 years ago, yet their are origin are still unknown. One theory is that, earthquakes created hot springs to bring water containing calcium carbonate to the surface. When this water evaporated, the chalky material was left behind and as a result slowly built layer upon layer, eventually creating this wonder of the natural world.

5) Bouvet Island

Not the most interesting of places, considering its only inhabitants are lichens, penguins and seals, and the most amazing thing on it is a ruined weather station, but nevertheless.. Bouvet Island is the worlds most remote island, probably why no one's heard of it. It also is a part of Norway officially, and actually has its own internet domain! (.bv). Most of the film Alien vs Predator was also filmed on the island, but other than that there's completely nothing of interest!

The world is an interesting and marvellous place, when making this post I realised this even more than before. I hope to have given you at least the slightest bit of interest when reading this post, as I myself got sidetracked for about a week looking at Socotra alone..

Luck Is A Strange Thing (Picture)

This right here:























This is luck.
I don't even care what people say about luck not existing. Lets face it, if you were in this situation, you'd be begging for a bit of luck.
One small query though, how will he get out? 

Grooveshark - A Free Spotify Alternative

One of the greatest features of the internet today is the ability to browse and listen to almost every single music track ever created. There are many services out there that claim to be able to give you the privilege, and with more and more people gaining access to the internet throughout the word, the demand is soaring.
A popular choice of online music service is Spotify.  This service allows users to browse and play their favourite tracks at free will, while also discovering new music at the same time. Everything you've ever wanted and needed from such a service.. right? Turns out there's a catch. Spotify will only allow you to play each song a total of 5 times before asking for you to upgrade to their premium service. There are now two choices of types of Spotify Premium.

1) Unlimited Service - £4.99 per month
     Comes with no advertisements and no 5 play cap

2) Premium Service - £9.00 per month
    Comes with all unlimited services as well as a mobile streaming option

Not as great as you thought, huh? Well, fear not! Grooveshark is the solution to your pain!
Grooveshark is another leading free online music service. While it does offer a premium service to remove display ads, they're not nearly annoying as "HAVING SEX WITHOUT CONSENT, IS RAPE" interrupting your listening of Mumford And Sons as Spotify Free is known for. The ads are merely side ads don't disrupt your listening at all.
The main difference between the two services is that Grooveshark's content is fully user uploaded. This can mean a number of things.

- Sometimes the quality is not quite up to the Spotify alternative, although it is free forever.

- Sometimes songs are named incorrectly.

- Sometimes 'Albums' are incomplete

However, putting this aside, the service is completely free, and also has a mobile site that works just as well as the desktop site. The fact that it's free completely outweighs the pros of Spotify in my opinion. While others may disagree with the use of Grooveshark for the user uploaded content is not always copy-written and credited properly, as well as some programs allowing direct music downloads from Spotify, I personally think its a much better alternative to Spotify. It allows all the features Spotify does; creating playlists;   favorited tracks, music on the go, new artist discovery and whole album play through's - but all completely and utterly free!

Overall, while Spotify offers great and professional features to its users, as well has great sound quality, for those hoping to receive a cheaper option to listening to everything they've ever wanted, Grooveshark is the way to go!