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Which Computers Do Professional Game Developers Use?
Hundreds, if not thousands of different companies offer either high specification computer models or custom built designs that appeal to gamers and people in other industries that require incredibly fast and graphically capable computers, such as designers. What gaming computer brands do professional game developers buy, and why are these brands preferred over others? We’ll look at some of the different brands that are favored by those who work in the game development industry.
Gaming Desktops
Several gaming computer brands are vying for the attention of the desktop market, with some of the bigger names fast moving from niche product status to becoming household names in themselves, nearly as big as companies like Dell or HP. Indeed, one of the biggest gaming computer brands, Alienware®, is now actually owned by Dell, a company who used to compete with them. Large companies who have a broad range of different systems for office and home use don’t tend to be seen as having the specialized knowledge required by specialist game developers and gaming enthusiasts that can be offered by smaller companies.
Although game developers are likely to use many of the same brands available to consumers, they’ll almost certainly be using workstations for their normal work. Working on specialist computers like Alienware®’s popular MJ-12 model allows professional companies the ability to modify and create work on the fastest systems currently available.
For the rest of us - and for game developers who continue their hobby outside work - gaming computer brands offer the best way to ensure excellent quality of service, support, and professional help. More importantly, they give enough choice in terms of hardware and software to appeal to people both on a budget and people with thousands of dollars to spend on a top of the line system. Alienware® isn’t the only company that people in the gaming industry trust to build their computers for them. Gaming computer brands like AeonCraft®, Falcon NorthWest®, and @Xi Computer Corporation® all specialize in making high class, high power gaming machines alongside workstations for professional game developers.
The Pros And Cons Of Laptops
Developers need power across a range of components, from graphics to memory and hard drive space, normally in a larger abundance than the average gamer. The systems are designed not just to program, but to stress-test games under various different conditions such as extended play times or in hot rooms where it’s easy for electronics to overheat. To remain professional, game developers have to make sure the systems they own are not just reliable but represent a decent section of the type of computers the gaming public will be playing on.
Sometimes, however, it’s not always about the power of a system and more about portability and ease of use. Laptops are the obvious choice, and unlike even five years ago, gaming laptops are really taking off in a big way, with all the big gaming computer brands offering incredibly powerful mobile solutions. Laptops have the obvious advantage of being easy to carry between offices, on holidays and short trips, or just to a friend’s house to play a few games. Different models will focus on different aspects of a system, with models such as the @Xi PowerGo™: http://www.xicomputer.com/products/PowerGoIntel. asp offering superior battery life and weight, and models like the Alienware® M17™: http://www.alienware.co.uk/product_detail_pages/M17
/m17_overview.aspx?SysCode=PC-EU-LT-M17&
SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT focusing on pure power. Whatever laptop you use, it’s worth remembering that because of the smaller size of components and heat issues, any laptop is going to be quite a bit more expensive than a desktop that runs at similar speed.
Budget gaming laptops are still quite affordable, however, and despite the cheap price, if they’re built by a reputable company, you’re still guaranteed the best combination of hardware and software available to you for the price. It’s something that’s even more important when considering a laptop as your main machine, as they are much harder to upgrade than their desktop counterparts. Many professional game developers purchase both a desktop and a laptop system. This allows them to stay up to date with new hardware and grab an incredibly powerful system while being able to work and game on the go. This is crucial for many game developers who need to keep working while on the go, although it’s obviously an expensive alternative.
What Should You Consider?
The best way to find the perfect computer is to find out what you want from your system. In gaming, computer brands can make a large difference, but so can the model. Learning from what professional game developers prefer is an excellent start. If companies like Valve, ID, and Sierra use the same system as the one you are running, you can be certain you’ve found quality. All the big budget gaming computer brands are experts in their fields, and you can be confident that you’ll get an excellent system whatever you buy. However, you’ll also need to look at the specifications of each system and decide which one suits your needs. Style is also a part of owning a top brand computer, so you’ll need to look at the different cases and decide which ones suit you best.
Some systems are just all round powerhouses though, and while the price on the super powered systems from big budget gaming computer brands can be steep, you really do get what you pay for. Models like the Alienware®’s ALX ™ series here: http://www.alienware.co.uk/product_detail_pages/
ALX_x58/alx_overview.aspx?SysCode=
PC-EU-ALX-X58&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT, Falcon Northwest®’s Mach V™ incredibly customizable Mach V series here: http://www.falcon-nw.com/config/machv.asp, and the Aeon™ 9015 from the Aeoncraft® available here: http://www.aeoncraft.com/ac/store/configurator.aspx?mid=240 are all excellent starting points for those looking for an industry standard computer. Customization is a key part of any of the systems and can make a price difference of over five thousand dollars depending on the kind of system you’re looking for. If you need to brush up, PC World has some excellent, unbiased advice on exactly what components you need to be looking out for: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/190248/gaming_pcs, and Tom’s hardware components section: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/review/Components,1/ can provide you with up to date information and benchmarks of all the different graphics cards, memory, and motherboard the big gaming computer brands use.
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