Gaming

Devon wants to get an iBuyPower Gaming PC. Is that a good brand? Leo says that iBuyPower makes great computers and at $495, it's a great deal. The games that Devon wants to play aren't really all that demanding, but still, it depends on what graphics processor and card he's going to get. For video games, the GPU is the workhorse. The NVidia GE Force GT610 is a good one.

Ivan is a hardcore gamer and he uses an Alienware laptop. But his laptop has been getting up past 200 degrees. Leo says that's not a good thing. It's normal for a laptop to heat up with a lot of hard core use, but not that much. Leo suspects that Ivan's GPU fan isn't working. It could also be that the thermal paste wasn't applied correctly. Leo advises going back to the store with it and having them fix the issue.

Joshua owns and operates Minecraft servers and he wants to know what the future has in store for online gaming. Leo says that since Microsoft bought Minecraft, it's possible that Microsoft could require Minecraft be run from Azure. But Leo doesn't think there's much cause to worry because the Minecraft culture is very independent. Gamers won't really feel Microsoft's presence in Minecraft for at least a year, but there's not much cause for concern. Since online gaming is social by nature, the future is bright.

Paula wants to know the best place to buy a gaming computer for her son who does gaming videos on YouTube and Twitch. Leo says that kids get real serious with their computers and having the best computer she can afford will give him the tools he needs. But gaming computers aren't cheap. All PCs can game, but gaming computers use higher end components that can really give her sticker shock. They require a dedicated GPU.