Need some help

[OscarSyx]

 So I recently got out of the military and decided that I wanted to build my own gaming PC, after serving for eight years the last thing I thought I'd be doing was playing video games. However I was riddled with injuries and it is difficult to perform physical activities. I'm a 30-year-old male from North Carolina and I've given up on consoles,  The only problem is I have no friends that play on PC, and it gets a little lame. I'd like to know if there's a group of guys who play on PC who wouldn't mind providing me with some assistance. I'm very new to this so I may come off a bit noob, but I learn fast. Thanks to all who served. This Organization seems incredible 

[Jersans]

We're here brother. The question is what you want to play? Check the forums and see we play a lot of project reality, but many other guys play lots of other games. It's your call.  Just expect brotherhood and friendship. If you want it.

[=VG= Jaki]

Welcome! Just like Jersans said, our primary game is project reality but as a big community, we play a lot of different games. You should hop on our teamspeak server and we can work something out. 

[WCCBadploy]

Greetings and welcome.

PC gaming is a very extensive area of interest. Many of us play not only the new releases but a lot of "ancient" legacy games too.

Please pop on Teamspeak if you can.

I suggest downloading the Project Reality Standalone so you can join us in game.

Come and experience a whole new level of cooperative game play.

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

Welcome to the site, bro!  Plenty of cool people around here playing many different games; I don't play Project Reality myself anymore, but I like Arma, Falcon BMS (F-16 Simulator) and our Minecraft modded server quite a bit.  A few of us also play some Elite Dangerous (space truckin, space sim action), and even Star Trek Online (free to play).

Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home 

 

Unsolicited Advice Section -- Some stuff I wish I was told when I first got into all this many years ago:

• I remember when I made the switch from console to PC exclusively - expensive but worth it.  Getting the PC is the first step; don't get fooled by Best Buy and some of the "boxed" PC's you'll see on shelves.  Only specialized stores or online outlets have the good gear for good values.  I went with CyberPowerPC for a majority of my last build when they had a big sale, and only needed to buy a few additional components online and add them myself.  Xidax PC's also have some great deals on entry level Gaming PC's.  Wait for a Holiday to buy and there will be a big sale.
   
• The graphics card will be one of the most integral and expensive parts you want to invest in, it's like buying a next gen console in and of itself and is what makes the difference between a "computer" and a "gaming computer".   Buy the most expensive "single GPU" card you can afford; expect to pay over $200 and less than $400 on average, often there are diminishing returns on the highest end cards.  In my example I got the GTX 970 instead of the GTX 980 - a fraction of a performance difference (~15FPS less maybe) but a savings of over $100 on what was then a $350 card.  Got an SSD with the $$ I saved.
  *Beware of cards that tout the chip number (i.e. 970) but look like a thin cracker when others bearing the same chip number (i.e. 970) look like huge thick rectangles with large fans and visible copper heat pipes - anyone can make a GFX card using the latest chip, only good companies like EVGA, MSI and a few others will take the time to build a GOOD card out of the chip with good cooling fans and heat pipes.
   
• Tom's Hardware is THE website to go to find the top 10 cards right now (or any PC part for that matter), select one of their picks when you get into building/buying a good Gaming PC.  PC's can cost as much as an old used car - research will benefit a new buyer immensely.  Also, currently (they flip-flop over years, gotta keep up) nVidia is the best GFX performer, and Intel is the best CPU performer (sometimes it's AMD or ATI respectively)... that being said, ATI GFX cards are often more affordable, same thing with AMD CPU's.  And Windows 7 has more support, fixes, and articles regarding games than Win10, but Win10 is coming along.
   
• When PC gamer's talk FPS, it's frames per second and it's the ultimate limiter here - the way to kill it is with a good CPU and good GFX card, but then your monitor will only display as many FPS as it's native Refresh Rate (most are around 75Hz, or 75 refreshes per second; anything more than that will not be drawn to the screen).  So, the last most expensive part of a good Gaming PC will be the monitor itself.  The newest thing is the 4K monitors - 4 times the resolution and sometimes almost 4 times the price - I would not say that it's necessary yet, but if you can afford it, go for it.  ASUS makes some of the best 144Hz monitors for gaming, but do your research at Tom's.  Also note that not all games work with multiple monitor setups or dual graphics card setups (SLI/Crossfire) - it's why I prefer and recommend a good single GPU graphics card on a single 144Hz monitor (I use the ASUS VG248QE, $279 on Amazon).  I have 4 different monitors connected, but only that main "good" display is used for the games.
   
• A TV Monitor is not the same as a PC Monitor, even now that TV's have become HD with all the bells and whistles.  The way a PC monitor works is slightly different due to the way 3D graphics are displayed, there are some articles explaining it on the internets, sorry I don't have a link ready.  But it's a good thing to note that even a expensive smart HD TV that costs a few thousand dollars will not necessarily out perform an HD PC monitor designed to push 3D graphics at the stated refresh and response rates, with a higher pixel density as they are designed to be viewed between 18-24" from the eye, unlike a TV.
   
• Eye fatigue used to be a bigger thing - but for hours of gaming with minimal eye fatigue, the Response Rate is the spec to watch on a monitor.  1-2ms (millisecond) response is about the best you will get, but anything more than 5ms and you will notice problems in a long gaming session perhaps including headaches or eye strain.  The best in industry are the IPS displays with a different kind of tech running the screen, but of course, they are very expensive even as compared to an expensive gaming monitor.
   
• Your goal when buying any gaming monitor is the Refresh Rate - get one with 144Hz (sometimes called 3D Vision "ready" or the like).  You won't be using it for the 3D, but it's capable 144Hz refresh will be able to display up to 144 frames per second on the screen for a very, very smooth gaming experience.

It's all about eliminating bottlenecks like the one described above with PC gaming when trying to get the best performance for the best value.  Feel free to post up here with any questions, make a thread if/when you go to start building or buying a PC and many here will be happy to give pointers or personal experiences with what we've all used over the years.  Cheers!