n00b pc gaming performance help

[SHIROI RAKUEN]

So... an alienware M17x will be soon arriving at my place

& I'm kinda average when it comes to PC gaming(I've only now decided to switch from console gaming to pc gaming). Anyway, I would like u guys to do a quick simulation for me. To make it easier let's say that I will only be playing Far Cry 3 for now... As soon as the laptop arrives, after the 1rst boot up, what do I do before I can start playing Far Cry without any issues? Pls include anything u can remember as I am still a n00b when it comes to tweaks & obvious stuff that people have to do on their PCs before start playing at max performance...

Thank you.

PS : I figured u might need my specs in order to help me so... here they are :

Intel i7 3630QM

8GB RAM in 2 sticks

500GB HDD

radeon 7970M discrete/dedicated

1080p 17.3 inch screen

windows 8



Moved from PC Gaming

Anandtech Moderator
KeithTalent

 

[Tweak155]

Installing the game to avoid not having the game installed is a good first step.

 

[Piotrsama]

Have the game updated.
Play it, and (if it's slow) reduce graphics settings until it's playable.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

There's a few general system updates you might want to do first which are not specific to any game, these will help give you the overall best performance and stability.

1) Make sure windows is up to date with windows update from the control panel.
2) Do an update of DirectX, search for this on Microsofts website and download/update
3) Update your video card drivers if necessary from the AMD website.

Then...

4) Install Far Cry 3.
5) Download and install the latest FarCry 3 patch from the official website.

Steps 1-3 are generic system updates to keep your PC running smoothly, you should do these every few months ideally, make sure to leave automatic windows updates on.

 

[scragnoff]

If you're going to game for long durations, get Latop Lifts to keep your M17x cooler.