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AMD Game!

AMD Game!

Written by John Yan on 5/19/2008 for
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How many times have you walked into a computer store wanting to purchase a gaming rig only to not know which computer will offer the experience you are expecting? If you're not an enthusiast or really do your homework, it's hard toguage sometimes which computer will fit your gaming needs. It's not like a console where you know each and every single box will perform the same. With so many options out there it can be confusing for consumers.

Despite what some are saying AMD sees PC gaming growing at a great rate. A large percentage of people purchasing new PCs intend to game on it according to a survey yet 75% of the systems sold by big box retailers aren't capable of delivering the experience due to using integrated graphics.AMD wants simplify it all with their new AMD Game! initiative.

AMD Game! is a branding that will designate a computer will be able to perform at a certain level. What it's designed to do is to help consumers know that the system marked with this branding is capable of playing the newest game at an average of 30FPS at a certain resolution with default options.AMD Game! doesn't just apply to systems but components as well. AMD Game! comes in two flavors and the minimum requirements for the desktop and laptop are different. The two flavors are AMD Game! and AMD Game! Ultra. Those wanting a greater gaming experience will opt for the more expensive Ultra system while I think more mainstream buyers will be happy with theAMD Game! one. Below is what the minimum requirements are.

Minimum

As you can see, they aren't leaving out NVIDIA parts as well so the AMD Game! branding doesn't just encompass AMD specific hardware. For AMD Game!, the minimum requirements will run games at a resolution of 1280x1024 with an average of 30FPS at default settings. Moving up to Ultra, you'll be assured the computer can run at an average of 30FPS at 1600x1200. I think they should actually go with awidescreen setting for their defaults though and I will shoot a follow up question to them as to why they chose a square monitor configuration as opposed to awidescreen one. The requirements are revamped every six months so this is an ongoing process and one that looks to be up to date.

Performance

AMD says they've gotten a very positive response from companies and are generally excited about AMD Game! Some big names are going forward with this such as Microsoft, NCSoft, Alienware, Stardock, Acer, Sapphire, and so forth.

This all starts today with e-tailers and big box retailers working to get the word out. When you see the AMD Game! badge, you'll know that you will get a good gaming experience for the current crop of games. Will this help consumers when purchasing a system or component? Only time will tell but I'm glad to see someone addressing this issue. I actually seeing this benefit the notebook area more as that's one group of computers that's tough to judge when deciding if a machine can play games. More and more gamers are starting to use notebooks to game so I think theAMD Game! initiative is something that will help that segment in the long run. Let's hope this effort doesn't go wasted and consumers can get their money's worth when purchasing a system intended for gaming.

* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.

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About Author

I've been reviewing products since 1997 and started out at Gaming Nexus. As one of the original writers, I was tapped to do action games and hardware. Nowadays, I work with a great group of folks on here to bring to you news and reviews on all things PC and consoles.

As for what I enjoy, I love action and survival games. I'm more of a PC gamer now than I used to be, but still enjoy the occasional console fair. Lately, I've been really playing a ton of retro games after building an arcade cabinet for myself and the kids. There's some old games I love to revisit and the cabinet really does a great job at bringing back that nostalgic feeling of going to the arcade.

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