AddictedxGamer

I know, right?! Haha.

I only suggested a sound card because I have nothing but trouble with the onboard audio of my motherboard. It's an MSI Z87-G45, utilizing Realtek onboard audio. It gave me nothing but trouble, so I bought and installed an ASUS Xonar DGX which I've been nothing but happy with. I love the simulated 5.1 Dolby; especially in Battlefield 4.

You just schooled me, haha! Thanks for the information.

I'm sorry to hear you have troubles with your sound card. Mine, however, is problem free. It's not the same model as yours though. I have a 2TB internal HDD, a 250GB internal SSD, and a 3TB external HDD. I install the most demanding and most played games on my SSD, other games on my 2TB, and I use the 3TB for backups. My OS and other important or demanding programs such as Photoshop are also installed on my SSD for faster performance. The time it takes me to boot up is about 7 seconds with my OS on my SSD. With it on my HDD, it would be 2-3 times as long.

Excellent choice! As you can surely tell, there are a number of us here that can help you out with any questions you have before purchase. As for peripherals, I recommend going with a monitor that uses a 1920x1080 (1080p) resolution (you probably already knew that though). I personally will always prefer a nice headset or pair of headphones to speakers, but that's just my opinion. If you're looking for a nice sound card to add to your build list, check out the ASUS Xonar DGX 5.1; I have one and it's an awesome card! And yes; you'll definitely need a disc drive. Not only is it needed to install your OS, but to install games that you don't purchase digitally as well. Disc drives are cheap though.

My point exactly. Phosphor: In my honest opinion, if you're looking to finance whatever you end up buying, I suggest a custom build. You have so many more options when you build from scratch, and if you're patient enough to hunt around for deals, you can build an awesome machine for an equally awesome price. That's what I did with my rig! You may be intimidated by the notion of building your own system, and that's perfectly normal. When I started looking into building mine, I felt a little overwhelmed too. I needed to make sure that everything would be compatible, that there weren't any known issues with any of the brands or models I was looking at, etc. So, I posted on Tom's Hardware (a PC forum) to get some assistance, and it turns out that everything I had picked out was a-okay! I was worrying and overthinking it for no reason at all! You'll certainly be able to get help from us as well, right here in this thread. Phazer has already proven that with the build he posted from PC Part Picker!

Welcome, Paul!

Ah, I was unaware of that. If he's looking to finance the computer from best Buy, he could always finance a custom build. If he's buying on credit he could buy whatever he wanted and pay it off just the same as if he bought the pre-built rig from Best Buy. Newegg has financing if I remember right, so it could work the same way (potentially). It's just some food for thought is all!

Exactly. I can't tell you how many times I've had friends of family members contact me and ask me to help them troubleshoot a problem with their computer, and they couldn't provide me all of the helpful information I was asking for. Many times the brand or model of your components or a specific component won't matter when troubleshooting a problem, but there can definitely be times where that information is helpful. Some brands or models of components truly are superior to others, some are prone to problems, and some need to be troubleshooted in a certain manner. That's why this sort of information is very good to know. I also agree that the system suggested by Phazer is probably a better build. As far as I know, an Intel i7 CPU is overkill for a gaming rig, as is 16GB of RAM. You'll generally only need that kind of CPU and RAM if you're going to be doing a lot of video and audio editing, such as making YouTube videos. For gaming, an Intel i5 and 8GB of RAM should suit you perfectly for years to come. Where you'll want to spend the extra money is on a nice SSD with plenty of space to hold your OS, important programs and files, and many of your games. I store a my most demanding and most played games on my SSD, and the rest on an HDD. You'll also want to make sure you're getting a nice graphics card; one that's relatively recent and high-end. It doesn't have to be THE top of the line, but you should aim pretty high... All in all, I think building one with the help of people here on the forums, on other forums such as Tom's Hardware, and maybe even the help of a local PC store is the way to go. You can find great deals on Newegg all the time, and after a little bit of patience and picking up parts at the right times, you can can build a dynamite machine for a pretty great price. My rig is a beast and it only cost me $1,100 because I found sales.

It'll definitely get easier once you've got a better machine. Don't fool yourself into thinking it'll be a piece of cake though; you'll still run into some problems. 'Tis the nature of the beast is all. Before you purchase that machine (if you're still going to), you may want to give them a call or send them an e-mail and ask if they know the specifics of all of the components. Brand names, models, etc. It's always best (in my opinion) to know all of those details when it comes to a gaming rig.

+1 to this! When I bought the power supply for my mom's computer from Best Buy, they were able to price match it to Amazon where it was on sale, so I got it for a steal. Always shop around for the best prices, and never hesitate to ask about price matching. Many online retailers even offer price matching. I agree that the lack of details on the power supply and the motherboard are concerning... Details like those should definitely be included in the listed information. There's also no mention of the brand names of most of the components... I like to know who makes what I'm buying when it comes to electronics, as some brands truly are superior to others. Personally, after having done the research and building the PC that I own/use now, I'd never buy one pre-built. Newegg is always having sales, so you can pick up components for great prices. You could build yourself a killer machine, composed of brands/parts that YOU picked out and approved, for the same price as that pre-built one.

This looks like an interesting mod! I try to play as realistically as possible. When my character needs to travel in Skyrim, he/she does so on foot or on horseback, sticking to roads and pathways for the most part. At times, I'd find myself wondering just how I could walk or run up down a pathway on a hill with such ease, when there were no steps. Realistically, it's just not that easy to go up or down steep hills if there aren't any steps. You have to go slowly, digging your feet in as you go so you don't slip and fall. Many of the images the mod author has uploaded showcase the addition of makeshift steps to such pathways, which would make them easier to traverse. I like that a lot! However, I find that some of the images depict changes that I don't really care too much for, such as the wooden fence added by the large boulder on the roadway near Whiterun. It just seems like such an odd place for a bit of fencing... I'm also not sure how I feel about the changes made to the stone bridges. Honestly, I don't know as the people who built the bridge would have taken the time to make the bridge that extensive, seeing as it doesn't make it any more or less functional at allowing people, horses and carriages to cross it... All in all, I like the idea of the mod. Some of the additions showcased so far are very pleasing, and others; not so much. Though, I haven't actually used the mod yet, so I can't comment on functionality, bugs, etc. I made sure to track it on the Nexus to see how it progresses. If all is well with it in the near future, I may consider adding it to my load order once I start playing.

I have no idea. :confused:

Gotcha. Thanks for the information! Yeah, that gets very annoying. Seeing as I like to use 3rd person whenever walking, running, riding a horse, gathering alchemy ingredients, etc. I'm forced to see things clipping through my cloak quite often. I try to ignore it, but it's very immersion-breaking. :confused:

You're thinking of 360 Walk and Run Plus by Yukl (yes, that's a lowercase L at the end of his name). I've used it in the past and it's a great mod. I have yet to try it with STEP though, so I'm also unsure if it's compatible with the skeleton mods used in it. Perhaps someone else knows the answer to that.

Ooh, I agree! Perhaps it's worth sending a PM to IceKK, the creator of the mod this topic is about. He may be able to make a mod like that!

That makes perfect sense. Hence why I asked if it could be incorporated in the future.

Do you guys think this is something that could be integrated into STEP in the future? I think it's simply an awesome touch of realism!

HDT Equipment by IceKK. I really like the idea of this mod. Perhaps it can be added to the STEP Guide in the future, seeing as STEP Extended already has you install the XP32 skeleton. What do you guys think?

I would be interested in becoming a mod tester as well!

This is a pretty interesting little mod!

Alright. Thanks!

Often times if all that's changed are little, relatively unimportant things, I won't even update. Especially if there's a chance the update will cause conflicts with other mods, break compatibility patches, etc.

I understand completely. I'm sure it's not the easiest process, and if everyone was constantly asking, it would be a nightmare. IF you were to allow me to make a change though, how would I go about having it made? Post the desired username here, or contact you via PM? The reason I'm looking to make a change is because I feel like I'm growing out of my current username. It's a little on the "immature" side, what with the numbers replacing letters, the caps lock (to make the numbers blend in more), etc. I also want to have an e-mail address that's the same as my username, but it has to be something easy to give to people over the phone (doctors, businesses, etc). I've got one in mind. Thanks!

I'm just wondering if usernames can be changed on request? If not, I understand completely. I just thought I'd ask, as I'm debating adopting a new one.