A Glossary of Gaming PC Terms
Every hobby has its own vocabulary, and the world of gaming and computers is no different. To truly understand all of the ins and outs of your gaming PC, you'll need to get to grips with the jargon used so easily and frequently by your fellow gamers. To help you out, I've created a glossary of gaming PC terms, from the components inside your computer to the peripherals you'll need to play to the games themselves or to build your own PC if you want.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The processor is the brain of your computer and is often manufactured by either Intel (the Intel Core series) or AMD (the AMD Ryzen series). The CPU is made up of:
Cores: These are the processing cores of the CPU. The more you have, the more processing power you have and the more tasks you can do at once.
Threads: These are the parts of the CPU that manage the tasks. Each CPU core will have two threads, allowing it to handle two tasks at once.
PCIe: Peripheral component interconnect express is a type of connection for high-speed interfaces. This is generally used between your power supply and motherboard, your GPU and other vital components inside your computer to give you almost instantaneous load times.
Overclocking: When you push the CPU (or GPU) past its stated limits to get better performance from it.
Motherboard
The motherboard is the central nervous system of your computer. It connects all the key parts together. It also houses the:
Chipset: The integrated circuits that are part of the motherboard.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
The GPU is the part of your computer that displays the images you see on the screen. It has several parts and can be both integrated into the processor or a separate entity (discrete GPU).
Video memory: also referred to as VRAM, this is memory used specifically for storing image data. It helps take the pressure off the computer's main RAM when it comes to processing large or complex images as you find in video games.
Ray tracing: This is a type of graphics rendering. It simulates the behaviour of physical light, meaning games that use it look more detailed and realistic.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
RAM is a form of short-term data storage and retrieval. RAM comes in sticks which are placed on the motherboard. RAM sticks usually come in pairs, so you will have two 4GB RAM sticks or two 8GB RAM sticks. Memory also has a number of things to consider:
Speed: This is measured in GHz and measures how quickly your RAM reads and writes information.
DDR: Double Data Rate - this is the RAM's speed when it is working as part of a matched pair, which is when modern memory is quickest.
Channels: These can be dual, triple or quad channels and link your memory to your processor, sending information along multiple channels to avoid a bottleneck. You can only use multiple channels if you have multiple RAM sticks.
Storage
This is how your files, programs and games are kept safe and accessible. There are a variety of different types of storage which you can choose from as well.
HDD: This stands for hard disk drive. An older but cheaper form of storage that is slower because it contains moving parts.
SSD: This stands for solid state drive. A more expensive, fast means of storage. It is smaller than an HDD and contains no moving parts, and so is less fragile.
SATA: Serial ATA, which is a physical connection.
NVMe: Non-volatile memory express is a technology that lets modern SSDs optimise their read and write speeds. This means that NVMe drives can be connected through a variety of options, including SATA and PCIe.
M.2: Another type of physical connector.
Monitors
You can't game if you can't see what you're doing, and having the wrong monitor can cause problems for your gaming experience.
Resolution: Resolution is often shown in formats like 1920x1080, which tells you the number of pixels that will be displayed along the width and height of the screen. This means that for a monitor that displays 1,920 pixels along its width, and 1,080 pixels along its height, you will see a total resolution of 2,073,600 pixels.
Refresh rate: This shows how many times your monitor can refresh, or change, the image it is displaying, which is measured in Hertz. Most screens will have a minimum refresh rate of 60 Hz, but many gaming monitors will have ones of 144Hz or higher.
Size: This is usually measured in inches and shows the length of your screen diagonally. The larger your monitor, the more room there will be to display your game, browser or other windows, and it may come with better designs and connections.
Response time: This is how long it takes your monitor to change from one colour to another. It's usually a measure of switching from black to white.
Frame rate: This is how many images, or frames, are shown on the screen in each second. It is measured in frames per second (fps).
Freesync and G-sync: Both of these are adaptive technologies that match the refresh rate of your screen to the game you're playing. The difference is that Freesync is an AMD creation and G-sync is an Nvidia creation, so you should pick a screen that has Freesync if you have an AMD graphics card and G-sync if you have an Nvidia graphics card.
OLED: The pixels on OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens are also their light source, so the screens handle different colours to varying degrees of depth. This technology is newer and therefore more expensive at the moment.
LED LCD: LED (light-emitting diode) screens are a type of LCD (liquid crystal display screen. This type of screen uses backlighting to illuminate the pixels being displayed. They are cheaper and brighter than OLED screens, but there are more issues with the contrast.
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
The power supply is what ensures that all the different bits of your PC have power, from the motherboard to the RAM to the graphics card. There are several different terms to know when it comes to PSUs.
Efficiency rating: from 80plus.org, these show how efficient the power supplies are at room temperature. The ratings are 80plus, 80plusBronze, 80plus Silver, 80plus Gold and 80plus Platinum.
Modular: If the power supply comes with the option to remove all cables.
Semi-modular: If some cables can be removed, but others, such as the CPU power, cannot.
Non-modular: all the cables you will need for your PC are already attached and ready to be used. You cannot remove them.
Keyboard
The different types and features of keyboards can be a challenge to understand, so here are the important things to be aware of:
Mechanical: Mechanical keyboards have a physical mechanism that you can feel and hear when you press the keys, which are each individual moving parts of the whole device. They are preferred by typists and gamers and are known for being quite loud.
Membrane: Membrane keyboards are cheaper to produce than mechanical keyboards, but the keys are not separate moving parts. They are considered to be less satisfying to type with, and some people have more difficulty with them.
Actuation force: This is the amount of downward force required to move the key and for it to register that it has been pressed.
Anti-ghosting: This means that when you press multiple keys on your keyboard at the same time, such as pressing the W key to move forward while strafing with the A and D keys, that each key being pressed is registered in the correct order.
N-key rollover: This lets all keys on a keyboard register when they are pressed at the same time.
Macro keys: These can be configured to input a series of custom, programmed keystrokes when pressed. This means you can press multiple keys in a specific order with just one fingertip.
Games
Games are a key part of the gaming hobby, so understanding the terms used to describe them is key to knowing what games will interest you at a glance.
AAA: Big-budget games from large developers, like Call of Duty. They often receive lots of praise from critics and fans alike.
Beta/Early Access: Games before they are finished but are released in either closed beta or open beta or early access form to allow for players to help find bugs and give feedback.
DLC: Downloadable content. Extra content added after a game's release, from small updates like extra weapons to extra storylines or characters.
eSports: Competitions and prizes based around video games. Many games have eSports scenes, with teams of professionals and sponsorships.
MOBA: Multiplayer online battle arena games, like League of Legends
FPS: First-Person Shooter games, like Overwatch
MMO: Massively Multiplayer Online games, like World of Warcraft
CCG: Collectible Card games, like Hearthstone
RPG: Role-playing games, like The Witcher
RTS: Real-time strategy games, like Age of Empires
PvE: Player vs Environment - games that focus on players fighting the environment or AI-controlled monsters.
PvP: Player vs Player - games that focus on players fighting each other.
VR: Virtual Reality games that require a VR headset like an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive.
Summary
You should now be comfortable with the difference between a processor and a graphics card, an FPS game and the measure of frames per second, and the difference between membrane and mechanical keyboards. With this knowledge at your fingertips, you should have no trouble talking about gaming PC terms with other gamers, your family or even friends you want to convince to join in your hobby.
Author bio: Rachel Gowland works at digital marketing agency, Tillison Consulting. She's a passionate gamer and avid reader who loves to travel, using her knowledge of foreign languages to connect with people around the world.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of sciencetimes.com
