Poker Hardware 101

I have heard a lot of complaints lately about software programs that run slowly or can’t handle serious multi-tabling. While some of these may be valid, for the vast majority of users, the problem is on their end when things run slowly. From spyware and unnecessary programs running in the background to old or inefficient hardware, most of the computer systems that I see my friends and students using could be significantly faster without spending a lot of money. Here are a few tips to speed up your machine cheaply and easily.

Video Card - $50 to $75

While avid gamers will spend hundreds of dollars on the fastest and newest video card, you are really just watching cards pop up on a table and maybe staring at a Heads-Up Display (HUD). With lots of tables on a large monitor, this can eat up some processing time, but if you get a reasonable video card, it will handle all of these things with no problem and you don’t need to break the bank. Spending between $50 and $75 on a video card from a place like TigerDirect.com or NewEgg.com will speed things up while you are playing and it should be a few years before you need to upgrade again.

If your video card is more than two years old, it’s probably time to upgrade, but you’ll need to know a couple of things before you buy. You need to know what kind of slot your motherboard has available or you could buy a card that won’t fit in your machine. If you don’t know this, have a computer savvy friend look inside your computer for you, Google the types of slots and look inside yourself (it’s much easier than it sounds), or call the customer service line at Tiger Direct and they will help you figure out which type of card you need. You’ll also need to know what kind of connection your monitor needs: a VGA cable or a DVI cable. You should be able to pull the cable from either your monitor or the back of your computer and tell immediately which type of connection you have. Most current video cards will have one of each type of connection, so if you use two monitors, make sure to get a converter or a video card that will handle both.

Spyware Removal and Tune-Up - $0 to $200

I do most of this myself and you can do at least the maintenance yourself as well. I use a free product called SpyBot Search and Destroy. If you have any programs running on your computer that are unauthorized or malicious, SpyBot will find them. Unfortunately, your problem may be that you have authorized and installed hundreds of programs which run in the background every time you start up your computer. They eat up processing power and drag your machine down like it’s walking through tar, so you’ll need to get those cleaned too.

To get your machine clean and fast, you can either take it in for a tune-up, which I usually do about once a year, or you can learn what programs are unnecessary and get rid of them. Learning how to access your startup menu and choose which programs you want to have running is not a complicated process, but it’s beyond the scope of this article. It is worth learning about these things to keep your machine fast and clean, so you may want to do some research on your own. Most computer repair shops also have a tune-up for around $100 where they will clean out the dust balls from inside your computer and speed up the whole machine by making things run as efficiently as possible. If you aren’t interested or don’t have time to learn about these things on your own, then this is a good way to go. If you find a good place (the tech counters at Best Buy are often very high-priced, so find somewhere local), they will usually tell you about your machine and advise you on any upgrades that might be useful once they have had a look at it.

A New Computer - $300 to $900

Since you already have a keyboard, monitor, mouse, and a number of other important parts of a desktop computer, you can get a surprisingly fast machine for a very reasonable amount of money. If you have a good local repair shop, you may want to consult with them and see what they recommend. They can tell you whether it’s better to upgrade your current computer or just go ahead and buy a new one. Once you know what you need, you should be able to find lots of options and get a computer that will last for a few years.

If you are fairly tech savvy or have a friend who can help, a bare bones system may be the best way to go. Bare bones systems typically don’t include an operating system, but if you already have a copy of Windows XP or Vista and are retiring your old computer, then you can use the disc to install it on your new machine and save yourself $100 or more. They also don’t usually include a video card (see above for purchasing a video card) or a cooling fan, which you may be able to salvage from your old machine. This is a great way to get a really fast computer inexpensively, but if putting it together yourself is more than you want to deal with, you can still get a great computer for a reasonable amount of money.

*****

Huge Rakeback Promotions from PokerSoftware.com!

$20,000 Monthly Freeroll on Full Tilt. $20,000 Rake Races on Cake, Full Tilt, AP, and UB. The best rakeback percentages in the industry. Check out all of our Rakeback Promos!

Click here to visit our rakeback page and sign up an account!