PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

If it's a video game it goes here.

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Blackhawk
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Blackhawk »

GreenGoo wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:59 pm No, I don't wear anything while I sleep. I only recently just bought the brace being discussed.
I know, I'm just trying to relate what my doctor told me: Keep it warm, especially when using it. Take frequent breaks. Buy a brace from the nearest full-service drug store (where you can try it on) and wear it at night when sleeping. Those things plus the trackball solved it completely for me.
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GreenGoo
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by GreenGoo »

I will definitely try wearing it at night, as I feel like most of my current issue is me fighting against the brace. If I'm not moving/mousing, it feels fine, which probably means it's good enough for sleeping/healing.

The pain/issue comes and goes, and I can go entire months without even noticing, although with that said, I use hotkeys and minimize movement by instinct at this point, so I'm intentionally (actively or passively) altering my actions to reduce the pain.

I admit this brace was an impulse buy, and it seems awesome, if it fit better. Still though, without a doctor I can't be sure exactly how it's supposed to fit, so buying it in person might not be the best even if it would be better than the current situation.
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jztemple2
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by jztemple2 »

I'll throw in my two cents of ailments. Several months ago I started getting some numbness in the middle two fingers of my left hand when using a controller. I went to my ortho guy, got a cortisone shot and a brace. A couple of weeks later it was all better. Now a month ago I started getting numbness in my right thumb, but only when using a mouse. Nothing else triggered it. I got a shot and it got a bit better, but it would come and go. So I switched my mouse to my left hand and now the numbness is back there :roll:.

I've been using my mouse on my thigh, which surprisingly helps, although it is awkward and lacks precision. So I've finally decided to try something a bit more radical, one of these: Patu Aluminum Alloy Rotating Desk Extension Elbow Pad Armrest

Image

Will it help? I don't know, but damn I ought to be able to mount a cup holder and a place for pretzels on it :dance:
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GreenGoo
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by GreenGoo »

I've got an L shaped desk which extends out and under my mouse arm. I mostly have full support (well, desk height support anyway) on that arm.

I've had it explained to me that what Blackhawk is implying and that I'm slow to understand is that the brace might not be for use while actually on the computer. So that's my misunderstanding, as I was thinking it was to prevent the movements that exacerbate the problem, rather than just lock the wrist during downtime to aid in healing.

With that revelation, I've removed the brace and will wear it at night only. I don't foresee a problem with that, sleep or otherwise. That means I still need a support for my wrist while mousing however, so I'm back to square one there.
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Blackhawk
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Blackhawk »

I said this earlier, but I don't know what you use your mouse for most of the time. If you're not gaming - or play games that aren't reaction based (say, Civ VI vs PUBG), get a trackball. You don't need support for your wrist when you're using a device that doesn't require the use of your wrist.

And to be honest, once I got over the learning curve, I was able to hold my own in online shooters with a trackball, too.
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GreenGoo
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by GreenGoo »

Blackhawk wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:00 am I said this earlier, but I don't know what you use your mouse for most of the time. If you're not gaming - or play games that aren't reaction based (say, Civ VI vs PUBG), get a trackball. You don't need support for your wrist when you're using a device that doesn't require the use of your wrist.

And to be honest, once I got over the learning curve, I was able to hold my own in online shooters with a trackball, too.
I am unlikely to consider moving away from a traditional mouse barring crippling pain potentially affecting my livelihood, but I appreciate the suggestion and will keep it in the back of my mind for future reference.
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Fardaza
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Fardaza »

I use a long clipboard resting across my thighs. A mouse pad sits on top of this where I have the mouse of course. I find this eliminates all the pains in my fingers, forearm, shoulder, and neck unless I play for many hours on several successive days.

My keyboard arm rests on the desk similar to the pic above with the harshly angled keyboard. I don't have mine turned anywhere near that far though. When I need to type, I put the keyboard in a more normal position in front of me.

Last suggestion. Use a Microsoft Natural Keyboard. It keeps your wrists in a more normal straight position. It takes a while to get used to it, but once you do, you'll never want a traditional keyboard again!

Keep in mind I don't play shooters. Skyrim is about the fastest I need to keyboard or mouse.
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GreenGoo
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by GreenGoo »

I wore the brace to bed last night and while I can't say that it made any difference in my day today, I can say that I was much more comfortable in bed. It seemed to alleviate some discomfort that I wasn't even aware I was experiencing.

So I'll keep wearing it and see how things progress.
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Blackhawk »

It's something that lets you heal, but it's still a slow process. The big improvement will take weeks or months.
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Blackhawk
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Blackhawk »

Kasey Chang wrote: Fri Feb 15, 2019 1:34 pm One area I felt that hadn't been addressed... A proper CHAIR and a proper computer desk, and accessories. Most desks have the keyboard shelf at the wrong level and you need to compensate with the proper chair. I am overweight and I had to order a chair rated for 300 (most chairs are rated only for 250)

I've also added "elbow rest" to the edge of the desk so I can rest my arm on it which improves mousing comfort by quite a bit.

A proper monitor shelf to raise the monitor to the right eye level is also important.
I actually got one of those arm rests (although I got this - probably the same product, but 213 reviews vs 1.) I really like it. It helps with arm aiming without having to sit in a weird position, which is great. The lip of my desk is a curved, so the top end of the bracket only touches about halfway, but once I replaced the rubber pad it came with with a piece of non-slip liner (the rubber coated cloth stuff), it holds solid. Thanks for the recommendation.

As for the monitor shelf, I switched mine for a desk mounted monitor arm several years ago. I was hesitant at the time, but it gives complete control. Height, distance, angle, even rotation are easy. The best part is that the entire desk is open now. No shelf, no monitor base, just open space for me to clutter up.
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Blackhawk
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Blackhawk »

Blackhawk wrote: Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:57 am
[*]Monitor. This one surprised me. Those of you who followed my thread in General Computing know that my son's computer died recently - motherboard, video card, and monitor all died. His grandmother kindly bought me a new video card and monitor so that I could pass mine down to him. I ended up with a 144Hz G-Sync monitor and a video card that supports the technology. Believe it or not, the change from a standard 60Hz monitor to the 144Hz made an distinct difference. It isn't just nicer, it is smoother. When you turn, the images stays fully in focus for the whole turn, and the turn is smoother. It may not sound like much, but it is like night and day when you're trying to focus on a target and move to it.

One factor to be aware of on a monitor is response time. That's how fast the pixels change from one color to another, and it is one factor that contributes to input lag. A slow response time is why it took so long before LCD monitors replaced CRTs for gaming. Years ago, a 5ms response time was adequate for gaming. For accuracy, you want no more than 2ms, preferably 1ms. The monitor response time combines with the response time from the input hardware and any processing delay to give you your input lag. Again, that's how long it takes from the time you move the mouse to the time the movement registers on-screen. It can add up quick.

It's also important to calibrate your monitor correctly, but that's beyond the scope of this page. Make sure you check into things like overdrive, ghosting, and input lag features on your monitor.
The monitor I got is well within your budget, by the way. Just know whether you prefer to run AMD or Nvidia, and either get a GSync monitor or a Freesync that is GSync compatible for Nvidia, or a Freesync monitor of you prefer AMD.
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jztemple2
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by jztemple2 »

jztemple2 wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 11:44 pm I'll throw in my two cents of ailments. Several months ago I started getting some numbness in the middle two fingers of my left hand when using a controller. I went to my ortho guy, got a cortisone shot and a brace. A couple of weeks later it was all better. Now a month ago I started getting numbness in my right thumb, but only when using a mouse. Nothing else triggered it. I got a shot and it got a bit better, but it would come and go. So I switched my mouse to my left hand and now the numbness is back there :roll:.

I've been using my mouse on my thigh, which surprisingly helps, although it is awkward and lacks precision. So I've finally decided to try something a bit more radical, one of these: Patu Aluminum Alloy Rotating Desk Extension Elbow Pad Armrest

Image

Will it help? I don't know, but damn I ought to be able to mount a cup holder and a place for pretzels on it :dance:
Good gosh, I forgot to follow up on this. The armrest thing didn't help at all, so I returned it. And my numbness got better all on its own, even when using a mouse. So time does heal some things I guess.

Regarding the monitor discussion, I'm going to get a new computer this summer so I can go with Win10 without screwing up my old rig in the meantime. And I've thought about it and I'm really happy with my 1920x1200, 24-inch monitor running at 60 fps. Yes, I know that 4K and 144 fps is better, but I've always been a gamer who is comfortable with the less than bleeding edge tech. So at some point I'll be posting a new thread looking for suggestions on the best processor and graphics card to future proof me for the next few years at those specs.
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Blackhawk
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Blackhawk »

If you really want to go all-out, there is now a Herman Miller gaming chair.

It costs more than my car is worth.
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by jztemple2 »

Blackhawk wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 4:15 pm If you really want to go all-out, there is now a Herman Miller gaming chair.
I have a decent chair, but I tend to slouch so all those wonderful ergonomics are wasted on me :D
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Anonymous Bosch
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Blackhawk wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 4:15 pm If you really want to go all-out, there is now a Herman Miller gaming chair.

It costs more than my car is worth.
An appropriately-sized SecretLab gaming chair is a more than adequate and realistic choice for most. They're all terrifically well-made, and include a 5-Year extended warranty. Their quality is absolutely top notch, and their chairs are extraordinarily comfortable and come packed with useful features:

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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by jztemple2 »

I usually remove the armrests off my gaming chairs, they get in the way of flailing elbows :D
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

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Where's the toilet?
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Hyena »

dbt1949 wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 8:10 pm Where's the toilet?
Down the hall to the left.
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Paingod »

dbt1949 wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 8:10 pmWhere's the toilet?
It's a simple mod. Just grab your Sawzall...
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Blackhawk
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Re: PC Gaming Tips & Tricks

Post by Blackhawk »

I made this for some friends and thought it might be useful to some where as well. It's about the role of muscle memory in games and how to work with it, with bits on how to make sure your mouse is set the same in every game, plus a way to check for mouse acceleration (positive and negative.) There are other videos out there that are probably made and explained better, but while there are many like it, this one is mine.

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