Computer Gamer's Bible

Discover how to make your PC the ultimate gaming machine … Take your gaming experience to the next level! This one–of–a–kind reference examines the latest hardware and software, explains how to improve your current system, and provides step–by–step instructions for installing a video card, programming a joystick, and more. From the hottest new games to peripherals, sound and video cards, 3D controllers, and multiplayer network connections, the Computer Gamer's Bible delivers all you need to make your games look, sound, and play better. Inside, you'll find complete coverage of computer game software and hardware

• Learn about the hottest gaming technologies for PCs and Macs
• Find more than 20 do–it–yourself projects to optimize, augment, or upgrade your system
• Pinpoint the ideal system specs for the kinds of games you play
• Select the best controller, video card, and sound card for your system
• Pump up the volume with surround–sound software, speakers, and subwoofers
• Go three–dimensional with 3D glasses, goggles, and gadgets
• Play to win with other gamers on a network or over the Internet
• Optimize your gaming system with DirectX and DirectSound from Microsoft
• Get inside your games with patches, levels, cheats, and walkthroughs

Hot demos on CD–ROM, including:

• Drakan
• Need for Speed: High Stakes
• Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Homeworld
• Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire
• Warbirds
• Age of Empires II: Age of Kings, Unreal Tournament
• Plus gaming utilities and 3 other hot game demos

Shareware programs are fully functional, free trial versions of copyrighted programs. If you like particular programs, register with their authors for a nominal fee and receive licenses, enhanced versions, and technical support. Freeware programs are free, copyrighted games, applications, and utilities. You can copy them to as many PCs as you like—free—but they have no technical support. www.idgbooks.com System Requirements: Pentium 200 class PC running Windows 95/98; 32MB RAM; 100MB disk space; 4MB Direct3D compatible video; Microsoft Direct–X 6.1; Internet access