Gaming Rigs

[Adeptekon]

I need to upgrade for Total War (actually build), what is everyone running?

 

Linux or Windows?

 

Any opinions on Valve's Steam Machine?

[thomaswilliams]

For Total War, CPU single-core performance matters more than raw core count, so factor that into a build. I'd lean Windows for the widest driver and anti-cheat support, though Linux via Proton has come a long way and many titles run well now. On Valve's Steam Machine, the appeal is the console-like form factor and SteamOS integration rather than raw power, so check the specs against what modern Total War needs before committing. What budget range are you working with?

[Adeptekon]

10 hours ago, thomaswilliams said:

What budget range are you working with?

I don't know yet, but with the current gas prices and a lot of driving, I may hold out for a while and see what happens before release.

[thomaswilliams]

The gas-price calculus makes sense, and waiting also lets you see how the next Total War patch and driver releases shake out. Since you're building rather than buying prebuilt, I'd pick the CPU first around single-core speed and let the GPU and storage follow your budget. On Linux versus Windows, it honestly depends on whether you play anything with kernel-level anti-cheat, as that's the usual breaking point. Do you mostly stick to Total War, or is your library broader than that?