How to gift the PC gamer on your holiday shopping list

 Gamers want the best gaming experience possible, which means high-resolution visuals and liquid-smooth gameplay. But, as games keep getting more visually immersive and graphically demanding, they need more graphics horsepower to come to life. If this sounds like Greek to you, don’t fret. AMD’s Ryzen processors and Radeon Graphics power a variety of systems for different gaming needs and budgets, and with this guide, you’ll be able to gift the gamer in your life with ease. 

Taking gameplay to the next level

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get the power needed to run today’s top games, but when it comes to that second-hand laptop Junior has been using to play Fortnite, it’s time for an upgrade. A single dropped frame can make the difference between life and death in a battle royale, and with nearly 80 million gamers playing Fortnite monthly worldwide, the competition is fierce out there. 

AMD Ryzen and Radeon-powered PCs can improve the way those games look and feel. For those who game or stream on the go, laptops like the Acer Nitro 5 and Acer Predator Helios 500 offer fast performance and solid framerates that you can bring with you anywhere. 

To kick the experience up a notch, you can also bring home a desktop PC to park in a gaming den or family room. Plenty of models from Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and more are loaded with Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics cards that can rip through today’s most graphically demanding games, as well as video-editing and rendering apps on computers like the HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop. 

Hardware meets software 

A great gaming experience isn’t just about the hardware – it’s the software and features powering a system that really bring a game to life. Radeon FreeSync Technology lets you extract the performance out of your system and make games look better. It synchronizes the frame rate of your graphics card with the refresh rate of your monitor to eliminate annoying visual glitches, also known as stuttering and tearing. To enable Radeon FreeSync technology, you need to pair a Radeon system with a FreeSync enabled monitor. But all you really need to know is that the technology makes games look better and your gamer won’t lose in a clutch battle due to visual slowdown.

Gamers can fine-tune their systems to find the perfect balance of resolution, detail, and smoothness that their PC can offer using Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition. Its interface is built right into their games, giving them a slick, easy-to-use overlay whenever they need to pull it up. 

For those epic sequences or victories you just need to show off, Radeon ReLive makes capturing gameplay seamless and simple. It lets you record, capture, or stream using the overlaid controls, and even fiddle with aspects like mic settings, all without pausing or exiting the game. It’s perfect for the aspiring eSports pro on your list.

Stack it up

The benefits of Radeon graphics extend far beyond just a shiny new card or PC. Radeon FreeSync Technology lets you extract the best possible performance out of your system and make games look better. It synchronizes the frame rate of your graphics card with the refresh rate of your monitor to eliminate annoying visual glitches, called stuttering and tearing. All you really need to know, though, is that it makes games look visually better and your gamer won’t lose in a clutch battle due to visual slowdown.

Gamers can fine-tune their systems to find the perfect balance of resolution, detail, and smoothness that their PC can offer using Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition. Its interface is built right into their games, giving them a slick, easy-to use-overlay whenever they need to pull it up. 

For those epic sequences or victories you just need to show off, Radeon ReLive makes capturing gameplay seamless and simple. It lets you record, capture, or stream using the overlaid controls, and even fiddle with aspects like mic settings, all without pausing or exiting the game. 

Boosting the best games

There’s a reason why a new Ryzen or Radeon-powered system will improve your gamer’s experience. The people behind the hardware and software solutions work closely with the people who actually make your gamer’s favorite titles, like Far Cry 5. 

“We as video game developers need to give [gamers] the depth of tools and options to create a really specialist build,” says Darryl Long, Producer, Far Cry 5. “And that means we require the architecture to be able to do that. Having a partnership with AMD gives us the access to the people, the tools, and the support.” 

You can see this synergy at work in many of the hottest games on the market, such as Star Wars Battlefront 2, Destiny 2, and Forza Motorsport 7.   

Want to be a holiday hero this year? 

Give your favorite gamer the gift of smooth gameplay this holiday season. Pro tip: You can shop for a new gaming laptop or gaming desktop directly on AMD’s online store.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Radeon and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.