Key Takeaways
- Transitioning from gaming to work PC: Spending more time customizing RGB themes and wallpapers, less time playing games.
- CPU monitoring obsession: Constantly checking temps despite not overclocking or playing demanding games often.
- Struggle with gaming commitment: Opting for low-involvement browser games instead of committing to titles in Steam library.
Being a PC user since the dawn of the millennium (yeah, I’m old), I always wanted to have a truly high-end gaming PC of my own. My journey from an Intel dual-core to an AMD 8-core gaming PC finally concluded with an RTX 3080 gaming PC in my possession, but once the novelty wore off, I realized I didn’t end up spending as much time playing games on it as I imagined I would.
Once I was done with my inner child healing — finishing Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Death Stranding, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and more — I ended up doing everything but gaming on my high-end PC. I now spend the bulk of my time caring about every aspect of my gaming PC except actually firing up a new game. But, at least I’m having fun, right? Right?
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7 Writing the next hot take
And preparing to get roasted in the comments
Naturally, I don’t have as much time to play games as I did when I was younger. Writing for multiple publications keeps me busy during the weekdays, and I’m too tired to play anything on the weekends. So, my “gaming PC” has mostly become my work PC, and instead of Steam, Epic Games, and MSI Afterburner, I have 3 separate browser windows with multiple tabs each open at any point in time.
Though I love my job, I miss the days when I had tons of time to play games all day.
This inevitably means I’m spending more and more time researching topic ideas instead of looking for something new to play. Though I love my job, I miss the days when I had tons of time to play games all day. But I only had a potato PC that struggled to run NFS Carbon or Hitman: Blood Money.
6 Desperately hunting for the next best wallpaper
Wallpaper Engine has me hooked
Your desktop wallpaper occupies the prime position on your monitor, and it needs to look good. Ever since I joined the hundreds of thousands of people using Wallpaper Engine to beautify their desktops, I’ve never gone back to static wallpapers. It’s just that damn addictive — I can get everything from cozy anime wallpapers, mysterious sci-fi scenes, and ambient landscapes to designs from every single one of my favorite IPs.
It might not be the best use of my time, but it makes my desktop look pretty damn good for the few seconds I see it between articles.
I spend an ungodly amount of time searching and installing new “Approved” wallpapers almost every day. I’m so invested at this point that I can’t help but badger my partner until she walks over to my desk and appreciates the latest Attack on Titan wallpaper I have on. It might not be the best use of my time, but it makes my desktop look pretty damn good for the few seconds I see it between articles.
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5 Finding new ways to customize my RGB theme
RGBe so captivating, I can’t look away
RGB is something not everyone likes — it can come across as tacky when done in excess. But, tasteful RGB elevates the looks of your PC, and can even give your PC an instant makeover. Admittedly, I started off with rainbow puke when I first dabbled into RGB customization, using the default RGBFusion app for my Gigabyte motherboard. But, as I got bored with it and found apps like SignalRGBI had an endless supply of RGB effects to explore.
So, whether I’m writing, browsing the web, or playing something, my RGB theme is always in sync with my mood.
From gradients, falling or rising colors, and audio visualizers to cyberpunk-themed and Star Wars-inspired effects, SignalRGB has something for everyone. And most of its effects are free to use, with the paid subscription offering game integrations and better audio visualizers, among other effects. I’m currently rocking the “Screen Ambience” effect on my PC, which mirrors my desktop screen. So, whether I’m writing, browsing the web, or playing something, my RGB theme is always in sync with my mood.
The great thing about SignalRGB is that you can customize the effects and save them as presets. You can even customize the virtual layout of your RGB components so that they light up in just the right way and order that you want.
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4 Needlessly monitoring CPU temps
It’s been years since I overclocked my CPU
Another app I end up using a lot is HWiNFO to check my CPU temperature constantly. It’s another matter that I haven’t overclocked my CPU or changed my fan curves in years. I don’t even hear my CPU, GPU, or case fans when I launch a heavy game once in a blue moon. So, then why do I spend so much time monitoring my temps? I’m as clueless as you are.
Considering that I don’t even play games that much, I think I’m justified in questioning why my idle CPU temp hovers in the higher 50s.
Maybe I have a compulsive need to keep the CPU temperature as low as possible. And considering that I don’t even play games that much, I think I’m justified in questioning why my idle CPU temp hovers in the higher 50s. Did I mention that I have a 240mm liquid AIO cooler for a 65W TDP processor and a Lancool II Mesh case with ample airflow? Having a CPU running hot despite this hardware annoys me to end, and I keep hoping that checking the CPU temp constantly will magically make it come down — because I’ve tried every other fix.
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3 Staring endlessly at my Steam library
Hoping for motivation to strike
It’s not that I don’t try to play the games I’ve bought with my hard-earned money. I wait for the weekend, find an ideal slot, take a deep breath, and launch Steam. After scrolling through Steam’s recommended games and those running discounts, I navigate to my library and stare at the list of options before me. That’s when things go wrong — I just find it hard to commit to anything. Every game that I excitedly purchased now seems like too big a task for the limited time I have to spare.
This is when I make one last-ditch effort and launch Epic Games Store, hoping that it could do what Steam couldn’t.
The motivation to launch a new game and immerse myself in a new world and characters seems less and less appealing as time goes on. Meanwhile, I get distracted by my phone and the thought of rewatching The Office. This is when I make one last-ditch effort and launch Epic Games Store, hoping that it could do what Steam couldn’t. But obviously, that doesn’t work. So I end up opening YouTube in a new tab and start clearing my “Watch Later” list.
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2 Playing low-involvement browser games (yet again)
The road oft-taken
So you remember how I fail time and again to commit to a game from my Steam library? Well, the high involvement that those titles demand is something that I’m currently not equipped for. So I always end up playing one of the casual browser games I’ve already sunk thousands of hours into. It’s mostly Smash Karts that I turn to in these moments, a game where 8 to 12 players blow each other up to rack up the maximum kills in three minutes.
It’s a game that I’m good at and still enjoy playing. And I do miss the allure of an open-world RPG or the thrill of a spooky survival horror title, but there’s always time for that later. It’s just that the definition of “later” has become so far removed from reality that I question whether the time will ever arrive when I actually stress my RTX 3080 to its limits.
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1 Reluctantly cleaning the dusty insides of my PC
Free of gaming but free of dust too
Once every few months (dare I say), I finally give in to the embarrassing amount of dust visible inside my PC. The graphics card, the top of the PSU shroud, the RAM sticks, and the AIO pump — the helpless cries of all the victims end up melting my heart. I wait for the weekend (naturally) and get down to it. I’d like to say that I do a thorough job of cleaning my PC, but neither you nor I will believe it. I just clean the areas in my line of sight and that’s the end of it.
Cleaning the dust out of your PC tower is important for many reasons, but the reason why I do it is mostly for aesthetics. Granted, I could do it more frequently, but it’s still better to do it occasionally than not do it at all.
Don’t beat yourself up for not gaming enough
What I’ve realized after many months of not finding enough time for gaming is that I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. After all, as our responsibilities increase, and our lives get richer and more diverse, we don’t always find time for everything. Even if I’m not motivated enough to play the best titles on my gaming rig, I know it’s not going to stay the same forever. For instance, I recently got around to playing Alan Wake and Max Payne 3. I’m on a bit of a Remedy binge right now and planning to play Alan Wake 2 next (and yes, I know Remedy wasn’t directly involved in Max Payne 3).