Stuffed Stockings
Beware fat men in red
It’s that time of the year when the fat man in r ed breaks into your house, steals your milk and cookies, and then hopefully leaves something far more valuable in return. Christmas is a great time to get some new PC goodies, but the chanc es of your relatives knowing which piece of silicon to buy you is probably zero squared. They have no idea what the difference between a graphics card and a motherboard are, so don’t be afraid to offer some subtle hints. I suggest going through the last few issues of PC PowerPlay, looking for the gear you need and know your loved ones can afford, circle them in bright red, and leave these pages open with the magazines placed strategically around the house. Our Menagerie section is also another great place to highlight the bits and pieces you need, so stick those tw o pages to your fridge with your desired bit of kit highlighted. Or, if you’re like me, just tell them exactly which component you want. Cash is also a great gift for a geek – get a few family members to all chip in, and v oila, you’ve got the cash for that shiny new GeForce GTX 1070 you’ve been drooling about for the last three months. But whatever you get, remember that Christmas is a time to spend with lo ved ones who you rarely get to see throughout the year, so don’t be tempted to spend the rest of the day stuck in your gaming den watching how beautifully the latest Battlefield runs on your new hardware. Ok, you can give it a “test run” for an hour or so, but ge t out there and celebrate with your family. You’ve always got another 364 days of the year to play with your new toy. May you all have a fantastic Christmas, be kind to that weird uncle you tend to avoid, and thanks for sticking with PC PowerPlay all these years. See you in the next one! Bennett Ring Tech Editor