Getting a powerful computer with the latest specs is exciting, giving you the power to perform everything you want.
However, doing regular tasks like web browsing, word processing, or watching movies on your high-end computer is a waste of money and resources.
There should be other tasks that you can do to use the full potential of your components and perhaps give back the money you invested.
Can you do intensive tasks if you’re not a professional requiring workstation?
10 Things To Do With A Powerful Computer
1. Play Games
If you have a powerful PC with a high refresh rate monitor, gaming is one of the best things you can do.
The most important component required for gaming is a dedicated graphics card that can handle AAA gaming.
If you have a powerful video card, you’re halfway there.
A powerful quad-core CPU, RAM of more than 32GB capacity, and a modern SSD with a huge capacity are all you want to get into gaming.
With these specs, you can safely multitask and perform other resource-intensive tasks while gaming.
There are some graphically demanding games that not everyone can play on a regular computer.
Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Far Cry 6, Metro Exodus, and Final Fantasy XV are some of these demanding games that require massive graphical power, RAM, and storage.
You can get into 4K gaming with an overwhelmingly vast selection of games.
With different platforms like Steam and Origin, you can access almost any title, no matter which platform released them.
You don’t even need to buy and save the games.
Streaming services allow you to play online games and use their vast gaming library.
An important advantage of PC gaming over console gaming is that the former allows you to access a much bigger gaming library.
You can play thousands of games, from modern blockbusters to vintage games from decades ago.
If you want to play a really old game with no computer version, you can emulate it on your powerful PC.
A powerful PC also allows you to tap into VR gaming, giving you top-tier performance with its high-end components.
These computers also allow you to use any controller you prefer, from an Xbox wireless controller to a mouse or keyboard.
A mouse and keyboard give you an edge in competitive games and allow you to map your favorite controls over the keyboard buttons.
A powerful PC enables you to take your gaming experience to a higher level by allowing you to add mods and textures without affecting your performance.
If you have a regular PC, you may be unable to load most of these mods because the graphics card can’t handle them.
2. 3D Modeling
If you want to learn an exciting and creative skill while putting your powerful computer to good use, 3D modeling is for you.
Its applications are so varied that we’re used to seeing 3D objects in many everyday tasks without realizing it.
3D modeling involves creating three-dimensional images of objects used in different fields, including:
A. Gaming
The primary use of 3D modeling is game development, requiring lots of objects, characters, mods, props, textures, and entire settings to be as lifelike as possible.
The more realistic a game is, the more complex the 3D work.
That’s why VR gaming uses 3D modeling extensively.
B. Product Design
For those who work in the manufacturing industry, 3D modeling is a crucial tool for product design.
3D modeling software allows designers to design their product and see it in the 3D space to see how it looks in reality.
C. Architecture
Architects and designers use 3D modeling software, such as AutoCAD, to plan and design buildings and see them in three-dimensional space to better visualize them.
D. Film And Animation
Today’s animations and films, especially those with special effects, rely heavily on 3D modeling to create their images.
Most of the characters, places, and objects are produced by 3D modeling software.
If you’re interested in using 3D modeling in any of the above fields, the learning opportunities are limitless.
You can take online courses, watch YouTube videos, or visit countless websites that offer great educational content.
3. Mining Crypto
Crypto mining is all the rage these days.
People prefer to mine cryptocurrencies instead of buying and selling them.
Bitcoin is the most sought-after cryptocurrency that many people try to mine and earn money from.
It’s so popular that even cyber criminals hack other users’ computers to use their processing power in mining bitcoin.
Bitcoin is virtual money in the form of blocks of data transferred between individuals who are blockchain members.
Other blockchain members compete to solve complex mathematical operations and verify the safety of these transactions.
If they solve these problems, the system rewards them with more Bitcoin, which they can add to the blockchain for other members to solve.
These mathematical problems are so difficult that they require huge processing power.
Each block of data added to the network grows in complexity, requiring higher processing power.
As a result, a regular computer can’t be used in bitcoin mining the way it used to.
If you have a powerful PC, it gives you a great advantage over others.
You can have better chances in mining crypto if you have a powerful GPU to get involved in GPU mining.
Since CPUs generally don’t have enough processing power required by crypto mining, many miners use the GPU’s processing power instead.
You should only consider whether it’s profitable to mine bitcoin with the insanely high electricity usage, making your electricity bills skyrocket.
If you decide to mine bitcoin on your computer, ensure you have enough technical knowledge to set up the hardware and software requirements.
You could also ask an expert to set up the rig for you, and you just take care of the rest.
4. Software Development
Software development is the core of today’s computerized world.
You can combine your interest in any industry with programming to develop software required in that field.
More importantly, you don’t need a college degree to become a programmer.
It’s a great opportunity that allows you to pursue programming as a side hustle.
Forget about the myths around this skill that may prevent you from taking the plunge.
For example, you may think that you need exceptional math knowledge and skills, you need to be a genius, or you’re too old to learn to code.
Everyone can learn to code, no matter what.
The learning possibilities are endless with so many online and offline courses and resources.
You can train yourself from beginner levels to advanced stages, carving a successful career out of your newly acquired skill.
To start, you should learn a programming language depending on your interests and the language’s functions.
Python, Java, C++, and Scala are among the most popular programming languages used in different fields.
Remember, there’s no perfect programming language.
Just consider what fits your interests and abilities.
Then, pick a niche.
Which industry would you like to work in?
Manufacturing?
Mobile?
Entertainment?
IoT?
Decide based on your interests, the job outlook, and whether you plan to do it full-time or if it’s just a hobby.
When you start as a programmer, you may not need a powerful computer, but your computing power requirements increase as you advance in coding.
5. Game Development
If you want to combine your coding skills with your creative side, game development is for you.
While you can use any computer for developing a game, a powerful PC can mean the difference between an immersive, realistic game and a primitive one.
Game development encompasses several stages, which you can choose based on your skills and interests.
The first step to game development is game design: deciding on the game elements like characters, storyline, prizes, stages, etc.
Depending on your skills, you can take on these tasks from any stage of game development.
You can design sounds and assets with artistic skills or code the game if you’re a programmer.
You could even become a game tester to see how the final product works if you’re into playing games.
While you don’t need to do all these tasks, your computer can.
All you need to do is gather a team and give your powerful computer to them to complete each step.
Depending on the power of your computer, you can use 2D or 3D images for your game.
(Here’s another use of 3D modeling we talked about.)
You could even use game engines like Game Maker and CryEngine to make your job easier.
Some are more beginner-friendly and don’t require coding, but most do the rendering and take care of many elements for you.
6. Video Editing
If you’re into content creation, video editing is a great part of your job.
Video is the center of internet content, and many YouTubers, educators, and influencers leverage its power to attract viewers.
Even gamers record videos while playing a game to share with their fellow players.
You can film yourself with a smartphone and upload your video directly on your social media channel.
However, your video could be much more attractive if you were to add other engaging elements like music or visual effects.
Enter video editing: one of the primary tasks famous for requiring massive processing power.
Again, you can edit videos on a regular computer and even your smartphone, but serious and professional editing requires a powerful PC.
The most demanding part of video editing is rendering, which is the last part of editing and gives you the final result.
The higher the resolution of the video, the more power it requires.
To enter video editing, you can start by choosing an editing tool like Adobe Premier Pro or After Effects.
Then, take online courses on how to use them.
Using some creativity, you can create perfect videos on your powerful computer.
Whether you do it as a hobby or a serious profession, you have many opportunities to use your skill.
7. Benchmark Testing
How do you choose a specific piece of hardware over another?
You probably ask around and search the internet for real experiences of users.
You can do the same to help other users better understand how a piece of hardware works through benchmark tests.
Through these tests, you make a piece of hardware—such as the CPU or GPU—perform simulated tasks that users normally perform on it.
You may need to overclock the CPU to see how it handles the job or test the read and write speed of your SSD.
A wide variety of software programs are available for benchmark testers to test and compare different hardware performances.
For example, Nova Bench is a free program that allows you to test your CPU, GPU, RAM, and hard disk.
After completing the tests, you can share the results with users and compare them with others.
8. Join GPUGRID
Are you interested in science?
Here’s the perfect thing that allows you to use your high-end computer.
If you have a powerful Nvidia graphics card, you can lend its power to GPUGRID.
It’s a Pompeu Fabra University project that uses the processing power of volunteers’ computers to perform simulations on science projects.
These projects focus on how proteins create diseases like HIV and cancer and how medicines can help cure them.
To join the project, you should first install the GPU drivers and the software platform that the project works on.
After creating an account on the platform, you can start the project and contribute to science by donating your GPU power.
The project doesn’t have high requirements.
The only powerful component you need is a recent Nvidia GPU, but the other components don’t need to be fancy.
Four GB of RAM, 10 GB of available storage, and a CPU of at least one core are all it takes to get into the project.
The GPUGRID project uses the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) software platform, which has its own resource-sharing project.
It has a wider range of projects ranging from medicine to climate change.
You can download the software for free, choose your desired project, and help advance science when your computer is idle.
9. Lend Power To Tackling Climate Change
Are you environmentally concerned?
You can use your computing power to help our planet.
The University of Oxford has a volunteer computing project, Climate Prediction, to perform climate modeling experiments.
They use the processing power of volunteers’ computers to run thousands of models, called ensemble modeling.
It requires massive computing power that you can’t do with a single supercomputer.
They create models of climate change to predict where the trend is going.
They have different projects, including mapping precipitation, collecting weather data, and predicting hurricane behaviors.
10. Web Design And Development
Here’s another area where you can use your coding skills and creativity to build a new website.
Web design and development are different.
Website development involves building and maintaining websites using code and programming.
Web design has to do with the website’s appearance, making it more appealing and accessible to visitors.
To build a website, you don’t need specific coding knowledge because many website-building tools offer templates that you can use for different fields.
They also have web design elements that you can choose from, eliminating the need for learning complex coding and other design skills.
What Makes A Computer Powerful?
If you’re in the market for a high-end, powerful computer, you need to consider the components and features that set it apart from a regular, low-end PC.
Here’s what to look for:
1. CPU
The CPU is your computer’s brain, making it the first thing to consider when purchasing a high-end computer.
The CPU’s number of cores determines how many tasks you can perform simultaneously, directly affecting your multitasking abilities.
Clock speed is another important feature that determines how fast the CPU can process information.
If your CPU can’t process information fast, you can’t perform any of the abovementioned tasks.
For example, consider AMD Ryzen 9 7950X.
With 16 cores, 4.5 GHz clock speed, and 80 MB of L3 cache, it’s one of the best processors on the market, making your computer a beast device.
2. Graphics Card
The graphics card is the most important component for gaming PCs and those used for video rendering and 3D modeling.
Clock speed is the number one feature that makes a graphics card better than others.
Huge video memory, 4K, and Ray Tracing support are all features of high-end graphics cards.
Some of the greatest graphics cards on the market can have 24 GB of DDR6 RAM, making them super-fast and reliable.
3. RAM
Your random-access memory is crucial in allowing you to make the most out of your powerful PC.
If your RAM isn’t fast enough, it doesn’t matter how powerful your CPU is.
You can’t use its full potential.
That said, you don’t need an insanely high-capacity RAM because it depends on the programs you run on your computer.
Most applications described above don’t need more than 32 GB of RAM.
If your computer has this much RAM, you can consider it a powerful device in this regard.
4. Storage
When it comes to storage, higher is better.
You need enough storage to keep your files when you use your computer for demanding jobs like video rendering.
However, that’s the only hardware component you can compensate for using external storage devices.
That’s not the only function of a storage device, though.
It can directly affect your performance through its read/write speed.
That’s why most high-end computers come with SSDs instead of HDDs because they’re faster and have more advanced technology.
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