STACK #145 Nov 2016

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GAMES FEATURE

It must be an omen What does it take to stand out in a world overrun by influencers andYouTubers? It definitely helps if you’ve got one of the most powerful PC gaming set-ups on the market.We caught up with ChampChong to chat about his Omen X. Words Alesha Kolbe

C hampChong is one of the few Australians that have managed to make a name for themselves in the influencing scene, both here and overseas. But how did he get that foot in the door? “I was one of the ‘originals,’” offers Alen, aka ChampChong. “I’ve

It must be easy to have as much fun as Champ when you’re using a rig as powerful as his. ChampChong is the proud owner of HP’s Omen X desktop computer. “It’s an insane machine. I didn’t know the exact specs when it was arriving – I thought it might have one [NVIDIA GeForce

power output, and can handle ChampChong’s triple 4K monitor set-up with ease. “I’ve only run Counter Strike with the full setup, but it was great. I want to use the 4K properly – I might try Tomb Raider or Forza across all three screens. The Omen X has been handling games so much better than my last PC – I’m in love with it.” Champ says one of the biggest differences the new set-up has made to his life is load times, noticeable especially in survival game H1Z1 . “I’ve got the NBN so that helps a little, too, but the Omen X just loads you in faster. It’s a weirdly-built game in that things like graphics cards affect your load-in speed, so having the twin 1080s is a huge advantage. In game terms, three seconds difference can mean a gun that ensures your survival, and the Omen X gives me usually around five seconds. It’s insane.” Games like Overwatch also benefit from the Omen X’s impressive computing abilities. “It’s a noticeable difference. I’m running Overwatch at absolute maximum settings with no trouble whatsoever. It’s probably one of the top games on PC at the moment and it runs flawlessly.” Champ has also noticed the differences between his last PC and this one – notably the frame-rate drops. “Running games like this is easy on the Omen X, whereas on my last PC I would’ve definitely had drops in frame rate. Even if you’re only using the one screen, like I would for Overwatch , the PC still has to process the other two, and the Omen X does that with no issue at all.” Before heading to PAX in Melbourne, Champ is looking to check out a bit more of PlayStation VR. “I’ve been playing heaps of Mafia III , a lot of FIFA, and even a bit of Gears of War 4 , because I really enjoyed the multiplayer on that when it first came out a while ago. I’ll definitely be putting the Omen X through its paces when Battlefield 1 comes out, and testing that with max settings. I’m really looking forward to it.”

ChampChong

GTX] 1080, but it had two,” he laughs. “It’s pretty much overkill, but it’ll last me a really long time.” The Omen X has a ridiculous amount of

maintained my trust with my audience, and I always give my honest opinion, and people respect that.” People like Champ have necessitated the use of influencers in the industry, instead of perhaps your more traditional media outlets, and he notes that it’s been quite sudden dynamic shift. “When I first started, it was the complete opposite – gaming companies would copyright strike YouTube channels, that kind of thing. Nowadays, I’ll get invited to a studio to see a game six months in advance. Our audiences relate to us because of how often they’re exposed to us. It’s often a better look than

what you would get on TV, especially in the case of maybe a 30-second ad.” “It’s definitely a personality thing –

people watch you because they sympathise with how you play games, and people are more likely to keep watching you if you’re having fun.”

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NOVEMBER 2016

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