# Steam Winter Sale **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 19, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746 "2013-12-19T18:37:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/21 "2013-12-21T20:23:38Z")
Holy crap, thanks for that amazon info. Do you need some kind of gaming interface like with steam or gamefly, or do you download the games directly to your harddrive? Amazon has the command and conquer collectors edition for $5. I love these games (especially red alert, that alone is worth $5). Command & Conquer Command & Conquer The Covert Operations Command & Conquer Red Alert Command & Conquer Red Alert Counterstrike Command & Conquer Red Alert The Aftermath Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun Firestorm Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 Command & Conquer Red Alert Yuri’s Revenge Command & Conquer Renegade Command & Conquer Generals Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars Command & Conquer 3 Kane’s Wrath Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Uprising Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight Amazon also has a triple bioshock pack. Part 1, 2 and infinite for $15. ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/22 "2013-12-21T20:52:11Z")
The ones I’ve gotten from Amazon were redeemable through Steam. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/23 "2013-12-21T21:08:04Z")
My laptop only (because when I bought it I didn’t think I’d need nearly this much) has 550GB of space, and my steam folder is already at 320GB. I’m going to need to move all my other media to an external HD. Soon Steam will make up 80% of my internal HD. Has anyone used an external HD and steam successfully or is that too much hassle? ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/24 "2013-12-22T01:28:00Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > My laptop only (because when I bought it I didn’t think I’d need nearly this much) has 550GB of space, and my steam folder is already at 320GB. I’m going to need to move all my other media to an external HD. Soon Steam will make up 80% of my internal HD. > > Has anyone used an external HD and steam successfully or is that too much hassle? I am. It’s not really a problem for new games, just point to the new drive and it will install there. I think I had to redownload my existing games but that may not be true, I switched to the external over a year ago. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/25 "2013-12-22T01:54:42Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > My laptop only (because when I bought it I didn’t think I’d need nearly this much) has 550GB of space, and my steam folder is already at 320GB. I’m going to need to move all my other media to an external HD. Soon Steam will make up 80% of my internal HD. > > Has anyone used an external HD and steam successfully or is that too much hassle? External HD is probably a bad idea. It will be slower in most cases, but depends on what connectors ya got (USB 3.0? eSATA?). What you _can_ do is move the games you don’t play often to the external, or else maybe have Steam move games that don’t need the extra speed (e.g. not Bioshock). If you decide you want to play the game again, you can move it back first. As for your earlier question: I bought the triple Bioshock pack (but for $20). I can download and install them through Amazon, but it also gives Steam keys. ---
**Author:** ![sweet\_chemist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@sweet\_chemist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweet_chemist)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/26 "2013-12-22T13:39:04Z")
**Wesley Clark** , I have no idea about the use of an external hard drive but I do know you can move your steam folder without having to redownload everything. Steam gives directions [here](https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7710-tdlc-0426). ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/27 "2013-12-22T22:02:02Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > External HD is probably a bad idea. It will be slower in most cases, but depends on what connectors ya got (USB 3.0? eSATA?). What you _can_ do is move the games you don’t play often to the external, or else maybe have Steam move games that don’t need the extra speed (e.g. not Bioshock). I just found out about the Bioshock deal, and although I’m resisting it for now, I know from experience that there’s no way I’ll continue to resist it for the next ten days, when the sale ends. So, can anyone tell me how much video card I need to play Bioshock Infinite? I just built a new budget PC that uses only the built-in Intel HD4400 graphics, figuring it would be enough for my old favorites like Doom and Half-Life (which it is), and I know it won’t be enough for the latest games. But I don’t want to spend 300 bucks on a video card that I will rarely need, either. Would a Radeon 7790 be enough? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/28 "2013-12-22T22:54:19Z")
Depends on the rest of your setup but a 7790 seems quite adequate. I am two “tiers” lower than that on Tom’s Hardware chart and it runs fine for me. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/29 "2013-12-22T23:57:31Z")
Is Oblivion GOTY worth it at $6.99? I wasn’t thrilled with Skyrim, but I do like the genre overall. (Loved Fallout: New Vegas and Dragon Age Origins.) ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/30 "2013-12-23T00:26:37Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Depends on the rest of your setup but a 7790 seems quite adequate. I am two “tiers” lower than that on Tom’s Hardware chart and it runs fine for me. Thanks. Newegg has a 7790 on sale for $120 minus a $20 rebate, so I might as well grab it while it’s still available at that price. It’s a sign that I’m getting too old to understand stuff, but I’m reading that high end video cards are selling out at inflated prices because people are using them to mine Bitcoins. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/31 "2013-12-23T01:31:23Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Is Oblivion GOTY worth it at $6.99? I wasn’t thrilled with Skyrim, but I do like the genre overall. (Loved Fallout: New Vegas and Dragon Age Origins.) Oblivion is the same basic thing as Skyrim but with worse graphics. There are mechanical differences, for example Oblivion allows you to create spells and has a different item enchanting technique but if the whole “wander big world, go in random caves, harvest random herbs” thing didn’t excite you in Skyrim it likely won’t in Oblivion. The plot was nothing to write home about, either. Also, Oblivion has a pretty lousy leveling mechanic which is easy to “break” and find yourself woefully underpowered in the mid-higher levels. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/32 "2013-12-23T01:35:14Z")
If you’re going to go for an earlier Elder Scrolls game, I’d suggest _Morrowind_ over _Oblivion_. It’s older and arguably worse looking, but far more engrossing. The setting is also much more distinctive. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/33 "2013-12-23T01:53:40Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Is Oblivion GOTY worth it at $6.99? I wasn’t thrilled with Skyrim, but I do like the genre overall. (Loved Fallout: New Vegas and Dragon Age Origins.) Skyrim is pretty much better in every way, so don’t know if you’ll like it, unless it’s just that you hate vikings. But the price? I _feel_ like it must be cheaper at other times but I don’t remember. Mods are considered mandatory by most, and unless things changed most people go for Oscuro’s Oblivion Overhaul. At minimum, use that or another mod to “fix” the unintuitive leveling system, although that was in every TES except Skyrim. > [@TonySinclair](#): > > Thanks. Newegg has a 7790 on sale for $120 minus a $20 rebate, so I might as well grab it while it’s still available at that price. > > It’s a sign that I’m getting too old to understand stuff, but I’m reading that high end video cards are selling out at inflated prices because people are using them to mine Bitcoins. Sheesh. It used to be, you knew that a 1.5 gigahertz CPU was better than a 1.2. Now in the post-single core era, it’s a lot harder to make sense of. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/34 "2013-12-23T02:45:45Z")
The _Mount & Blade_ series in on a flash sale. It must be said: If you’re new to the series and want to try it, buy _Warband_ and only _Warband_. I’ve played a bit of _Strike Suit Zero_. I think it’s fairly good, but it can be needlessly frustrating at times. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/35 "2013-12-23T02:52:50Z")
Thanks for the advice re Oblivion. Fo $6 I decided to go ahead and go for it. I didn’t HATE Skyrim, it just didn’t grab me as much as some other RPGs did. It might be fun to revisit sometime when I’m looking for a change of pace. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/36 "2013-12-23T06:21:06Z")
I take it you got the $6.24 deluxe edition? Might as well, although as far as the extra DLC it’s so-so. Mehrune’s Razor is probably the best one. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/37 "2013-12-23T06:42:37Z")
Can someone explain to me what the collectible cards are for? You just look at them? Is there a game to play with them? Do you get anything for trading them? ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/38 "2013-12-23T06:48:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > Can someone explain to me what the collectible cards are for? You just look at them? Is there a game to play with them? Do you get anything for trading them? I sell them for Steam credit. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/39 "2013-12-23T06:50:18Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > I sell them for Steam credit. To who? ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746/40 "2013-12-23T10:02:31Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > To who? Just put them on sale on the Market, no need to go find a buyer for them. If you gather the whole Snowglobe set and combine them, you get an item for one of the freemium games on Steam which may be more valuable than the 10 cards … if you are lucky and get a rare. The normal cards only give you badges and junk which has no real value. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-winter-sale/676746.md?page=3)