Does a higher frame rate (FPS) make a game any better?

I was torn between better experiences upgrading my computer for gaming and other processing tasks and being content with my trusty old ThinkPad T61p.

Building a computer is not complicated at all. What is difficult is determining how you will be using it. If building a computer is on your list of things to do, all you need to do is look at the CPU which you want to use, then choose a motherboard and RAM that will go with it. With regard to the video card, it may be the make or break of your system if you are going to be doing any gaming. When I say "gaming", I mean 3D games which are taxing on you CPU. A good number of casual games, such as Angry Birds, Bejeweled, Plants vs Zombies etc. even some MMORPGs run well on Pentium 4 CPUs even without a dedicated graphics card. However games that are designed to offer realistic imagery, landscapes or even material physics ( ie. reflections on the water, cloth in the wind or even the reflection of objects in somebody's eyes).

I was amazed with the Bioware productions Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Both offered reasonably good graphics, but the most interesting parts of the game were the dialogues and story line.

So would the games be any more fun with better graphics? Maybe. I know for a racing game, graphics make a huge difference in the simulation experience. Personally, I would never try driving at 200km/h, but it is nice to imagine what it would be like.

Depending on the type of game you are playing, a higher frame rate or FPS can make all the difference, from the game being playable to unplayable.