Solved Pc's or Consoles?

[Product FRED]

Depends on the budget.

Right now it would be a console because I refuse to sink $1500+ into a computer.

You can build a great gaming computer for about $800 or less.

I spent around that much one mine and here's what I got (the 9400GT has 512MB):

 

[mpcrsc562]

HELL, for reliability, consoles ftw by faaaar! Seriously, the money/effort/time being spent on PC gaming will might as well be spent on the latest console + a great screen + amazing speakers. I know console hardware stays locked in the same old hardware and that means degenerated performance over time, but hell, at least it's reliable, no BSODs or system failures that appear very often like those of a PC, and having to think a billion times before installing/plugging in ANYTHING on the PC or face eternal damnation and having a failed system. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea on how u can always tweak ur system and have it perform better than it should, but it's just too stressful and expensive and it hardly ever works out the way u want it, hell even more hazardous than console gaming.

It's funny to read this and think... Hmmm... Aren't the console makers trying to make their respective consoles into PC's? (hard drives, NIC's, keyboards...) Oh yeah, to successfully navigate through the online portals these consoles offer, don't you need a keyboard? I mean, yeah, voice communication has come a long way in the console arena, but does everybody have a headset? I betcha every PC gamer has a mouse and keyboard though.

Basically, if you bought your computer from Best Buy from a Sunday sales paper, you might have problems running games (the newer ones). If you built your own computer, more than likely, that PC will blow a console out of the water--if it was built for gaming.

BSOD's are because of some sort of incompatibility somewhere--but consoles suffer crashes too!

 

[Nem]

I've gamed on PC For years then i switched to Xbox360, why? as i find it more challenging on the console to aim on. don't have to upgrade even if you have the
money or not.

PC it's just easy to use a aim to Aim with but that's 2 reasons .. another reason i moved is i got tired of the hackers :shock:

 

[pparks1]

You can build a great gaming computer for about $800 or less.

I guess that opinions on great gaming machines will vary wildly. I think you can put together a decent box for gaming in the $800 area....but it will be far from great....at least by those who consider themselves gamers. I think $1,000 to $1,200 is more inline with what a gamer would invest between a CPU, a GPU, and a cooling system.

 

[Product FRED]

You can build a great gaming computer for about $800 or less.

I guess that opinions on great gaming machines will vary wildly. I think you can put together a decent box for gaming in the $800 area....but it will be far from great....at least by those who consider themselves gamers. I think $1,000 to $1,200 is more inline with what a gamer would invest between a CPU, a GPU, and a cooling system.

I should mention I got the GPU from a card. If I applied the cost of it, it would be around $1,000. So basically, yeah you're right. I also agree with the previous comment that consoles are trying to be more like PCs. Just build a PC...

 

[antharr]

You can build a great gaming computer for about $800 or less.

I guess that opinions on great gaming machines will vary wildly. I think you can put together a decent box for gaming in the $800 area....but it will be far from great....at least by those who consider themselves gamers. I think $1,000 to $1,200 is more inline with what a gamer would invest between a CPU, a GPU, and a cooling system.

I should mention I got the GPU from a card. If I applied the cost of it, it would be around $1,000. So basically, yeah you're right. I also agree with the previous comment that consoles are trying to be more like PCs. Just build a PC...

I would also include future upgrades in the price as well.

 

[mpcrsc562]

I guess that opinions on great gaming machines will vary wildly. I think you can put together a decent box for gaming in the $800 area....but it will be far from great....at least by those who consider themselves gamers. I think $1,000 to $1,200 is more inline with what a gamer would invest between a CPU, a GPU, and a cooling system.

I should mention I got the GPU from a card. If I applied the cost of it, it would be around $1,000. So basically, yeah you're right. I also agree with the previous comment that consoles are trying to be more like PCs. Just build a PC...

I would also include future upgrades in the price as well.

Future upgrades? Consoles are upgraded too and ususally at a higher (initial) cost. You might not need a Radeon 5990 at the $600+ price point, but when Sony, MS, and Nintendo all come out with the new round of consoles, you can bet that Sony and MS's boxes are going to be upwards of $500. That's more than a 5870 and more than the proposed price of the GTX480--matter of fact, that's more than TWO 5770's, which you could crossfire and get very good performance.

So future upgrades favor the PC, imho.

 

[Product FRED]

*I got the GPU from a friend.

Sorry, just a stupid typo.

I should mention I got the GPU from a card. If I applied the cost of it, it would be around $1,000. So basically, yeah you're right. I also agree with the previous comment that consoles are trying to be more like PCs. Just build a PC...

I would also include future upgrades in the price as well.

Future upgrades? Consoles are upgraded too and ususally at a higher (initial) cost. You might not need a Radeon 5990 at the $600+ price point, but when Sony, MS, and Nintendo all come out with the new round of consoles, you can bet that Sony and MS's boxes are going to be upwards of $500. That's more than a 5870 and more than the proposed price of the GTX480--matter of fact, that's more than TWO 5770's, which you could crossfire and get very good performance.

So future upgrades favor the PC, imho.

+1

 

[ACR731]

Future upgrades? Consoles are upgraded too and ususally at a higher (initial) cost. You might not need a Radeon 5990 at the $600+ price point, but when Sony, MS, and Nintendo all come out with the new round of consoles, you can bet that Sony and MS's boxes are going to be upwards of $500. That's more than a 5870 and more than the proposed price of the GTX480--matter of fact, that's more than TWO 5770's, which you could crossfire and get very good performance.

So future upgrades favor the PC, imho.

The really bad news when it comes to new consoles is the lack of backwards compatibility. It seems more and more these days that the trend is leaning away from providing backwards compatibility.

Upgrade your console these days and you risk not being able to play the games you spent a ton of money on. The only time you might have this problem on a PC is when you change operating systems.

 

[pparks1]

I usually get a good 5-6 years out of my consoles. My Xbox360 will be 4 years old this summer. I never did own an Xbox...so I wasn't concerned at all with backwards compatibility. I assume as long as my 360 doesn't give out...that will provide me with the ability to play my old games for as long as I would want to. I think my PS2 still works...but I don't play any of those games anymore.

When the 360 first came out, the high end version of the console was $399. So, not a whole heck of a lot more than a decent gaming video card.

 

[VulcanSoulPatch]

I am a PC gamer all the way, mainly because I was able to get a $1300 gaming rig with 100% WAF, but a $300 console is a no-go.
Plus, the TV belongs to my DVR... it claimed it from Day 1.
So, my NES (my last console ) sits in the closet waiting for my son to get a bit older.

There are games which just do not work well on one or the other. And ports are always the worst!

+1. Since I don't have a next-gen console, there are so many games that I look forward to being ported, but it all gets ruined by the wacked out console camera movement...
JUST STAY THE HECK BEHIND ME!!!

VSP

 

[VulcanSoulPatch]

I've gamed on PC For years then i switched to Xbox360, why? as i find it more challenging on the console to aim on.

Even though I haven't had a new console in over 2 decades, I have had the opp to play on my nephew's PS2, Wii, and PS3 over the years. Oddly enough, you've cited the #1 reason I haven't pushed to get a console, since most of my gaming experiences usually end up something like this...

"No, no, no! Go back you silly little stick! Stop gliding! There's his head... THERE'S HIS HEAD!!! What??? I know I shot at his head!!! Now I'm dead?!?"
:mad2:
<throws controller out the window>

Mouse PWNS analog stick for precision shots any day of the week.

VSP

 

[mpcrsc562]

When the 360 first came out, the high end version of the console was $399. So, not a whole heck of a lot more than a decent gaming video card.

The Xbox360, maybe, but the PS3 was what...? $499 or $599? Something like that?

 

[Nem]

lol.. it's something to get used to and it's not hard to use a controller, heck my 13 y.o. nephew played Consoles (First Xbox) when it came out, now playing on the 360 of course he friggen pwnz ..even the old folk.

I never said it's better but sure i DO still at times play on the PC. Playing with a mouse sure i like because it's much Easier|Simpler I only moved because of Hackers.. they will always be there.. got on my nerves after awhile, noone can play fair on PC's games anymore they could but honestly, you don't know if the players playing legit or not. someone could say "I'm not hacingk" but that doesn't change anything when you know they do and rest of the people say they do.

Just my opinion though don't really matter, that's just me.

Really can't argue though it depends on the user/player on what he likes and what he/she likes to play on.

 

[VulcanSoulPatch]

The really bad news when it comes to new consoles is the lack of backwards compatibility. It seems more and more these days that the trend is leaning away from providing backwards compatibility.

I said controller aiming was #1 reason for not going console, but I think this one takes the cake. Esp. given Sony's REMOVAL of backward compatibility as the newer PS3 versions rolled out. That is just mind-boggling. If I were to get a PS3 now, what happens when the PS4 is released? Go used, I guess.

Even though I was never hit by this, I can imagine all of the console gamers left with coasters when they upgraded to PS3 after their PS2 died (like my nephew), or when the PS2 got relegated to the closet due to space.

VSP

 

[VulcanSoulPatch]

@ChroNiC187:
No worries, I get you. I never got into MMOs, so I don't worry about that aspect (tried to do Diablo online after getting DSL, but was told that my nick was not allowed because ppl might think I was Admin or something... ... so, I never tried again... silly reason, I know, but s'ok).

I guess I would like to try in the future, but like you said it would only be cool if you knew everyone was on a level playing field. So, for now, it's me against the world... alone... by myself... with a scope.

VSP

 

[Product FRED]

What really upset me was how Sony first allowed and encouraged OtherOS on the original PS3s and revoked it on the Slim. It was almost as bad as removing backwards compatibility.

 

[YTBOY83]

I hardly ever get problems with games, it depends if you are talking about bought or cracked games.

We are all talking about legitimately purchased legal games. The issues with PC games from my perspective start like this

#1). Turn box over and look at system requirements
#2). Download latest drivers for video card and hope they don't cause issues
#3). Find video card is a bit too outdated and you need a new card
#4). Research video cards and find the perfect one that gives you performance u want
#5). Find out that power supply isn't sufficient or doesn't have enough connections to use board. Replace power supply
#6). New video card comes in, but won't physically fit in your case
#7). Get new case, move everything get board installs. Find that sound stutters
#8) Download latest patch for game as suggested via game forum, but doesn't work.
#9). Search for updated sound card drivers and install on machine
#10). Suspect it might be a BIOS update, but you cannot flash BIOS as you don't have floppy.

And the list goes on and on. Clearly I am exaggerating the problem, but we have all been there and dealt personally with some of these issues in the past.

Dam good point, as we all no pc's can be a pain in the ass at times.

I like how you said "And the list goes on and on. Clearly I am exaggerating the problem, but we have all been there and dealt personally with some of these issues in the past.".

 

[YTBOY83]

Consoles represent uniformity; a game that works on one console will work on another (of the same model). PCs, however are varied, but allow much more leeway in terms of power and price. You're comparing apples and oranges. Consoles are designed for the sole purpose of gaming, among a few other things, while PCs are made for many more things. Personally, I think that console games development hinders PC games development, but I still play on both nonetheless. If you just want to sit down and guarantee your game will play, definitely a console. If you want a much more rewarding experience, PCs.

I've never had an issue with a PC game that wouldn't run or couldn't be fixed with a patch (except for Trackmania: Sunrise).

True, i have never had much problems with games.

 

[smarteyeball]

I've bounced back and forth between PC and consoles since I first started playing games on the Commodore 64.

Gaming on the PC has always been my first preference, console 2nd. But I'm comfortable with both.

It all depends on which platform delivers the best performance and/or image quality at the time. Both have their pros and cons.

Currently, the PC is my platform of choice. Besides, I use the 360 controller for a lot of ports, so it's the best of both worlds in a lot of ways.