The Golden Age of PC Gaming? & PC vs Xbox 360

[lamboman]

I know most of the reasons but I am still somewhat flabbergasted by the fact that I could spend $4k+ on a new moderately high end gaming PC (say a duo core E6700, 8800gts, 2 gig ram) and only be (at best) on par with the power of an Xbox 360 that has 2 year old technology in it. I know, I know the Xbox is designed exclusively for games (sort of) and Microsoft doesn’t make much if any money selling them, but still. I am about to plunk down $6k on a new high end system and it still may not perform the way I want on a game like Supreme Commander or god forbid put out 40 fps on Crysis. Hell I’ll probably have to throw out my 8800gtx and get a 9800 by the end of the year! Of course I’ll use my computer for many other things, but still.

Does anyone know what cpu/gpu/ram combination most closely approximates the power of an Xbox 360? It seems to me that many game manufacturers are developing PC and Xbox 360 games simultaneously and the games pretty much look and perform the same on all but the highest end machines. Command and Conquer 3 is a good example of this. I haven’t seen them side by side, but the review and screen shots look pretty comparable.

When will the PC finally separate itself and claim high end gaming as it’s own as a $6,000 system rightfully should? Will it be with the next batch of Direct 10x games, like Crysis? I think maybe so (that is until the next Xbox comes out and shames our PC’s again).

Mate if you are going to question and make a post, at least make sense of the comments. An 8800GTS system is WAY more powerful than the Xbox 360. We are talking 2x+.

You could easily spend $6000 on a PC, just buy it in the UK, or buy 8+ Raptors for your Lian Li V2000/V2100, and a Q6850, 8800Ultras. $850=£410 approx. Which is around a 8400GT and E2140.

 

[IceBrewedBeer]

Also keep in mind that Gears of War for the 360 runs capped at 30FPS, where the PC version is gonna be 60FPS.

Even though it seems the consoles are pretty close to a high spec PC they still suffer from 30FPS cap for about 90% of their games.

I dunno about you but Live blows(seriously paying for some shitty content, pfft) and I haven't even touched the PS3 online gaming option, I hear you're out on your own with that.

The gaming experience on a PC is leaps and bounds over it's console brethren, at least in my opinion.

 

[koopaGG]

Are you some mr. Know it all who is going to spread your gospel truth. Please guy... People have preferences and their own ways...

If you were going add in the cost of the TV why not compare same size monitor and TV. You're just being a PC zealot who compares 37" TV with 19" monitors. That's fare comparison.

"PRICE/PERFORMANCE goes to PC." Whatever you say.

FYI I don't have a xbox 360 and I don't care for one. If you read my posts prior to replying to your hog-tied post you would have known this.

Wow, I subtracted the price of the HDTV and you still bitch about every little aspect.

 

[Marvelous]

Wow, I subtracted the price of the HDTV and you still bitch about every little aspect.

So lets get the total rolling here.

1) Xbox 360 Pro $399.99
1) Xbox 360 Wireless Controll $49.99
1) Random Title $59.99
1) 1 year subscription to Xbox Live $49.99
1) Sceptre 37" 1080p w/ ATSC tuner @ NewEgg $799 AR (Straight from Hot Deals search, if you find one cheaper, replace it with this one).
-------
$1358.96

Some people can't even tell the difference between adding or subtracting or must be smoking some good stuff I guess.

 

[koopaGG]

Some people can't even tell the difference between adding or subtracting or must be smoking some good stuff I guess.

I guess some people can't read.

In all honesty though, lets just say you already own an HDTV, that is still $560 and you are only getting 1 game. If you don't get the Xbox 360 with the hard drive, then whats the point of getting it?

 

[Marvelous]

I guess some people can't read.

I can read but you aren't here to reason... No point wasting my breath anymore... buh bye.

 

[koopaGG]

Also keep in mind that Gears of War for the 360 runs capped at 30FPS, where the PC version is gonna be 60FPS.

Even though it seems the consoles are pretty close to a high spec PC they still suffer from 30FPS cap for about 90% of their games.

I dunno about you but Live blows(seriously paying for some shitty content, pfft) and I haven't even touched the PS3 online gaming option, I hear you're out on your own with that.

The gaming experience on a PC is leaps and bounds over it's console brethren, at least in my opinion.

I've noticed some serious lag on Xbox 360 games too. I'm not sure if you have played GRAW 2 but it seems if you get in a firefight with a couple people (and I'm talking like...6 AI here) it starts to dip pretty low, throw a grenade explosion in there too and its just awful.

I can read but you aren't here to reason... No point wasting my breath anymore... buh bye.

Finally...your done.

 

[Karant]

I just got home from a buds house after playing GRAW2 on his Xbox 360 with HDTV. I had played the demo on my PC before, and wow, the game looks a hell of a lot better on my PC, and rarely drops below 50 FPS.

 

[mfedora]

You would literally, literally have to go out of your way to spend that much money on a PC. I'm talking 8 Raptor hard drives, phase change cooling, custom case paint job, an extreme edition Core 2 processor and a pair of 8800 Ultras and whatever else you can think of to waste exorbitant amounts of money on for miniscule marginal gains in performance.

For internals, definitely. For aesthetics, like a custom Falcon paint job on top of a cutting edge rig, you could easily rack up the cost to $10,000 + in the span of few minutes using their online customizer.

Try it, you'll like it.

http://www.falcon-nw.com/config/build.asp

 

[Mr. K6]

Buying a high-end PC from an OEM is asking to be financially raped

 

[Arcygenical]

I don't have to send my PC to microsoft every 4 months for a hardware failure.

 

[ITTom80]

I don't have to send my PC to microsoft every 4 months for a hardware failure.

^^^^^
Truth

 

[buffbiff21]

It's like comparing Democracy to Socialism.

At first I thought that said Dreamcast to Socialism.

Anyway...

Shut the fuck up! You're all wasting time you could spend actually PLAYING a game! I cannot believe people waste their time arguing on threads like these.

SNES FTW

 

[ITTom80]

At first I thought that said Dreamcast to Socialism.

Anyway...

Shut the fuck up! You're all wasting time you could spend actually PLAYING a game! I cannot believe people waste their time arguing on threads like these.

SNES FTW

One of the benefits of using a pc instead of an xbox 360 is that first we are able to waste time debating in the forums, and after we're done we can waste time playing games! Ooooh the point goes to PC!!!

 

[Conker]

I don't have to send my PC to microsoft every 4 months for a hardware failure.

lol very true. I have an xp machine on the side that plays the latest games pretty good and its still not dead. *knocks on wood* lol.

Too many hardware failures along with hearing that all 11.6 million 360s are defective and will eventually all be returned for repair one time or even more. Seen cases of up to 11 times. Why deal with such poor quality when you can have something that you know will last along time with a lifetime warranty on your videocard and ram and stuff . The pros of pc gaming out weighs the 360 big time i think. Since many like almost 90 percent of the games coming to the 360 are pc games so you won't miss out on anything. Plus you would be able to update the graphics later and add more maps and all that stuff to your games after it wears out over time.

Pc games are worth the money more to me since the games last along time. The play time ability of the games last years like counter strike and such. Games rarelly die fast. I still play medal of honor with over thousand servers still up. Your pc will always get more game time from you basically than a 360. Especially this year when a ton of good games are coming out

 

[Jbirney]

I happen to have both and each has their pro's and con's. PCs since they are an open ended platform will aways have a leg up in their hardware and resulting potential for IQ. There is no doubt there. Consoles have the advantage of being a closed platform that the developers will get better and writting games for them. At the end of the day I will take both. Keep the PC for those high profile shooters like Crysis. But when I want to enjoy some Madden on the 60" HDTV talking smack with my buds laying on the couch, its a console that works here....

 

[blade52x]

There actually is a difference. On my brother's 360, when we compared Oblvion on his 360 and 720P HDTV, it looked alright. I hooked up my computer to it, ran it at the same resolution, though I did crank up AA and AF, and the PC version just looked much more sharp and detailed.

GOW is an exception though. GOW just looks amazing. To date I think it's graphically the best video game released.

 

[Atech]

There actually is a difference. On my brother's 360, when we compared Oblvion on his 360 and 720P HDTV, it looked alright. I hooked up my computer to it, ran it at the same resolution, though I did crank up AA and AF, and the PC version just looked much more sharp and detailed.

GOW is an exception though. GOW just looks amazing. To date I think it's graphically the best video game released.

Wait untill Unreal 3 comes out..or GoW comes to the PC, then you might have to revise that opinion

 

[ivan_gromov]

I had a 7800GTX til just recently, which felt pretty close to my 360.

However, because some games (say Oblivion) run slower on the PC, my new 8800GTS feels like a closer match in those games - only I run it at 1680 x 1050 on PC vs the 360's 1280 x 720.

Uhh, you guys don't realize this. Even if you play on your damned 1080i TV, look closely, do you see a great deal of detail? Do you see AA? NO you do not, you obviously play with better graphics on pc, always. If you do not have the money to upgrade, don't, get an x360 + a $200 gayway PC, it's taht simple. Do not compare Console VS PC for everyday applications and note ven for gaming. Consoles are nice for Basketball games, that's about it though.

 

[Frosteh]

Both have their pro's/cons, this is what I'd consider an honest list

Consoles good

• Much cheaper hardware.
• Simple to use.
• More finished games (less beta like releases)

Consoles bad

• More expensive games.
• Games look bad on a cheap TV and only medicore on a expensive HDTV
• Extremely limited offering of controllers and peripherals.
• Limited to only games and playing vid/audio media.
• Limited online play including smaller servers, less anticheat, more kids.
• Limited online community (including mods)
• Often low frame rates.
• Can't upgrade at your own pace.
• Look like crap after 2-3 years when compared to modern games.

PC good

• Cheaper games
• Almost unlimited customisation.
• Good online game support.
• Completely free modded games to expand 1 game into many.
• High resolution, high fidelity next generation graphics.
• Upgrade at whatever pace suits your budget
• Leader in new technology and its adaption/implimentation
• Almost unlimted uses besides games with additional hardware/software
• Massive array of 3rd party peripherals/add ons/customisation

PC Bad

• Often buggy games with "release now, patch later" mentality
• More expensive hardware.
• Hard(er) to use, attention needed to drivers/updates and security
• Worry of spyware/viruses
• Needs replacing (or major overhaul) every ~2-3 years to play current games

Hardly complete but I think it gives the general idea.

I consider consoles to be for the people who aren't into gaming that much, they're easy to pick up and play and users demand very little from their games, they provide more light entertainment at a reasonable price, being able to put a disc in, press start and play for 20 minutes before tea.

I consider PC games for the more serious gamer who has made it more of a hobby, people who want to tinker with in game settings, who want to look under the hood and get more invloved with their games, try out mods, maybe even get into mod making. There's more than just the game there presented too you, you can go online and get involved with communities, start a clan, start a ladder.

Neither are bad, I just happen to be a PC kinda guy, I want to go into the .ini and .cfg files and tweak the grass distance in Oblivion, and install the mods for additional eye candy, and overclock my CPU so it all runs faster and blow all my hard earned money on hardware that lets me use 16xTSAA, and learn how things work and expand my knowledge etc etc

 

[ivan_gromov]

Both have their pro's/cons, this is what I'd consider an honest list

Consoles good

• Much cheaper hardware.
• Simple to use.
• More finished games (less beta like releases)

Consoles bad

• More expensive games.
• Games look bad on a cheap TV and only medicore on a expensive HDTV
• Extremely limited offering of controllers and peripherals.
• Limited to only games and playing vid/audio media.
• Limited online play including smaller servers, less anticheat, more kids.
• Limited online community (including mods)
• Often low frame rates.
• Can't upgrade at your own pace.
• Look like crap after 2-3 years when compared to modern games.

PC good

• Cheaper games
• Almost unlimited customisation.
• Good online game support.
• Completely free modded games to expand 1 game into many.
• High resolution, high fidelity next generation graphics.
• Upgrade at whatever pace suits your budget
• Leader in new technology and its adaption/implimentation
• Almost unlimted uses besides games with additional hardware/software
• Massive array of 3rd party peripherals/add ons/customisation

PC Bad

• Often buggy games with "release now, patch later" mentality
• More expensive hardware.
• Hard(er) to use, attention needed to drivers/updates and security
• Worry of spyware/viruses
• Needs replacing (or major overhaul) every ~2-3 years to play current games

Hardly complete but I think it gives the general idea.

I consider consoles to be for the people who aren't into gaming that much, they're easy to pick up and play and users demand very little from their games, they provide more light entertainment at a reasonable price, being able to put a disc in, press start and play for 20 minutes before tea.

I consider PC games for the more serious gamer who has made it more of a hobby, people who want to tinker with in game settings, who want to look under the hood and get more invloved with their games, try out mods, maybe even get into mod making. There's more than just the game there presented too you, you can go online and get involved with communities, start a clan, start a ladder.

Neither are bad, I just happen to be a PC kinda guy, I want to go into the .ini and .cfg files and tweak the grass distance in Oblivion, and install the mods for additional eye candy, and overclock my CPU so it all runs faster and blow all my hard earned money on hardware that lets me use 16xTSAA, and learn how things work and expand my knowledge etc etc

Agreed, even though alot of you hate WoW, let's take it for example. I play casually btw.

I always play with muy buddy, I ahve my own vent server, voice quality is top notch, A Pro
WoW always running smooth maxed out with 4xaa and 50pings, pro
can play COD2 within minutes with no lag at 50ping, pro
Same goes for any other game.
PC is great multiplauer wise, I love it. Concoles are nice as SP type of things, since games do come out more polishedm but then again, patches usually fix the bugs.

 

[SentToSchool]

You are playing with 7900gs and is no way high end. I had no problems running lost planet 1280x800 with most of the bells and whistles turned on. Lowest dipping in the 20's.

Here's GRAW running much higher resolution than an xbox 360. Let's say it's not running on low. So you might be exaggerating a bit. Actually you are exaggerating quite a bit.
http://techreport.com/reviews/2006q4/radeon-x1950-pro/graw.gif

Thanks for confirming my point. My hardware is more powerful than the Xbox 360's but games run shittier and look worse.

 

[Krenum]

But can XBOX360 do DX10?... Obsolete.

 

[SippieCup]

But can XBOX360 do DX10?... Obsolete.

maybe it cant do dx10


but it can play doom =p


vista has problems doing that

 

[Laminator]

Thanks for confirming my point. My hardware is more powerful than the Xbox 360's but games run shittier and look worse.

Maybe to you. GRAW was playing at pretty low frames when I was doing it on the XBOX 360. Playable, but maybe around 30 frames per second on average. Whereas I've never had a slowdown at maximum settings on a PC with a 7900GT (not the one in my signature).

XBOX 360 games look slightly worse than PC games at maximum. Same engine, mostly high details, but lower resolution textures, less detail/objects rendered, and lower game resolution. The next time you play a game on the XBOX 360, look at the textures. Not the main textures that you see all the time, like the ones on your gun or character models, but ones in the environment. Also, look at the environment objects. If you've ever played a game on the PC and then on the XBOX 360 and noticed that something wasn't quite "right" with the 360 version, I'm guessing it's the subtle graphical effects that make the overall experience seem more empty.

 

[jonneymendoza]

A PC is always going to be better than an Xbox 360 it's not even comparable.

QFT its silly to compare the pc and a console. the reason why i got a 360 is so that i can wait a little longer before i finaly do a full new build from an AGP system to a pci express hehe.

there was a time when my 360 collected dust for teh first couple of months of this year then i got back into it and the bitch broke on me not once but twice so im without a 360 for another 25 days and im only missing it because i got 3 new games to play on it

once the fall comes, the 360 will be collecting dust again has i will be on UT3 and cod4 on the pc all day haha

 

[Jbirney]

Well you were not that fair on your list here are some things I could point out as I noticed your list was very pro in favor of the PC which on this part of the forum I would bet to be the norm




[*]More expensive games. - Maybe, high profile games like GOW will cost the same on launch. Console games stay at a higher price, but there is a much higher volume of the trade in games for consoles. Don't forget services like Game's N Flix and Game Fly. For 12 bucks a month I can rent games that I was too cheap to buy. Since I have been a member I have been able to play about 20 games that I would have had to pay for. This type of services does not exist in the PC space mainly do to licenses issues.


[*]Games look bad on a cheap TV and only medicore on a expensive HDTV - This one is always subjective as what look good to some will not look good to others. There is no doubt that a SDTV looks bad. There is no doubt that PC offer better levels of IQ if you have the hardware to support it. But you have also remember that PC games your setting 2 feet or so away, Consoles it could be 10 feet or more. At that distance you start to lose the ability to pick out some graphical errors so the end results it that its not too bad.


[*]Extremely limited offering of controllers and peripherals. - I can give you that but for me I have been a PC gamer for more than 12 years. Alls I ever needed was a keyboard and a mouse. When I play console games alls I need is the controller..so what if there are more or less options

Also for some too many controls in games can get confusing. I love my dad but when he goes to play BF2 he just get confused with all the different key bindings. One could almost ague that simplicity in the controls is an advantage...


[*]Limited to only games and playing vid/audio media. - Not 100% true. I can not text/chat with all my MSN friends. But your right there is not much else you can do with it. But that what the sole purpose is of consoles are. Its like saying your fridge is only good for keeping things cold... Still good point you made.


[*]Limited online play including smaller servers, less anticheat, more kids.- Agreed on the 1st and the 3rd. Even some what on the 2nd. But that can be easly flipped and probably should be flipped as a pro for consoles. WIth just a few minutes with google I can find about a hack for any on-line game (wall hacks, aim bots, ect). Cheats are everywhere are pretty straightforward to apply. Its a big deal for the PC gamers to deal with. Does not really exist on the console side....


[*]Limited online community (including mods) - As the team leader for the Chaos Mods (for both UT/Quake games I agree. However will be interesting to see how UT3 tried to change that..

[*]Often low frame rates. - Agreed somewhat. With the first run of games on the next gen consoles they are usally not really good in the FPS area. But the 2nd gen and on always seems to run much better.


[*]Can't upgrade at your own pace. - I would say thats both a pro and a con. The pro side is you don't have to to get good looking games. Remember when half life2 first game out and how crappy the water looked for all the DX7 cards...


[*]Look like crap after 2-3 years when compared to modern games. - Again thats highly subjective. Black is a prefect example. Here is a game that came out at the end of the xbox life cycle and yet looked pretty dam good. In fact i we know that as time goes on developers get better and better at make games for the console. GRAW2 looks much better and runs better than GRAW did on the 360...



Again I am a 12+ veteran of the PC games, mod for Unreal game, ect. I just understand the power and place of consoles. I hate to say it but they are the dominating force now in game development. The end of the day its about the games and enjoyment. I will play both as I love games

 

[Timbowens]

GRAW ran fine on my Opteron 146, gig of ram, and a 7800 GTX. But also, those 2 games are great examples of poorly ported games.

Games do run smoothly on the PC, High end PC's or Mid range. It doesn't matter, if you set it to what your computer is capable of it will run smooth assuming your computer isn't overloaded with viruses and spyware from watching too much damn porn.

I really don't understand how people can say Consoles are best bang for the buck. Most people with consoles have PC's too, so why dont you merge your PC and your Console and get a gaming rig? A 360 is what...$300 without a hard drive? The $400 comes with a 20gb hard drive. That is ridiculous, only 20 gbs? And people talk about recording movies and such onto the HD. That doesnt store crap, and that is also an insult considering hard drives cost next to nothing (my 400gb costed me $80, how many cents is that a gig?).

I guess I can put it in a perspective that makes sense to me. Lets say your a console gamer and you own a regular Xbox, not the 360. You love Halo and Halo 2 but the Xbox 360 looks appealing, so you want to upgrade. You are talking $400 for the Xbox 360 with a hard drive, because apparently the hard drive is what makes backwards compatibility. I also assume because your a console gamer (you can remove this price if youd like because it is an assumption) that you like to have friends over and play with you split screen. So lets add the price of a new controller:

1) Xbox 360 Pro $399.99
1) Xbox 360 Wireless Controll $49.99

Now your not going to buy a new console without purchasing at least ONE new game, am I right? So we add the price of just some random title at the going rate for 360 games. Also, since most of you Xbox fans love Halo, you have Xbox Live.

1) Random Title $59.99
1) 1 year subscription to Xbox Live $49.99

I won't even add the headset, we can just say your a mute (obviously jk, dont kill me please ). Now that you have an Xbox 360 and you post at Hard Forum, your not gonna play that 360 on anything that isnt an HDTV, so lets add an HDTV.

1) Sceptre 37" 1080p w/ ATSC tuner @ NewEgg $799 AR (Straight from Hot Deals search, if you find one cheaper, replace this one with it).

So lets get the total rolling here.

1) Xbox 360 Pro $399.99
1) Xbox 360 Wireless Controll $49.99
1) Random Title $59.99
1) 1 year subscription to Xbox Live $49.99
1) Sceptre 37" 1080p w/ ATSC tuner @ NewEgg $799 AR (Straight from Hot Deals search, if you find one cheaper, replace it with this one).
-------
$1358.96

Now for that roughly $1300, your getting what you see. Now for $800 you can get a PC like mine and for another $250 you can get a nice LCD that can do high resolutions. The PC is cheaper, more capable, more powerful, and the eye candy is sweeter.

I don't see the bang for the buck here. Maybe I was a little over with the HDTV, but if you don't have one your gonna get one for that Xbox, I have yet too see an Xbox 360 gamer not use an HDTV, and theres a good reason for it.

In all honesty though, lets just say you already own an HDTV, that is still $560 and you are only getting 1 game. If you don't get the Xbox 360 with the hard drive, then whats the point of getting it?

I'm not trying to start a flame war or anything, I just really don't see how it's the better value.

Funny, I'm playing the 360 and I didn't spend anywhere near 1400 bucks.

360: 399
Gamefly: 45 (so far)
42 inch samsung plasma: can't count this, already had it for use as a tv.

$445 - half of what a lower end gaming rig costs, and plays more games, better than one.

 

[Frosteh]

In the UK our console games are priced way above our PC games, when buying a console you have to consider the extra money spent on games over the years.

Top end PC game £29.99
Top end Console game £49.99

Quite often both will be cheaper but you only need take a look through the console/pc section for games that are the same (like splinter cell, NFS that sort of thing) and they're always cheaper for the PC by a good margin.

Obviously total difference in games over a set period will differ from person to person but if you buy a LOT of games then this cost difference becomes very apparant.

 

[Snowdog]

42 inch samsung plasma: can't count this, already had it for use as a tv.

By this logic my PC was free for gaming since I already use it for internet, and watching movies.

It is utterly moronic to compare pricing of a PC to game console.

My bicycle is cheaper than my car as well.

 

[Timbowens]

By this logic my PC was free for gaming since I already use it for internet, and watching movies.

It is utterly moronic to compare pricing of a PC to game console.

My bicycle is cheaper than my car as well.

No, not same logic. You really can't game on a regular dell PC, but you can surf the net and watch movies on it. You have to add a video card and, most likely, a more powerful PSU.




I don't need to add anything to my tv to watch tv on it.

 

[Frosteh]

I think it's only fair that if the assumption is we have a HDTV for our consoles already (I personally don't) and so can ignore the cost of a HDTV when comparing prices. I think we should also assume that we all have basic PC's meaning our upgrade to a gaming PC may only include a decent video card and some more RAM, rather than the entire cost of a PC.

At the very least you should knock off the price of a monitor for the PC if you're going to do this. Fact is not everyone has a TV, and not everyone has a PC, however most families I know own both.

 

[ITTom80]

I don't need to add anything to my tv to watch tv on it.

Forget about the TV argument. A TV is another type of monitor. A PC can be hooked up to a TV just as easily as an XBOX 360. It is completely irrelevant to the topic.

However, the argument that a PC only needs minor augmentation to become a gaming machine is valid. Everyone needs a computer if they want to surf the internet, e-mail, whatever. Cost of budget PC: $300, no monitor. Now, suppose you want to play games too. You got a couple of choices.

Choice #1: You already got a PC, so you could buy an 8800 GTS for $300, and slap it in there. Now suddenly, your budget PC has become a gaming monster with one simple upgrade. Total price of gaming PC = $600.

Choice #2: Buy an XBOX 360 for $300. You already have a PC, because as we already established it is needed for internet, e-mail, etc. So, total cost of a XBOX 360 + PC = $600.

Now, lets compare both configurations. Both allow you to play games. Both cost the same. However, the PC with the 8800 GTS is capable of running games at the same resolution or higher than the XBOX 360, with more FPS, and with better image quality. It is undeniably the more powerful gaming machine, period. Anyone who believes otherwise is ignorant. The difference is in value for the price.

The argument that an XBOX 360 is more bang for buck is in fact only true if you are willing to forgo the ownership of a PC. In that case, yeah, your $300 xbox is a better value than a $600 PC for pure gaming. But honestly though, who is going to give up their computer? Anyone? Even your mere presence here on this forum indicates that in fact you do use your PC for something other than gaming.

Therefore, the difference in price is irrelevant on the basis that both machines are used for different purposes. Put it another way: Say I want a machine that not only plays games, but I also need it for word-processing, e-mail, etc. I could certainly make the argument that the $600 PC is a better value than a $300 XBOX when it comes to gaming AND word-processing. But then, that argument wouldn't make much sense would it? Well, neither does the OP's comparison. Once again, that is because we are talking about two different types of machines. Until the XBOX is capable of everything a PC can do, no point in comparing the two as far as value for the dollar. To me, a PC is far more valuable because it is capable of so much more than gaming, and that is the bottom line.

 

[sabrewolf732]

No, not same logic. You really can't game on a regular dell PC, but you can surf the net and watch movies on it. You have to add a video card and, most likely, a more powerful PSU.




I don't need to add anything to my tv to watch tv on it.

So then by your logic since all that needs to be added is a video card ($250 for an 8800gts) and possibly a psu ($40or so for a good 400) to game on a pc only costs $290! Beat your 360 pricing by quite a bit. Also has more graphics horspower.

rolled'.

And as I said MANY times, for around $600 you can build a core2 8800gts setup that rolls a 360 performance wise.

 

[blade52x]

Golden Age of PC gaming was like 10 years ago IMO.

Back then, PCs were really way ahead of consoles. Not so much today. I don't care if the 8800GTX is 3X as powerful as a 360 - it doesn't matter if the software doesn't take advantage of it. That being said, 10 years ago it seemed like consoles and PCs were very much split. It wasn't like today where PC games are just a crappy console port.

 

[SentToSchool]

Maybe to you. GRAW was playing at pretty low frames when I was doing it on the XBOX 360. Playable, but maybe around 30 frames per second on average. Whereas I've never had a slowdown at maximum settings on a PC with a 7900GT (not the one in my signature).

XBOX 360 games look slightly worse than PC games at maximum. Same engine, mostly high details, but lower resolution textures, less detail/objects rendered, and lower game resolution. The next time you play a game on the XBOX 360, look at the textures. Not the main textures that you see all the time, like the ones on your gun or character models, but ones in the environment. Also, look at the environment objects. If you've ever played a game on the PC and then on the XBOX 360 and noticed that something wasn't quite "right" with the 360 version, I'm guessing it's the subtle graphical effects that make the overall experience seem more empty.

It's pretty hard to "experience" that "texture" if I can't play at a higher resolution than the Xbox 360's with more powerful hardware.

What I find funny is when people say that you can always lower the settings to have the game run smoothly. If you lower the settings, 90% of the time, the Xbox version is going to look better anyways. Sometimes, you can't even play a game at the lowest setting because the game uses some new features or requires extreme shadowing power that the card you bought a year ago can't do.

What I am saying is that for $250(Core price drop), you can play games that run smoothly and highly optimized for the console. A mid-end PC costs around $900 after tax and shipping and you'll need to fork over $900 again in a year and a half to run games smoothly.

In the end, consoles are better for gaming. It's after all what they're designed for.

 

[Snowdog]

I
In the end, consoles are better for console gaming. It's after all what they're designed for.

Fixed that for you.

To me console games always reminded me of Pop Music. Generic pablum for the masses. Lowest common denominator appeal to the largest number of generic tastes. I prefer Hard Rock, Classic Metal, Progressive...

 

[Timbowens]

So then by your logic since all that needs to be added is a video card ($250 for an 8800gts) and possibly a psu ($40or so for a good 400) to game on a pc only costs $290! Beat your 360 pricing by quite a bit. Also has more graphics horspower.

rolled'.

And as I said MANY times, for around $600 you can build a core2 8800gts setup that rolls a 360 performance wise.

Do the $290 pc's come with a pcie 16x? I'm not being a smart ass, I just don't know.

How is that beating the xbox?
$350 for the pc (with tax and shipping)
$250 for the vid card (more with tax and shipping)
$40 for the psu (and that is going very cheap...I know most here wouldn't back you up on that..)

By my math that is $640. Thats if you have a monitor. If you don't you have to buy one.

xbox = $430 with tax, and EVERYONE I know has a tv. So the pricing of that really can't be added.

By the way, I'm trying to build a budget pc. Please list me out, part by part, an 8800 c2d rig for $600. Please.

case
mobo
ram
cpu
psu
dvd drive
vid card
5.1 speakers
sound card (unless mobo has 5.1 capabilities)
hard drive

 

[Timbowens]

Forget about the TV argument. A TV is another type of monitor. A PC can be hooked up to a TV just as easily as an XBOX 360. It is completely irrelevant to the topic.

Most can, not all. Please tell me, who doesn't have a tv? Everyone does. It doesn't get counted in the price of the 360. Not everyone that buys a pc already has a monitor, and if they have an older tv, it won't work. I'm not saying you're wrong, but this can happen.

However, the argument that a PC only needs minor augmentation to become a gaming machine is valid. Everyone needs a computer if they want to surf the internet, e-mail, whatever. Cost of budget PC: $300, no monitor. Now, suppose you want to play games too. You got a couple of choices.

Choice #1: You already got a PC, so you could buy an 8800 GTS for $300, and slap it in there. Now suddenly, your budget PC has become a gaming monster with one simple upgrade. Total price of gaming PC = $600.

Choice #2: Buy an XBOX 360 for $300. You already have a PC, because as we already established it is needed for internet, e-mail, etc. So, total cost of a XBOX 360 + PC = $600.

Hang on, I have to stop laughing. Do you actually expect anyone to buy your argument that we have to include the price of a budget pc with the 360? Please tell me you're trolling. What if I don't have a pc, and only a 360?

And a gaming monster? Hardly. You'd need a bigger psu, and how much ram comes in that budget pc? 512? Yes, a real monster of a gaming rig...

Now, lets compare both configurations. Both allow you to play games. Both cost the same. However, the PC with the 8800 GTS is capable of running games at the same resolution or higher than the XBOX 360, with more FPS, and with better image quality. It is undeniably the more powerful gaming machine, period. Anyone who believes otherwise is ignorant. The difference is in value for the price.

No, you laughably tried to say both cost the same, but we'll forgo that for now. Just because you slap an 8800 in a $299 pc doesn't mean it's going to perform great. With little ram, a crappy psu, crappy mobo, slow ass hdd....etc. You MIGHT get the same FPS and image quality as a 360...might. The only ignorance I see is coming from you.

The argument that an XBOX 360 is more bang for buck is in fact only true if you are willing to forgo the ownership of a PC. In that case, yeah, your $300 xbox is a better value than a $600 PC for pure gaming. But honestly though, who is going to give up their computer? Anyone? Even your mere presence here on this forum indicates that in fact you do use your PC for something other than gaming.

Therefore, the difference in price is irrelevant on the basis that both machines are used for different purposes. Put it another way: Say I want a machine that not only plays games, but I also need it for word-processing, e-mail, etc. I could certainly make the argument that the $600 PC is a better value than a $300 XBOX when it comes to gaming AND word-processing. But then, that argument wouldn't make much sense would it? Well, neither does the OP's comparison. Once again, that is because we are talking about two different types of machines. Until the XBOX is capable of everything a PC can do, no point in comparing the two as far as value for the dollar. To me, a PC is far more valuable because it is capable of so much more than gaming, and that is the bottom line.

Um, why is your argument valid? It isn't. This is a gaming forum. You need a tv for a 360, thats why it is part of the argument. Since when do you need word-processing to play a pc game?

Of course a pc has more all around value, but that isn't the argument. The argument is better gaming for your buck. Did you miss that in this 6+ pages or something?

 

[Mr. K6]

A $300 computer that has an 8800GTS (which is $250 for the 320MB version, still spanks an XBox360) WILL be a fine gaming computer. If you cancel out the cost of a TV, based on its being a standard household commodity, then you cancel out the cost of a computer for the same purpose. You cant cancel out one, that's just bulls***. That said, $300 can buy the upgrades for a better playing and looking gaming machine (although that's subjective, I suppose).

I dont know why people have to keep switching the arguement and changing angles to prove some point. What, are you trying to make yourself feel better about a decision? If you like console gaming, good, like it and have fun. Same goes for PC gaming. They're two different beasts despite how they're many times grouped.

However, point I'd like to make is you might see the fall of the "high performance" console market. As seen with the popularity of the Wii, I have a funny feeling thats the way consoles will be heading: fun, engaging media centers for parties, get togethers, or just to kick back and relax. The console market just cant keep up with the new technology pace like PC's can, which is fine. Embrace the strengths of both platforms.