I was bored at work and decided to put together a gaming system on newegg. Well it wasn't long before the total was in the 4 digit area. Just the price of two 8800gtx's was over $1000. Add on a power supply and for that same price, I could buy a PS3, an XBOX360, AND a Nintendo Wii. I haven't even bought a processor, motherboard, memory, hard drive, case, and whatever else. If I had the money to build a gaming computer, I think I would take the console route instead. I mean common, all 3 systems??!!! And with XBOX Live you can even satisfy your online gaming needs. But people still spend the money on computers so I'm sure its worth it. Any thoughts?
Are gaming PCs worth the price?
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well one thing you have to look at is chanses are you are going to have a PC anyway for things otherthan games. So what you really need to look at is the price between what PC you would get if it was for everything you normally use it for minus games. Thats what your actually spending on your gaming PC.
Second do you really need 2x 8800's ? one of them will cover most games pretty well, it can even manage oblivion at "playable" frames at high settings. Getting a single still seems best value for me atm, since it means you can update it more often because its cheaper.
Other thing is chanses are if you have a gaming PC your probably going to have a console too.. most peole i know with a gaming PC are in that situation.. but there are plenty of console gamers with an old PC they use for email and web browsing.
Last thing if your into online games a gaming PC still offers the best online experience. Even with xbox live and the online components the other 2 consoles should be offering in the near future they tend to require higher internet speeds because everything is based on your console while for PC gaming as much as possible tends to run on the server in an effort to prevent cheating. Also its much easier to find local games.. Xbox live is fine if you live in the US.. not so great for everyone else.
The other benefit is look at all the keys you have! A mouse and keyboard is still the best interface for shooter games and most games in fact especially online. If you dont like looking wierd talking to a computer when your playing games at least you can still type. Mouse is still the best way to aim even compared to a Wii. At the moment i still think PC's are the king for FPS games and RPG's. FPS for the accuracy of the mouse and RPG's for all the buttons you can bind.
Really i'd say it all boils down to what you want to do. If you want to play online in my opinion a PC is still your best option, especially if you build it yourself you can obviousley do it cheaper and better so that in the long run you can upgrade rather than replace. If your not into the online multiplayer then i'd save the money and go for a console.
Comming from someone with a xbox 360, Wii and hopefully soon to be building a new gaming PC if budget allows. Even on my slightly dated PC i still find myself going back to play counterstrike source quite often over playing either console. Its the online environment that you get on the PC compared to a console that makes the difference.
That a long enough answer? Lets see if sum1 can find some flaws in my argument
Second do you really need 2x 8800's ? one of them will cover most games pretty well, it can even manage oblivion at "playable" frames at high settings. Getting a single still seems best value for me atm, since it means you can update it more often because its cheaper.
Other thing is chanses are if you have a gaming PC your probably going to have a console too.. most peole i know with a gaming PC are in that situation.. but there are plenty of console gamers with an old PC they use for email and web browsing.
Last thing if your into online games a gaming PC still offers the best online experience. Even with xbox live and the online components the other 2 consoles should be offering in the near future they tend to require higher internet speeds because everything is based on your console while for PC gaming as much as possible tends to run on the server in an effort to prevent cheating. Also its much easier to find local games.. Xbox live is fine if you live in the US.. not so great for everyone else.
The other benefit is look at all the keys you have! A mouse and keyboard is still the best interface for shooter games and most games in fact especially online. If you dont like looking wierd talking to a computer when your playing games at least you can still type. Mouse is still the best way to aim even compared to a Wii. At the moment i still think PC's are the king for FPS games and RPG's. FPS for the accuracy of the mouse and RPG's for all the buttons you can bind.
Really i'd say it all boils down to what you want to do. If you want to play online in my opinion a PC is still your best option, especially if you build it yourself you can obviousley do it cheaper and better so that in the long run you can upgrade rather than replace. If your not into the online multiplayer then i'd save the money and go for a console.
Comming from someone with a xbox 360, Wii and hopefully soon to be building a new gaming PC if budget allows. Even on my slightly dated PC i still find myself going back to play counterstrike source quite often over playing either console. Its the online environment that you get on the PC compared to a console that makes the difference.
That a long enough answer? Lets see if sum1 can find some flaws in my argument
oh just thaught of something else after reading a thread on oblivion. Pc games often have free released updates which to get on your console require you to pay ie. xbox live points, Wii points etc.
So for added contend PC games are going to be better. Theres developer and user created content which extends the life of PC games. Your PC games if they are good will tend to last longer. Look how long CS, warcraft 3 and world of warcraft have been around just for a few examples. I cant think of any console game that even compares.
The first gaming PC you build will probably be the most expensive. For one parts are always getting faster and cheaper. Second the first time around your going to need a case, monitor, keyboard, mouse etc. As time goes on you will just be replacing single components to keep up with the times or possibly do an overhaul at less frequent intervals. Only a few components will need to be replaced. If you get a decent case you can use it for a long time, same goes for monitors, keyboards etc.
So for added contend PC games are going to be better. Theres developer and user created content which extends the life of PC games. Your PC games if they are good will tend to last longer. Look how long CS, warcraft 3 and world of warcraft have been around just for a few examples. I cant think of any console game that even compares.
The first gaming PC you build will probably be the most expensive. For one parts are always getting faster and cheaper. Second the first time around your going to need a case, monitor, keyboard, mouse etc. As time goes on you will just be replacing single components to keep up with the times or possibly do an overhaul at less frequent intervals. Only a few components will need to be replaced. If you get a decent case you can use it for a long time, same goes for monitors, keyboards etc.
Ananan
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We PC Gamers are an "enthusiast" crowd. We love to get under the hood and tinker, download updates and utilities, try to wring ever last ounce of performance from our machines.
I think we are kind of like obsessed car lovers. Do you really need that aftermarket exhaust for an extra 5 HP to go from 450 to 455? In practical terms, of course not.
But would a car enthusiast think it's worth it? I bet you they would.
If the thought of upgrading and streamlining your rig doesn't excite you PC gaming isn't the right way to go.
But if you love to open that case, run benchmarks, optimize, overclock etc etc etc it's the perfect hobby.
I think we are kind of like obsessed car lovers. Do you really need that aftermarket exhaust for an extra 5 HP to go from 450 to 455? In practical terms, of course not.
But would a car enthusiast think it's worth it? I bet you they would.
If the thought of upgrading and streamlining your rig doesn't excite you PC gaming isn't the right way to go.
But if you love to open that case, run benchmarks, optimize, overclock etc etc etc it's the perfect hobby.
yeah well the funny thing is im into modyfying my car too. That extra 5hp makes all the difference. Every second counts.
So its probably no surprise i feel the same way with my PC.
The downside.. i spend way too much money on my car and my PC has been neglected, i left my custom pc and have been using a store bought PC for the last few years and its no where near the performance level i need to play anything apart from maybey CS source. BF2 runs much too slow to play.
Every time i get a couple grand together to build my gaming rig i end up spending it on my car instead
So its probably no surprise i feel the same way with my PC.
The downside.. i spend way too much money on my car and my PC has been neglected, i left my custom pc and have been using a store bought PC for the last few years and its no where near the performance level i need to play anything apart from maybey CS source. BF2 runs much too slow to play.
Every time i get a couple grand together to build my gaming rig i end up spending it on my car instead
One 8800GTX is waaaaaaaaaaay more powerful than any gaming console. You don't need two of them to beat a PS3.
A PS3 has a 7800GTX in it, ant the X360 has the xenos which is on par with an x1900XTX.
If you already own a decent PC (Core 2 Duo + 2GB of RAM), turning it into a gaming machine is as simple as buying one graphics card. And depending on the card you buy, it can be cheaper and better performing than the consoles.
On the other hand, if you have some old pentium machine, it would be cheaper to get a console.
A PS3 has a 7800GTX in it, ant the X360 has the xenos which is on par with an x1900XTX.
If you already own a decent PC (Core 2 Duo + 2GB of RAM), turning it into a gaming machine is as simple as buying one graphics card. And depending on the card you buy, it can be cheaper and better performing than the consoles.
On the other hand, if you have some old pentium machine, it would be cheaper to get a console.
virgilio
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I agree with TonyStark!!
A console is ,of course powerful(PS3,XBOX360), but it cant never be compared to a gaming PC.
its all about what ur guys are saying, we like to get under the hood and tweak , upgrade, test...
all the few FPS we can get after overclocking is so great!! ect ect....lol
personnaly i get the chance to travel for free;;; so i buy all my hardware in Taiwan ,,, and trust me....its a really really good deal
for exemple...i went there for vacations in december 2006
and i bought everything to make a powerful rig at the time...
i bought the 8800gtx for $150
nvidia 680i SLI for $50
and so on ...
A console is ,of course powerful(PS3,XBOX360), but it cant never be compared to a gaming PC.
its all about what ur guys are saying, we like to get under the hood and tweak , upgrade, test...
all the few FPS we can get after overclocking is so great!! ect ect....lol
personnaly i get the chance to travel for free;;; so i buy all my hardware in Taiwan ,,, and trust me....its a really really good deal
for exemple...i went there for vacations in december 2006
and i bought everything to make a powerful rig at the time...
i bought the 8800gtx for $150
nvidia 680i SLI for $50
and so on ...
Heyyou27
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IceFluffy
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Payload :
yeah well the funny thing is im into modyfying my car too. That extra 5hp makes all the difference. Every second counts.
So its probably no surprise i feel the same way with my PC.
The downside.. i spend way too much money on my car and my PC has been neglected, i left my custom pc and have been using a store bought PC for the last few years and its no where near the performance level i need to play anything apart from maybey CS source. BF2 runs much too slow to play.
Every time i get a couple grand together to build my gaming rig i end up spending it on my car instead
So its probably no surprise i feel the same way with my PC.
The downside.. i spend way too much money on my car and my PC has been neglected, i left my custom pc and have been using a store bought PC for the last few years and its no where near the performance level i need to play anything apart from maybey CS source. BF2 runs much too slow to play.
Every time i get a couple grand together to build my gaming rig i end up spending it on my car instead
Why don't you install a gaming PC in your car?? Instead of television or Playstation stash a motherboard in some compartment with the necesarry cooling (maybe reroute part of the airco). Get some cool flatscreen popping out somewhere and wireless N capability installed. Surf on unsecured wireless networks when you're parked near some homes. (just kidding about the unsecured wireless network stuff)
NOW THAT'S COMBINING HOBBIES!!
Got any pics of ur car?
roady
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I Agree with Payload here, it does depend on what you want to do with it and sort of the type of games you want to play.
Online mmorpgs are kinda not doable on a console. but fightgames imho are better on a console (controller ftw).
a lot of choices are dependent on what you want to play really. also on the 2x8800 front atm nothing merits that kind of hardware unless you just want to be fastest (but that is ofc tied to the lovely pricetag)
Online mmorpgs are kinda not doable on a console. but fightgames imho are better on a console (controller ftw).
a lot of choices are dependent on what you want to play really. also on the 2x8800 front atm nothing merits that kind of hardware unless you just want to be fastest (but that is ofc tied to the lovely pricetag)
Trialsking
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You are crying about a gaming PC costing more than a PS3, 360, and Wii combined. Have you looked at the price of an average PC from Dell or HP over the past 10 years???? They cost more than all 3 combined and will not even play games that well.
Remember a gaming PC is still a PC, meaning it does more than just games. If all you want to do is play games and nothing else, the consoles are great values. Just consider that it still costs Sony more to make a PS3 than the price you are paying for it right now
Remember a gaming PC is still a PC, meaning it does more than just games. If all you want to do is play games and nothing else, the consoles are great values. Just consider that it still costs Sony more to make a PS3 than the price you are paying for it right now
I will add my 2 cents, some of which simply repeats what others have said. Firstly, who needs two 8800GTX's? You can build a nice gaming rig for under a grand. you don't even need one 8800GTX. Get a high end dx9 card. Want future proof? It's not worth it because there are no good mid range dx10 cards yet.
Secondly, you can upgrade a PC. Instead of buying the next console that comes out, slap in a new video card (since they uber ones from last year are now cheap!).
C, As others have said a PC is not just for gaming.
IV, Depending on what genre you are into, PC games can be a lot better than Xbox or PS games.
iiv, there are certain things a gaming pc can do that a console can't and vice versa. Obviously a Wii is much better at a party than a PC with WoW loaded on it. Apples and Oranges comparison there.
Lastly, Did I mention that your expectation of what a good gaming PC would cost is grossly overestimated? My rig which cost about $700 not counting the monitor can play all the latest games at high settings and get playable framerates.
Secondly, you can upgrade a PC. Instead of buying the next console that comes out, slap in a new video card (since they uber ones from last year are now cheap!).
C, As others have said a PC is not just for gaming.
IV, Depending on what genre you are into, PC games can be a lot better than Xbox or PS games.
iiv, there are certain things a gaming pc can do that a console can't and vice versa. Obviously a Wii is much better at a party than a PC with WoW loaded on it. Apples and Oranges comparison there.
Lastly, Did I mention that your expectation of what a good gaming PC would cost is grossly overestimated? My rig which cost about $700 not counting the monitor can play all the latest games at high settings and get playable framerates.
For me it's the game genres that are available. I love strategy games, and I think they're best played on PCs. I think on-line gaming is also better on PCs, plus with a decent rig you'll get much faster load times. Maybe it also has to do with the whole keyboard and mouse gamin experience, FPS games are easier to play with the mouse (faster and more accurate response), and you can change your weapons faster with the keyboard and hotkeys. Then again there's the type of games like Simcity, ever tried playing games like that on a console? It's not a pleasant experience.
Consoles have their own line of games that are best experienced on them, like fighting games, certain racing games, sports games, and RPGs. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what genre and titles do you prefer, and on which platforms are they available. I'd still prefer PCs because I can play games, work, and surf, download stuff on it, can you download porn on the console? Something the porn industry might want to look at.
Consoles have their own line of games that are best experienced on them, like fighting games, certain racing games, sports games, and RPGs. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what genre and titles do you prefer, and on which platforms are they available. I'd still prefer PCs because I can play games, work, and surf, download stuff on it, can you download porn on the console? Something the porn industry might want to look at.
roady
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Well Upcoming games like Crysis who acc tho these forums will run bets on quadcore cpu's and prolly needs at least 1 8800 to push it past 10 fps at a bigger resolution, might merit, a bigger rig with sli for people. or other upcoming games with Oblivion plus specs.
the people wanting to play those games will have to adapt to the rising specs, like its always has been.
usually most stuff is easily downgradable to our older rigs, but seeing it run in its fullest glory does make you want to upgrade your comp, or get a new rig allthogether. and yes top end games demand top end systems to run, and if people want to pay for that its up to them
the people wanting to play those games will have to adapt to the rising specs, like its always has been.
usually most stuff is easily downgradable to our older rigs, but seeing it run in its fullest glory does make you want to upgrade your comp, or get a new rig allthogether. and yes top end games demand top end systems to run, and if people want to pay for that its up to them
I don't think you can classify PC-only gamers as enthusiasts. I game on both; "pc enthusiasts" sounds much better, which is what I am as well. My system is oc'ed (processor, ram, video card, north bridge etc) processes streamlined (11), everything completely updated. Though saying you're an enthusiast just because you game only on PC is like saying that all the games that are released for consoles don't really matter. You could compare the games that are released for both, but those that are exclusively console (gears, twilight, mgs4 soon) are games for "gaming" enthusiasts, especially those i just mentioned.
Ananan
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Everyone has their own opinion.
Mine is "Your not a car enthusiast if you own a Corvette but take it somewhere to get the oil changed".
I would never say console games don't matter; I own SNES, A PS, a PS 2 and an Xbox.
An enthusiast is someone who likes to get under the hood. You can't do that with a console. It's great gaming, but it's couch gaming. Some of the most fun times I've ever had gaming is playing multiplayer console games with friends.
I guess it mostly depends on your definition of "enthusiast".
burntham77
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All I know is I would not want to attempt to play EQ2 (my current MMO) on any console out now. PCs, for the win! Well, for me anyway.
DiGiTaLdAzE
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PC gamers who build their own systems are into the tech side of things in a way console gamers are not. I am presently midstream in my first custom build, and am enjoying the learning curve. I am not only doing the research to make good component choices, but also trying to gain a bit of an understanding of how all this hardware works, which is a rewarding challenge.
I agree that the mouse and keyboard are a superior approach at least for FPS games--I have also played them on XBOX. Also, I like the experience of having one machine that does so much--surfing the net, high end graphics rendering(in my case with Photoshop--I am a visual artist), downloading, movies, music, etc.--and a high end PC built for gaming does all of this faster and better than a cheaper one.
Delving into the whole tech side of things, which becomes a necessity for system builders goes beyond just gaming, and involves a very stimulating learning experience.
I ahave been playing HL2 Deathmatch (multiplayer online) for some time now--there are constantly really cool new maps being added to the servers, and so the game truly remains very fresh. Also PC game mods for single player give ever new content keeping old games alive.
Generally speaking, I would suggest that PC games at their best are just higher quality--better graphics, better physics, etc.
Anyways, when you were bored at work you started researching sys tem building--obviously that was more interesting than reading about the latest console news. My machine is being built with gaming in mind, but it also does so much more including serious work related tasks, so for me the cost is worth it.
I agree that the mouse and keyboard are a superior approach at least for FPS games--I have also played them on XBOX. Also, I like the experience of having one machine that does so much--surfing the net, high end graphics rendering(in my case with Photoshop--I am a visual artist), downloading, movies, music, etc.--and a high end PC built for gaming does all of this faster and better than a cheaper one.
Delving into the whole tech side of things, which becomes a necessity for system builders goes beyond just gaming, and involves a very stimulating learning experience.
I ahave been playing HL2 Deathmatch (multiplayer online) for some time now--there are constantly really cool new maps being added to the servers, and so the game truly remains very fresh. Also PC game mods for single player give ever new content keeping old games alive.
Generally speaking, I would suggest that PC games at their best are just higher quality--better graphics, better physics, etc.
Anyways, when you were bored at work you started researching sys tem building--obviously that was more interesting than reading about the latest console news. My machine is being built with gaming in mind, but it also does so much more including serious work related tasks, so for me the cost is worth it.
FinalDrive
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Definately worth the cost IMO. I would never go without my consoles, but as others have stated, being a builder is very addictive. It can get quite pricey though, which if you don't have much expendable income, can become a problem if you are like me and are always wanting MORE! Dropped $700 a few months back to get a mobo/cpu/ram with some growing room, which also entailed finally making the jump top PCI-E. Somehow I missed the spec change of power to ATX2.2 (fortunately the mobo had alternates for this instance) so theres another $125 for a new PSu with growing room. Picked up STALKER (trying to get it running without problems), now I want another 2GB Ram and theorizing giving the CPU an overclock, which I will need a new cooling solution for...
Or you could be like a friend of mine. Uses his consoles for gaming and the $3000 Alienware he just bought is a high resolution, large capacity, monster porn machine.
Or you could be like a friend of mine. Uses his consoles for gaming and the $3000 Alienware he just bought is a high resolution, large capacity, monster porn machine.
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