The Great BD PC vs Console Debate

[divine]

No it won't look the 'best it can' but then that's irrelevant if even when it isn't looking the best it can, it's still looking pretty damn good.

Just because you're not running at max settings all the time, doesn't mean it's suddenly crap and I certainly wouldn't refuse to play a game just because I can't max every setting available.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...rtment0000.jpg

Personally, I don't think that looks bad for a 3 year old PC with a pretty budget graphics upgrade a few months ago, do you? Certainly a match for the 360 version and more than good enough to be playable. (Though for some reason, maybe the way the AA is applied, that shot looks really aliased, which when actually playing it doesn't)

All your 360 games will look the 'best they can' on 5 year old hardware.

[Daz]

Would it be fair to say the usable gaming life of a ~£600 PC system would be considerably less than what would be expected from a current gen console?

[iCraig]

Originally Posted by Daz

Would it be fair to say the usable gaming life of a ~£600 PC system would be considerably less than what would be expected from a current gen console?

Maybe, but bear in mind once you have a "base" gaming system that performs well as it is, you have headroom to go higher. Faster graphics card, or a second one in xfire/sli, more RAM, new chip, new HDD etc. Over the course of a year or two, you'd probably spend around the same as a brand new shiny console and all its gubbins when your current one is made redundant.

If you're careful with your money on PCs and make sure you buy as future proof as possible, there's no reason why you can't having a long term gaming machine. If push comes to shove and your aging gaming rig starts to drop below 35fps on some new games, you could always reduce it from 8xAA and 16xAF to a lower setting and get even more life out of it.

[divine]

Originally Posted by Daz

Would it be fair to say the usable gaming life of a ~£600 PC system would be considerably less than what would be expected from a current gen console?

Not really, especially when you take into account recurring costs like Live subscriptions etc. that could go into upgrading the PC later.

Cost wise, with a PC, you are infinitely better off buying a £600 PC and then spending £200 in 3 years time refreshing the graphics card and adding some RAM or something, than you are buying an £800 PC to begin with, which is probably the mistake a lot of people make. What £200 buys in you in improvements now is rubbish compared to what £200 buys in upgrades later if you should feel your PC can't handle something.

The only thing my PC hasn't been able to manage so far is Crysis, which is more because it was a crap engine than actually needs a better PC.

[Daz]

Originally Posted by divine

Not really, especially when you take into account recurring costs like Live subscriptions etc. that could go into upgrading the PC later.

I keep seeing you mention Live subs, and I'm not sure how drastic an impact they have. They don't apply to the PS3 of course, and it's not that expensive. To take your 3 years graphics upgrade cost, £200 would get you 8 years of Live gold, for example.

I mention it because, like MB by the sounds of it, cost (or perceived cost) would be the number one factor keeping me from returning to PC gaming properly. Close second would be distinct lack of games, but there's not a lot we can debate on that

My current PC has a lot of compute power, and some graphics kick (8600GT). My PS2 was an active gaming platform (at least in my house) for 6 years, so lets pretend I'm looking at a new gaming platform to invest in.

My current workstation isn't upgradable, so I'm looking at £600 for an above average PC rig, with ~£200 upgrade every 3 years. So over a 6 year lifespan, that's £1000.

I buy a 360, £150. Lets make it fair and take a price point earlier in it's life cycle, ~£200 last Christmas for what was the premium? 6 years gold subs, another £150. And lets say £100 on peripherals - an extra pad, chatpad, vision camera, play and charge kit (being a bit generous on the spend there). 6 years gaming for £450, less than half the PC. Hell, throw in £300 for a PC to do web browsing and word processing on (though I'd argue that's unnecessary, as we're talking strictly gaming platforms), we're still cheaper.

If I'm wrong then please correct me, I'm genuinely interested.

[divine]

Originally Posted by Daz

If I'm wrong then please correct me, I'm genuinely interested.

You seem to be missing an HDTV in there, so you can play at a resolution higher than 576p, after all, we wouldn't want to have it not looking the 'best it can' would we?

[Daz]

Originally Posted by divine

You seem to be missing an HDTV in there, so you can play at a resolution higher than 576p, after all, we wouldn't want to have it not looking the 'best it can' would we?

You didnt put a monitor on your original £600:

Originally Posted by divine

£550 will get you...

Q6600 + Arctic Cooling Freezer 7
4GB RAM
HD4850 512MB
DFL LanParty Intel P35 Motherboard
550W PSU
640GB WD Caviar HDD
Antec 300 Case
DVD+-RW

But hey, call it a £200 monitor for use with either. I'm talking about the platform, you could put a 20" monitor or a 47" TV on either and the cost would be the same.

Please, explain it to me. Talk me back to PC gaming.

[edit]

Originally Posted by divine

I still defy anyone to tell me that the screenshot I posted looks crap and that therefore this PC is an unviable gaming machine.

Hope that wasnt aimed at me, because I'm not arguing that. In fact I'm not arguing anything, I'm just putting forward the landscape as I see it and why it's turned me to consoles, so please correct me. Break it down.

[Justsomebloke]

The Money argument can be settled by using My system as an example.
My 200 quid upgrade a while back gave me

Gigabyte P35 DQ6 Mobo
Quad core, overclocked.
2 x 1950's in Crossfire.
2 Gig of Corsair XMS.
120GB Sata WD HD.
550w PSU inside a Coolermaster 7 series (Desmo I Love You )
Not found owt it won't play yet & honestly feel I still have head room over Any games requirements, With a bit of Tweaking Naturally


You don't have to buy new you know

[Justsomebloke]

Most that PC game though already have PC's & are only upgrading.

[divine]

I still defy anyone to tell me that the screenshot I posted looks crap and that therefore this PC is an unviable gaming machine.