The whole "PCs aren't that expensive compared to consoles" argument

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Wolfram23

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Mar 23, 2004
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Xzi said:
Sorry, but that's bull. I'm not over-selling it when I say that I could easily build a $600-$700 computer that outperforms both a PS3 and 360. How? Simple, you just go expensive with the video card and skimp a little when it comes to the RAM/mobo/processor. That's how the the two consoles manage to be sold at the price they do, anyway. I figure I should just go ahead and prove it now:

SAPPHIRE 100297SR Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 - $234:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102879&cm_re=hd_5830-_-14-102-879-_-Product

MSI 770T-C45 AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - $70:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130270

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 - $62:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231144

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz - $101:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - $70:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R - $26:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $50:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025


Total: $613 before shipping (only item with any real shipping cost is case).

That CPU will give you higher graphics performance than either a 360 or PS3, and it will give you higher frame rates while providing that performance. The graphics card is tier 4, FFS...and at best I'd assume the graphics chipsets built into the 360/PS3 are tier 6 by now. Not to mention that you're getting three times the storage space of even the most expensive console. For about $60-$70 more, you could even get USB3.0 and SATA3, two features which won't be available on consoles for a good long time.
First of all it was never about "out performing" a console. That is indeed not difficult. Let's look at what you picked. Is it pretty decent? Yep! It's pretty good and will run most games on fairly high settings with good framerates. But let's look at the downsides. Firstly it's twice as much as a PS3 slim, secondly you need to do some research to find out that these parts are alright and will all work together. Third, you have to actually build it yourself. Finally, like any PC there's always some tweaking and tinkering involved.

I've said it several times already that these downsides don't apply to everyone. You and me can handle it and don't mind doing the research and in fact I found it fairly fun and I look forward to putting my PC together. The point is that for the average consumer, they're not going to want to put so much time and effort into figuring all that out. If someone thinks "hmm I like games... should I get a console or PC?" they're going to either buy a prebuilt Gateway or Dell type overpriced PC, or they're going to see that a console is at worst half the price and go "well, I can still do taxes on my 5yr old PC and check my hotmail so let's get the console and start gaming!"

You really can't say that's a bad thing. This whole thread was never a PC vs Console thread looking at what is going to give the best performance although it's certainly turned into that. The thread is to show that consoles have many benefits over PCs for the average gamer/consumer and that this whole PC fanboyism is, basically, stupid - just because someone wants to be able to plug and play and get gaming for less money and effort doesn't make them idiots. In fact you can argue that they're the smart ones. Yes, long term and in buying a lot of games the prices start to even out but that doesn't detract from the fact that the console gamer is having an easier time of it than the PC gamer.

Do I prefer console or PC gaming? I prefer PC. But I also really like my PS3. I like it's ease. I like the exclusives. I like sitting on the couch instead of in a computer desk chair.

"PCs are better, end of story" simply isn't true for everyone, nor is it a good mindset to have. PCs are better at a lot more and in general they are better, but where PCs fail (reasons above) is where consoles shine and if that's what's important to someone, who are you or anyone else to point out that it's a bad/stupid/simpleton choice? I just hope people can realise the pointlessness of "console wars".
 

night_chrono

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Mar 13, 2008
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May I recommend this instead of your Mobo pick?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188054

I have one and love it. It's a bit cheaper and has a mail in rebate.
 

mrpmpfan

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Apr 14, 2010
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Xzi said:
mrpmpfan said:
Anymore if you build your own gaming computer you are a fucking idiot. The cost is astronomical however if you find a good deal on a great computer you can have a better value than a gaming console.
He says as he links a horribly low-quality PC, the power of which I could double for the same price if I were to build it.
Before listing a dumb post please post links to the exact parts you would purchase to build a computer more powerful than this one. The processor, ram and video card would cost you more than this. So before I take you seriously I would love to hear how you would piece this twice as powerful computer for the same amount. You have $700 to spend go at it.
 

mrpmpfan

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Apr 14, 2010
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Xzi said:
Sorry, but that's bull. I'm not over-selling it when I say that I could easily build a $600-$700 computer that outperforms both a PS3 and 360. How? Simple, you just go expensive with the video card and skimp a little when it comes to the RAM/mobo/processor. That's how the the two consoles manage to be sold at the price they do, anyway. I figure I should just go ahead and prove it now:

SAPPHIRE 100297SR Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 - $234:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102879&cm_re=hd_5830-_-14-102-879-_-Product

MSI 770T-C45 AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - $70:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130270

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 - $62:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231144

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz - $101:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - $70:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R - $26:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $50:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025


Total: $613 before shipping (only item with any real shipping cost is case).
So what about a keyboard and mouse? What about cooling fans or other cooling system? What about any kind of warranty....oh wait you are building this yourself and if it breaks you are out a ton of money good idea.
 

mrpmpfan

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Apr 14, 2010
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Xzi said:
mrpmpfan said:
Xzi said:
mrpmpfan said:
Anymore if you build your own gaming computer you are a fucking idiot. The cost is astronomical however if you find a good deal on a great computer you can have a better value than a gaming console.
He says as he links a horribly low-quality PC, the power of which I could double for the same price if I were to build it.
Before listing a dumb post please post links to the exact parts you would purchase to build a computer more powerful than this one. The processor, ram and video card would cost you more than this. So before I take you seriously I would love to hear how you would piece this twice as powerful computer for the same amount. You have $700 to spend go at it.
You can't be serious. Look at the top of this page. The computer you linked was full of low-quality parts and had unnecessary spending in areas such as RAM (who the hell needs 8GB?)
It has a quad intel processor, 8 gbs of ram and 512 mb video card, this would preform just fine. My question to you is for you to prove that you can purchase the parts to make something twice as powerful for the same price.

Also to answer your question: I need 8 gb of RAM because I am a graphic designer and I have at most times 2, or 3 Adobe applications opened at one time.
 

Kenni-chan

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Nov 1, 2009
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isn't it all relative?

PC parts bought seperatly can be just as expensive as an arcade xBox on it's right?
 

Wolfram23

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Mar 23, 2004
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Xzi said:
Now we're just going in circles. We agreed that everybody NEEDS a PC for things other than gaming, but nobody needs a console. Then you said you couldn't get a good gaming PC for $700, but you could get a decent PC for $400 and a PS3 for $300, totaling $700. That's all I was disproving in my last post. You can get a gaming PC which will do everything for you for $700, or you can get a $400 PC and a $300 console. Either way, you aren't saving anything or spending anything extra. Thus the whole title and subject of this thread is moot, is it not?
Hah yea you have a point there, but the title of the thread wasn't my whole point. So, if prices are basically the same there's still many pros and cons to each. I should maybe change the title to more appropriately illustrate my point, however, I think I've explained it well enough now as to simply saying PC gaming is better for some people while console gaming is better for others. I hope we can agree on that.
 

Delusibeta

Reachin' out...
Mar 7, 2010
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Wolfram01 said:
Xzi said:
Now we're just going in circles. We agreed that everybody NEEDS a PC for things other than gaming, but nobody needs a console. Then you said you couldn't get a good gaming PC for $700, but you could get a decent PC for $400 and a PS3 for $300, totaling $700. That's all I was disproving in my last post. You can get a gaming PC which will do everything for you for $700, or you can get a $400 PC and a $300 console. Either way, you aren't saving anything or spending anything extra. Thus the whole title and subject of this thread is moot, is it not?
Hah yea you have a point there, but the title of the thread wasn't my whole point. So, if prices are basically the same there's still many pros and cons to each. I should maybe change the title to more appropriately illustrate my point, however, I think I've explained it well enough now as to simply saying PC gaming is better for some people while console gaming is better for others. I hope we can agree on that.
In my opinion, the thread should end there, as I doubt anyone would disagree about that.
 

mrpmpfan

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Apr 14, 2010
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Xzi said:
Yea. Look at the top of the page. The CPU I listed is easily twice as powerful as that one in terms of gaming performance.

The graphics card included in the Gateway you linked is seven tiers below the one included in the PC I listed: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2569-6.html

That's going to be a difference of at least twice the performance...probably more around four times.
Your computer you listed was more expensive and was not twice as powerful