Gaming PC, XBox 1 PS4 Is It Possible?

Lum

Most PC games these days are console ports, the hardware requirements race hasn't been anything like it used to be.

Until very recently I hadn't upgraded my PC in several years. I expect this upgrade will last me a couple more years at least.

UnderPressure

Thanks for all the replies everyone I appreciate all of your thoughts and views

Thanks for that link PNrep that is the exact kind of machine I am imagining building so really helpful

He currently has an xbox 360 with a gold account, the problem is not all of his mates have one and the ones that do some do not have gold accounts and then some do not have the same games and then they are never online at the same time, as all he uses it for at the moment is speaking to his cousin in America whilst playing Minecraft, (minecraft mad why has the world gone minecraft mad what is all that about??), I know all this will probably change as he gets older but I am not talking about a machine that has to last him for the next 5 years, if it transpires that he would have been better with a PS4 or Xbox One then next Christmas he can have one, I just don't think it is a great idea for him this year, launch year when he can get so much more for the same money (ish) by the time I have been ripped off for £60 a game!

I will carry on researching for the next few weeks to see what is going to give the most bang for the same buck so to speak and then make a decision but my head is 100% telling me PC.

Thanks again for all your replies any other insights welcome

Blackjack_Davy

anewhope wrote: »

You're missing the point. Console gaming doesn't involve the ever increasing hardware requirements that PC games do, therefore if money saving is a key priority then a console definitely has the advantage. You will not be able to build a PC for £350 that will play games at a comparable level for the next 8 years.

High end PC gaming systems wipe the floor with consoles, but you'll pay handsomely for it.

Not necessarily, an old PC that my mum owns, built in 2005 (core2duo, 2GB RAM, XP) that I picked up used on fleabay for £150 a few years ago, she uses it for emailing her friends, I swapped out its old card and bought a GTX 430 for the grand sum of £55 to play Skyrim on, when I was staying for a visit recently.

It plays it at High level graphics. Not Ultra, but good enough and at least as good as my PS3.

Cisco001

If you looking at gaming desktop, I suggest you allow £600. This should be enough for mid-range machine with quality component.

Cycrow

Lum wrote: »

Most PC games these days are console ports, the hardware requirements race hasn't been anything like it used to be.

Until very recently I hadn't upgraded my PC in several years. I expect this upgrade will last me a couple more years at least.

Yeah hardware is advancing much quicker than the games, so the older generation hardware is still perfectly viable.

Im still running the first gen i7 and its perfectly quick enough for all current games, even thou my gpu is now 3 generations old

Lum

That's pretty much my exact setup.

First gen i7-920 OC'd to 3.6GHz. Crossfire ATI 6970s that are actually 6950s that were flashed. Largely cobbled together from second hand and older parts and stuck in a shiny new case.

Runs Metro LastLight at 1920x1200 on ultra, so I'm happy with it

Idiophreak

UnderPressure wrote: »

I am planning on trying to persuade him into a gaming PC rather than another one of these "never ending pinching out of your wallet consoles".

Also am I right in thinking that any game released on the xbox one or ps4 (apart from the exclusive ones) will also be released onto PC with the same graphics etc?

Interesting, I switched from PC to Xbox to save money. PCs don't last...within 2 years your son will be on at you for a new GFX card to keep up with maximum resolution. A year after that it will "need" a new processor, RAM and MB, then it will "need" some new networking adapter...With consoles, you pay a tenner extra for games, but at least you're relatively assured that the console itself will be current for 5 years...and all the games that are bought will continue to be compatible etc.

As for games...don't count on it. A large part of these console wars are fought over exclusive titles, so it's quite likely his mates will all be talking about something he can't play...

almillar

Good post. Bit ambitious but good!
Hardware in the consoles stays largely the same for years. They're really really good when they come out compared to PCs, then PCs catch and overtake them. PS3/X360 are now way behind. £400 will get you a PS4/XB1 equivalent in 2-3 years maybe. The consoles will have dropped in price by then!
Would be nice and cheap to build a PC far better than a PS3/X360 now though. If you keep in mind that they both play at 1080 (usually upscaled from 720 or lower even!), then if you keep the PC 'down' at that resolution, you could get away with much more modest hardware.
Not too many 4K capable graphics cards around cheap at the moment though...

[Deleted User]

anewhope wrote: »

You're missing the point. Console gaming doesn't involve the ever increasing hardware requirements that PC games do, therefore if money saving is a key priority then a console definitely has the advantage. You will not be able to build a PC for £350 that will play games at a comparable level for the next 8 years.

High end PC gaming systems wipe the floor with consoles, but you'll pay handsomely for it.

You right PC will need upgrading but foe 8 years you can get away with just upgrading graphic card and they lost money quickly as new ones always comes along every 6 months or so... so not so expensive... 8 year and 60 quid a game you prob spend more than a 1000 pounds on games after 8 years.. when a grpahic card now that will runs all the games is 250....
last upgraded my PC 6 years ago no problems with games so far i play BF3.. Just brought an upgrade 700 quid in total and that everything apart from case HDD and windows Brought 690 GTX on ebay for 70 quid due to idoit wrongly put details and mispelt.. bargins come to thou who wait..
For games like Fifa 14 and COD Ghost on multiplayer are a dying thin on PC thou.. black ops 2 has less than 30k on line everyday sionce feb... and who want to play fifa on PC... BF4 or BF3 will never die so populer and always full servers... and maps are bigger and the amount players in one game 64 players cant be done on console thou i heard BF4 will have 64 player mode. Bet we see lot of xbox user moaning about connectivity

Cycrow

almillar wrote: »

Good post. Bit ambitious but good!
Hardware in the consoles stays largely the same for years. They're really really good when they come out compared to PCs, then PCs catch and overtake them. PS3/X360 are now way behind. £400 will get you a PS4/XB1 equivalent in 2-3 years maybe. The consoles will have dropped in price by then!
Would be nice and cheap to build a PC far better than a PS3/X360 now though. If you keep in mind that they both play at 1080 (usually upscaled from 720 or lower even!), then if you keep the PC 'down' at that resolution, you could get away with much more modest hardware.
Not too many 4K capable graphics cards around cheap at the moment though...

consoles never compare hardware wise to PCs, even at launch.
A High end PC will usually wipe the floor with a console. The difference is the cost. a pc of simlar spec to a new console will usually end up costing alot more. But then consoles are subsidised so they are sold at a loss.