PC - an often overlooked alternative

[Marisa Kirisame]

Yeah... it's really underrated and when people usually think of gaming they tend to go directly towards the 360 and PS3 and often overlook the gaming potential a mid-end gaming rig costs; not to mention all the extra goodies that come with the PC such as word processing, multimedia editing, internet, etc.

Here's a common misconception that really grinds my gears:
"I do not have $2000 to spend on a gaming PC"

No, no.

You can probably custom build a gaming PC with mid-ranged, name-brand hardware for about $600 USD in a few months... lets see:

AMD 7750 2.7 GHz dual-core processor: ~$60
BFG 9600 GT 512 MB GDDR3: ~$80
Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3 AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD motherboard: ~$75
G.SKILL 4GB 1066 MHz RAM: ~$40
Coolermaster Real Power Pro 550W: ~$40 refurb
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium: ~$100 (lol, I hope people that build don't actually pay for this)
Coolermaster Centurion 5: ~$20 refurb

(prices from newegg)

Price: ~$435 with OS w/o shipping, ~$335 without OS w/o shipping

Learn to put it together to save as well as enjoy a great learning experience.

You see that pre-built PC at your local retail store that costs $999? Yeah, if you go buy a pre-built PC at a local Best Buy or Circuit City from a name like Dell or HP you're seriously just wasting your money since they don't even make gaming PCs and still charge insane amounts for regular PCs.

So yeah...

...the point I'm trying to get across is that PC gaming is an often overlooked alternative to gaming and people tend to go directly with either the 360 and PS3; reconsider in the future.

Thoughts?

 

[Surgo]

I don't get it. Who is overlooking PC gaming here?

Also the Radeon 4830 is pretty useless, you'd want a 4850 or better.

 

[Morm]

I have a radeon 9500 or so, it's pretty good even though it's more than a year old :D. Just need a new motherboard on that bitch.

One thing I think PC gaming has consoles beat at, hands down, is strategy games- specifically real time ones.

I also feel that, unless you're well practised at Xbox controls (such as the great halo ones), FPS is better on computer as well.

One HUGE issue I have with computers is that gaming standards continue to progress while your computer does not. It doesn't take long for games to outpace your computer. With a console, I know any game I buy for it is immediately playable on the highest settings.

 

[Firestorm]

4830 for $100 seems overpriced. PC gaming isn't overlooked here at all. I'm sure most of the people posting in the Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead topics are playing on PC for example.

Since I use my laptop as my main computer, I usually prefer to play games on my consoles. One day I'll probably buy a desktop to permanently have hooked up to my TV though. Dedicated gaming machine =)

 

[Marisa Kirisame]

Eheh... I didn't notice the 4830 wasn't that great... I had imagined it was right under the 4850 but when I saw benchmarks it was actually a fair bit away kinda like the gap between the 9800 GT and the 9800 GTX.

9800 GT for $100 sounds better than the 4830 for sure but still... 4830 new for $100 isn't bad of a deal considering the prices of the next few cards.

Anyways I wouldn't call the 4830 useless... it's still a decent card that can play newer games at Medium settings with some AA / AF; I myself had a single 4850 in the past and it was excellent and played L4D at about 80 FPS with all High with Very High Shaders and 4X MSAA / 8X AF... can't image the 4830 would be that far behind. The Source engine isn't very GPU dependant but it still dishes out good frames in a wide range of games.

The 4870 is a real steal right now at $160... I remember when that thing had a very high price.

Anyways I think that the PC should have more players than it has :/ and that is what I mean when people are overlooking PC.

@ Mormoopid: The settings on PC are more than the ones on 360 so I'd say graphics isn't so much of an issue; only really bad port like GTA4 will run like crap on PC but nearly everything else will run and look like butter.

 

[Surgo]

Yeah, except you posted this on Smogon. Where nobody is really overlooking PC gaming at all.

 

[CaptKirby]

Why do you act as if a see through case is overwhelmingly desirable, let alone a lit up case? I like something that looks sleek, not that I can see every past inside of it, and I despise looking at something and having it have bright, LED lighting.

 

[Marisa Kirisame]

@ Surgo: I'm sure there are several people here... any besides that I notice a lot of people here tend to buy pre-built and they tend to lose a fair bit of money and it doesn't take much time to to learn how to put the parts together and learn what is compatible witch what, etc. provided you have an interest; you seem rather critical of this thread... why is that?

@ CaptKirby: I myself like my cases with a side panel and lights especially since my friends and I tend to host LAN parties and we like to check out each others' systems. It's really a matter of personal preference of what you would like to have; not only did the lights and side panel window make the case nice, it was also the amazing cooling system generated by the case's fans that would keep my hardware at a temperature low enough to the point where I could easilty overclock my hardware. LEDs are fun, looks really nice during the nice and can be turned off if needed. I like the see through case because I can check and make sure how everything is running without having to take off the case itself and complements the LEDs... you get to see all the reflect off the hardware and the LEDs on the rotating fans spin and spin... not fun to you :(?

tl;dr version: there's more cases out there

 

[Surgo]

I got a pretty good midtower case for $60 with none of those stupid bells or whistles, that should be attainable pretty easily if you're slightly patient on waiting for Newegg deals. The extra money can go towards a better graphics card!

 

[Mr.E]

I'm not sure why I'd care to even look at my tower just for the hell of it. I only see it at all when I check the vents for dust.

The problem with putting together your own PC for a reasonable price is... you have to put it together yourself. Not everybody knows how to do it (or knows someone who does) or is confident and comfortable enough to do it without screwing up. It's definitely not something you want to be screwing up. :P A console comes out of the box working exactly as it should. A PC can, as well, but it'll probably cost twice as much to have it pre-built that way.

 

[Wolfie92]

I've never been drawn to computer games other then the sims and roller coaster tycoon. (sims I borrowed and tycoon I got in a cereal box.) I've always felt computer games are inferior to ones played on a console. I can't quite place why. Why pay 600$ over a couple of months when you can get an actual console for that amount? I also am not very tech savvy so I can't mod or change it. I don't mean to bash computer gaming in any way, I just don't find your arguments very convincing.

 

[Marisa Kirisame]

I've never been drawn to computer games other then the sims and roller coaster tycoon. (sims I borrowed and tycoon I got in a cereal box.) I've always felt computer games are inferior to ones played on a console. I can't quite place why. Why pay 600$ over a couple of months when you can get an actual console for that amount? I also am not very tech savvy so I can't mod or change it. I don't mean to bash computer gaming in any way, I just don't find your arguments very convincing.

Computers can do more than what consoles can do and if you have a console you will be ending up getting a computer anyways for work and other things anyways; so why not get a computer? Computers tend to have better graphics than consoles and tend to play certain games like shooters much easier than with a clunky controller, it's everything you need in one system. Consoles are just inferior computers that are used only for gaming and media, nothing else.

 

[Firestorm]

I've never been drawn to computer games other then the sims and roller coaster tycoon. (sims I borrowed and tycoon I got in a cereal box.) I've always felt computer games are inferior to ones played on a console. I can't quite place why. Why pay 600$ over a couple of months when you can get an actual console for that amount? I also am not very tech savvy so I can't mod or change it. I don't mean to bash computer gaming in any way, I just don't find your arguments very convincing.

This is why consoles were created and why you don't see the value in computer gaming. Computers will give you more value for your dollar and higher performance, but require you to have a bit more tech skill. Consoles are plug and play.

 

[Bender]

This is why consoles were created and why you don't see the value in computer gaming. Computers will give you more value for your dollar and higher performance, but require you to have a bit more tech skill. Consoles are plug and play.

This is the main reason and I agree that PC gaming is better generally but at the rapid rate that the technology of computer have increased over the years, it just killed the gaming market for PC's because most people are idiots when it comes to PC's and no fucking clue when it comes to upgrading anything on there PC. Personally I still refuse to play shooters of any kind on consoles but beside that I stick with Console gaming because everyone else I know does and generally has a better selection of games.

 

[keloggsequent]

putting together a pc is actually quite simple, all it is is "insert here insert there". a 9600gt gpu would probably be sufficient for casual gaming and everything else, if you plan to play games seriously look into the gtx series. for a case you can go with a centurion 5. cheap, reliable, and plenty of space to build in.

honestly though, i would stay away from amd processors. there's a reason they're so much cheaper then intel. in this case, you get what you pay for.

edit: eq, i haven't really read up on anything recent on amd, there's no doubt that there's a little bias in my opinion on them, old habits die hard.

 

[Pokemon Red]

Nothing beats having 3 friends in your room surrounding the TV and playing Halo 2. Not that PC gaming is bad, but I hope you get my point.

 

[Marisa Kirisame]

honestly though, i would stay away from amd processors. there's a reason they're so much cheaper then intel. in this case, you get what you pay for.

read some phenom II benchmarks bro, they even o'c insanely high like the Q6600 and the kuma actually has L3 cache as well as a slighly improved architecture so it gets more per ghz than earlier athlon x2

screw the original phenoms, phenom II compete well with higher C2Qs and the i7 920

also check out the HD 4890 crossfire benchmarks easily ripping though the GTX 295 at high res with AA

you must be living in late '07 where the 8800s were dominating the ati 2xxx series?

also filefront is NOT shutting down!

@pr: lan parties with computer enthusiasts!

 

[Firestorm]

putting together a pc is actually quite simple, all it is is "insert here insert there". a 9600gt gpu would probably be sufficient for casual gaming and everything else, if you plan to play games seriously look into the gtx series. for a case you can go with a centurion 5. cheap, reliable, and plenty of space to build in.

honestly though, i would stay away from amd processors. there's a reason they're so much cheaper then intel. in this case, you get what you pay for.

It's simple for us, but the everyday person has never even seen the insides of a computer and thinks it's insanely complicated. They go to Best Buy, buy a computer, and use it for five years.

 

[Nate]

The first time I built a computer I was following all the advice of a friend even geekier than I. He was going to have me place a layer of thermal adhesive instead of thermal grease between the (expensive) CPU and its cooler. A timely google search helped me dodge the bullet on that one.

Yes, putting together a pc isn't too difficult once you know what you're doing, but at the same time if you fuck up in a little way you're out a significant amount of money. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody who needed me to recommend it to them.

ps i wouldnt call that a mid-end gaming pc.

 

[Falls]

I've been a PC gamer for as long as I can remember and I will always think that the PC is the best console/medium for video games, mainly cause I play a lot of RTS and console RTS is pure epic fail.

Building a computer is really easy, but just its just buying/searching/researching for parts/deals that is annoying and time consuming. I think a lot of people are turned down by this. For most people that are on the edge between building or buying one, its the time consumed that kinda makes building less appealing. The actual building only requires someone to google or find someone else for instructions/help and is very easy, as long as you follow the directions and don't do anything stupid.

However, I must admit, its very hard to beat the feeling of a group of friends sitting around a TV playing something like Brawl/Melee.

 

[Pokemon Red]

However, I must admit, its very hard to beat the feeling of a group of friends sitting around a TV playing something like Brawl/Melee.

Yes, and I'm sure you'll have to agree that some genre of games are generally better on consoles. Racing and sport games immediately comes to mind.