Should I buy a gaming PC or wait for Next Gen consoles?

phillo74

Hey, I would like to get some advice off you guys.

I've been an avid gamer for as long as I can remember. I started out playing PCs, then I went onto consoles after for many years, leaving the PC at the wayside.

As of late, I've been considering buying a gaming rig (everything, including peripherals) as I know that they are far more powerful than today's consoles, and even tomorrow's consoles. I have saved over $1500. I was really looking forward to building!!!

Next thing I knew I was up in a friends house - having not played a PC in about 6 years, might I add - and I tried playing BF3. I sucked!!! The controls were so aggravating, albeit I was playing on a laptop. I was so disappointed!! I really wanted to enjoy it!!!

Now, I realize that time must be devoted in order to grow accustomed to using a mouse/keyboard again. Then again, I LOVE my consoles too...and that has me wondering if spending all that cash on a rig would be foolish, given my uncertainty. And it's not like I could spend less, seen as that would only buy me a mediocre system which probably wouldn't live up to any expectations.

What should I do? What would YOU do? Should I relax, ease off, and stick with the devil I know, and stay loyal to my consoles, even though next gen aren't due out till maybe 2014? Or should I throw caution to the wind and buy a beast of a system now, even though the controls annoyed the hell out of me that night?

By the way, I would only be using the rig for games...and maybe for normal usage i.e. music, works, etc. Also I know a lot of people from both communities so that poses no problem.

Thanks guys!!

Dcully

My advice is get yourself a decent starter rig with upgrade capability.
You will get a decent PC for €500-€600 nowadays that will play the latest games fine.
Head over to the PC building and upgrading forum for valuable advice.

ShadowHearth

Buy PC.

If you got 1500 dollars to spend on a new pc then go for it. I presume you in U.S. then you can get even better deal.

You won't e en need that much to build a monster pc m8.


If rumors are true about new Xbox, then you don't have anything to worry about with buying a pc now.
Don't worry about mouse and keyboard. Just need some time and you will be bac in business. Playing on laptop is a very bad example of pc gaming controls, so don't worry about it.

Trevor451

PC. You can use a xbox 360 controller out of the box for most recent pc games if you don't like KB+ mouse (although you would be at a disadvantage if you use a controller for online fps)

ShadowHearth

Dcully wrote: »

My advice is get yourself a decent starter rig with upgrade capability.
You will get a decent PC for €500-€600 nowadays that will play the latest games fine.
Head over to the PC building and upgrading forum for valuable advice.

This.

You can can come over there and fill in the form. We will do our best to built you best gaming machine for you money!

phillo74

ShadowHearth wrote: »

This.

You can can come over there and fill in the form. We will do our best to built you best gaming machine for you money!

On that note, what would you buy with the €1500? The whole shabang - monitor, graphics card, case, cpu, mobo, mouse etc

Krusader

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Buy PC.

If you got 1500 dollars to spend on a new pc then go for it. I presume you in U.S. then you can get even better deal.

You won't e en need that much to build a monster pc m8.


If rumors are true about new Xbox, then you don't have anything to worry about with buying a pc now.
Don't worry about mouse and keyboard. Just need some time and you will be bac in business. Playing on laptop is a very bad example of pc gaming controls, so don't worry about it.

The Nextbox is to have a ATI Radeon 5xxx series card, is this true

Cuddlesworth

Never buy a top end PC. Price/Performance just doesn't justfy it. Always buy mid range, paying half the cost with 20% less performance is where its at. Then spend the other half on a mid end pc two years later and have a better machine then the high end one.

phillo74

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Never buy a top end PC. Price/Performance just doesn't justfy it. Always buy mid range, paying half the cost with 20% less performance is where its at. Then spend the other half on a mid end pc two years later and have a better machine then the high end one.

Makes good sense actually! So instead of getting the GTX590, get the GTX580 and so on? But the Ivy bridge motherboard would be a must, considering how it saves on power consumption. Aagh, so many options!!!! :eek:

joshrogan

The selection of games for the next gen consoles wont be up to par with the PC realistically until 1-2 years after there release.

phillo74

joshrogan wrote: »

The selection of games for the next gen consoles wont be up to par with the PC realistically until 1-2 years after there release.

Another good point!! Keep them coming lads

Kiith

Just spend €600-€700 on a pc, which will play any game at very high quality, and have plenty of left over for whatever next gen console comes out first.

phillo74

Kiith wrote: »

Just spend €600-€700 on a pc, which will play any game at very high quality, and have plenty of left over for whatever next gen console comes out first.

I hear ya, but I need to buy everything! Monitor, mouse, tower, cards, the lot. I don't think I'd get everything for €700, I reckon i'd be looking at €1200 at least

PseudoFamous

phillo74 wrote: »

I hear ya, but I need to buy everything! Monitor, mouse, tower, cards, the lot. I don't think I'd get everything for €700, I reckon i'd be looking at €1200 at least

I spent just over 700€ for my 560ti/2500K rig. The SSD just blew me over the mark. I already owned the monitor, but it's definitely doable for 700€ for a decent spec rig.

Magill

I spent just under £1000 on my setup just before christmas, including a desk/mouse/mat/monitor and the whole tower. Plays everything like a peach... so yeah, like others said... you'll have plenty left over for a next gen console. Heck.. if you wait a few months a lot of components will be cheaper with new ivy bridge processors on the way and newer graphics cards etc.

phillo74

Magill wrote: »

I spent just under £1000 on my setup just before christmas, including a desk/mouse/mat/monitor and the whole tower. Plays everything like a peach... so yeah, like others said... you'll have plenty left over for a next gen console. Heck.. if you wait a few months a lot of components will be cheaper with new ivy bridge processors on the way and newer graphics cards etc.

Nice! whats ur setup, if you dont mind me asking?

Kiith

phillo74 wrote: »

Nice! whats ur setup, if you dont mind me asking?

Best place to go is to the Pc Building & Upgrading forum. There are a ton of recent build for different prices, and you can get specific help from the guys who really know their stuff.

phillo74

Kiith wrote: »

Best place to go is to the Pc Building & Upgrading forum. There are a ton of recent build for different prices, and you can get specific help from the guys who really know their stuff.

spot on!

gizmo

Even if you ignore all of the technical points above, the PC is the best option. Why? Because you'll be waiting at least another year and a half for the next gen of consoles to arrive, bar the Wii-U of course. Buy the PC now and you'll have plenty saved up in time for them.

Icyseanfitz

1500 will get you a monster pc, go pc, it has some brilliant games

ShadowHearth

Crosáidí wrote: »

The Nextbox is to have a ATI Radeon 5xxx series card, is this true

Well it's even worse. It's going to be a frankenstein 6670, which pure low spec ( even after upgrade ) by today's standards. And next box is rumoured not be here till next years holidays. So we are talking about about already old hardware in 1.5 years time.

On topic. OP, for your budget you will deffenetly get away with full setup with:

I5 2500k ( top of the range gaming CPU )
8gb ram ( cheapamd max you will ever need )
128gb ssd + other storage
7970 or 7950 ( fastest single gpu cards in the world )
24inch monitor.

This is going to be top of the range pc for gaming. Easily fitted in your budget.

jaykhunter

It's down to exclusives really, which gaming platform has the most number of games you desperately wanna play and can't anywhere else? What will your friends have? It's not about the fidelity, it's the games. PC has steam but do you care for it's exclusives? Are you ok with maybe waiting a few months for a PC port? IMO, wait to see the launch lineup of the new Xbox. If u need a PC now, u can get a great one for 700 all in just like me!

ShadowHearth

jaykhunter wrote: »

It's down to exclusives really, which gaming platform has the most number of games you desperately wanna play and can't anywhere else? What will your friends have? It's not about the fidelity, it's the games. PC has steam but do you care for it's exclusives? Are you ok with maybe waiting a few months for a PC port? IMO, wait to see the launch lineup of the new Xbox. If u need a PC now, u can get a great one for 700 all in just like me!

Our happy customer right here

Magill

phillo74 wrote: »

Nice! whats ur setup, if you dont mind me asking?

ermm



Mouse - G400 + Mousemat - £40

Desk was about 60 quid in IKEA.



So yeah, a bit lower than £1000 and im sure some of those prices have come down even more and probably cheaper if you look about for deals on other sites (I was in a rush to get it before christmas so went with overclockers because they've always delivered really fast for me).

phillo74

Magill wrote: »

ermm



Mouse - G400 + Mousemat - £40

Desk was about 60 quid in IKEA.



So yeah, a bit lower than £1000 and im sure some of those prices have come down even more.

Jesus, nice station setup u got there!

Magill

phillo74 wrote: »

Jesus, nice station setup u got there!

HA, my ma calls it the "Command center !" lol. Im sure some of the guys here have setups that put mine to shame tho.

phillo74

F*ck it....I may as well at least look into the PC thing. Ye lads have made some good points, and I could be waiting forever for the consoles to expand their libraries. Besides, I'll probably have to end up buying a new laptop anyways....and that wouldnt be necessary with the gaming rig - for my needs.

thanks for the help, folks!

Happy gaming!!

Krusader

phillo74 wrote: »

F*ck it....I may as well at least look into the PC thing. Ye lads have made some good points, and I could be waiting forever for the consoles to expand their libraries. Besides, I'll probably have to end up buying a new laptop anyways....and that wouldnt be necessary with the gaming rig - for my needs.

thanks for the help, folks!

Happy gaming!!

Steam sales are worth it for getting a gaming pc

ShadowHearth

Crosáidí wrote: »

Steam sales are worth it for getting a gaming pc

If you like to be raped every single holiday season

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

not even steam sales, games in general are cheaper on the pc

plus with mods you can breathe new life into a game you'd be possibly sick of on console

ShadowHearth

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

not even steam sales, games in general are cheaper on the pc

plus with mods you can breathe new life into a game you'd be possibly sick of on console

I wonder how many copies of gta 4 and stalker were sold just because of the mods alone.