$500 graphics card or a next-gen console?

H

H3d Case

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 11, 2005
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my parents are hookin me up this year for my 17th birthday. they said if i wanted it i could get a xbox 360. the only exciting thing about the 360 to me is that its next-gen. condemned: criminal origins looks amazing and is the only game that appeals to me other than gears of war. these are the specs for my current pc: amd athlon 64 3600, 1 gig of ram, ati xpress 200 series, 200gb hard drive. theyre are so many pc games ive wanted to play but have been unable to because i dont have a good video card. mainly battlefield 2 and F.E.A.R. what would you guys choose graphics card or next-gen console?
 
I'd go with the graphics card myself.

To get the "most" out of the xbox 360 you'd also need to have an HDTV (which you might already have) , etc.

Plus with Oblivion being pushed back, the launch titles aren't really looking all the exciting to me, enough so that i'm not buying one on release but i'm gonna wait a bit for a price drop.

Since you seem to have quite a few pc games in mind (and some damn good ones I might add) i'd go with the video card, espically since the other parts of your computer can handle it well, it's just the video card you currently have bottlenecking your entire system.
 
the xbox360 will have a longer usable life than the graphics card. Current-gen xbox's are 4+ years old and new games are still coming out that run on them. Try to run new games with a 4-year-old graphics card.

On a side note...I just checked out a 360 kiosk at walmart. My system plays COD2 better. But, as lame as the king kong demo was, it runs better on the 360 than it does on my pc. I'm guessing that COD2 doesn't take advantage of the 360 hardware as well as kong.

I'm waiting to pull the trigger on a 360 until it launches and I can actually play Perfect Dark Zero. Based on the videos I've seen, that game looks freakin' awesome visually.
 
I look at it this way. The X360 is nex gen hardware with this gen software, and it will be a while before we see the big difference. Get a 7800 series card and enjoy your prime setup untill the next gen console hype has settled and more games are released.

sserriously, what game(s) will you be playing when the X360 is released in 20 days?
 
Stiler said:
I'd go with the graphics card myself.

To get the "most" out of the xbox 360 you'd also need to have an HDTV (which you might already have) , etc.

Plus with Oblivion being pushed back, the launch titles aren't really looking all the exciting to me, enough so that i'm not buying one on release but i'm gonna wait a bit for a price drop.

Since you seem to have quite a few pc games in mind (and some damn good ones I might add) i'd go with the video card, espically since the other parts of your computer can handle it well, it's just the video card you currently have bottlenecking your entire system.
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honestly i think thats a bit silly, thats like saying you need to have a 24" widscreen lcd to get the most out of high end cards. yeah, it'll look better on an hdtv, but its still gonna look good on a 27" tv as well. i would get the console just because im a sucker for the newest stuff and i like several of the launch games. not to mention the 360 exclusives.
 
rcf1987 said:
Are the 360 kiosk playing on 100% xbox 360's or the 75%+ like at E3.
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i think right now. theyre all playing on one cpu. last i heard anyway..thats all current 360 games. but who knows. i played today at best buy on a properly setup 360, and kameo tho it looks a little childish, is defenetly the best lookign of the 3. im really just looking forward to perfect dark zero..oh how i miss my joanna :p
 
First never ever spend $500 on a new graphics card.

Here's why.

#1 When new games come out neither the $200 or $500 graphics card will be playable at max settings.

#2 A $500 graphics card is just an overclocked and unlocked cheaper version of the $200 graphics cards. Today it's very easy to overclock and unlock pipes in a graphics card.

#3 When Nvidia or ATI releases a new major graphics card generation it'll probably support PS 4.0 and VS 4.0. Both the $200 and $500 cards will be SOL to get support.


When it comes down to it the person who bought the $500 card just wanted a bigger e-penis. You'll both need to upgrade eventually to play games with pretty colors.


Also no I wouldn't get the Xbox 360 either. Personally I don't see any games worth it to sell out tha much cash. Smart people wait for a good game to come out. Sheep buy it when it's out for bragging rights. Currently most games on the 360 are just PC ports and even Xbox ports with better graphics.
 
calluum said:
honestly i think thats a bit silly, thats like saying you need to have a 24" widscreen lcd to get the most out of high end cards. yeah, it'll look better on an hdtv, but its still gonna look good on a 27" tv as well. i would get the console just because im a sucker for the newest stuff and i like several of the launch games. not to mention the 360 exclusives.
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Uhh, No, not silly at all.

I was saying that because to get the best PICTURE (in terms of resolution, etc) you'll need an HDTV.

For a computer a decent crt can handle a high res just fine, which most people probally already have, while not nearly as many people have HDTV's, plus HDTV's cost more too boot.
 
GoW is on one core ATM, that looks amazing. Epic stated they are trying to optimize to use all three at the moment
 
Last I knew Condemned: Criminal Origins was coming to the PC too, at least gamefaqs says it is. So I'd say get the graphics card because as of right now the Xbox360 launch is looking pretty lackluster.
 
ManCannon said:
Last I knew Condemned: Criminal Origins was coming to the PC too, at least gamefaqs says it is. So I'd say get the graphics card because as of right now the Xbox360 launch is looking pretty lackluster.
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it was awsome until EA droped out then Take 2 went and held bethsada back




bastards
 
Well, if he don't have an HDTV, he can buy the vga connector and hook it up to his CRT.
 
Anybody who spends $500 on a graphics card is a tool in my book. Go for the 360. It'll last longer.
 
Hmmm, $500 graphics card or

$400 Xbox360 + $100 Radeon9800pro that will play all current games at decent settings.

hmmm
 
Can always ask for cash.. and make the decision down the road when more games materialize for the 360, or hardware prices for the comp drops :)

Or piss it away on pop rocks and coke!
 
um u can't play much with a 9800 unless you like 800x600 no frills graphics. get a 6600gt at least.
 
360. And snag yourself a 6600GT next year, or whatever the 7800-series equivalent is. You don't want to drop half a grand on a graphics card that'll be out of date next year when WGF is out.
 
Tough call. I'll take the 360 side of the argument for now... because I'm buying one, but I'd love some PC upgrade lovin myself.

Keep in mind a lot of your awesome shooters will be coming out on the 360 sooner rather than later. FEAR, Quake 4, COD2, etc...

Those will all be guarateed to run well and look pretty respectable. If you have a computer monitor, obviously, you do, you can hook the 360 up to it with MS's VGA pack, negating the immediate need for an HDTV. So thats a bonus.

If you like playing online, you've got Xbox Live support on the 360, where everyone has equal playing fields, less cheating than most PC games, and Voice support. That last one is both a blessing and a curse most of the time.

With the graphics card, as noted above, it will only be the cool thing for so long, so you'll be wanting another one sooner than you'll be wanting another 360.

Games right now will be more detailed than the 360 on a 500 dollar graphics card, but you may not be able to run them totally maxxed out, which is kind of a let down with a purchase that big.

Last but not least if you like Halo 1 and 2, there is a big announcement on bungie.net hinting at how they are going to 'look' on the 360. That leads most people to believe there is a graphical upconversion going to occur, but it has not been totally confirmed yet.

They're still teasing us.

If battlefield 2 is high on your list however, thats definitely going to sway my reccomendation towards the video card option. Simply because if thats the game you long to play, you can only do that on a PC, with a decent vid card.

Happy deciding!
 
most definately graphics card. Xbox 360 has nothing going for it. Do something worthwhile and upgrade your comp..
 
hm id think it be better to get the 360 as well but it seems your into first person shooters and if thats the case its obvious the better choice would be to get a better gfx card :p
 
And you're a flamer (in more ways than one). I made a valid suggestion, mind you - not even counting that FPS games would be better played with the controller. Get a mid-line GPU and a Revolution for the same price as 1 high end GPU or 1 X360. You're telling me that's not valid? It can be done for $500.
 
steviep said:
not even counting that FPS games would be better played with the controller.
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LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

hilarious.

Have you ever like...used...a keyboard and mouse?
 
I'm talking about the Revolution controller - if you read the context properly. Gamepads suck ass for FPS games, not coming even close to the keyboard+mouse combination. But those who have tested the Revolution controller with FPS games said it's quite comparible, if not more accurate, than a kb/mouse on the PC. It was designed VERY fps-friendly.
 
steviep said:
I'm talking about the Revolution controller - if you read the context properly. Gamepads suck ass for FPS games, not coming even close to the keyboard+mouse combination. But those who have tested the Revolution controller with FPS games said it's quite comparible, if not more accurate, than a kb/mouse on the PC. It was designed VERY fps-friendly.
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Yea, maybe said by some nintendo fanb*ys. Theres no way that thing works with the precision of a keyboard and mouse.
 
J-M-E said:
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

hilarious.

Have you ever like...used...a keyboard and mouse?
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I like both...I donno. I'm not going to complain my ass off infront of my friends if we play Madden or Halo at a party, because I try to keep my PC gaming in the closet :p Its just to "nerdy" for most people. So, i'm good with both controllers and KB/M. I think people hate on controllers because they just suck at using them and get owned by some little kid.
 
From a non-fan-boy at EGM (1up.com)
As odd as it may look holding the two separate controller pieces, one in each hand, looking around felt incredibly natural, even more than my preferred PC-style keyboard-and-mouse setup.
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Click here!

Circuitbreaker8 - no, the gamepad *IS* usable for FPS games, just not nearly as accurate. I admit to playing Goldeneye/PD/Timesplitters 3/etc etc and having fun... but it's not comparable to the keyboard/mouse thing in accuracy, nor to the Rev controller, if it's pulled off correctly. And this isn't thread crapping, either. I submit that it's a valid suggestion on my part.
 
frist things frist. I fucking hate u. When i was 17 i was busting my ass for everyday. I wish i could have go a penny off my parents. And to answer ur question. I would get a console. Its just easier it seems. There is no games out right now that I want to play. But then again ut2007 will be out soon. BUt then again ut2007 will be out for the xbox.

xbox 360 is a pc just for games. Its great. If i want to browse the web i'll just browse on my celly 500......My 100 dollar peice of shit computer

Mabye i'll hack the xbox and be able to brose the web on that.
 
Minishark said:
Anybody who spends $500 on a graphics card is a tool in my book. Go for the 360. It'll last longer.
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A tool eh? Hmmm...... Nah, thats prefer thats how I like to spend my money. Dont like it? Eat tree bark.
 
I say graphics card.

Buy the XBox 360 a little later when better games are available, at a better price.
 
I would buy a $200 graphics card (6800 series?) and put the rest of the $ towards the 360. That way, when you have enough cash saved for the Xbox there will be more of a selection of games to choose from.

-Ace-
 
steviep said:
From a non-fan-boy at EGM (1up.com)

Click here!

Circuitbreaker8 - no, the gamepad *IS* usable for FPS games, just not nearly as accurate. I admit to playing Goldeneye/PD/Timesplitters 3/etc etc and having fun... but it's not comparable to the keyboard/mouse thing in accuracy, nor to the Rev controller, if it's pulled off correctly. And this isn't thread crapping, either. I submit that it's a valid suggestion on my part.
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There are worse things then being a f@nboy. Remember anyone who gets to play with stuff before it's even in stores had to suck up at some point. If you trust what they are saying is even plausible then I have something for you.

I have the George Washington bridge for sale. Interested in buying it? :p

The gamepad will never replace the keyboard and mouse for FPS games. Much like how Nintendos remote control won't replace gamepads.

If it looks like a remote and is held like a remote then it must be. This is a gamepad cut in half. Think about it. At least make the wire longer to give the benefit of freadom.

Now tell me how am I going to play my Street Fighter games with that? Swing my hand around for combos?

I think Nintendo is taking stupid ideas that anybody with common sense would know not to deal with. They take them and make people believe it's revolutionary. This is what you get when the gamepad designer has only played the 8-bit Nintendo and watches too much TV.

Just give me a 6 button gamepad with digital and anolog controls. Don't mess with what works.
 
Here's the IGN mockup of what the "controller shell" might look like, for cross-platform genres. And yes, the final version will look different, and yes you can still plug in the Gamecube controller as well. Open your mind and stop being a jackass. The technology in this thing is far beyond an infrared "remote". Look it up, read a little bit, for a change. (If you did, you would've read about the shell). Besides, this thread is about suggestions, and a valid suggestion, that does constitute a "next gen console" is the Revolution. Nevermind the likely superior FPS control, we're talking about prices here. For $500, the guy can get both a mid-range (6800-level) video card, as well as a Revolution (price point to be between 149-249) - now if that's not an idea that gives you both sides of the spectrum, I don't know what is. Stop flaming me for an honest, real suggestion.
 
steviep said:
Nevermind the likely superior FPS control, we're talking about prices here. For $500, the guy can get both a mid-range (6800-level) video card, as well as a Revolution (price point to be between 149-249) - now if that's not an idea that gives you both sides of the spectrum, I don't know what is.
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Actually I paid around $160 for my 6800 and unlocked it to a GT.

I'd wait to see if Nintendo is going to fix that controller. I'd also wait for the 360 to have a game worth buying that system. Chances are the 360 is going to have a rush and people will buy it and sell it on Ebay for $1000. Why deal with that crap for remade PC and Xbox game titles.

Open your mind and stop being a jackass. The technology in this thing is far beyond an infrared "remote". Look it up, read a little bit, for a change.
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Do me a favor and look up gaming history. What Nintedo has there is basically a combination of 3 things. A TV remote. The 8-bit Nintedo two button controller. Plus the old Nintendo gun. The only difference is with new technology we can now move things on screen rather then fire at it. Plus it's all done with one hand.

Here's something from my open mind. Take the Power Glove. Remember that old power glove? Update it with todays technology. Make it for both hands.

Now imagine being able to play fighting or racing games with motion sensing gloves. Hold one hand like it was on a steering wheel and the other like it was on the shifter. Move one finger to jump and another to punch. Back slap someone in a game or give the enemy the finger to get their attention. Even playing FPS would be on a totally different level.

The difference between my idea and Nintendo's is that it probably took Nintendo a few months to make that remote. I came up with that idea in 10 seconds. No gamer would ever come up with the idea of a remote. It's a couch potato fantasy and a gamers nightmare.
 
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