$500 graphics card or a next-gen console?

[cgrant26]

This thread = flame bait. I knew it before I even clicked. I'm suprised some of these posts haven't been deleted yet. For those of you that don't read or pay attention to the "READ THIS NOW" sticky, beware of the banhammer.

On that note, I'm giving my vote to the graphics card. You just can't beat the versatility of a keyboard and mouse. (or the huge selection of either) You also can't beat the customability you get in PC games. More often then not, it's the mods, mutators and custom maps that make games really cool. It's also nice to be able to have text-based communication in online games as well as the ability to use 3rd party apps like Teamspeak, All-Seeing-Eye and X-fire. Also, console games just don't look as nice to me as PC games on a good card. I'm sure for 6 months or so, next gen console games will look as good as PC games but it won't be long before PC technology trumps consoles again. It does cost a lot, but I am willing to pay more for a better experience.

If I did go with a console, however, it would have to be an X360. The current mess with sony using rootkits in DRM makes the PS3 VS X360 choice easy. I wouldn't rule out the Revolution, but in recent years, PS and Xbox have had much better titles and dev support IMO.

 

[DukenukemX]

PC games always have a big rush around this time of year. Now we have Quake 4, COD2, F.E.A.R, and SS2. So it makes sense to put the money to a graphics card. Not a $500 graphics card for sure. Keep the spending limit between $150 to $250. Anything beyond that and you just want to waste money.

Think of it like this. Geforce 4 Ti 4200 and 4600 have equal performance issues in games. Also some games use PS 1.4 or higher and Geforce 4 Ti 4200 and 4600 both can't run those games. Well acutally it's BF2 I think.

Geforce FX 5700 and 5900 owners can't run HL2 using PS 2.0. The 5900 could probably play around and get Hl2 running in PS 2.0 but it'll get poor performance for a $400 to $500 graphics card.

 

[urbsnspices]

Hmmm, $500 graphics card or

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

hmmm

I would go this route, better yet drop 50 bucks for a used card. A lot of people are still using the 9800pro and it is a 5 year old card. I run games at med settings 1024x7 res. It prolly only has 1 more year of real usefulness. But hey, right now you have nuttin. Remember 9600<9500<9700<9800. Man what ever you do get something better in that box. Hit the ads on the forum here and pick something up for cheap.

oh yeah btw, you suck. I always got a flannel shirt and gloves for chirstmas. If it wasnt for BBSs and rampant piracy I would not have had any games to play as a kid. Sometimes I feel guilty and think I should send ID a fruit basket or something.

 

[xTABx7]

absolutly go with the xbox, in three years your xbox will still be an xbox, and they taylor the games around the hardware, With the most recent games we can see that pc game makers are tailoring their games around the beefiest hardware which is like a one a done system now, your in for one generationg, and then your old news.

 

[DukenukemX]

absolutly go with the xbox, in three years your xbox will still be an xbox, and they taylor the games around the hardware, With the most recent games we can see that pc game makers are tailoring their games around the beefiest hardware which is like a one a done system now, your in for one generationg, and then your old news.

Actually it doesn't work like that.

PC games have features and graphic capabilites that scale depending on your hardware. If you're running Quake 4 on a Geforce 3 Ti at 1024X768 with max settings then you obviously don't know the limits of your PC. You could probably run Quake 4 on a Geforce 3 Ti but it'll be on the worst possible graphic settings.

On the other hand console systems retard the graphics for you. You just never see it. After all the worst graphic settings on the PC is the best quality graphics you'll see from today's console systems. Plus not all console games run at full speed. I've seen plenty of Xbox and PS2 games that will slow down badly sometimes.

 

[wireplaycc]

My vote is for the video card. Wait on the 360 until the market has matured a little bit and see if you actually like it without all the hype. You know PC games rock, and PCs are fun - let the early adopters drop the cash figure out if the 360 kicks ass or not.

I wouldn't spen more than 350 on a video card though - for me, that seems like the sweet spot price/performance.

 

[Draax]

Well, if he don't have an HDTV, he can buy the vga connector and hook it up to his CRT.

Ding Ding Ding we have a winner !!!

You can buy a 500$ graphics card, and miss out on an entire platform of games, and exclusives, or you can buy an XBOX360, and a lower end PC card, and be able to play all games from two different platforms, which I would think is the best bang for your buck.

 

[texuspete00]

Anybody who spends $500 on a graphics card is a tool in my book. Go for the 360. It'll last longer.

GRRRR..... you have-nots are really something else, and the other guy before it with the epeen. What you are in real life, I don't know. Maybe someone's stance on one thing is not enough for judgement, but jealous have-nots are the tools. It comes off as being as kid, and having absolutely no idea about money. (edit: Since Draax can't seem to let this go i should clarify I don't know whether you indeed are a "jealous have-not" or what your motivation is. The I don't know you comment is not magically detached from this later comment. Epeen comments usually come off this way though.)

Yes I have a $500 graphics card, and a sweet ass ride among other things. Who cares right? Well, why should you have such a strong opinion on it?

 

[xTABx7]

Actually it doesn't work like that.

PC games have features and graphic capabilites that scale depending on your hardware. If you're running Quake 4 on a Geforce 3 Ti at 1024X768 with max settings then you obviously don't know the limits of your PC. You could probably run Quake 4 on a Geforce 3 Ti but it'll be on the worst possible graphic settings.

On the other hand console systems retard the graphics for you. You just never see it. After all the worst graphic settings on the PC is the best quality graphics you'll see from today's console systems. Plus not all console games run at full speed. I've seen plenty of Xbox and PS2 games that will slow down badly sometimes.

well i know that, i'm just saying, over the life of the xbox the games are optomized to run on that hardware, therefore you never have to suffer by lowering your settings. And if someone else is paying for this investment, i would go with the xbox because you wont be tempted to buy a new xbox in 2 years, but you'll definitly be tempted to buy a new video card.

granted i buy a new video card every two years, This is what I would do if somone else was picking up the tab.

 

[Draax]

GRRRR..... you have-nots are really something else, and the other guy before it with the epeen. What you are in real life, I don't know. Maybe someone's stance on one thing is not enough for judgement, but jealous have-nots are the tools.

The logic he used is very sound. An XBOX360 will last much longer then a 500$ PC video card. In addition if you are going to criticize people and their e-peen, I think I would use better language then "have-nots", and "jealous", because it seems just a tad hypocritical from my perspective.

EDIT : And your edit is much worse.

Yes I have a $500 graphics card, and a sweet ass ride among other things

I mean honestly

 

[texuspete00]

The logic he used is very sound. An XBOX360 will last much longer then a 500$ PC video card. In addition if you are going to criticize people and their e-peen, I think I would use better language then "have-nots", and "jealous", because it seems just a tad hypocritical from my perspective.

^ What? I'm talking about those with $500 graphics cards being by his definition "tools." And yes.... what I did can probably accurately be described as "sinking to their level." I didn't flame as I don't know enough to pass judgement as I said. He can lump people up quite easily though. Please, I don't care whether one buys an xbox360, a graphics card, or a night out with a hooker. It wasn't my point.

 

[Draax]

^ What? I'm talking about those with $500 graphics cards being by his definition "tools." And yes.... what I did can probably accurately be described as "sinking to their level."

If you mean sinking to their level, then beating them with experience, then yes it is an accurate description.

 

[texuspete00]

You know his comments were insulting. So why don't you cut me some slack? Honestly, this is a hardware enthusiast forum. Do people at audio forums with nice home theater rigs get called tools? On a car forum, the guy with a rediculously nice car, does he get called a tool? I really don't think they do. Difference here is the price for entry is smaller, so you get kids that don't know what they are talking about.

Is Kyle with SLI a tool? Oh maybe he didn't pay for it. What about the gas guzzling hummer? Tool? No, no, and NO. Some may even call that SUCCESS. Whodathunkit!

 

[SirViro]

New video card.

I'm a PC whore myself.. I do like the Xbox360, but I have a friend getting one, so I see no point in buying when most of the launch title will be out for PC anyways.

 

[Draax]

Please, I don't care whether one buys an xbox360, a graphics card, or a night out with a hooker. It wasn't my point.

Then why post in this thread ?

The person who posted that did not directly aim his comment at anyone and clearly expressed it as "his opinion" not a definitive truth. He directly related his comments to the OP, your comments on the other hand very clearly show you don't have a stance on the title of the thread, so can only be taking as a flame or flame bait.

 

[Xephian]

X360 now and next gen graphics card later.

 

[texuspete00]

Then why post in this thread ?

The person who posted that did not directly aim his comment at anyone and clearly expressed it as "his opinion" not a definitive truth. He directly related his comments to the OP, your comments on the other hand very clearly show you don't have a stance on the title of the thread, so can only be taking as a flame or flame bait.

Because I'm a tool that's why. Or did you forget?

Guys like myself and IceWind were flame baited. I tried to detach him as well. I don't know the guy. I don't know the guy. I don't know the guy. Epeen comments in general are misplaced. Please get off my back. For the love of God and all that is holy, my intention was not to derail the thread for this long.

 

[TheCreator]

Get both

 

[Rich Tate]

Knock off all the flaming and thread crapping guys. Keep it civil please.

 

[Torgo]

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'm jumping over all the flames and getting back to what everyone seems to have forgotten; the person behind the post. The question really is: what choice is going to fit me the best? In your case, what choice will let me play games that I'll like the most.

H3d Case, I'd go with the graphics card for your PC. The reason being is that you know exactly what games you want to play, they are of a known quality and you're almost certainly guaranteed to enjoy those games.

The XBox360 would almost be perfect for you a year from now and it would have a much, much larger of a game library to choose from. It even looks like you'd benefit from a price reduction as well and from any 1st generation jitters.

It's not about hardware. It's about what purchase at this point and time will give you the most gaming satisfaction. The video card will give that to you. This answer is tailored for you. What other people are posting is mainly for them and their situation. There's no possible way you can go wrong with my answer. The XBox360 can wait for a bit. You have time.

 

[NulloModo]

On the other hand console systems retard the graphics for you. You just never see it. After all the worst graphic settings on the PC is the best quality graphics you'll see from today's console systems. Plus not all console games run at full speed. I've seen plenty of Xbox and PS2 games that will slow down badly sometimes.

The quality of graphics on consoles equates to medium settings on a PC I'd say (all things but resolution, but it looks just as good on the TV screen as a higher res would on a PC), not the worst. The upcoming consoles are probably more even with current high settings on PC games, at least when paired with an HDTV.

 

[RogueTrip]

Wish i was the OP, i'd go for a EVGA 7800GT 256mb for $300~$350, and another gig of RAM for $100~$150, then you have some left over for some game(s).

Reason to not go for X360/PS3: with every launch of a game system there are problems, does anyone remember the first X-mas the Xbox was bad from the factory and the dissappoint/mad people with those units? Or the Playstation 2 and Gamecube with bad optical assemblies? I was just reading like last week that MS acknowledged they had a problem with the network or bluetooth on the X360. So I would expect the X360 will have other things wrong with it, and all i can say, if you do choose to go this route, then get a GOOD warranty for it! I'm not saying they won't be great systems, just wait until you know you can buy one and not have a shortened life-span by a system with bugs. Another reason to stay away from the PS3 is the HD-DVD games might cost up to $100/game, that is not justifiable

And with a EVGA you can use the step-up program to get the next gen cards, cuase they will probably be out in just less than 2 years. So be the ne G80 series cards or ATI's 28xx or whatever they will be called, you will have options to keep up with the times!

For new games like BF2 and Q4, Fear, 2gigs help out with performance!

 

[Kevin Lowe]

RogueTrip:

1. My 1st-gen Xbox is still humming along just fine. While there were definitely problems with the Thompson drives, it's not like a launch unit is guaranteed to fail.

2. The problem you mentioned is interference with existing 2.4 GHz equipment. Unfortunately, that's the bit of unlicensed spectrum everyone likes to use, so it all depends on how good you are at sorting your signal out from everyone else's - MS has plenty of experience with this from their wireless keyboards and mice. Some of Walmart's older inventory-tracking hardware apparently wasn't as good at dealing with it.

Anyway, the smartest advice in this thread is still to take the Xbox 360 as a gift, and save up your own cash to buy yourself a new not-quite-top-notch video card. Keep an eye out for a mid-range card or a used high-end card from the last generation - I'm still gaming on a A64 3000+, 1GB RAM, and a 6800GT, and I've got no complaints.

 

[texuspete00]

All comes back to the user. Sure, a 6600GT level card or so and an xbox360 is smart if you can pull it off. Or if you have to cut to be in the budget a 9800pro from the forums. But say you were a huge FPS fan... you regretting your new video card would be highly unlikely. One things for sure, well I love PC gaming, get something in that PC. Its a nice rig begging for a video card. You don't want it's heyday to pass you by. I guess a lot of us are assuming if your folks can buy you a $500 video card, you might be able to wiggle a VC in on top of the xbox360.

 

[LogicSound]

Dont you also have to pay to play on the x360 Via internet connect? isn't there a monthly charge for this?

 

[J-M-E]

Man, I have TWO $500 graphics cards. Dont regret it one bit.

People can flame me if they want, but ill still be the one getting 100 FPS in F.E.A.R

 

[texuspete00]

I saw a GTX available for like $360 - 380 in the forums, it would be my second, I had to run away from the comp as quickly as possible. Must.. not.... NO!!!!!

Think I'll just swap her out for the 512 card, so long as I can get the settings I want I'm happy. Playing FEAR, I really need some AA, but alas... game runs better at high res than with AA, so 1920*1200 0xAA,4xAF, noticing the jaggies and the card was calling my name. You get spoiled and so be it. The jaggies took some getting used to.

People can call us tools if they want. Always can sell these and get the next one. I usually lose $100-$150 only as I wait for a good deal. Like how i got the GTX for $500 at Dell probably 4 months ago now, I can get a fair hunk of coin for it later. Card doesn't become a paper weight, and at the end of the day we just don't care it will devalue. Nothing toolish. I pass it down for a fair deal. It's just something to consider. We all think differently and sing to a different tune. Having a prometia makes absolutely no financial sense. Imagine a prommied PC with a 9800pro inside. Wouldn't make sense. It's a hobby, and pretty cheap for one. To me, spending $2000 on a vacation doesn't work. Sure, take back some nice memories. But with my drinking they'd be pretty damn fuzzy!

It's not totally OT either. It's a valid path for a PC junkie. Of course, a cheaper VC and the xbox360 would allow you to miss out on the least amount of games. It's smart, but do what works for you.

 

[Kahnvex]

Logic, yes you pay for xbox live.

The current setup runs you about $60 for a year, comes with a headset, and game (original xbox game, not 360)

Not considering, if you can find a 12 month card on sale, or on ebay, or as a discount 'buy a game, get an xbox live bundle for reduced cost' type of deal which are held often at best buy,

Looking at the straight cost analysis and not counting the extras ($20 game, $15 headset) it's roughly $5 a month broken down. I personally think it's a good value for what it provides. Centralized, organized, easy to start and play games. You simply hit A a few times and it's done. Not that online gaming on the PC is rocket science, but for sports games and racing games and stuff other than FPS style games, it's a ton easier and doesn't take any fiddling like PC gaming online does.

I also like the voice messaging and team speak configs, although available on the pc, the XBL stuff is standard, and provided on all games.

The main thing I like is the buddy list. It's the best implementation I've ever used, and it's supposed to get better with the 360.

it's definitely an "each their own' deal as far as what you think it's worth, but I've used it enough and enjoyed it to feel it's a good value.

 

[DukenukemX]

You know his comments were insulting. So why don't you cut me some slack? Honestly, this is a hardware enthusiast forum. Do people at audio forums with nice home theater rigs get called tools? On a car forum, the guy with a rediculously nice car, does he get called a tool? I really don't think they do. Difference here is the price for entry is smaller, so you get kids that don't know what they are talking about.

Ahh but you see there's a difference between buying a $500 graphics card vs buying a nice car or home theater.

The graphics card industry makes a product that is outdated every 6 months to a year. Nearly doubling in performance every year. Usually around every 2 -3 years people need to upgrade their graphics card or in general their PC.

It's not just performance either. People keep forgetting that new graphic cards have new features that make games faster and pretty.

At either point you're one of these three people.

Type A - Buys hardware when the PC actually gets slow.

Type B - Buys hardware when performance isn't to their expectations.

Type C - Buys hardware cause he can. It's new and shiny and will make me the top dog.

To the average working gamer it's probably a smart idea to buy a cheap video card. People who spend as much money on a graphics card as I do on a entire PC needs to do ask themselves, "would they have been happier with the money"? Could they have spent it on something else? Does having a $500 video card really help me in my gaming?

Is Kyle with SLI a tool? Oh maybe he didn't pay for it. What about the gas guzzling hummer? Tool? No, no, and NO. Some may even call that SUCCESS. Whodathunkit!

As Lewis Black has said. People believe that he who has the most things when they die wins. Except you're dead stupid. So you really didn't win.

Also about SLI. Now those people are a tool. Aren't people with SLI Geforce 6800 cards having a hard time performing equally as good as a Geforce 7800 card? Didn't they spend nearly twice as much? Aren't people aware that SLI doesn't work for every game? Also the 6800 SLI owners don't have the new benefits from the 7800 cards. Now that's a whole new level of being a tool.