PC prices and misconceptions.

[ZombieGenesis]

Just for the sake of it (and because lecture start in 10 minutes and I'm procrastinating)

DVD Burner:
LG Black : $17
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136144

Case:
Rosewill DESTROYER : $39
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147144

Processor :
AMD Phenom II x4 945 : $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103675

Harddrive :
1TB Spinpoint F3 : $69
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&cm_re=spinpoint_F3-_-22-152-185-_-Product

RAM :
4GB Corsair XMS3 : $64
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260

Motherboard:
BIOSTAR A770E3 AMD : $59
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138179

Power Supply:
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500w : $59
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016&cm_re=500w-_-17-341-016-_-Product

Graphics Card:
Radeon 5770 : $139
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127476&cm_re=5770-_-14-127-476-_-Product

Free Delivery on everything.

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In total that comes to about $580, but you'll be able to play any game you damn well please, many on high settings save for the more demanding.
$30 extra and you can kit with one of these, and play just about anything on its highest and not need to upgrade for a good few generations- or until you have the want to update.

GTX 460
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130563&cm_re=460-_-14-130-563-_-Product

So that's $600 for a PC thats more powerful than pretty much anything you'll ever pick up in retail, that can play games without a hitch, and also be fast as horse snot for everything else. Sure if you JUST want it for gaming maybe $3-400 on a console sounds more reasonable, but it's just there for conjectures sake.

 

[Hashime]

I can tell you that in Canadian dollars the best you can do for building a reasonable gaming computer (one that can play Fallout NV on medium) is $650 (With taxes). Not inclusive of monitor.
This is because the OS costs $120, and a case / cooling will run you $100.
The rest will be parts that are not even mid-range, preferably on sale.
I am talking AMD processor, un-overclockable MoBo, and maybe 2gb of ram.
To built a real gaming computer you are going to spend $1000 at least. Though it is worth the investment, because even 5 years from now that computer will still be a computer capable of things other than games.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

You do realise that's only for PC exclusive games, right? The only time you'd definitely need to upgrade it is when the new generation of consoles are released.

The whole constant upgrading thing is purely part of the computer owning hobby, and not one that PC gamers need to worry about.

Consider it to the people that constantly buy and install tweaks to their cars, tuning or upgrading the engine with superchargers or putting in that slightly better sound system. Not many people do it as owners of cars, just the enthusiasts who want the best do it.

This completely ignored post is the best post in this whole goddamn thread and sums it up perfectly.

I am using a PC with individual hardware parts ranging from between 2-4 years old, and 90% of the time I can play everything on Highest settings in 1920x1080, except often excluding Anti-Aliasing. The times when this isnt the case is only with very technically demanding games or bad console ports, in which case I can STILL play them on fairly High settings with only a few options scaled down slightly. All games I have played can look great, and play smoothly. The myth of having to upgrade every 6 months, every year, even every two years, is all complete BULLSHIT. I would bet a fair bit of money that I could keep this hardware for another 3 years and still play most 2013 games (not on high settings anymore, probably Low settings, but you get my point, they will still PLAY and be enjoyable)

I normally upgrade every 2 years, and im going to upgrade my graphics card soon (my CPU and RAM are still 100% capable for any game thrown at them). But when I upgrade, I want to upgrade. To get the most out of my gaming and make things look a little bit better and play a bit smoother. I have never needed to upgrade in my 8 years of PC gaming. Because I don't have a fetish for playing everything with 16x Anti Aliasing and I don't have a hissyfit when I have to put shadows on "very high" instead of "ultra high". I don't even buy the best parts when I actually do upgrade. Sticking "midrange" is more than enough to be miles ahead of the consoles.

PC gaming is only expensive if you want it to be.

 

[Laughing Man]

This completely ignored post is the best post in this whole goddamn thread and sums it up perfectly.

It's also whole heartedly and totally incorrect. In basic terms over time console games get better looking and more optimised, Pc games get more hardware dependant. You buy a console at launch in five years time you'll have games that look miles better than anything you had at launch. Do the same with a PC and you will have to turn the graphics down in five years time and more than likely end up with something that looks worse and runs worse than anything you had when you first started with the PC. Upgrades are not determined by console power they are determined by lazy developers and the release of new game engines.

I am using a PC with individual hardware parts ranging from between 2-4 years old...

...The myth of having to upgrade every 6 months, every year, even every two years, is all complete BULLSHIT. I would bet a fair bit of money that I could keep this hardware for another 3 years and still play most 2013 games...

...I normally upgrade every 2 years, and im going to upgrade my graphics card soon (my CPU and RAM are still 100% capable for any game thrown at them)...

...I have never needed to upgrade in my 8 years of PC gaming.

LOL really, I have never seen anyone contradict them selves twice in one replay. Upgrading every two years is bullshit but you upgrade every two years but haven't had to upgrade your PC in 8 years of gaming and you think your PC could run games well in to 2013 but you're planning to upgrade your GPU soon....

Dude you win a cookie for that post alone.

 

[Amerikhan]

I just put in a new motherboard, CPU, RAM and a SATA CD/DVD drive which was nerve-wracking but it all went by fine. I was really worried about frying the mobo [have no wrist-strap] but it turned out to not be a worry.

 

[Poofs]

not gonna lie here, thats not a top of the line computer.

2gbs of RAM isnt that much

500gbs isnt that much memory

dual core is pretty outdated

that graphics card isnt really that fantastic

also, 2008 almost 3 years ago

 

[10zack986]

not gonna lie here, thats not a top of the line computer.

2gbs of RAM isnt that much

500gbs isnt that much memory

dual core is pretty outdated

that graphics card isnt really that fantastic

also, 2008 almost 3 years ago

It's not top-of-the-line, but it can play anything on max settings, excluding Crysis or Metro 2033. 500gb is enough space for 99% of people. Duel Core is still very powerful. He COULD go for a 5870, but that's overkill.

 

[Poofs]

not gonna lie here, thats not a top of the line computer.

2gbs of RAM isnt that much

500gbs isnt that much memory

dual core is pretty outdated

that graphics card isnt really that fantastic

also, 2008 almost 3 years ago

It's not top-of-the-line, but it can play anything on max settings, excluding Crysis or Metro 2033. 500gb is enough space for 99% of people. Duel Core is still very powerful. He COULD go for a 5870, but that's overkill.

im just speaking from my experience and i have a quad-core with 4gbs of RAM and it chugs on some stuff
i could be wrong though, i am by no means a computer expert

 

[Wolfram23]

Hmmm I dunno I mean I spent like $2400 now on mine... but then my WEI is:

EDIT: Maybe I should mention that includes all the peripherals - monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, headset... plus internals. But on the plus side it KILLS games.

 

[10zack986]

not gonna lie here, thats not a top of the line computer.

2gbs of RAM isnt that much

500gbs isnt that much memory

dual core is pretty outdated

that graphics card isnt really that fantastic

also, 2008 almost 3 years ago

It's not top-of-the-line, but it can play anything on max settings, excluding Crysis or Metro 2033. 500gb is enough space for 99% of people. Duel Core is still very powerful. He COULD go for a 5870, but that's overkill.

im just speaking from my experience and i have a quad-core with 4gbs of RAM and it chugs on some stuff
i could be wrong though, i am by no means a computer expert

If it's chugging it could be any aspect of your PC that's weak. you can have 8gb of RAM and quad core 3.4 ghz but if your graphics card isn't good enough, it will have issues.

 

[Laughing Man]

im just speaking from my experience and i have a quad-core with 4gbs of RAM and it chugs on some stuff
i could be wrong though, i am by no means a computer expert

You ain't wrong, I ran a near identical setup with a more powerful Core 2 Duo E6600 and their is not a chance that the set up would play any game you wanted maxed. I could name ten games off the top of my head that that setup would chug when turned up to max.

 

[MrTub]

A lot of the good prices for PC's seem to assume that I am aware of how to assemble components, which I am completely unable to do. In addition, I have no real desire to learn how to build my own PC because I'd rather be playing video games or hanging with my family.

Here's how it sounds to me. PC gaming is cheaper if you have the desire and the know how but if you don't it ends up costing around the same (in my experiences as a 360/PC gamer).

Yeah people blow out the prices of buying and upgrading PCs to suit their own argument but at the end of the day every time I decide to give PC gaming a chance I get told I need to download this driver/patch or upgrade this bit of hardware. I just want to put the disc in the drive and play my game rather than waste what little time I get to relax tinkering around on my PC.
If I had a lot of free time up my sleeve, yeah it might be worth it but as it stands that's why I have my cheap-ass PC for work and my console for my gaming.

QFT baby, QFT. I get home and all I do is drop in a disk and hit start, no worries!

I go home, start my comp and play a game! I dont need a disk so I win!

 

[Sleekgiant]

(Disclaimer: Some of these parts might not match each other, as far as compatibility CPU might not fit the mobo, and ram etc, but the prices are right for general parts)

Actually if I'm reading right, that build is fine, but add in a CM 690 II for about $70, ACER 23" screen for $130, mouse and keyboard for $50(if you don't have it) and the total is now around $700, but thats still very cheap and that is a pretty nice build(might step that up to a quad-core, 5770 is an awesome card kudos on that choice OP).

 

[Jfswift]

(Disclaimer: Some of these parts might not match each other, as far as compatibility CPU might not fit the mobo, and ram etc, but the prices are right for general parts)

Actually if I'm reading right, that build is fine, but add in a CM 690 II for about $70, ACER 23" screen for $130, mouse and keyboard for $50(if you don't have it) and the total is now around $700, but thats still very cheap and that is a pretty nice build(might step that up to a quad-core, 5770 is an awesome card kudos on that choice OP).

You dun need a quad core :3

 

[Hauntghost20]

i dont have a high computer but i read a thing wher they say an xbox runs for around 300 bucks
(NOT ANY MORE ANYWAY)this was posted on october and then they said a pc can cost as LOW as $10,000 i wsh i could fin it house and hit him

 

[Sleekgiant]

(Disclaimer: Some of these parts might not match each other, as far as compatibility CPU might not fit the mobo, and ram etc, but the prices are right for general parts)

Actually if I'm reading right, that build is fine, but add in a CM 690 II for about $70, ACER 23" screen for $130, mouse and keyboard for $50(if you don't have it) and the total is now around $700, but thats still very cheap and that is a pretty nice build(might step that up to a quad-core, 5770 is an awesome card kudos on that choice OP).

You dun need a quad core :3

On an AMD board its only like $30-$50 dollar difference. So why not.

 

[Jfswift]

(Disclaimer: Some of these parts might not match each other, as far as compatibility CPU might not fit the mobo, and ram etc, but the prices are right for general parts)

Actually if I'm reading right, that build is fine, but add in a CM 690 II for about $70, ACER 23" screen for $130, mouse and keyboard for $50(if you don't have it) and the total is now around $700, but thats still very cheap and that is a pretty nice build(might step that up to a quad-core, 5770 is an awesome card kudos on that choice OP).

You dun need a quad core :3

On an AMD board its only like $30-$50 dollar difference. So why not.

That's $30-50 dollars you could just give me instead *grins* (in all seriousness though I'd stick an intel chip)

 

[Azaraxzealot]

i think the biggest complaint is not just that its cheaper to buy a console

but that you dont have to assemble it or learn how to assemble it at all.

with PC gaming, you really got to know your shit lest you short out the motherboard with rogue static electricity that just comes out of nowhere

EDIT: Plus youll need to know which parts are compatible with each other (buying the wrong graphics card could make you lose a good 60 dollars you could have bought games with)

and reading all the above posts? man... you REALLY need to keep up with your shit (like current processors and graphics cards) if you ever want to even DREAM of PC gaming

another point for console gaming

then you'll need to purchase a monitor
and a mouse
and a keyboard
and speakers
and then you have to go through the DRM hoops
and you have to purchase anti-virus software if you wanna pirate

yeah... its just a hell of a lot easier to just buy a console (which will come with a controller) and hook it up to a TV you most likely already have

 

[Sleekgiant]

(Disclaimer: Some of these parts might not match each other, as far as compatibility CPU might not fit the mobo, and ram etc, but the prices are right for general parts)

Actually if I'm reading right, that build is fine, but add in a CM 690 II for about $70, ACER 23" screen for $130, mouse and keyboard for $50(if you don't have it) and the total is now around $700, but thats still very cheap and that is a pretty nice build(might step that up to a quad-core, 5770 is an awesome card kudos on that choice OP).

You dun need a quad core :3

On an AMD board its only like $30-$50 dollar difference. So why not.

That's $30-50 dollars you could just give me instead *grins* (in all seriousness though I'd stick an intel chip)

Intel

On a cheap build

lolwut

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

and you have to purchase anti-virus software if you wanna pirate

No, you pirate the anti-virus as well.