Dare I ask?

mark145

mark145

mark145

Associate
Joined
21 Dec 2007
Posts
70
Well guys,

I guess it's that time, for a n00b to come in and stir things up a little...

Do I PC or do I console?

I have fallen victim to the release of Fallout 4 and I want to make a decision, to build a PC or to purchase a Next-gen console, aiming to spend around £400-£500 if I were to build a system. Understanding that future costs would be inevitable in both scenarios, PCs being more costly?

I own a macbook (another controversial topic I suspect) which is more than ideal for my daily needs so the PC would be being used almost like a console.

I own things like sata HDDs, IDE DVD burners, keyboard and mouse combos. I also have several 'dead' laptops with Windows 7/8 licences so AFAIK I could use one of those licenses for a new build? Reducing costs?

I also own an Antec Air CPU cooler bought in 2012/2013, would this be suitable for current hardware?

I would hope to play on a Sony 42" full HD television, with an Xbox 360 controller.

I am not interested in huge frame-rates or high resolution gaming, although I am quite curious of the idea of better graphics. But simply put, a system that is capable of playing some of the current and future titles at 1080p, is this plausible?

Also would you suggest 2nd-hand items? I recently went past a local exchange store and noticed an XFX R9 290X 4GB for £180 and an Intel i7-4820K (3.70Ghz) for £135...

In all seriousness, with much apologies, I am asking the question. Relevant to current times, which would you advise? Putting aside alliances, ignoring the 'Master Race" which would you advise me to purchase?

I have also attempted searches but nothing came up with a more recent debate. I am also unsure if this is in the correct sub-forum, so double apologies to the Mods!

Thanks,

Mark
 
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Yeah from watching some Youtube videos I feel that Fallout 4 seems to be behaving much nicer on the PC platform, it's actually this reason that has drawn me towards the PC build for once.

Might I ask why you are debating which platform to buy for if you would suggest to me to build a system?
 
See that's another question, if I go down the PC route am I going to be inclined to purchase a desk to play using a keyboard and mouse down the line? Which would possibly mean a whole room renovation...
 
Thank you SlyReaper, certainly another thought to consider. Even more so when I remember the Half-life series.

GinG said:
Played Fallout 4 for 2 hours...what a waste of my time!

When you have fallen victim are you just following the hype or have you actually played the game?
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That's a very fair point GinG, I have extensive experience playing Fallout 3 and thoroughly enjoyed it, I have perhaps 30mins gameplay time on Fallout 4 on an Xbox One and I do wish to go down one route to play the game, just perhaps not the console route. As mentioned I would also be interested in playing other titles?

I understand that you may be suggesting the game is a waste of time but was this due to your thoughts of the game itself or was it down to technical issues?

Also, anticonscience once again good point, am I correct in saying the majority of titles are cheaper like this? Especially further down the line from release?
 
Totally understand that MooMoo444, I must admit I was previously swaying towards the PC route hence why I asked here.

However I am more interested in hearing whether people would advise upon it and also whether it is even going to be plausible within my budget.
 
Thekwango said:
nope, you could be upgrading your gpu nearly every year, your cpu every couple. adding ram, fancy an new cooler? the whole own build pc scene can be an expensive hobby (but hell of a good fun)

console gen switches are every what, 5,6 maybe every 7 years?

no the cheaper route is going console - but it's also the sad loser route :p
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I understand that I could be upgrading but would it be necessary?
 
So far everyone is solidifying my thoughts more and more. Thank you for all of your points!

No one has really given opinions on second hand components which I guess could be a deciding factor?
 
porushinobu said:
Join the PC master race, no need to be a console peasant XD



be careful if you go second hand. Use the members market on here, or a trusted source you know personally
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Would you perhaps have any suggestions of where to look for second hand items? Coincidence that you replied here considering I'm an Inverness local too :eek: Any recommendations will be taken with an open mind!

ThaReaperGuy said:
Second hand route is a good idea, shame you don't meet the requirements for the Members Market.

Going back to your OP it depends what you ultimately want, if you want to sit back on a sofa with your TV and controller it would be much more easier to grab a console and away you go, I do enjoy my Xbox 360 and Xbox One still and would happily game on it.

But being a Bethesda fan (Elder Scrolls and Fallout) you can mod the hell out of them which appeal to me and a reason why I have it on PC.

If you're happy to invest some money into a PC with a nice desk you'll have a great time just as much as a console, it's whatever suits you in the long run.
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It is definitely a shame but I don't think I will achieve 1000 posts any time too soon :p

Once again, is there any second hand routes that you would suggest?

SonniLombardi said:
Not at all, you can always build a mATX PC in small cube case and plonk it anywhere like I do.. Wireless mouse and keyboard / controller plugged into TV voila! You can use a PC just like a console... You don't need a desk.when I'm in bed I just plug into bedroom TV and get on with it. Plus my mouse works great on my bed sheets :D

I did have Xbox one but it never got used so sold it in the end much prefer PCs as its "all in one" if you will.
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Would you say that mATX would carry a premium to the cost?

SonniLombardi said:
Not all of us are like that, I am happy with my 1080p setup and smooth peformance. Odd occasional slow down in diamond city but nothing to whinge about.
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It's replies like yours that I'm ultimately looking for, I'm not interested in the 999fps people are talking about, just whether it's worth paying the extra £100/200 for a PC and whether it will last a reasonable time before I need to spend another £200 to play relevantly new titles.

K1LLSW1TCH said:
Digital Foundry often get comparable graphics quality to the Xbox and PS4 while using an i3 and a GTX 950 so I don't think buying a high end card is really necessary every generation. I'd say a budget of between £500-£600 you're better off buying a PC, anything lower you may as well buy a console or just save until you can afford a PC. A mid-range system will easily outdo the consoles.
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Is there anything you might suggest as to going down a PC build within that budget? What components to go for etc?

Haggisman said:
That's a bit of a silly comparison, especially when you say it depends on what performance you are happy with. If you're happy with the performance of a PS4/Xbone then there's no need to spend £500 on a top end GFX card when a £200 one will do. If you "need" the performance of a 980Ti, then the point is moot since a PS4/Xbone wont be good enough.



There's no reason you can't lounge back and game on a large TV in the comfort of a sofa with a PC. It also has the added benefit that you have the choice to sit at a desk if you want to play games which are more suited to M&KB such as shooters or RTS.

IMO:

PC

Pros:

Flexibility
Cheaper games
Backwards compatibility
Better performance/graphics*
Cheaper to upgrade**

Cons:

Higher up-front costs*
Slightly higher maintenance (e.g. drivers, updates etc [although this is becoming less of a difference since current gen consoles are constantly updating too])
Sometimes compatibility issues

* Very dependant on how much you spend
** Depends how often you upgrade and what you upgrade to

Console

Pros:

"it just works"
Can trade in games
Lower upfront costs

Cons:

No flexibility - it's a gaming machine (with some media functionality [good luck playing any unsupported formats though])
More expensive games
More expensive to upgrade
No backwards compatibility

Basically they both have advantages and disadvantages, it just depends which are the biggest factors for you.

What swung the PS4 vs new PC decision for me was the fact that getting a decent PC would mean a huge library of games I already own being available to play, whereas buying a PS4 would mean no games to play, I have my PC connected to my TV & 5.1 system for when I feel like sitting back and chilling for a "cinematic" experience, but I also have a desk set up with a 34" 21:9 screen for when I want to do some "proper" gaming (or the GF is watching I'm a celebrity jungle on the TV :p)
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Thank you very much for that post!! Covers some of my points perfectly. Another point that you bring up is the 5.1 system, I own a Pioneer Surround Sound seperates system and I would ideally like to use this with a PC or Xbone, I understand the Xbone would be a simple plug and play but would a graphics card output 5.1 sound over HDMI?
 
Haggisman said:
Should do, both my current (GTX 970) and previous (GTX 750ti) output 5.1 with no problems, I would imagine any modern card would be able to (incidentally, I'd highly recommend the 750ti ;), very capable card and you can probably pick one up for around £60-70 2nd hand or £100 new)
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Thanks, that's good to bear in mind!

Would you suggest looking at older hardware? I understand I would be better with a 750ti to perhaps a current 950? Is that correct?

Also you have mentioned 2nd hand again, any routes you would suggest taking in looking for 'safe' items?

itchy said:
I look at it this way.

A PC is personal computer as in yours, you buy or build yourself. At the end of the day its yours its personal and its a computer.

Xbox, playstation you are buying into a closed system a lot like apple.
You are buying the name not the product specifications, the Xbox one specs and PS4 are crap period. :rolleyes:

My i5 [email protected] with a 780ti kill them both and never cost that much.

I have spent about £1000 in the past 5 years, and am still up to date and can play all games on high or ultra.

PC is freedom, console is slave.

Plus you can do loads more with a PC than a console.
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Once again, would you recommend older hardware to someone like me, considering I would aim for the system to last perhaps a year or two
 
Haggisman said:
Having looked at the 950 vs 750Ti, it does look like the 950 is quite a bit faster (based on Passmark) and only ~£20-30 more, here's a very quick spec I put together (using new kit) which should run new games comfortably at 1080p (possibly with some settings turned down on more demanding titles such as TW3):

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £476.95
(includes shipping: £11.10)
​


​

I'm sure someone a bit more knowledgeable will be along to improve on it though :p

It doesn't include a case as that's very much personal preference, but there are plenty starting at ~£25 and up; I believe all those components will fit in a mATX case.

Also no Windows licence - you'd be able to use one of your existing ones IF they are retail, but not legally if they're OEM

For 2nd hand stuff, unfortunately you don't have MM access on here, I guess eBay is probably "safest" purely based on the fact that if the parts turn up broken you have a good chance to get your money back.
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Going from what you've posted above I've adapted this more to my needs, I think.

Would I be right in saying that spending maybe £80 extra on the processor upto the 3.50Ghz and on the card up to a 960 4gb would be worthwhile?

Also I guess if we're going by that Passmark site I would be worth going for the OCUK Value 780? Or is this old tech that I'll be frustrated with in the near future?

And I understand about the turning up broken scenario but will those parts last ? Or will they likely burn out or am I being stupid? :confused:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £804.18
(includes shipping: £12.30)
​


​
 
Oh so the processor isn't a huge bottleneck? And should last a couple of years?

Now I am confused! Does the memory not make a huge difference on graphics card or should I be looking at clock speed?
 
Sliver said:
6GB or vram is only helpful if you have a multi monitor setup, or you're trying to game a 4K or whatever. 3GB is actually enough at the moment for most people.
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Oh god, I am really not as clued up as I had thought :(

Maybe a console would be the better choice for me...

AshD93 said:
Poo through the CD Drive.

Wait what, a serious GD thread?!
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Now there's the response I was expecting :p:D
 
It seems to be getting a little on the silly side with the versus game now but I'm sure you will all be happy to hear that I'm edging much more towards going down the PC route now.

Especially having looked at the steam catalogue and considering failing parts etc

ExRayTed said:
OP - If you do decide on a gaming PC, put a post in General Hardware with your requirements and a budget and we'll try and look after you :)
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Thank you, certainly are a good bunch of folks around here! Think I'll keep on studying the forums and perhaps post a thread when I feel happy with a build idea and then probably have it torn apart and get the right thing with the great advice.
 
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