Xbox 360 or Gaming Pc?? [Archive]

stang8118

09-11-06, 12:35 PM

Ok well right now i am PCless, and have no game console either... so needless to say i am pretty bored lol. I was thinking of picking up a plain xbox or ps2, but soon they won't even be making game for them so that is kinda pointless.

Basically i am torn between a xbox 360 (with the 20gb hd) or build another semi decent gaming pc (nothing crazy, prolly less then $800 i'd spend on it). Up my work i have been playing on the demo 360 with games like Madden 07 and stuff, and the graphics seem awesome on it. Now the catch is, i won't be using a HD tv and i use to hear back when the 360 was first released that it sucked on a plain TV. Unfortanatly the demo 360 up my work is hooked up to a 30ish inch widescreen samsung HDTV.

If i do go the xbox route, i will prolly spend like $150 on building a elcheapo internet computer.

Lastly is there any price drops coming up that anyone knows about? I think its still floating around $400 @ CC.

telexen

09-11-06, 12:43 PM

As someone who is not a console hater (you will get many replies from people who are) ... I would go with a good PC for now.

I have full intent to get an Xbox 360 - when the cost isn't outrageous and there are more than a handful of good games for it.

But if you'll end up building a PC anyway - might as well make a gaming system out of it.

FudgeNuggets

09-11-06, 12:49 PM

I'm going to give you a few options and none will be the best nor the worst, but first to answer your question: Games do look crappy/not much better than Xbox-1 without an HDTV with the 360, that being said you can use your computer monitor (assuming you have one still) to display 720p on the 360 so you should be good there.

If you like FPS MMO/RPG games or strategy games, get a PC. If you like action games, RPGs and sports games get a 360.

There is a huge catalog of great games for PS2 and Xbox-1, consider those still if $$$ is a restriction, especially since 360 games are $60 each.

GET BOTH!!! For your $800, you can get an el-cheapo PC setup for $300 (not the best for gaming but you can upgrade slowly) and get a full-blown 360 for $400 + $50 for a VGA cable and you can get both for $750!!!

redrumy3

09-11-06, 01:09 PM

i would get a xbox 360 but i know i probably will not play it alot cause well i like my pc better and plus crysis is coming for the pc and not console yet cause there not powerful enough to run it pc ftw!!

twEEkerAreUs

09-11-06, 01:13 PM

They make a VGA cable for 360, I'd say get the system if you primarily want to game. That is is you have a monitor, not sure doesn't say in your post. If not I would say hold off.....On a regular TV it does look like crap, some people don't mind it but I think its a waste.

zexmarquies01

09-11-06, 01:56 PM

i don't hate consoles myself, cause i LOVE consoles as well as PC's.

But right now at this moment is a bad time to buy a new console. First off, microsoft will PROBABLY be doing a price drop soon, to combat the PS3 even more ( just romors, nothing official. But would be a smart move for Microsoft ). 2nd, there won't be any REALLY great games on the 360 untill late this year, and a bit into next year.

With nintendo's new console getting ready to come out at 200 or 250 bucks, and sony getting ready to release their PS3 in november, i wouldn't doubt is there is going to be a price drop on the 360 honestly.

If your planning on getting a computer anyways, you might as well just do that now. 800 bucks can get you a decent setup, that can play most games fairly well. Hell, if done right, you could probably get some sort of decent PC, and still have a little cash left over ( maybe, depends on what ya want to go with ).

right now, i just suggest a PC. it can do more than just play games. And if you spend nearly all that 800 on a PCI-E based mobo, then you will have some room to upgrade when you get some more cash on hand. Or you can always get a new console at a later date.

i just believe that this exact moment in time is a bad time to buy a 360. Unless you want to go with the PS2, as there is a TON of games on it. and some games are still being released on it ( but that i will end soon ), and you can find alot of decent games for 19.99 at alot of stores, and online.

but, that just my opinion. its your money, and your bordom your trying to fix.

deception``

09-11-06, 01:57 PM

I'd go with the Xbox 360. To me, such a console is seen as an investment - spend $400 upfront and the system should have a life of about 4 ~ 5 years. Granted, you will have to pay for accessories and individual software titles, but at least the console will last you longer than the average PC. Moreover, I personally feel the "bug" to re-build a desktop every 6 months to a year; computing in that sense is not exactly an inexpensive adventure even when you sell older parts to buy newer ones.

Having said all of this, I sold my desktops to save money and gain some free time. I realized that I didn't really have the time nor the desire to game as I once did, but I still had the need for a PC. Now, I have a laptop, an Xbox 360, and my trusty Linksys WRT54GL - I couldn't be happier. My laptop (Inspirion E1505) has MCE 2005, so I stream videos and music straight to my Xbox. My 360 has a wireless adapter, and I can connect to Xbox Live and play games online as if I had a wired connection. Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that my laptop does not command as much attention/time out of me as my PC's did - I can just get up and go without having to worry about overclocking, tweaking, and buying every new shiny part that comes out.

Also, I am currently using the Xbox 360 on an SDTV and I can say it is not a big deal whatsoever. Most games look beautiful even on a regular TV. Also, there is no comparison between the Xbox 360 and regular Xbox on an SDTV - there is a clear difference. The only game I cannot enjoy yet is Dead Rising simply because of the illegible text (this is more of an issue with Capcom's poor coding and not my TV). Granted, my HDTV is currently on the way (and you will see a difference on HDTV), but it is personally not large enough to not consider picking up this system.

Lastly, keep in mind that you are asking "Xbox or PC" on a largely PC-based forum. You're not going to find a lot of objective answers here.

EDIT - The Xbox is at a good price point right now, in between the Wii and less than the PS3. There should be no price drops in the near future.

deception``

jivetrky

09-11-06, 01:59 PM

I think it comes down to what FudgeNuggets said. if you are a FPS/MMO/RTS typed player..than PC is the best bet. But if you like sports games and stuff...then get a console
With that said, I am a console hater and would pick a PC everytime. :)

If you are talking $800 and already have a monitor, then you can build a decent machine. But if that $800 includes a monitor, you may be a little hard up to build a worth while gaming PC.

jivetrky

09-11-06, 02:03 PM

I'd go with the Xbox 360. To me, such a console is seen as an investment - spend $400 upfront and the system should have a life of about 4 ~ 5 years. Granted, you will have to pay for accessories and individual software titles, but at least the console will last you longer than the average PC. Moreover, I personally feel the "bug" to re-build a desktop every 6 months to a year; computing in that sense is not exactly an inexpensive adventure even when you sell older parts to buy newer ones.

Having said all of this, I sold my desktops to save money and gain some free time. I realized that I didn't really have the time nor the desire to gain as I once did, but I still had the need for a PC. Now, I have a laptop, an Xbox 360, and a very powerful wireless network - I couldn't be happier. My laptop (Inspirion E1505) has MCE 2005, so I stream videos and music straight to my Xbox.

Also, I am currently using the Xbox 360 on an SDTV and I can say it is not a big deal whatsoever. Most games look beautiful even on a regular TV. Also, there is no comparison between the Xbox 360 and regular Xbox on an SDTV - there is a clear difference. The only game I cannot enjoy yet is Dead Rising simply because of the illegible text (this is more of an issue with Capcom's poor coding and not my TV). Granted, my HDTV is currently on the way (and you will see a difference on HDTV), but it is personally not large enough to not consider picking up this system.

Lastly, keep in mind that you are asking "Xbox or PC" on a largely PC-based forum. You're not going to find a lot of objective answers here.

deception``

yeah, my friend has a 360. on his 32" flat tube SDTV games look fine (it's a newer one) ....he brought it to my house and hooked to my TV, which is a 27" that's probably 10-12 years old and games looked fine, but the text in HALO2 was prety well unreadable as it was so small.

Sure it'll look better on an HDTV, but it'll still be fine on a decent SDTV. (But like I said, I'm a console hater and would pick a PC :) )

FudgeNuggets

09-11-06, 03:31 PM

Daleon

09-11-06, 03:42 PM

Yea, its all about what games you like.

Xbox 360 - Gears of War, Madden, Saints Row...

PC - Spore, Company of Heroes, BF2142, Stalker...

I think Online is nicer on PC's. You don't have the Live cost, but somes games are monthly subscription.

I've got both, and so far I haven't gotten anywhere near my moneys worth out of my x360, and I've bought just about every good game out for it.

The Wii + Good TV may also be a good alternative. The price will be nice, and I think its going to be the most fun.

Krome

09-11-06, 03:46 PM

when I plugged it into my HDTV I didn't take the time to read the book and had left the switch on the video connector in the SDTV position and said "You've got to be kidding me, $400 for this thing and it sucks!!!", I then found the switch on the connector to go to HD-mode and was "OMG THIS THING RULES!!!", so I have seen it both ways and the HDTV does make a HUGE difference.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! When I first bought my 215tw, I went straight to my cousin's spot to try it out on his 360. Him and a bunch of his buddies were playing it on my uncle's new LCD projector. So I told em, lets try it out on my new HD monitor, and they're like "it lQQks bad arse." I then told em, "it doesn't even lQQk that good." Then I asked them to peep the settings on the 360 and they were playing it on 480, and had the switch on the cables to "standard."

It lQQks really good when you actually have it on HD, and I'm really close to buying the 360 over the Wii now.

deception``

09-11-06, 03:47 PM

interesting you guys said this because I got my 360 with NBA Live 2k6 and Madden 2k6, when I plugged it into my HDTV I didn't take the time to read the book and had left the switch on the video connector in the SDTV position and said "You've got to be kidding me, $400 for this thing and it sucks!!!", I then found the switch on the connector to go to HD-mode and was "OMG THIS THING RULES!!!", so I have seen it both ways and the HDTV does make a HUGE difference.

Deception, I just got MCE 2005 and am about to install it, so I'm glad to see that you say it works great and with a Linksys too, because that's what I have as well. Thanks for the heads up.

Remember, most HDTV's don't look right in standard mode, so I think that has something to do with your personal experience.

To this day, the Xbox 360 is still a very mediocre gaming system - they're aren't really any must-have titles for the console yet. However, the system truly shines in its integration with Windows Media Center and Xbox Live. Windows Media Center is great b/c I can watch my shows without having to touch my laptop.

Here's a bit of advice: (1) If you have tweaked your services (as I have) you'll have to turn some back on (including Windows Firewall) and open some ports for the PC to connect to the Xbox 360. (2) Best advice of the day: TRANSCODE 360. By default, Windows media player will not play .xvid, .divx, and other popular video formats; Transcode 360 will allow you to encode these files on-the-fly so they can be viewed on the Xbox 360. The encode works exceptionally well, is very fast, and does not hog a lot of CPU cycles (max usage I ever saw is 50%). Bottom line is that Media Center on the 360 would be worthless without this program.

deception``

nvidiaOCmaster

09-11-06, 03:49 PM

a PC for sure... it has about 100,000 more uses that a crappy console.

You can build a hella good gaming PC for 800$

FudgeNuggets

09-11-06, 04:17 PM

I have and think that Saints Row qualifies as a proprietary must-have game, and Forza2 will most liekly be as well.

stang8118

09-11-06, 07:14 PM

Wow thanks for all the thought out responces! I know OCforums prolly isn't the greatest place to ask weather or not to go with console or PC, but there really isn't any unbiased forum out there for that type of question :p So i figure i'd ask the same people i have been asking questions to for a few years with good responces lol...

I think right now i am leaning on going with the 360, Madden 07 plays sooo damn nice on it! I guess i should of mentioned that i am really REALLY big into sports games. lol i think i have every EA game (of the 4 major sports) from 01-06 :D

I may spend a few bucks on building myself a cheap axp or budget a64 rig to give me a decent rig that'll be somewhat fast enough for internet and stuff like that.

Sliver

09-11-06, 10:24 PM

Ok well right now i am PCless, and have no game console either... so needless to say i am pretty bored lol. I was thinking of picking up a plain xbox or ps2, but soon they won't even be making game for them so that is kinda pointless.

WRONG.

If you don't have a PS2, get one. There are at least a dozen games out there that are a MUST in any self respecting gamers library. The PS3 isn't going to have complete backwards compatability so some games you are going to miss out on if you don't have the PS2. Also, just because it doesn't have new games doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself backtracking and playing the old ones.

Second. As far as the PC/360 it depends on how much you want to spend, and how long you are willing to wait. DX10 is right around the corner. The cards and OS arent out yet, and when they do hit the market that's going to cost a pretty penny to future proof yourself.

If you want a 360 you're going to have to wait around a year before the really good titles start hitting the shelves.

Everything being factored in, I'd say now is a good time to wait and see. There isn't really anything great right around the corner for the 360 OR the PC.

deception``

09-11-06, 11:09 PM

WRONG.

If you don't have a PS2, get one. There are at least a dozen games out there that are a MUST in any self respecting gamers library. The PS3 isn't going to have complete backwards compatability so some games you are going to miss out on if you don't have the PS2. Also, just because it doesn't have new games doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself backtracking and playing the old ones. The PS3 should have near complete backwards compatibiliy; certainly more than the Xbox 360 right out-of-the-box. Most of the older PS1/PS2 titles will play fine on the PS3 without a problem.

Second. As far as the PC/360 it depends on how much you want to spend, and how long you are willing to wait. DX10 is right around the corner. The cards and OS arent out yet, and when they do hit the market that's going to cost a pretty penny to future proof yourself. The cost to upgrade to a DX10-compatible card and Vista will probably be approaching or greater than the price of an Xbox 360 right now. Moreover, the console is already future proof, as it's just within its first year.

If you want a 360 you're going to have to wait around a year before the really good titles start hitting the shelves. False. The Xbox has a handful of good titles coming out this year. Such games include Gears of War, Godfather, Splinter Cell: DA, and Just Cause to name a few.

Everything being factored in, I'd say now is a good time to wait and see. There isn't really anything great right around the corner for the 360 OR the PC. Once again, the Xbox 360 does have some solid titles now (though nothing quite blockbuster) but the console is going to pick up a lot of steam within these next 3 months or so. In particular, January is laced with a plethora of good titles including my favorite, Lost Planet.

deception``

Neural Net

09-12-06, 08:33 AM

deception``

09-12-06, 08:52 AM

Well, I have a 360 and I am building a gaming PC early next year. Why? Well I'm an RTS fan (Supreme Commander :drool: ).

However, Xbox Live isn't too stable, the 360 is pretty prone to crashing and games look crap on a SDTV. Seriously you need a HDTV, the detail in the game and the crappy resolution means that you'll be lucky to be any good in games which require fast reactions and/or see objects in the distance, unless you sit relatively close to the screen.

(1) Xbox Live is extremely stable; you may have problems with a game here and there but that has a lot to do with individual netcode and not Live as a whole. Moreover, most people that have issues with Xbox Live (such as connecting or downloading from the Marketplace) are having issues with their connection or personal setup, not Live's servers.

(2) The "need" for an HDTV is a subjective one - some will see this as vital whereas others won't consider it a necessity. Some of the better games look good on virtually any TV, though they are clearer on an HD screen.

(3) The Xbox 360 is not prone to crashing. You have to remember that essentially the 360 is a powerful computer in a small case. For the most part, if you keep the 360 in a well-ventilated area and treat it with care you'll encounter no problems. Sure, some people get unlucky here and there, but I certainly think the defect rate is greatly over-exaggerated.

deception``

Neural Net

09-12-06, 09:12 AM

(1) Xbox Live is extremely stable; you may have problems with a game here and there but that has a lot to do with individual netcode and not Live as a whole. Moreover, most people that have issues with Xbox Live (such as connecting or downloading from the Marketplace) are having issues with their connection or personal setup, not Live's servers.

(2) The "need" for an HDTV is a subjective one - some will see this as vital whereas others won't consider it a necessity. Some of the better games look good on virtually any TV, though they are clearer on an HD screen.

(3) The Xbox 360 is not prone to crashing. You have to remember that essentially the 360 is a powerful computer in a small case. For the most part, if you keep the 360 in a well-ventilated area and treat it with care you'll encounter no problems. Sure, some people get unlucky here and there, but I certainly think the defect rate is greatly over-exaggerated.

deception``

(1) Well ok, Live itself is stable, but I refer to the entire online part of the 360 as "Live". Games like Battlefield 2 are hideously unstable, crashing at least every two game matches.

(2) People only say that who don't know much about resolution. SDTV is crap, out of date and cripples the gameplay experience. I'm saying this and I have a SDTV (30" Sony Trinitron flat tube) and it's just frustrating to play on compared to HDTV.

(3) I can crash my 360 on demand if I want to.

deception``

09-12-06, 09:28 AM

(1) Well ok, Live itself is stable, but I refer to the entire online part of the 360 as "Live". Games like Battlefield 2 are hideously unstable, crashing at least every two game matches. The problem with BF2 is not Live. EA requires that their games be run on EA servers only, which are barely adequate. Madden 07 has the same connection issues, but this is not a problem with Microsoft's network.

(2) People only say that who don't know much about resolution. SDTV is crap, out of date and cripples the gameplay experience. I'm saying this and I have a SDTV (30" Sony Trinitron flat tube) and it's just frustrating to play on compared to HDTV. I think most people understand resolution just fine, but at the end of the day its all a matter of opinion. I'm not arguing with you that HDTV is better (it is), just whether or not it's a dire emergency (which in my opinion, it's not). This has nothing to do with ignorance on somebody's behalf. Playing on a 24" widescreen LCD monitor is great (1920x1200...high resolution) - do you want to tell me that it's the only way that you can enjoy today's PC games?

(3) I can crash my 360 on demand if I want to. Good for you, but you represent the minority of users - most people don't have issues with their console.

deception``

Super Nade

09-12-06, 09:34 AM

FudgeNuggets

09-12-06, 09:40 AM

(1) Well ok, Live itself is stable, but I refer to the entire online part of the 360 as "Live". Games like Battlefield 2 are hideously unstable, crashing at least every two game matches. Must be you, I haven't seen this.

(2) People only say that who don't know much about resolution. SDTV is crap, out of date and cripples the gameplay experience. I'm saying this and I have a SDTV (30" Sony Trinitron flat tube) and it's just frustrating to play on compared to HDTV. I agree with this 100%. I couldn't delieve the difference when I flipped the standard/HD switch

(3) I can crash my 360 on demand if I want to. I'd like to know how. Mine has locked up 2x since Feb and that was because my figerprints were all over the disc.

mage_x

09-12-06, 09:57 AM

Since you like sports games a lot, just get the 360. Personally, I would wait for the Wii.

Neural Net

09-12-06, 10:12 AM

I'd like to know how.

Load a game on Live with loads of players on it, (above 20) and then load the player list (to the right of friends list). Mine more or less instantly crashes. However this may be due to EA's crappy servers, however, I've noticed Saint's Row doesn't play too well over the net either, which has very bad lag issues at the moment.

Basically, I tend to find the online side of gaming more reliable on a PC. I love the integration of Live however, with the friends lists, game invites, private chat, chat itself being standard etc. What I do miss is the mod community, which will never be present on a console imo.

FudgeNuggets

09-12-06, 10:19 AM

don't be so sure, Microsoft is letting average Joe develop stuff now, the next step would be mods....that is more difficult though because it requires tearing apart another company's code...like Bioware's Oblivion/.

Neural Net

09-12-06, 10:24 AM

FudgeNuggets

09-12-06, 11:47 AM

USB keyboards and mice already work. There's just nothing to do with the mouse yet, keyboard works fine on games that use the onscreen keyboard thing for entering names, data etc...

jivetrky

09-12-06, 12:16 PM

yeah, if they can make a keyboard and mouse work in games, then I might consider buying a console.

Neural Net

09-12-06, 12:31 PM

USB keyboards and mice already work. There's just nothing to do with the mouse yet, keyboard works fine on games that use the onscreen keyboard thing for entering names, data etc...

Who cares, you use that onscreen keyboard like once! :beer: :bday:

FudgeNuggets

09-12-06, 01:11 PM

Who cares, you use that onscreen keyboard like once! :beer: :bday:

but it's already there if somebody WANTS to make use of it. I don't think there was for the GameCube, but there was also keyboards and mice for the PS2, DreamCast and Xbox1 that nobody (except for the DreamCast internet browser and Typing of the Dead) made use of.

deception``

09-12-06, 01:20 PM

deception, if you have the time, could you please write an article regarding your gaming experience with a fully optmized/interfaced X-Box? I have never gamed on an X-Box before and your brief note on interoperability is quite a refreshing read. :)

I just have my Xbox 360 connected to my wireless network and media center laptop. For the most part, I'm getting the most out of what the system has to offer - gaming, online, and media center capabilities. I can try to write up something in the near future, if there's an explicit desire from others as well.

deception``

Neural Net

09-12-06, 02:28 PM

but it's already there if somebody WANTS to make use of it. I don't think there was for the GameCube, but there was also keyboards and mice for the PS2, DreamCast and Xbox1 that nobody (except for the DreamCast internet browser and Typing of the Dead) made use of.

Well, seeing as PCs have had use of keyboards and mice for around 15-20 years, we'll just have to wait for the Xbox 1440 to come out, then the mod community will make use of it, and perhaps 3d companies. :p :beer:

Sliver

09-13-06, 01:03 AM

The PS3 should have near complete backwards compatibiliy; certainly more than the Xbox 360 right out-of-the-box. Most of the older PS1/PS2 titles will play fine on the PS3 without a problem.

Sony has stated that the PlayStation 3 will have backward compatibility with the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, and that every PS1 and PS2 game that observes its respective system's TRC (Technical Requirements Checklist) will be playable on PS3 at launch.[1]SCE president Ken Kutaragi asked developers to adhere to the TRC to facilitate compatibility with future PlayStations, stating that the company was having some difficulty getting backward compatibility with games that had not followed the TRCs. "Either it's accidental or on purpose; there's actually a lot of games that don't follow the TRC."[27]. It has been reported that initial PS3 units will include the CPU/rasterizer combination chip used in slim PS2 (EE+GS) to achieve backward compatibility.[28]

You're going to need to elaborate on what the TRC's actually are, and why we can be confident that most of the games follow them before you convince me of anything.

Neural Net

09-20-06, 09:11 AM

Xbox 360 £280/PS3 £400
Games £40
HDTV £1000
Xbox Live £50

Realising you could have bought a gaming PC for less and played better games. Priceless. :p

John G

09-20-06, 01:04 PM

There's a lot of good advice in this thread already, depending on your priorities.

I would add, that personally I don't think it's a very good time to buy a PC right now. I certainly wouldn't buy one right now unless I had to have one, or wanted to buy something that was cheap and planned to milk Windows XP or some other OS for a long time. I would wait for Vista to come through, for a good DX10 video card that I could afford, and for Conroe and associated hardware to become more available and priced better. Such a system would be much more future proof and perform better with future software/games I would want to be using/playing.

Also, I have some experience with playing the 360 on a regular tube TV. Yes, it does look much better on an HDTV, but the games I played looked much better on the tube SDTV than my old Xbox1. They were certainly plenty of fun even without the HDTV. So, I wouldn't consider not having an HDTV as a deal breaker. Also, there is the previously mentioned possibility of using a computer monitor.

OC Noob

09-20-06, 04:04 PM

Xbox 360 £280/PS3 £400
Games £40
HDTV £1000
Xbox Live £50

Realising you could have bought a gaming PC for less and played better games. Priceless. :p

360/PS3 $400/$600
Nice 50" DLP $1600
Live $50

Nice gaming monitor $600
Nice Keyboard/mouse for gaming $100
Dual core Proc to overclock $300
2 gig DDRII ram $300
Water cooling $300
sweet gfx card $400
HD $150
Good sound card $150
Good mobo $150
good case $200
good PSU $150
fans/paste/etc $100
DVI cable $25
Printer $150
Powerstips/misc cables $50

constant upgrades = priceless

its really all relative when it comes to cost and if you include a nice Samsung 50" DLP to the mix you still can't do as much, but people typically watch A LOT more TV than they play on PCs so you are getting more bang for the buck with the TV added into the equation than you do with a PC (most people atleast).

That and you are set with the TV for 10 years and the console for 5 where as the PC can easily tirn over in 2 years (yeah, everything).

Add another $3000 onto the Tv and you are still spending more to PC game over 5 years AND the screen is 30" bigger.

It all depends on ow you spin it.

I could use a much cheaper CRT 1080i TV or use a much more expensive FX/EE processor to make things look insanely worse:D The monitor for the console would still be bigger and the game wouldn't look that much better on the PC regardless of how expensice the CPu is.

Neural Net

09-20-06, 08:08 PM

It all depends on ow you spin it.

I could use a much cheaper CRT 1080i TV or use a much more expensive FX/EE processor to make things look insanely worse:D The monitor for the console would still be bigger and the game wouldn't look that much better on the PC regardless of how expensice the CPu is.

Well yes you're right of course. See thing is though I bought my 360 precisely due to the reason people are giving in this thread, overall it is a cheaper solution than buying a pc.

But what am I doing? Building a PC in Feb. Reason? I can't just buy a screen for a console, I use my laptop at the moment for far more than gaming, and the speed of a Conroe processor will only allow me to do more things I haven't been able to do thus far (including gaming). I know Live is great, and it is, with the games, multiplayer, content, communication, but it is no general purpose tool like a PC is. To me, a console will only ever be good at playing games, you even need a media PC to bring in other functionality, it can't do it by itself. This to me is more than enough reason to sink twice as much money into a PC than a 360/PS3 with a big HDTV.

A 50" Samsung DLP and a 360 is nice, but I'd rather take the PC please. :)

OC Noob

09-20-06, 08:38 PM

Well yes you're right of course. See thing is though I bought my 360 precisely due to the reason people are giving in this thread, overall it is a cheaper solution than buying a pc.

But what am I doing? Building a PC in Feb. Reason? I can't just buy a screen for a console, I use my laptop at the moment for far more than gaming, and the speed of a Conroe processor will only allow me to do more things I haven't been able to do thus far (including gaming). I know Live is great, and it is, with the games, multiplayer, content, communication, but it is no general purpose tool like a PC is. To me, a console will only ever be good at playing games, you even need a media PC to bring in other functionality, it can't do it by itself. This to me is more than enough reason to sink twice as much money into a PC than a 360/PS3 with a big HDTV.

A 50" Samsung DLP and a 360 is nice, but I'd rather take the PC please. :)

Yeah, me too. Overclocking is more fun than gaming when I have the cash (to me, not saying that gaming is worse than overclocking in genreal or anything).

Although, I do watch more TV than anything and the Mitsubishi DLP I bought is easily worth the cash for TV/movie viewing alone. I'd probably do more gaming and less watching tv though if my wife were to disapear... <plays psyco shower scene music>

:D