Xbox 360 Or Upgrade Pc?

[Jockstar]

Been thinking recently. I was going to upgrade my Pc which is still pretty good anyway. The main reason for upgrading was so that i can play the newer games at a better and faster rate. I use the PC mostly for internet, music and games. So instead of paying nearer to AUD$1500 for a top of the range Pc that i would build, i can get the Xbox 360 for around AUD$700. This will be good for a few years and will have all/most new games. So what to do? Upgrade just so that i can play games or just buy a games console? Any opinions welcome.

[geoffphuket]

Been thinking recently. I was going to upgrade my Pc which is still pretty good anyway. The main reason for upgrading was so that i can play the newer games at a better and faster rate. I use the PC mostly for internet, music and games. So instead of paying nearer to AUD$1500 for a top of the range Pc that i would build, i can get the Xbox 360 for around AUD$700. This will be good for a few years and will have all/most new games. So what to do? Upgrade just so that i can play games or just buy a games console? Any opinions welcome.

Hi jockstar

Well, it seems you've answered your own question ... and if you're happy with your pc then why bother changing it. Save the cash difference for when you really need to upgrade your computer in a couple of years or so.

geoffphuket

[Jockstar]

The main reason is to play the newer games. Obviously the graphics on a PC are usually better than a console. Correct? But then again the 360 is supposed to be superb. Any more thoughts?

[geoffphuket]

The main reason is to play the newer games. Obviously the graphics on a PC are usually better than a console. Correct? But then again the 360 is supposed to be superb. Any more thoughts?

I'd have thought it was the other way around, unless you've got a 'cutting edge' computer with the latest top end graphics card - the card costing more than an Xbox 360 !

[phazey]

I'd recommend a 360. To get compairable results on a PC would require a serious investment. Take Gears or War for example, a FANTASTIC game in it's own right, and coming to the PC sometime soon. Because of it's dependancy to Direct X 10, you'll need a shedload of up to date kit to run it decently.

Also bear in mind (this also applies to Macs in a sence). The coders are writing for targeted hardware specs, not a handoff to a bunch of API's that mung around drivers.

I went the route of getting a laptop for work, X360 for play, and my old PC is now a fileserver/downloader.

Xbox Live is invaluable too, with oldie arcade games coming out weekly (you can trial them before you buy them) and you can also get game demos of up coming releases - sure you can do this on a PC, but a unified entertainment system is much better in a small form.

Ps. get a Wii also

Edited July 28, 2007 by phazey

[solo siam]

If multiplayer is your thing then its a no brainer, the 360 on Live is excellent.

[Guest Reimar]

As long as you can buy the XBox legally in your country I would go for the XBox!

It's a different story if you buy a "black" Market IBox without Warranty like here in Thailand. I wouldn't buy because of the high failure rate.Stories enough on TV about the repairing problems in Thailand!

[geoffphuket]

As long as you can buy the XBox legally in your country I would go for the XBox!

It's a different story if you buy a "black" Market IBox without Warranty like here in Thailand. I wouldn't buy because of the high failure rate.Stories enough on TV about the repairing problems in Thailand!

I think jockstar's resident in oz, so that won't be an issue for him

[garro]

Have you considered a nintendo wii?

Great fun!

[tigerbeer]

u can have an internet connection to it? like an ethernet or wi-fi??? and do you need to pay subscription for xbox live?

[Guest Reimar]

As long as you can buy the XBox legally in your country I would go for the XBox!

It's a different story if you buy a "black" Market IBox without Warranty like here in Thailand. I wouldn't buy because of the high failure rate.Stories enough on TV about the repairing problems in Thailand!

I think jockstar's resident in oz, so that won't be an issue for him

I wrote: "It's a different story if you buy a "black" Market IBox without Warranty like here in Thailand." which means generally "black" market staff and "like Thailand" means all countries which didn't sell the XBox legally!

Am I may a little blind but not that much that I can't read that he lives in AU!

[nikster]

As long as you can buy the XBox legally in your country I would go for the XBox!

It's a different story if you buy a "black" Market IBox without Warranty like here in Thailand. I wouldn't buy because of the high failure rate.Stories enough on TV about the repairing problems in Thailand!

I think jockstar's resident in oz, so that won't be an issue for him

Still a valid point. Don't get it modded. Can't get it modded. 30% failure rate... though one would think they'd improved it by now...

[solo siam]

That was one manager from one shop who said it was a 30% failure rate. I've still yet to meet someone with a broken one.

[donbdc]

xbox live can be played via wi-fi if you buy the adaptor, if not then you can connect via ethernet. there is a charge to use xbox live which is about £35. like the other poster said it can be great fun.

[Jockstar]

See i was going to buy a top PC. The graphics card alone was gonna cost me $400. By the time i buy Vista, Ram, motherboard(basically a new pc and not an upgrade) I would be paying close to $1500. It would be the <deleted> and play every game that i could through at it. It would be DX10 ready aswell. My existing PC is only about 2.5 years old. Its gotta decent graphics card FX 5900 and will play most games , just not at the highest setting. I play games on the PC but not every day. So trying weigh it all up. Buy a 360 for around $700. Then another $60 for a 2nd controller. What else do i have to buy apart from the games? Probably by the time i buy everything for the 360. (dont need the DVD control)Then i've spent $1000 already. Thoughts?

[ballbreaker]

Why not check out the following site and see if your current PC can be upgraded to support games you want.

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest

Like you I've been thinking about buying game console but in the end I think I will go with new PC.

[LivinLOS]

Very happy with my 360 purchase.. Gaming on a PC is a never ending stream of upgrades.. at least with a console platform you buy into it and know your gonna have a few years on one platform.

Some great games on the 360 too.. Good stuff coming out thick and fast.. Lots more in the line up for next few months too..

[Jockstar]

Gaming on a PC is a never ending stream of upgrades

Have to agree. I think i'll go for the 360.

[Jockstar]

So what are the good games out on the 360? I like first person shooters etc. Any recomendations?

[phazey]

I found consoles handle 3rd person shooters a little better. Here's my pick;

Gears of War <-- must have

Crackdown (not got but heard good reports)

Dead Rising (zombie mash up affair - mowing em down with a shopping trolly is a scream)

Earth Defence Force (just got this last night)

For FPS;

Quake4 (ok ish)

Fear

Halo3 (bound to be good when it comes out)

[LivinLOS]

Gears of war obviously.. Soon Halo 3

Rainbow 6 vegas.. GRAW2.. The Splinter cell ones ??

Not much of a FPS man myself tho I do go gears overload for a bit.

[Firefoxx]

I think it really depends on what games you play and how you play them. The Xbox is a console, and therefore its games are developed around a console interface (the gamepad). If you pay RTS games (need a mouse), sims (need a good joystick), or things like that, a PC would still be the choice. Also, there are games that are specific to the PC or the Xbox, and if you like those games, buy the system that goes with it. The games decide it, not the system. The Xbox has great graphics, but I wouldn't buy it since it has no games that appeal to me. Same goes for the PS3... I'd rather buy the PS2, and even then it would be hard to justify buying one. I never got used to using joypads, and I think I never will. For me, gaming is always done with a mouse and keyboard.

Gaming on a console is also a matter of upgrades, except for a console the upgrades are forced. We'd still be gaming away on Ataris if it weren't that way. You can buy a PC and expect it to play games for the same period as a console's life span, it's just that since the scene is always changing (unlike consoles which remain static except for major system changes), it will seem like the games need more towards the end of its gaming life. The envelope is constantly being pushed.

[LivinLOS]

Then get a mouse and keyboard adapter ?!?! Theres one hacked together for the 360.

I dont really have any 'side' in the divide.. I have had PC's that were of gaming spec.. I have had consoles of one sort or another (machines in fact back to speccy 48.. and C64's.. Remember chuckie egg and manic miner ) all through the evolution..

I do think that the recent step up to 'next gen' with the 360 and presumably with the PS3 (not played with one) has made them a very worthwhile media and entertainment.. Its just fits into my home theater and projector and receiver setup so much easier (I have been involved with HTPC's since thier start so thats even coming from a major media PC proponent).. They are pretty much instant on.. They provide interfaces for your audio collection and if you can be bothered to do a media server your video too.. hel_l if you set up MCE properly they even stream your TV feed to multi zone around the house. Basically the value added of the machines now makes them worth thier money to me far more than simply the gaming. If I didnt own one I would not have thought this interested me but its a lot more appealing than it initially sounds. I have my a media PC all wired into my home main room system too, I can play my audio on that, arguably with better graphical interfaces, but I dont, the 360 is just so much easier to get going. Yes I agree that a joypad isnt ideal for FPS (why is there no trackball system.. Would kick ass).. But I like gaming on the couch, I like PC on the desk. I like messing about with a beat em up with mates, maybe a few beers, not keyboard out and tinkering with reboots while everyone waits.

As to the games, consoles seem to have caught up with the PC for games with depth, currently the price of a gaming rig would be a lot higher and while I agree with you the gaming rig will last for a long time the games place more and more demands.. I like the idea that for 4 or 5 years there will be one stable platform for the xbox.. I am sure at the end of the life cycle the PC will look much better, just as the PS2 looks pretty awful now.. But how much will that PC have cost in upgrades, 3 or 4 GFX cards, the evolution.. It will cost what 3 or 4 times as much now for a high gaming rig than a 360 ??

Right now I think the console wins, it does enough simply thats it easy and we are at an early point in the life cycle.. Once gaming starts to overtake it on the PC then these points will change.. Late in the life cycle its maybe best to wait..

So I guess I did have a side in the divide

[hongthay]

well, honestly, I would go with the PS3, especially if you are gaming here in Thailand. The Xbox Live service is great, when you have a good international broadband connection, which is nearly impossible to get in Thailand. Gears of War plays ok, most of the time. But, still, there are times when the lag is unbearable. The Xbox360reliability is still a major issue, google checking to see whether a new one has the extra heatsink or not (done by checking the product number) if you get one.

The PS3 is a little more costly, but Resistance is a great FPS and there is no lag playing online. And, unlike the Xbox, the online service is free. If you have played a lot of FPS games on the PC, I recommend getting the SplitFish FragFX controller for the PS3. It is a controller/mouse setup that is great for the playing FPS on the PS3. You will have to either import one from the US or find one in Australia. I have not seen them in Thailand. Unreal Tournament 3, out before Christmas, will support keyboard and mouse for the PS3 and mods from the PC community, which is great. Other shooters are supposed to support keyboard and mouse for the PS3 as well, and the modscene is always a nice addition for FPS games. GRAW 2 is an excellent FPS. There are a few other good FPS coming by Christmas.

[JimsKnight]

Go Xbox 360!

Xbox 360 is cheaper than PS3 and is a lot more exclusive by having a gamer-points system that can tell all who look how good a gamer you are (very hard to cheat it too). I do have a ninja pc as well but its getting on a bit now, and like someone said, the gaming 'edge' is currently held by Xbox 360 and the PS3.

The Xbox 360 is a gaming machine, PCs are loosing ground to it, but thats not a bad thing. Desktop PCs, unless the power curve is stolen from the XBox are losing ground.

Whats the reason for this? Well I can only speculate, but one factor may be that decent games for the PC are running a bit dry of exclusive PC only games . Sure theres a few good ones like Silent Hunter IV that the Xbox 360 isn't going to get. But for every Silent Hunter IV theres about four Dead Risings (that the PC isn't getting).

The games that are coming out for the Xbox in the next 6 months are going to blow the PCs games out of the water.

Yes I know that Xbox games are often converted to the PC but the conversion can often go awry (remember Godfather?).

Biosphere, Assassins creed are just the tip of the iceburg.

Some games actually surpass the PC via the innovative Xbox controller. A PCs mouse may give precision targeting, but the controllers thumb sticks are faster and give quicker response than 'mouse and keyboard combo'.

The PS3 has a delicate edge over the Xbox 360, however, the improved Xbox Elite console is being released in a few months time....

Edited August 7, 2007 by JimsKnight

[Etrigan]

I wouldn't buy a 360 just yet. The reliability issue is real, and don't let others convince you otherwise. The newly manufactured 360's (July 2007 - manufacturing date) have additional heat sinks and copper piping which should address the specific problems the 360 can suffer from.

I'm not bashing the console. It is a fantastic machine - only when it works!!! I am currently working on one broken console, but if I can't fix it before Halo 3 comes out, I will be snooping around for one of those post-July models.

[phazey]

Would have to agree with ajarnruss, my 360 will only start now if i wrap it in a towel and leave it for 15 minutes. May go for an elite when they are available, and then only the 60nm ones.

[quiksilva]

Careful with that towel trick though phazey that effectively heats up the motherboard so that it gets hot enough to melt the solder a little and get a better connection, too much and.... smoke...

I will echo the call for Vegas and Gears and am looking forward to Call of Duty 4.

Edited August 9, 2007 by quiksilva

[JimsKnight]

Yo Quiksilva! I hear your call man Call of Duty 4 is gonna rock

A big problem with the earlier Xbox 360s was folk running them from confined places like wardrobes, recesses in desks etc. This aggravated overheating issues.

I bought mine in April 2007 but was told it had the new parts installed etc. Nevermind, I always run it in open areas.

Buying the Xbox 360 external clip-on fans can ease any remaining anxiety over this issue for peace of mind.