(BUDGET GAMING) Xbox One vs PS4 vs PC

[ibtehajmunir009]

Hi
I've always been a PC GAMER but i'm having difficulty deciding what to do for 2015 entertainment as my PC is getting outdated (HD 6670 with Intel Core 2 Quad 2.8)

I've read reviews about Xbox One, PS4 and brand new GPUs for PC gaming but i cant decide properly what is the best choice for me :/

So, here i am posting my needs and what i like and YOU PEOPLE SHOULD help me decide what to do!

First, my budget is only $550 and i wanted something that can run smoothly for more than 3 years ahead. I really love playing online multiplayer (mostly FPS but i do play Company Of Heroes 2 on steam and WarThunder ). I'd like my purchase to be once and for all, no further upgrades every year. Playing games on medium - high settings is good (although i've played many games on 800x600 with ultra LOW settings :/ sign of a crazy gamer ) I've also got a 32" TV for console if i buy one. I dont have nearby friends who play online or have XBOX ONE or PS4 but there are tons of PC Gamers. i'd also like to play with my other 2 brothers either on split screen or on STEAM on different laptops (they have their own good laptops)

Now for the consoles. I like XBOX's controller and really hate the PS one. Multimedia features of XBOX and Kinect appeals to me. PS has much better graphics and good functions in its remote (i'm actually used to xbox controller. IDK how it feels switching to PS controller) XBOX gets really expensive with its accessories but its somewhat worth it.

<<Tom's Hardware does not support any form of software piracy. None. Period.>>

if u suggest a PC, please build it on PC PART PICKER. if u suggest console, give a better link with discounted price

THANKS

 

[gytisxp]

Pc gaming has gotten really cheap to get into recently. At the moment you can build a 450$ machine that can play 1080p games at 60 fps on medium-ultra settings or a 600$ one that does 60fps 1080p on ultra settings.

Here is my personal 450$ pc that i built for a friend - http://pcpartpicker.com/user/gytisxp/saved/BryQzy

 

[ibtehajmunir009]

Hi, Thanks for the response. Do u think 4GB RAM and R7 would be enough for next 3 years? i cant upgrade later because i wont be able to afford it. Please make a slight change in this build so it can suit me
1. I guess i dont need an SSD
2. I need really good GPU and RAMs
3. I usually work on video editing and Photoshop etc. is this processor good for that

THANKS

 

[gytisxp]

This is an entirely different build and will cost you about 100$ more. The six cores of the amd fx 6300 wont get old as fast because of the extra cores. In the future when games use more cores it will improve in performance. The r9 280 is the sweet spot for under 200$ graphics cards and will get you to ultra on 2560x1080 or 1080p gamin with aa. I chose a cheaper motherboard because 990fx motherboards are fairly expensive so you wont be able to get an extreme overclock but if you get a decent cooler you will get an ok overclock because of the 6+2 power phases. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/9TZbrH

 

[Storm-cooled72]

Hi
I've always been a PC GAMER but i'm having difficulty deciding what to do for 2015 entertainment as my PC is getting outdated (HD 6670 with Intel Core 2 Quad 2.8)

I've read reviews about Xbox One, PS4 and brand new GPUs for PC gaming but i cant decide properly what is the best choice for me :/

So, here i am posting my needs and what i like and YOU PEOPLE SHOULD help me decide what to do!

First, my budget is only $550 and i wanted something that can run smoothly for more than 3 years ahead. I really love playing online multiplayer (mostly FPS but i do play Company Of Heroes 2 on steam and WarThunder ). I'd like my purchase to be once and for all, no further upgrades every year. Playing games on medium - high settings is good (although i've played many games on 800x600 with ultra LOW settings :/ sign of a crazy gamer ) I've also got a 32" TV for console if i buy one. I dont have nearby friends who play online or have XBOX ONE or PS4 but there are tons of PC Gamers. i'd also like to play with my other 2 brothers either on split screen or on STEAM on different laptops (they have their own good laptops)

Now for the consoles. I like XBOX's controller and really hate the PS one. Multimedia features of XBOX and Kinect appeals to me. PS has much better graphics and good functions in its remote (i'm actually used to xbox controller. IDK how it feels switching to PS controller) XBOX gets really expensive with its accessories but its somewhat worth it.

<<Tom's Hardware does not support any form of software piracy. None. Period.>>

If u suggest a PC, please build it on PC PART PICKER. if u suggest console, give a better link with discounted price

THANKS

Here's my take:

My link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/NB4LYJ

if you really want budget, use craigslist. I built an i5-760 build for under 400 bucks, and it ran most games at 1440x900 maxed out. This build is pretty good, but you could get twice as much on craigslist.

As for games, I am a cheap guy, and I play Farcry 3 ($8 on amazon), titanfall ($15 amazon), blacklight retribution (free), TF2 (free), DOTA 2 (free), FSX ($4 on sale), and LoL (free)

Hope this helps!

 

[Storm-cooled72]

This is a KILLER build for around 550.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7jhz99

This beast would SLAUGHTER games at MAX on 1080


FREAKING AMAZING....

 

[gytisxp]

Dont do the build mentioned before this processor ( 750k ) bottlenecks graphics cards very heavily. You wont even do 40 fps bf4 at ultra.

 

[madmatt30]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK THEMIS 65.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($17.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.24 @ Directron)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($41.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $562.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-26 13:25 EST-0500

Or

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.24 @ Directron)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($36.25 @ Directron)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($41.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $560.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-26 13:29 EST-0500

 

[Storm-cooled72]

Ok, how about this?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VKbPcf


TOTAL DOMONATION MACHINE!!!!!!

 

[madmatt30]

^ 6300 with an aftermarket cooler over an 8370e any day of the week mate

 

[turkey3_scratch]

This is an entirely different build and will cost you about 100$ more. The six cores of the amd fx 6300 wont get old as fast because of the extra cores. In the future when games use more cores it will improve in performance. The r9 280 is the sweet spot for under 200$ graphics cards and will get you to ultra on 2560x1080 or 1080p gamin with aa. I chose a cheaper motherboard because 990fx motherboards are fairly expensive so you wont be able to get an extreme overclock but if you get a decent cooler you will get an ok overclock because of the 6+2 power phases. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/9TZbrH

In the future games will still use more single core performance than they do now, and even if one core is at 100% usage that is a bottleneck. I also do not see games using 6 cores on average for a good 2-3 years from now.

 

[madmatt30]

^ not so sure since the advent of DAI & FC4 that need 4 cores minimum
With the arrival of the xbone & ps4 with their 8 cores at relatively slow clock speeds PC developers are getting lazy with the PC ports,they have to take advantage of the core count on the consoles because the cores themselves are fairly weak.

Either way on a $550 budget its 6300 or i3 with gtx 960 or r9 280 - there are compelling arguments for both - me personally I'd go 6300 & a 4ghz+ overclock & probably just inch towards the 960 for the lower temps & power draw at USA current prices.
In the UK the 280 retails at £50 less so if this were a UK build I'd be throwing the 280 in there instead.

If the op lives near a microcenter store you can knock $50 off that build as they are still doing a combo deal on that CPU/mb.

 

[Storm-cooled72]

if you save another thousand, you might want this beast: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fcv9Bm

 

[ibtehajmunir009]

if you save another thousand, you might want this beast: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fcv9Bm

hahahah...do u think i'm THAT RICH??

BTW guys thanks for everything. Please give me a reason why dont u people recommend Consoles over your PCs? Aren't they MUCH MORE LONG LASTING? I liked all the builds. I guess a SUPER GPU is much more essential than a SUPER CPU. Is 8GB RAM enough?

THANKS

 

[Storm-cooled72]

8gb of ram is plenty for gaming.

As per the GPU and CPU, not really. It all depends on what titles you like and what resolution you play at.
I have a GTX 660 that I found for $90, and it works great on my 75hz 1440x900 monitor. I can play Far Cry 3 MAXED at around 50-60 fps. I also have an i7 3770 in my build, and I like the cpu when playing Planetsidde 2.

If you want reasons to use PC, we can give you some. Here are mine:

-PC games are cheap
-Good, nice, and honest players on PC
-You can also use it for web browsing and stuff
-there is upgrades in the PC
-More titles
-Don't have to deal with new consoles for new games, just upgrade.
-No PSN or Xbox LIVE to get hacked or go down.

That's my view. If you really want to console, it makes more sense to get a 360 and use a keyboard adapter. I personally was a HUGE COD xbox player, but the PC is WAAAAY better graphics, and the players are honest and nice!

 

[ibtehajmunir009]

8gb of ram is plenty for gaming.

As per the GPU and CPU, not really. It all depends on what titles you like and what resolution you play at.
I have a GTX 660 that I found for $90, and it works great on my 75hz 1440x900 monitor. I can play Far Cry 3 MAXED at around 50-60 fps. I also have an i7 3770 in my build, and I like the cpu when playing Planetsidde 2.

If you want reasons to use PC, we can give you some. Here are mine:

-PC games are cheap
-Good, nice, and honest players on PC
-You can also use it for web browsing and stuff
-there is upgrades in the PC
-More titles
-Don't have to deal with new consoles for new games, just upgrade.
-No PSN or Xbox LIVE to get hacked or go down.

That's my view. If you really want to console, it makes more sense to get a 360 and use a keyboard adapter. I personally was a HUGE COD xbox player, but the PC is WAAAAY better graphics, and the players are honest and nice!

WOH! a KEYBOARD ADAPTER!! Never heard of that before...console gamers are OWNED then

I guess you are right all the way...can i build a custom PC better than XBOX ONE and PS4 and is like ALIENWARE ALPHA under $600?

 

[Storm-cooled72]

don't get the alpha. It is not ready for market in my opinion. My local fry's was selling a prebuilt asus i7 computer with 12gb of ram for around 700 last week. Keep your eyes open for deals like that, you can often get more for your money if you get a prebuilt, and upgrade the graphics later. If you look into the alpha, though, Get the i3 or i5 version.

 

[Storm-cooled72]

and the i3 alpha is 500 at frys

 

[Storm-cooled72]

To be honest, if you ONLY (and i do mean only) want to game, pick up an xbox 360s for 150, and for 50 bucks, get a keyboard adapter. They use less power, the graphics are OK, and the 360 games are fairly cheap. But if you want anything other than games, build a PC.

 

[ibtehajmunir009]

To be honest, if you ONLY (and i do mean only) want to game, pick up an xbox 360s for 150, and for 50 bucks, get a keyboard adapter. They use less power, the graphics are OK, and the 360 games are fairly cheap. But if you want anything other than games, build a PC.

i wont buy Alpha. I just wanted to ask whether there is any casing out there which is small enough LIKE the Alpha. i was thinking about a HYBRID of PC and consoles
something like that u have in mind?

 

[Icaraeus]

The PS4 beats out the Alienware Alpha despite the Alienware being theoretically faster because numbers don't mean everything. A PS4 is at least twice as efficient as similar price PCs and will last much longer than one. A PS4 plays every game at 1080p equivalent high-ultra settings. Don't give me crap like Battlefield or Watch Dogs or Assassin's Creed Unity because for one they were optimized more for the XBox One or are terrible optimized overall.

The PS4 can use GPGPU compute to do CPU calculations which is very efficient so basically, if one was to properly optimize for PS4, it has an equal CPU/GPU. Similar priced PC's struggle with games that use more than 2GB VRAM whereas the PS4 does not. With PlayStation Plus you have access to over 70 games per year on top of being allowed online multiplayer. There are many PS4 exclusives coming out this year that are desired by PC gamers. Compare the graphics of games like Uncharted 4 with PC games and you'll see that the OS4 has a leg up due to optimization, and Uncharted 4 is only pre-alpha at the moment.

If you look in the right places or have a bit of patience you can buy many console games for cheap, on top of the free games you get via subscription. Some game genres are better played on console like racers, sports and fighting games.

Also, if you get a similar priced PC you have to upgrade early. Just something to think about.

 

[Storm-cooled72]

zalman has a nice range of HTPC cases, they are about the size of the xbox one. If you want something small, a mini-itx is in order. Let me build something real quick. I'll have the link in a few mins.

 

[Storm-cooled72]

Here is a good mini itx build. the graphics are pretty powerful, and you could plug this into your tv for a cool monitor.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/9Cg6Lk

 

[ibtehajmunir009]

Icaraeus: i liked your point of view. I totally agree what ever you said but in many graphics comparisons on IGN, i found no difference in the X1 and PS4 graphics and sometimes xbox looked much better. secondly, i guess the features of Kinect 2 cant be there in PS4 (if there are like previously there was PlayStation cam, do tell me)

Storm-cooled72, i guess u spend a lot of time for me THANKS FOR IT. Zalman has really cool HTPCs but do u think the GPU fits in it? Secondly, arent the AMD CPUs better in price to power ratio? if so, do recommend me that.

another thing, i dont live in US so the prices shown on PCPARTS PICKER are REALLY CHEAPER compared to my local market

THANKS

 

[Storm-cooled72]

No problem for the builds. I enjoy helping people with awesome PC's.

As for the money, where do you live? I can use the PCpartpicker for that country to build the computer.

as for the zalmans, I didn't think of the cards. I've heard of some with extensions that let you put the card sideways. I'll look into that.