Sad Truth About PC Gaming

Nimblest-Assassin5067d ago

I'm actually getting ready to build a pc for university this month. Can anyone give me some graphics card suggestions? I don't want to spend more than 300, but I still want to play games like skyrim using those graphics enhancer mods

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NYC_Gamer5067d ago

This would be perfect

http://www.newegg.com/Produ...

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vortis5067d ago

Go Nvidia...it supports PhysX.

And before ATI fanboys come running in here going "But no one uses PhysX" they've been saying that since the inception of PhysX and games, including Borderlands 2, Batman, and every other big PC releases does support PhysX.

So if you want the top-of-the-line visual experience for under $300, check out NYC_Gamer's Newegg link and look for a DX11 Nvidia card (something in the 5xx series would be ideal for ENB series mods).

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SeekDev5067d ago

If you can get the GTX 580, I'd recommend that instead. I happen to have the GTX 570, and it's alright for Skyrim's graphical enhancement mods, but I sometimes wish for a little more power.

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Rettom5067d ago

The GTX 560ti or 570 is good for ya :)

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superrey195066d ago

the gtx570 is a great card and doesn't run too hot or loud. Can run almost all games at max settings.

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ginsunuva5066d ago

For beginners, I would start with a decent SLI-GTX 690 combo.

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AKS5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

This is on a nice sale (and comes with Dirt Showdown) and thus is currently under your $300 price ceiling:

http://www.newegg.com/Produ...

Here's a website that lets you do a quick comparison of cards:

http://www.hwcompare.com/12...

I've had absolutely fantastic luck with the IceQ cards from HIS. Every AMD card I buy is from HIS. They are typically among the coolest (temps), quietest, and most powerful. I've never had a single problem with any of the HIS cards I've owned, either.

BTW, I'm not a fanboy of either AMD or Nvidia. I just upgraded from an HIS IceQ 6950 to an EVGA GTX 670 4GB.

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MWH5066d ago

get ready to hear them "suggestions".

you may also want to consider HD Radeon 7870 from Asus or Sapphire.

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papashango5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

there's actually nothing wrong with Radeons. the physx argument has been bulletpoint feature for many many years and has gone nowhere. In fact Nvidia downplayed DX11 development so that multiplat ports could get the physx treatment.

You could say AMD pushed for innovation while Nvidia chose mediocrity. However Nvidia knows their shit when it comes to making high performing cards so go with whatever you set your budget at and go over benchmarks.

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AnarchistAbe5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

ATI Radeon HD 6950.

The 6950 and the 6970 have the same hardware, but are BIOS locked. There are instructions out there to flash the 6970 bios onto a 6950 (it's easy, I've done it a couple of times). This will save you a bit of money, and is a HELL of a card.

I run Skyrim on max detail, 1920x1080 resolution, graphics enhancement mods, and still keep great frame rate.

http://www.newegg.com/Produ...

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f7897905066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

You don't have to spend $300 on a graphics card to max out games.

I have an HD 6850 and I can play Skyrim at 1920x1080, 4xAA, the HD texture pack, the view distances cranked up all the way AND get 60fps. Only ~$150. Tomshardware.com also has some great charts if you're looking to compare cards.

http://www.newegg.com/Produ...

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Nimblest-Assassin5066d ago

Thanks guys... I think im going to go with the GTX 570, seems like a good fit in my price range.... just picked up skyrim for PC for 30 bucks.

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AO1JMM5067d ago

Well said

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ATi_Elite5067d ago

This article was made by some ignorant person who knows NOTHING about PC Gaming!

1. What ever you play on just ENJOY your Games. It's all about the JOY of GAMING and not the platform!

2. No need to compare PC to consoles cause in reality they are two VERY DIFFERENT worlds. I've been gaming since Pong so trust me I know!

3. Consoles are basically a great way to just push power and enjoy instant entertainment. I've played on every dam console ever made so I'm very familiar with the console lifestyle I just decided PC was for me cause I like building my PC and the games were different.

Most PC Gamers prefer the PC cause of the different games of course and it's their hobby. For example I build and repair PC's so therefore I'm all about the PC. SOme people make music or videos on their PC's therefore they got a kick butt Gaming PC already etc..

anyway lots of PC Gamers have consoles too! If we can buy $300 GPU don't you think we can buy $300 consoles.

This article is lame and just talks about the same old stupid stuff, Price of PC's, Console Exclusives, Can't build a PC, Blah blah blah!!

1. PC's do more than just play Games therefore common sense will tell you that they will cost more cause they DO MORE! I'm not knocking consoles but seriously your not burning BD Disc or doing Term papers on a console.

As far as building a Gaming PC, decide your budget, do the parts research and build a nice PC within your budget and upgrade as more money comes in! It's that simple!

2. PC's have Exclusives too! They may not be the type of games that "YOU" wanna play but they sure are the type of games that a "PC GAMER" wants to play and that's why I say PC Gaming is a different world.

3. PC Gaming made more money than 360/Ps3 combined! Google it! I'm not knocking the consoles but some uninformed people tend to think PC gaming doesn't make money! Ask Valve, Blizzard, Nexon, Zenga, Nvidia, AMD about the billions each of those companies makes in Game sales and GPU sales YEARLY!

PC Gaming has a totally different "Business Model" than consoles BUT Next Gen consoles will adapt the PC business model even more.

4. If you can't build a PC or need advise there are always plenty of people to help you out. I help people on here all time.

5. Like I said this article was typical Flaim Bait and I'm sick of it cause it leads people to believe the wrong thing.

*If you want to know about PC Gaming feel free to ask a PC Gamer like myself cause that's how I got into PC Gaming by asking others*

"Hey man I wanna build a PC to run Half Life 2 on max settings, can you help me out" is the question that got me 100% into PC Gaming!

Autodidactdystopia5066d ago

Yep.

funny thing is halflife 2 was my final straw as well.

before that i was all about the original xbox.

then I saw HL2 at costco bought it got a driver error (your pc sucks and cant play this) and spent a very long time figuring out how to play it maxed.

do it right and you can spend less than 1/4 of the money pc builders charge to send you their crap alienwaresque' overpriced garbage; and outperform anything they have for sale. ;)

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raWfodog5066d ago

ATi, I like how you got your point across without sounding elitist and snobbish. I wish more PC gamers could reason like you.

I, myself, prefer console gaming but I know that PC gaming is very powerful and has much more potential. I simply like the consoles more. I'm a simple gamer who grew up during the Atari era so I'm not pressed to play games with uber-ultra graphics. Just the other day, I started playing Xenogears and Legend of Dragoon again. To me, a good game is a good game, no matter what the graphics look like.

Maybe if my oldest kid becomes interested in building a PC rig one day then we'll do it together but, for now, we're happy with our PS3, 360, Wii consoles.

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Zweihanders5066d ago

So true. Activision Blizzard, Valve, EA? Yea there's no publishers and developers trying to change the PC market. Although I guess they aren't trying to change it since it's still strong..
PCs also have exclusives, to say otherwise is just ignorant. WOW, Starcraft, Blizzard, Witcher, Witcher 2 used to be, every other MMO pretty much, and many others.
Now let's talk about the expense. PCs do tend to cost a bit more, BUT there's a lot more sales for games so you can save quite a bit there over a "generation". Added to that is that you can do more, have more freedom with things like mods, and can even emulate older games with ease.
Chances are, everyone who games knows someone who can put a computer together. It's not hard. This is really a poor excuse.

I'm not a PC fanboy either. I play on an Xbox for many reasons. Just poiting out the innaccuracies in this poor article.

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tf2isgood5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

hey ATi_Elite i am totally new at PC gaming world. in my age of 16, i have been surrounded by schoolmates that talk about what is our culture such as music, movies , politics etc. now when gaming comes to their mind all i ever hear is either FIFA or CoD. nothing else. these 2 games just dont catch my interest because i like to watch football and play real football not in a videogame and i tried the CoD games such as Modern Warfare 3 or Black Ops and it was so bland and boring and generic. Whats worse is that its on the PS3 and making it just frustating enough to shoot something. i like games such as skyrim, oblivion, morrowind,racing games,co-op games, games that have deep story like amnesia and every indie game out there. i came to this site hearing its where PC gamers are only here and help one another but it is very corrupt site filled with hate.
Anyway the point is that i want to ask from you a very good PC gaming rig seeing that in this comment saying u will help all PC gamers and new. my budget is $700 because i saved up a lot of money for something and i want to get a new gaming rig and i mean everything such as a new screen,mouse,keyboard,processo r,video card etc

shadow27975066d ago

I'm new to PC gaming, so I'm no expert on the subject. However, here are some of the flaws I've seen with it:

1. The BIGGEST flaw is that it isn't as good as it should be. You hear a lot of talk about how PC's are "next-gen" and the graphics are so much better than consoles. Which is true, to an extent. The problem is, these "next-gen" experiences are limited to a very small (comparatively) number of games.

Most PC games that I've come across are console ports. You get the benefit of higher resolutions, better AA, and fps. But otherwise, it's the same game. A large number of them even seem to use the same assets as their console counterparts, including the textures. 7 years later and most people won't even be able to tell it's not coming from a console.

Which brings me to my next point: nitpicking. 1080p 60fps is great, I won't deny that. But frankly, I'm fine with 720p 30fps if I can get better textures and draw distance. I feel like a disproportionate amount of power is wasted on making PC games a little more smooth, a little more responsive, and a little crisper. This clearly isn't a common viewpoint, because the max textures on most PC games look pretty bad. A lot worse than they could.

And that's the thing, PC games could look like PS5 games right now. I even believe at next year's E3, many are going to cry, "Prerendered!" Sony and Microsoft will probably choose to stay at 720p 30fps in order to make their machines look more "next gen".

Now that isn't to say that you're wrong to prefer 1080p (or 2K, 4K, etc.) or 60+fps. But honestly, unless you have the ultimate gaming rig, you should take a visual hit to be able to do that. Maxing out games should not be something the majority can do. My $180 graphics card definitely shouldn't be able to. But developers know that PC gamers like to brag about maxing out games, so they appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Speaking of the developers, PC games tend to not be very optimized. It's understandable given the vast number of different configurations in the marketplace, but it could still be better. Optimization is one of the reasons consoles manage to look as good as they do.

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shadow27975066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

2. I know I've talked about visuals and aesthetics a lot so far, and that is far from the most important thing in gaming. But frankly, when you spend a grand on a gaming machine, you expect it to look good. However, PC's also have the problem of not PLAYING as good as they should. While PC games are the best looking on the market, they tend to be a bit old-fashioned in their play styles. Consoles are guilty of this too, but to a lesser extent. Most of this gen has involved playing extremely good looking PS2 games.

There are obvious exceptions, but one of the biggest disappointments I've found in PC gaming is the lack of huge set-pieces. Now, I'm aware that PC gamers don't like scripted events, but set-pieces don't have to be scripted. God of War 3 managed to put the player on a massive Titan a couple of times (with some obvious limitations). Uncharted 2 managed to put players on an actual moving train instead of just a moving background (again with limitations). Uncharted 3 sunk a huge cruise ship in what was one of the most under-appreciated, yet incredible set-piece sequences I've ever seen. All of those were heavily scripted, obviously, but there's no reason why they would have to be on PC.

And make no mistake, PCs could do all of those and do them a lot better. PCs are completely capable of much bigger and better set-pieces. Yet, you really don't see them. There are a few technical marvels, but PC games should be offering up these massive set-pieces without taking control away from the player. Star Wars 1313 looks to be moving in that direction, but it could still be a lot bigger.

The reason, I think, that PC games haven't gone more in that direction is, again, optimization. That's a flaw in the infinite upgrade system that's holding the platform back. Developers have to try to appeal to the largest demographic, they can't create a game only a few will be able to play. Most tech is optional and purely aesthetic so that the market isn't segmented.

In the end, PC is the most powerful platform and always will be. It is also arguably the best platform for gaming. However, it's not as good as it could, or maybe even SHOULD be. The reason to get into PC gaming isn't because of the visuals or to experience the next gen early. Widespread next gen gaming won't start until the PS4 and NextBox are released, and visually, the difference isn't really that huge. No, the reason to get into PC gaming is the same reason you would use to buy any other platform, be it PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii, it's the exclusives. There are simply a ton of gaming experiences you can get on PC that you just can't get anywhere else.

Like I said, I’m no expert, but that’s been my experience so far.

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Kran5066d ago

Indeed.

I own:

PC
360
PS3
Vita
DS

I rock in terms of the current generation :)

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gamerben5067d ago

PC's aren't used exclusively for gaming.

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JsonHenry5067d ago

I read the whole article. Didn't see any new "argument points".

And yes, the best part about a PC other than being an open platform is that it does a whole hella lot more than gaming.

ShinMaster5067d ago (Edited 5067d ago )

It's not like owning a PC makes you part of an exclusive elite club, lol. Practically everyone(including console gamers) already have a PC for non-gaming purposes.
So it makes sense that only the gaming part is compared with consoles. After all, the topic is about "gaming".

And the truth is PC gaming is quite lonely and isolated.
http://fc06.deviantart.net/... But you can steal games more safely, I'll give you that, lol

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Letros5067d ago

"And the truth is PC gaming is quite lonely and isolated"

I believe that's called 'next gen' :-)

See you there soon, maybe holiday 2013!

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superrey195066d ago

@ShinMaster
"And the truth is PC gaming is quite lonely and isolated."

Someone has never played a PC multiplayer game like Starcraft, counterstrike, etc. where some of the biggest organized communities exist.

Also, I'm pretty sure downloading and burning console games involves the same thing as downloading PC games.

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JsonHenry5066d ago

Shinmaster obviously has never played games on a PC if he thinks it is lonely and isolated.

FFS DotA 2 is still in beta and has one of the largest gaming communities EVER. And that isn't even taking into account the fact Steam has its own social network built in.

Then games like D2&D3, WoW, TF2, CounterStrike, Arma 2 (and the Dayz mod!!).. the list continues. VERY active communities.

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StoneyYoshi5066d ago

"And the truth is PC gaming is quite lonely and isolated."

Thats a load of BS. If you have steam go look at the amount of people that are online right now. its over 3 million people. and thats ONLY steam. not even counting people playing Starcraft, WOW, and every other game that are kinda on their own and dont work off of steam. And add people on origin playing Battlefield 3 and other games. Oh and we cant forget the people playing EvE Online. probably over a million playing right now.

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HenryFord5066d ago

@ShinMaster:
At what point did he say that it makes him part of an elite club if he owns a PC? Stop making things up.

So, to take apart your silly picture you posted:
1. So... it's a good thing that you are unable to buy your games because it's sold out? Nevermind that downloading games to the popular consoles is here. And it is here to stay.
2. Stealing games is easier on PC? Ha. Ever heard of the XBox 360? It's never been so easy - you don't even need to install the game, apply a crack or something - just pop it in and play it. Also: You have the capability of playing online which you don't get with most pirated PC-Games.
3. It's a good thing that people shout out racist shit on the consoles? Yeah... sounds about right. Nevermind that that happens on the PC as well.
4. Modifying games - well... it costs less and is easier on PC - so that's a point for the consoles?
5. Got my PC connected to my 50 inch flat-screen TV, enjoying a lot of games in split-screen/co-op, in 1080p with my friends on the couch. With controllers as well. So... ehm... what? That point simply makes no sense.

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h311rais3r5067d ago

Pcs are more costly UPFRONT. That 600 he spent and complained about the price was what I paid for my ps3 at launch. So I don't see his argument. And you DON'T need to upgrade the pc all the time. Only enthusiasts do that. My pc was $1200 because it's a GAMING (bf3 @ 60 fps maxed) and a VIDEO EDITING machine.

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TekoIie5067d ago

Yeh it's a failing argument. Built mine a year ago and it can nearly max out BF3 and it still looks beautiful. Also PC sort of has an exclusive genre, RTS's......So If you like that sort of game a PC is for you! :)

ChrisW5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

@h311rais3r, (sorry for clicking reply to Pekolie)

I started with a build that was about $600 or $700... It was nice and played a lot of games on almost MAX, but upgrading soon became an addiction and after a couple years my rig is worth approx $3000. Luckily, my university's research stipend helped pay for most of it! Just don't ask me how I convinced them that a GTX680 was necessary for my research... LOL!

But yes! My original machine was the approx same price as the PS3 at launch. The nice thing is that as each PC generation (annual generation) comes around, most PC rigs can be built to play games at MAX for approx $600.

Console owners only argue about this price difference after the console has been out for a couple years and received several price drops. Starting next-gen, we'll see the whole thing over again.

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JONESY65067d ago

Who buys a Computer just to play video games? A computer can do everything. its a COMPUTER.

You can do school work, watch movies, TV shows, Read articles, Contribute to forums and so much more.

Most people go to Bestbuy and buy sub-par computers for $500 and then they buy a $200 console with over priced games and pay-to-play online services. why not just get a $200 video card and play games on the computer too? everything in ONE place!

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Mythicninja5067d ago

let's not forget our old friend pr0n

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pwnmaster30005067d ago

Pay to play online maybe 360 not ps3.

I love pc gaming but now I just use consoles because its just way more easier.

JONESY65067d ago

Easy is a common excuse for console gaming and i can understand that. but for me when it comes to tech i love a challenge. the pay off is so much more rewarding.

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chaldo5066d ago

Really? Even though it is harder on PC, the mouse makes it a lot easier for me to aim. I don't know about you.

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JonahNL5067d ago

"Not everyone can render Heavy Rain’s graphics, even with a powered up computer, and there is still plenty of untapped power in the Playstation 3 to push the graphics limit even higher."

That sentence makes this whole article a joke.

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JONESY65067d ago

First off my PC cant run Heavy Rain because its a PS3 exclusive.(If it was on PC my mid-end PC from 2009 could run it better.)

And second the PS3 has seen its limit. If you call lowering the resolution and frame rate for a some more effects untapped power then then LOL WTF.

Autodidactdystopia5066d ago

I don't always game... but when I do, I game on PC. - Interesting Man

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irepbtown5066d ago

PS3 has not seen its limit, and the proof is obvious.

Just compare The Last of Us to any previous PS3 exclusive. The fact is, the PS3 still seems to improve everything, the more developers work on it. Just look at what Naughty Dog are producing.

Comparing PC Gaming to Console gaming is close to ridiculous. The differences are... lets just say alot.

By the way, how did you come to the conslusion that 'the PS3 has seen its limit.'
I'm not surprised a PC gamer would say that, but I'm just curious.

ShaunCameron5067d ago

Pretty much. The PS3's own games are either scaled down to accommodate those with 720p TV's or they're a native 720p.

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shadow27975066d ago

Which isn't a problem, because 720p looks fine even on a large 1080p TV, provided you're further than 3 feet away from the screen.

It's silly to waste resources on something most people won't be able to see. It's more of a comfort for people to know it's in 1080p, than for them to actually be able to tell the difference. That's really only something hardcore PC gamers can see.

That said 720p should be the absolute minimum for many reasons, including the fact that it's deceptive to those who thought they were buying an "HD game system" or saw "720p" on the back of the box.

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Letros5067d ago

PC gaming isn't for everyone, but it sure is damn fun :-)

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kingduqc5067d ago

This article is made by someone who don't understand tech at all, not only consoles but pc market too.

In one Steam summer sale you can save up hundreads of $ by buying games off on insane deal. That will never happen on consoles. Every one use a PC, the cost from an every day pc to a gaming pc is a good video card and that's about it.

oH, nd the whole " still plenty of untapped power in the Playstation 3 to push the graphics limit even higher." is bullshit. Ps3 dosn't even support cross game chat cause it's maxed in the amount of ram it use, skyrim lag like crazy, many other games have frame rate problem. they barely manage to get 30 fps and that's in 720p with no AA at all. it's 8 year old hardware ffs don'T say there is untapped potential.

slayorofgods5067d ago

The devil is in the wording. There's untapped potential in the PS3's cell processor..... Just like my pc processor has untapped potential due to my gpu only being able to handle so much.

Also, you are so right about software costs... To simply say pc has cheaper software would be a extreme understatement.

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MrDead5067d ago

This article has nothing news worthy, yet again N4G fails to do what its title implies. It’s meant to be News for Gamers.

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FlashBack5067d ago

Yet it's labelled as an opinion piece, so as you may or not have noticed, N4G is not just about news.

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Series_IIa5067d ago

"and there is still plenty of untapped power in the Playstation 3 to push the graphics limit even higher"

Where is this so called untapped power then?

- BF3 on consoles doesn't support 64 players, nor 1080p, nor at 60fps, nor does it have all of the extra bit of polish to the graphics and AA, although you could argue MAG does 256 players, but looking like a PS2 games just proves next point.

- Games devs have to juggle between, better graphics, more AA or larger screen resolution.

- Uncharted has had 3 iterations and Naughty Dog keep saying there is plenty of power left after each game, yet after 3 games, the game doesn't run at 1080p native nor at 60fps.

That ain't pushing it higher, that's just working well with that you have to work with.

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TheFirstClassic5067d ago

Article is a joke, and that's from someone who doesn't have a gaming pc.

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310dodo5067d ago

my best friend is a PC gamer.
I understand that they obviously are more powerful.

but consoles are just way more convenient.
pick up and play. HD "hdmi" accessories are "upgrades"

just easier

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AKS5066d ago

How are consoles "way" more convenient? I have my PC and my PS3 and 360 plugged into the same home theater setup. They all use the same 3 cables (HDMI, power, and ethernet). I can use my 360 controller with most PC games. Unless you are unplugging these machines and carry them with you from place to place (why would you do that?), I don't see a major difference in convenience.

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LightofDarkness5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

I don't know where people get this idea from. I assume it's because they think you'll be opening it up and upgrading components every few days/weeks, which just doesn't happen (and shows they have never actually experienced it before). You can have your first PC built in about 30-45 minutes, ready to game in about 1 hour or 2 (depending on how much experience you've had prior to your first build). After that it just gets easier, and you only realistically do it once every year or two, except very seldom do you have to do a total rebuild. Usually you're swapping GPUs or adding in another HDD, etc. And it's not laborious and tedious, most people find it quite fun and engaging (like tricking out your car). And that all takes about 5 minutes.

I've built about 10 PCs in my time (only 2 of those were my own), and it takes me about 15 minutes or so to assemble it all. After that, it's install times for Windows etc. that take up the time, and you don't even have to be around for that (I use Ghost for my own drives, so that only takes about 4 minutes to get a fresh, clean Windows volume ready to go with my own serial key).

If anything, I've found my PC to be more convenient than consoles in a lot of ways (digital sales and pre-loading, performance upgrades are just a new component away, can use any controller and display type I want, etc.).

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AKS5066d ago

@LightofDarkness

Did you intend to respond to 310dodo? It looks like you and I have the same positions.

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LightofDarkness5066d ago

@AKS: I was just adding my own two cents in on your sentiment ;)

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Fatty5067d ago

"because of greed or piracy concerns, no major publisher or developer is trying to change this."

Valve called.

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rulakir5067d ago

I like consoles better. Better games, yes I happen to believe consoles have better games than PC. Don't have to worry about this freaking nonsense about graphic cards, compatibility, etc... I don't really care about having 5699858 x 248225 resolution(just made that number up). Just pick up the controller and play(yes controller is better than keyboard, yes I have a PC).

TitanUp5067d ago

a lot of modern games support 360 controller all you have to do is install driver and the buttons are mapped.

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Ravenor5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

Man, I am so glad you let us all know how much you love your consoles exclusively over your "PC". I am happy you realize keeping track of simple things like video cards is just to complicated for you and instead of forcing it and thinking for two seconds simply declare it too complicated. Who the hell wants to think, right?

It's nice knowing you don't care about something, and so can simply pay it no mind. What's unfortunate is how you're clearly lying to yourself.

The day I believe you console gamers don't care about resolution is the day you stop ragging on certain titles for running slightly below 720P. On the controller front....really? As always, the challenge still stands to you guys who seem to think the controller can match a mouse in speed or precision.

Quake live (Free 2 play Quake 3, can run on anything)
1v1 with rail guns
Install Xpadder

You will never win, I guarantee it.

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shadow27975066d ago

"As always, the challenge still stands to you guys who seem to think the controller can match a mouse in speed or precision. -- You will never win, I guarantee it."

Sometimes it's about fun, you know. I find a mouse less immersive than sticks, but the much bigger gripe for me is the keyboard. They are built for typing, not gaming. On a controller, I can move my character and perform actions without moving my fingers very far. It's all easily accessible and comfortable.

Trying to game with a keyboard is a headache. I COULD try and get used to it, but it won't ever be as good as a controller, which was designed for gaming.

I already know the response I'll get, but at least maybe you can begin to see it from another's point of view.

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HenryFord5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

I have to agree shadow - a lot of games simply play better with a controller. Racing Games, Beat 'em Up Games, Fighting Games, Action-Adventure (like the Batman Arkham series), Sport Games - the list goes on and on.

There are only around two or three genres I would never play with a controller, because suddenly that becomes a HUGE headache. Shooters for example - I cannot get comfortable with the controller in my hands. Even if the mouse gets me unrealistic movements (in aiming for example), with the controller it just feels wrong and doesn't play well (I played Portal 2 on my XBox - it just sucked in my opinion compared to the PC-version. Not because of the graphics or something silly like that, simply because of the gameplay). MMOs/most of RPGs are another thing, for obvious reasons: A controller hardly has enough buttons to be mapped in a good way to the actions you are making. Talking about Mass Effect for example - hardly enjoyed it with the controller, was way more fun with the mouse in my hands. And lastly games like Diablo, where precision plays an important role, are plain unplayable with a controller (yes, yes I tried it).

Also - what you have to take into consideration are gaming keyboards, specifically designed to be used by gamers. They often have macro-keys which are easily accessible. So you don't have to move your fingers very far either.

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ALLWRONG5067d ago (Edited 5067d ago )

Console is easy user friendly, less powerful, and less expensive

PC is more expensive, more powerful, but much less user friendly.

Console doesn't have to deal with patches you have to install, or unsupported hardware. PC games however are so far ahead of console that console looks 5 gens behind.

PC is starting to gain on console when it comes to the TV. More and more people are bypassing console in favor of PC and HDMI. MS is in a good position to take advantage of that with Windows 8.

Campy da Camper5067d ago

I get updates all the time on my ps3. The first thing I deal with after I install a game is the there was an update found that is required to play this game message. I went to midnight release for fallout new Vegas and at 12:43am there was an update needed.

ALLWRONG5067d ago

Yeah but console does all the work.

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HenryFord5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

So does the PC?
Most new games come with an automatic updater, you just launch the game, the patch is downloaded and installed - without you having to do a thing besides clicking on the game (I assume (well, I know) that you have to do that on the consoles as well). If the game doesn't come with the updater, you can rely on services like Steam which will keep your game up-to-date without you _doing a single thing_ - yes, you don't even have to click the game.
If it doesn't have an updater, it's not a lot more of a hassle either: Download a file, double-click it, wait for the installer to finish, done. That's hardly "work", is it?

TitanUp5067d ago

valves steam automatically updates games just like ps3 and 360. so does ea origin i don't understand why people still don't get that.

pc games have lots more sales from digital distribution then what consoles have.
steam winter sale 2011

Neverwinter Nights 2 Platinum – $4.99
Batman: Arkham City – $24.99
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Bundle – $8.74
Duke Nukem Forever $4.99
Dungeons Of Dredmor $1.24
Lego Batman $4.99
Psychonauts $2.50

that is just a few examples of how steam summer sale kicks ass

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ALLWRONG5067d ago

Steam doesn't have everything and doesn't offer support for many older PC games. Steam cherry picks the titles with the least amount of hassle.

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Linsolv5066d ago

@ALLWRONG you're right, Steam tends to cater to more modern games, and there are some game publishers (EA) that choose not to have their games on Steam. For the most part, anyone who wants on Steam can get on Steam. But older games that are not being supported as completely by their publishers still have an easy solution, too: GOG.com

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HenryFord5066d ago

Older PC-Games aren't being updated anymore - so... what's your point?

Steam doesn't cherry pick... Steam has everything 'new' - there are just a few publishers who don't release to steam. But that hardly Valves fault, is it now?

Somebody5067d ago

I've PC gaming since 2001 and what you said about PC patches is partly true. Constant hardware updates in order to play the latest games were almost the norm a decade ago. Were.

Nowadays patches are convenient and fast thanks to Steam and other clients. Most games that don't use Steam have auto update features or their own. No more looking around the web looking for patches. Hardware patches are almost unnecessary unless you have multiple graphic cards in SLI or CF. Like the article sad: not many PC gamers out there have that kind of setup.

I haven't updated my nvidia driver in months (I know there's a new version available) but my latest games are running flawlessly that I don't feel like updating. Really I haven't updated any drivers for my sound card or motherboard at all, which is something I did constantly years ago.

As for MS and Win 8...I feel it's a trap, a smoke screen. From MS's own action (inaction) towards PC gaming all these years and the emphasis on beaking away from the traditional PC, I feel that Win 8 is the final step for them to finally leave the PC for good. With X Box 8, Windows Phones and Surface, the stage is set for a total separation. The only reason for them to stick with the PC is to have it as a financial and reputation backup and keep the indie devs/potential rivals in check.

Ravenor5066d ago

Unsupported hardware? Patches....? That you manually install? This isn't 2003 any more. Steam has pretty much shown that the patch process with the PC can be even easier then what it already was. It does everything for you!

It also has been YEARS since I've had a game that refused to run because of unsupported hardware. This isn't really an issue any more. It's really not like you need to think about whether or not your video card supports Direct X, Hardware T&L and 3DFX and all that kinda jazz.

superrey195066d ago

Patches are handled the same on both consoles and PC.

Load up a game on PS3> checks for patch> install it

Load up a game on PC> checks for patch> install it

Idk why that seems so hard.

Ravenor5066d ago

Downloading a installer from a site, then installing it from the desktop wasn't hard back in the day either.

It's just excuses.

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hiredhelp5066d ago

ALLWRONG
Console is easy user friendly, less powerful, and less expensive

PC is more expensive, more powerful, but much less user friendly. (ALLRIGHT)

Console doesn't have to deal with patches you have to install,(ALLWRONG)
or unsupported hardware. PC games however are so far ahead of console that console looks 5 gens behind. (Depends on everyone has differnt pc)

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KontryBoy7065067d ago (Edited 5067d ago )

I'm interested in PC gaming. I have a feeling M$ is going to try to stick it to PC gamers with Windows 8. It would be stupid of them to try another XBL type fee on you guys like they did in the past. Im pretty tech savy. However I don't even know where to start with building a decent PC as far as good motherboards, gfx cards, best processors for gaming, tower cases etc. I guess YouTube tutorials.

superrey195066d ago

Yeah there are plenty of articles online you could check out and forums where you can ask questions.

As far as Win 8 screwing with PC gamers, at least we have the option of sticking with Win 7. But i think Win 8 will be fine, personally.

irepbtown5066d ago

I'll bet you any money you have a friend somewhere that knows how to build it.

If I ever decide I want to build a PC I'll just ask a few of my friends to come around. They've built PCs that run games like Crysis and BF3 on max. I'm just here playing Simulators because that's all my PC can handle :D

KontryBoy7065066d ago

Yeah I have heard of guys building decent pcs that can run BF3 smooth not for a ridicoulius amount of money. I hear new egg is where to buy stuff

Raoh5067d ago (Edited 5067d ago )

PS3 and PC together. The perfect combo.

Want the best (most of the time) version of a multiplayer game? PC

Best Exclusives? PC and PS3

Online? Free

Open Network? PC and PS3. From steam account integration, pc and ps3 co op play, hints and attempts at competitive play, free to play games, access to multimedia services at no additional fee through the platform.

Mods are a great reason for pc games as well, this is an available option on ps3 that sadly sony does not pursue. Epic did a great service to console gamers by including pc mods to the ps3 version of unreal tournament. I really wish sony would ask more devs to do this.

Steam Workshop for PS3's skyrim would be awesome. Maybe on the ps4.

I built my pc just over 3 years ago. to sum it up 4gb of ram, an ati hd 4890 video card (which I paid $150 for 3 years ago and have no need to replace, it has an hdmi, vga and dvi out, i normally run hdmi to my tv and dvi to my monitor with extended desktop settings, sometimes I'll add a third monitor if I need to have something running in the background that I need to monitor the progress of, sometimes its to be logged in to work while I play when on call during the weekends), AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black cpu and an asus motherboard.

All and all my pc came out to about $550. I sadly had to replace my cpu and board, trying to find where the loud noise was coming from (the video card fan) I shorted out the cpu and board. Replaced both with a AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban and a cheap msi board.

The extra cost of the replacement board and chip were due to my own stupidity.

Before my screw up I was able to run starcraft II like a champ.

After my replacement chips I was still able to run every game out while running torrent downloads in the background.

Oh and nothing is overclocked.

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linkratos5066d ago

PC and Nintendo is also pretty good. Just depends on what exclusives you prefer.
PC and 360 would be redundant.

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nnotdead5066d ago

i think the perfect combo is having every platform that has games on it. for me this is PC PS3 also, bur other might just want Wii and 360. i don't agree, but im sure they have valid reasons for their choice.

tee_bag2425066d ago

I'm very much into PC gaming lately. Especially as the consoles reach the end of their life cycle. I do agree that consoles are often a far simpler affair for people who want to jump on, party chat and game without worrying about much else. Thats usually me. However a PC can be set up in a similar fashion with a bit of effort, and is far more rewarding.

Auron5066d ago

Pc is so amazing, not just the graphics and resolutions. but the price of games are insane!

kasasensei5066d ago

My old 1000€ pc from 2007 still runs 99% of the games. I'm tired of the biased excuse "it's overpriced"...
I bought 3 ps3 for ylod and bluray issues, paid for xblgold and ps+, and spent a lot more money with console and the "20€ bonus for no reason" price for each game... Actually my consoles with the games' collection cost more than 5 brand new actual PC gaming rig...
A pc can do anything, you can't compare to a console that can barely runs properly a game...

TronEOL5066d ago

People play consoles because they don't want to deal with the headache of building, buying and maintaining a proper gaming PC. And that's perfectly fine.

Some gamers just want to game. They don't care how you do it, or how pretty your trees and colours look. They just want to wake up/get off work, sit on their couch, turn on their TV, swap a channel and start up a game.

I actually know plenty of people who are actually swapping over to PC for Multiplatform titles, myself included (I already have a beastly rig and I plan on building a second one soon). Then sticking to their consoles for games/experiences you can't get on PC.

For example, I'm damn glad I bought my PS3 since I'd never EVER find another game like Uncharted 2, or God of War 3 on PC. Ever. Same goes for games like Littlebigplanet, or inFAMOUS.

Meanwhile most my PC time is spent playing Counter-Strike, Team Fortress 2, Arma 2 (&DayZ), and my 83 other Steam games (plus 2 Blizzard games and about 5 Origin games).

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larrym5066d ago

I own a gaming PC, Sega Genesis, Sega CDX, White Japanese Sega Saturn, 3DO, NES, SNES, Smoke colored N64, PS1, PS2, PS3, 2 green Halo Edition Xbox units, 2 Xbox 360's, DS Lite, DSI XL, and soon 3DS XL. Love all games, I hate fanboys.

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Someonerandom5066d ago

Yet another idiotic article that was written by an uneducated idiot, and as usual, N4G approved it.

hiredhelp5066d ago

Move On If You Do Not Wish To Listen To My Cr&p

I am a Gamer first formost i also started with pong on atari ive seen the consoles grow ive seen some the earlyer stages of home computers grow from C64 to AMIGA to Acorn ect.
Ive seen normal people like you and me program in there bedroom make games for commodore ect. Ive been around seen that today company's like OCEAN bitmap brothers many others have been no longer instead eaten up by big greedy corps witch today are EA Activision Codemasters.

I got my first real pc at age of 17 im 33 now first of many only ever had 1 retail bought pc that being my first.
Last year i left my cosole behind after leaving Pc gaming for 8yrs thoe still building rigs for people. Then this year i made transisstion back to deadicating myself to Pc gaming.
Built myself yet another umpteen time pc told my wife last build till my son starts school.
I use keyboard mouse and xbox360 controller i love my pc I love the attitude the determination of PC crowed today when publishers push devs we get shoddy port we want somert done or if we want mods we join forces make things happen,or go to forums where people like myself many others try help people with problems vise verser.

But since comming back to pc i found where i left off ps3 with online passes ect that unlike when i was PC GAMING every game i had i could use on multiple computers i now can only use it on just 1 account witch 85% is connected wanting steam for that i miss consoles,i hate how not enough devs using dx11 tech hell not seen using much my CPU but thats ok because its starting to slowly change back to PC with crysis 2 despite some people BF3 MaxPayne 3.

This generation has made me wish i never seen this generation ive seen Greed online subscriptions ,DLC witch should be free,online passes any excuse to squeeze few more $s or £s.
Ive seen new geration kids buying into all this not understanding where games started ive seen games been rushed out endless patches because they choose too instead waiting pushing out a quality game instead, i see activision turning into a cow churning milk with every new annual cod game but with no insentive to say hey folks we got some free DLC for you for supporting our cows.
EA using second hand market as a target to introduce a excuse to use Online passes and Ubisoft ignorant to the factthat PC still the worst pirated So they can use and pay money to use DRAM WRONG .
Yes i wish i was back on my old ps2 playing gta or endless amount of other titles or old xbox with oddworld strangers wrath and Black.
Im just a gamer who babbles on cant spell fucks up quite simply dont care.

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chela5066d ago (Edited 5066d ago )

sad truth about console gaming: ancient gfx, holding games back (eg. battlefield 3), makin games casual (BF3 aswell)

strauser3605066d ago

Some yellow journalism if I ever saw it.

pandehz5066d ago

"Not everyone can render Heavy Rain’s graphics, even with a powered up computer"

Umm you need to take computer classes or just in general google more or read more mags

sagapo5066d ago

the only thing bothering me is the fact that consoles are the leading platform for many games nowadays and PC gets crappy ports as a result. The latest Ghost Recon is a good example of such; they didn't even bother adjusting the tutorial to PC buttons!
BF3 and even Max Payne 3 prove it can be done differently!!
I guess it's time for the next gen consoles to make their appearance...

shutUpAndTakeMyMoney5066d ago

Sad truth about console gaming..
"Square Enix Hints At Final Fantasy XIII-3"
http://www.ign.com/articles...

Console gamers taste like milk..

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TukkerIntensity5066d ago

I've switched back over to PC gaming (from primarily playing on the PS3 but also owning a 360 and Wii) and I haven't been back to the console since. The PC gaming world has so many more free games and free mods and addons and I think a lot of the paid exclusive games on the PC are better than what the consoles have to offer.

Maybe everybody can't play PC games....but if they could they would....because it is a much more flexible and evovling platform. The consoles are static and have no room for growth until the next console.

izumo_lee5066d ago

My take on this & it may upset some people but i believe PC gaming started to lose its appeal as soon as Microsoft decided to enter the console market.

Before a lot of PC developers like Epic, Crytek, Bethesda, & all those other developers that were very PC focused were solely on just that...the PC.

However when Microsoft decided to throw their hat into the console business they courted many of these developers to work on their new system. The original Xbox & the 360 are very PC developer friendly which intrigued many of these once PC devs. Now they can bring their games to a wider audience. So slowly these once PC focused devs have another alternative & shifted more to the console market but still have to be able to satisfy their PC fans.

Is PC gaming dead. No it is still around but it may never be able to go back to the days that many PC gamers remember. Is Microsoft to blame? No, they just game the developers another option but at a sacrifice to PC gaming players.

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stubbed_out5066d ago

Hate to be a negative Nelly but that was a poor article. Yes I agree there is a sad truth to PC gaming but it was hardly tackled in this article.

CJQNSNYC5066d ago

I've always found it amusing when people state their opinions as though they were facts. A better title would have been "My OPINION on PC Gaming.......of which I know nothing about."

Tzuno5066d ago

With a PC you can do hundreds of things with a Console you can only game so the PC will always be the DADDY

STIKUP ARTIST5066d ago

I have all current gen consoles but since I built my pc last year I have been gaming mostly on pc. As long as the game supports a control pad I usually buy off steam or amazon. The pc has made me a graphics whore and I am not ashamed to admit it. But what I like most is even games like dirt 3 seem to have better FF and physics then when I play it on 360, I use a fantec csr wheel on both. Playing skyrim with free mods and max payne maxed out in dx 11 feels like IM gaming in the future.

rulakir5066d ago

I still find consoles have better games. The fact is I'm really not into those mmo or mmorpg games out there. I find so much better action in consoles and JRPG, RPG, etc...

Sidewinder-5066d ago

None of these 'arguments' were 'new'.