PC Master Race: What Are Your Thoughts?

[bevo]

If anything I would say PC's offer just about everyone a good gaming experience. Sure games like Skyrim are more for hardcore gamers, but something like Bejeweled or the Sims are really casual games that can be enjoyed by someone in their 80's. PC gaming is as expensive as you make it, you can build a really good system for about $1,000.

I said hardcore gamers just because of the trouble shooting involved when it comes to taking your gaming experience to the next level when you start adding mods, peripherals, multi monitor, 3rd party software etc. As far as casual gamers go I think cell phones are starting to get the majority of them.

As for price I gave such a high estimate because it is pretty expensive to get the most out of PC games. I don't think a run of the mill system can show off what separates PC gaming from console gaming. If you bring over a non PC gamer and just boot up BF3 or modded skyrim and start using a mouse and keyboard on a 19 inch monitor, they're not going to see what a PC is capable of gaming wise beyond just great graphics. To see what a PC can really do with games your gonna be well over $4000. The PC alone would cost around $2000 and that's without monitors, steering wheels, flight sticks, tablets, etc. Again with my high price I said the MOST out of a PC gaming experience. Just plugging a PC into monitor and playing a game is just scratching the surface.

$4000 is really a conservative estimate. That's not even considering if you want to add full motion to your setup. $4000 would just be the PC, triple screens, and a quality steering wheel and pedals.

 

[Joey D]

As for price I gave such a high estimate because it is pretty expensive to get the most out of PC games. I don't think a run of the mill system can show off what separates PC gaming from console gaming. If you bring over a non PC gamer and just boot up BF3 or modded skyrim and start using a mouse and keyboard on a 19 inch monitor, they're not going to see what a PC is capable of gaming wise beyond just great graphics. To see what a PC can really do with games your gonna be well over $4000. The PC alone would cost around $2000 and that's without monitors, steering wheels, flight sticks, tablets, etc.

My PC was $900-ish and I haven't met a game yet I can't play on either High or Ultra settings. And all I recycled from my previous PC was the fans and one of the DVD drive (I have two).

As for the monitor and controllers, well you have to buy those with a console too. My 23" 1080 monitor was $180, so it's not that expensive to get something decent. To get a bigger, higher resolution monitor, sure you're going to spend more, but it's like buying a bigger, higher resolution TV for a console.

A $2,000 PC would be awesome and would really have a ton of bells and whistles, but I think it's overkill for most stuff out there right now.

 

[bevo]

My PC was $900-ish and I haven't met a game yet I can't play on either High or Ultra settings. And all I recycled from my previous PC was the fans and one of the DVD drive (I have two). As for the monitor and controllers, well you have to buy those with a console too. My 23" 1080 monitor was $180, so it's not that expensive to get something decent. To get a bigger, higher resolution monitor, sure you're going to spend more, but it's like buying a bigger, higher resolution TV for a console. A $2,000 PC would be awesome and would really have a ton of bells and whistles, but I think it's overkill for most stuff out there right now.

Again I'm saying the MOST out of PC gaming. To max out games on multiple monitors is gonna take a pretty high priced computer. If your just playing in a single monitor with an average gaming PC I can't see anyone thinking their getting a much better experience than a console gamer. But if you've put in a bunch of cash, time, and work building a huge setup I can see them considering console gamers not really up to their standards.

 

[Akira AC]

*Raises hand*

The monitor (which is actually a TV) is 32" LED full HD at 400 USD(the 3D version was like 25 bucks more, but meh), other than that:

i3 2120 + 1600 Ram socket mobo and 8 GB of Ram=250 USD.
HD7850+440w PSU=300 USD.
Box and cooling system=90 USD.

Which is a complete sum of 640 USD for the sole rig, and 1040 USD including the TV, the thing is capable of maxing out BF4, F1 2013 and ArmA III, is not top gaming rig, but is enough to run everything on ultra at solid FPSs (BF3 and F1 2013 manage to run always at 60 fps, except for ArmA III which does strggle, but for other reasons like the lack of processor).

With 2000 USD you can have a rig that could perfectly last 5 years, and you can even save some money given the terrific promotions and discounts that Steam has, something I'm yet to see in consoles.

Also, playing game at native 1080p is fantastic.

 

[bevo]

I'm just saying if somebody spends big money, time and work to get their PC up to the next level their naturally going to feel their experience is way beyond console gaming. To refer to console gamers as peasants is just stupid but it's reddit so what do you expect.

 

[Joey D]

Again I'm saying the MOST out of PC gaming. To max out games on multiple monitors is gonna take a pretty high priced computer. If your just playing in a single monitor with an average gaming PC I can't see anyone thinking their getting a much better experience than a console gamer. But if you've put in a bunch of cash, time, and work building a huge setup I can see them considering console gamers not really up to their standards.

I get plenty out of my PC and the games I play on it look way better than both the PS3 and 360. Sure I don't have three 32" monitors, but you don't need those. If I ever want to game on a bigger screen, I just plug the HDMI into my 42" TV instead of my monitor.

I'm not sure where you're getting this idea you need to spend a ton of money to have a good experience on a PC because that's just not true. I would wager most gamers spend somewhere between $700-$1,000 on their systems.

The only people that end up spending $4,000 on a PC are those who either have the money to burn or those who aren't smart enough to take 10 minutes and research system builds on a site like Tom's Hardware.

Seriously, the biggest misconception about PC gaming is the cost.

 

[bevo]

I get plenty out of my PC and the games I play on it look way better than both the PS3 and 360. Sure I don't have three 32" monitors, but you don't need those. If I ever want to game on a bigger screen, I just plug the HDMI into my 42" TV instead of my monitor. I'm not sure where you're getting this idea you need to spend a ton of money to have a good experience on a PC because that's just not true. I would wager most gamers spend somewhere between $700-$1,000 on their systems. The only people that end up spending $4,000 on a PC are those who either have the money to burn or those who aren't smart enough to take 10 minutes and research system builds on a site like Tom's Hardware. Seriously, the biggest misconception about PC gaming is the cost.

I'm not saying you have to spend $4000 to play games on a computer. You could build a pretty good amd system for around $600 from scratch and have a good time but I don't see how that would make anyone feel their leaps and bounds above console gamers. You can't get what PC gaming has to offer out of a $600 PC. You can play games sitting in front of a tv. To get into the high end world of PC gaming its expensive. A single screen on a mid range PC is not at the upper end of PC gaming.

I really don't know why your having a problem with the 4k remark. It is that expensive to take PC gaming to the next level. A $600 PC and single screen is entry level PC gaming. It's just like speakers. People love their turtle beach headsets, but really their just barely entry level headphones. Does that make them bad headphones? No. But some people who go out and get a high end audio system are going to think those turtle beach headphones suck and are going to tell people about it.

I was really just trying to make a point about why some PC gamers feel their above console gamers. I wasn't trying to get into a debate about how much PC gaming costs. It could be anywhere from $100 for a cheap laptop and flash games to over 100,000 for really high end motion simulators.

I'm saying to get to a point where your PC is vastly superior to a console and you have bragging rights over the PS4 players your gonna have to shell out a decent amount of cash. Not $1000

 

[Azuremen]

Again I'm saying the MOST out of PC gaming. To max out games on multiple monitors is gonna take a pretty high priced computer. If your just playing in a single monitor with an average gaming PC I can't see anyone thinking their getting a much better experience than a console gamer.

My $600 computer, from 3 years ago and wasn't that much more than what I paid for my PS3 a year after launch, renders most games better than my PS3 does. I've even compared UT3 on both systems. My triple monitor setup cost around $600 a few years back, but it is also an IPS setup for photo editing. So I can get quite a bit of actual work done too. Then you have, I dunno, all the PC exclusives that will basically never come to console. You know, these popular games like League of Legends and so on.

Please justify this $4000 figure, let alone justify it as conservative. I am so beyond baffled by where you've gotten such an outrageous figure.

The amount of misinformation coming from the pro-console side is just baffling to me.

 

[bevo]

3 27 inch quality monitors close to $1000

A system capable of running AAA games at high settings across 3 screens around at least $1800 You would have around $1000 in graphics cards alone. Gtx 770s are around $500 each.

And notice I'm saying at least high settings on games like crysis 3or bf4

Quality steering wheel and pedals around $1000 Or quality flight sim gear. I have no idea about that but I'm sure it's expensive.

A cockpit to use the wheel or flight stuff with. Around at least $500 after shipping. More really with a triple monitor stand.

Nice mouse and keyboard another $100

A tablet of some sort to view telemetry from sims flying or racing or use as a map screen for rpg or rts games.

A decent surround sound system. At least $1000 more like $2000 to get one with a decent sub and AVR

This is without even considering to add things like simvibe or motion kits.

I'm guessing anyone referring to console gamers as peasants have some pretty high end systems.

I'm sure you could go out and buy some Korean panels cheap and save some money or build your own cockpit and save. But you still will have close to $2000 in a PC alone to push new games to max settings at a minimum if 1080p on triple monitors.

 

[Joey D]

I don't see how that would make anyone feel their leaps and bounds above console gamers. You can't get what PC gaming has to offer out of a $600 PC.

My $900 PC performs and looks better than the current generation of consoles. When the next generation comes out next month I'll have to see, but as of right now I feel like it's leaps and bounds better. Obviously people are going to have different opinions, but if I compare the PC version of Skyrim to the PS3 version of it, it's pretty clear the PS3 version looks awful.

You can play games sitting in front of a tv.

It's pretty easy to play computer games in front of your TV. Even if you don't have a wireless controller, you can easily use a wireless keyboard and mouse without any issue. I used to play Star Wars: The Old Republic sitting on my couch for hours on end.

I really don't know why your having a problem with the 4k remark. It is that expensive to take PC gaming to the next level.

I have a problem with it because it's so grossly inflated I can't even figure out where you're getting those numbers. I've built fairly robust servers for small businesses for less than $4,000.

Please show me what a $4,000 computer looks like. Because here's a $2,700 computer that is rated #1 on the PCPartPicker website:

http://pcpartpicker.com/b/DoC

3 27 inch quality monitors close to $1000

You can't count the monitor when discussing the price difference between gaming PC's and consoles. You need some sort of display device to use a console too.

 

[bevo]

That $2700 one would do fairly well with triples. I'm not saying $4000 for the PC alone. I'm saying $4000 to go triples with nice equipment to race or fly with. Something to make someone feel they are above console gamers. Triple screens seem to be the minimum to awe a console gamer. And since almost every PC game supports triple screens then you can count the price if the monitors because they all need to match and that is the only thing you will use them for is PC gaming. With a console the tv can double as a TV. If you don't think its that expensive. Put together a system for triples with monitors and either racing or flying gear. Something to put it way beyond the reach if what consoles can do. Don't forget sound either. That would add another at least $1000 for even entry level decent speakers let alone an AVR. I leave it alone. I've derailed this thread twice now.

Maybe I'm part of the master PC race and don't even know it.

 

[Saidur_Ali]

PC gaming is very cheap regarding hardware costs compared to console if you try and keep to a budget and upgrade smartly. For example, my PC bought at similar time to 60GB PS3, I spent £150 less on the PC than the PS3 but today is more powerful the PS4 on raw power with the low cost upgrades. Slight hassle but consoles can have that element too. Reliability is more of a issue too and can be costly buying new machines / repairing. Also older models can go down in value quite quickly too so unless you upgrade quite quickly, can face a quite big loss compared to having luxury on PC of being able to upgrade individual parts at a time.

I just built a new PC which is quite a bit more powerful than the PS4 for same as the RRP price of a PS4. I did get some good bargains though, can run quite a number of games on maximum detail at 1080p. Laptop gaming is also cheap, you can get comparable performance to the Xbox One for similar to how much it costs. Console prices will go down over the years but at the same time new laptops will be quite a bit more powerful.

I wonder how being part of the PC master race and also being one of the console peasants works . Anyway I think this kind of terminology is just a joke, I don't really see it used much often in a serious manner. If I was a PC gamer only though, it will feel like the opposite given how much attention consoles get from the game developers.

@bevo
Console gamers can spend big too you know on their setup, way over $4000 if they liked to do so. Don't know why adding such costs is relevant when discussing platform costs.

 

[Azuremen]

3 27 inch quality monitors close to $1000

Because you need 3 monitors to have better graphics than a console, right?

A system capable of running AAA games at high settings across 3 screens around at least $1800 You would have around $1000 in graphics cards alone. Gtx 770s are around $500 each. [/quote]

Because you need to run everything at 8x AA on 3 monitors to have a better experience than a console, right?

And notice I'm saying at least high settings on games like crysis 3or bf4

You don't need the newest of the new to do this, sorry.

Quality steering wheel and pedals around $1000 Or quality flight sim gear. I have no idea about that but I'm sure it's expensive.

No. And again, this comparison makes as much sense as your triple monitor comparison.

A cockpit to use the wheel or flight stuff with. Around at least $500 after shipping. More really with a triple monitor stand.

Because we are only talking about racing sims, anyhow, right?

Nice mouse and keyboard another $100

Eh, more like $200.

A tablet of some sort to view telemetry from sims flying or racing or use as a map screen for rpg or rts games.

Where are you even getting these ideas? Any serious RTS player will only use the in game presentation as that is the only way to play at a competitive level without being banned.

A decent surround sound system. At least $1000 more like $2000 to get one with a decent sub and AVR

Because consoles include a surround sound system, right?

This is without even considering to add things like simvibe or motion kits.

Because, again, we are only talking about racing and flight sims, right?

I'm guessing anyone referring to console gamers as peasants have some pretty high end systems.

No, not really. It is more they have access to far more content, far more control over the content, and far more social options and server choices. It very rarely has to do with the graphics as much as the gaming experience.

I'm sure you could go out and buy some Korean panels cheap and save some money or build your own cockpit and save. But you still will have close to $2000 in a PC alone to push new games to max settings at a minimum if 1080p on triple monitors.

You are so wildly misinformed about what it is that makes PC gaming appealing I don't even know where to start. It borders on trolling, your argument that is.

 

[Bigbazz]

The main difference between console and PC graphics is that a PC has 3 screens, this I did not know until today

 

[Azuremen]

The main difference between console and PC graphics is that a PC has 3 screens, this I did not know until today

Don't forget the surround sound and racing cockpit as well.

 

[AnAL0G]

Been gaming console and PC for years, but I decided recently that I'm not going to continue on with the next-gen consoles. As far as racing goes, you don't really get a 'sim' experience on consoles, and they are so expensive that I'd rather spend that money on say, a Clubsport wheel. Consoles aren't bad by any means, but they're designed in a completely different way based on budget, market, etc. As a disclaimer though, mostly my gaming is limited to sim racing and the occasional FPS. I did enjoy Skyrim though, but for those interests I actually prefer the PC community anyway, or in a lot of cases don't actually need a console-level community to enjoy gaming. iRacing pretty much takes care of all of what I need for online racing, for example, and the driving overall is at a much higher level. I also don't care to deal with the corporate level of quality control that inevitably dictates you with consoles. You're limited to the hardware they provide unless you want to break warranties and all that, and there just isn't as much freedom as far as the gaming experience goes.

 

[Pako]

PC Master Race? My main complaint is that the gaming industry has switched gears some years ago making consoles the primary money maker where all the PC games are getting ported from instead of the other way around. There are exceptions like rFactor and ARMA for example that feel like true PC games at their core. I remember when all the best games were PC first and if we were lucky, they were ported to a console.

PC Master Race? Meh, nah.... I do enjoy better graphics, smoother game play, and an over all better gaming experience on PC as compared to the console counter parts. With platforms like Steam Workshop allowing map, level, and scenario creations that can be submitted to the community is huge and if done right, can extend the life of the game well beyond it's expected shelf life.

 

[Sharky.]

On the price front, my computer was roughly $1600 NZD when I (re)built it - using top-end parts ($320 processor, $700 graphics card, $180 SSD) and it blew pretty much every game out of the water. 3570Ks running at 4+GHz (overclocks are free performance) paired with GTX 670s tend to do that.

Did I need to spend that much? Nope. Nowhere close. I could've spent $1000 and had a very good gaming system - certainly one more powerful than a PS3 or 360. I've now spent over $4000 on it, but that's because I added another $600 graphics card and bought three screens... none of which were necessary to have an extremely satisfying PC gaming experience.

 

[ussr]

There is no PC master race any more. Master race is now console users. PC are just frustrated leftovers who begs on forums to game developers so they make game console port for PC.

But if you want to stop acting like a child and go into men's world of racing simulators then sell your game console and buy PC instead, the number of Racing Wheels, other countless peripherals, triple screen monitors is just amazing. Console world is just kids world.

 

[MHPALA]

PC master race 👍. OMG the aliasing.. OMG the frames.. OMG open source.. OMG .net framework. Create a UI just like a console. OMG my wallet... I can afford a PC and a console. Just sayin'.

 

[ussr]

One example of why PC is far more superior and will always be. Richard Burns Rally Look at this old game today. Just scroll through all the mods that are available. New 3D models of cars, new race tracks, new physics. Unbelievable !!! how this game lives up to this day.

Can you imagine a console game live so long? Never even GT5 is going to have successor in few weeks from now. Console games dies very quickly. No racing game has live so long, that's is only achievable only if a community of fans start to support game they love 👍

And i respect that.

 

[Jawehawk]

One example of why PC is far more superior and will always be. Richard Burns Rally Look at this old game today. Just scroll through all the mods that are available. New 3D models of cars, new race tracks, new physics. Unbelievable !!! how this game lives up to this day.

Can you imagine a console game live so long? Never even GT5 is going to have successor in few weeks from now. Console games dies very quickly. No racing game has live so long, that's is only achievable only if a community of fans start to support game they love 👍

And i respect that.

So in your opinion, a game dies after the devs stop releasing updates for it, and/or if you can't mod it? Interesting.

 

[AnAL0G]

So in your opinion, a game dies after the devs stop releasing updates for it, and/or if you can't mod it? Interesting.

I think games die when people stop playing them (especially if they are community-based), and the discontinuation of content for a game can definitely lead to that.

 

[Jawehawk]

I think games die when people stop playing them (especially if they are community-based), and the discontinuation of content for a game can definitely lead to that.

Well it obviously differs from genre to genre. Some are more community driven. But single player games (yes, they still exist!) never die.

 

[Pako]

Well it obviously differs from genre to genre. Some are more community driven. But single player games (yes, they still exist!) never die.

What do you mean, single player games never die? Seems to me single player games have little replay value, and if there is little replay value, it will die even faster.

And not to digress too much from the original topic, but it is clear that a modding community is pretty much non existent on consoles. If you have never experienced what it's like being apart of a modding community, then it would be hard to understand how rewarding it can be in terms of creativity and replay value.

 

[Jawehawk]

What do you mean, single player games never die? Seems to me single player games have little replay value, and if there is little replay value, it will die even faster.

And not to digress too much from the original topic, but it is clear that a modding community is pretty much non existent on consoles. If you have never experienced what it's like being apart of a modding community, then it would be hard to understand how rewarding it can be in terms of creativity and replay value.

When did I say that console games had modding? And while you might not be able to enjoy playing through a well made single player campaign more than once, I do. Hell, I've completed MGS4 more than 10 times. Never gets old to me, as long as I take a break in between playthroughs. To me, they're no different from movies. I can watch a good movies numerous times.

 

[Joey D]

Modding adds a ton of replay potential to a game on a PC which is probably why Pako brought it up. To show an example, Freelancer, a game that came out over 10 years ago still has a thriving community thanks to mods and there's still new content coming out pretty frequently.

 

[MHPALA]

Console modding communities do exist in the sense of modding the actual consoles with a custom firmware.

My current preference:
-Buy game on console if it is exclusive
-If the game is for PC, buy it for PC


I want the best experience when playing a game. I want a huge LOD (frame buffer for days). I want consistent 60+ fps. I want aliasing (no jaggies please). I want high resolution textures. I want fast loading times. I don't want to see dips in frames everytime the GPU draws a object. Yes, it might be a port, but i'm getting a far superior experience when playing it on PC.

 

[Pako]

When did I say that console games had modding?

You didn't nor did I say you did.