My second computer beats PS4. I spent like 400€ on it, including a decent m-atx case, mouse/keyboard and a windows 8 license.

Case+650w psu = 52e
660ti = 133€
FX6300 = 81€
mobo = 30€
1tb hdd = 32€
8gb ram = 45€
Razer Abyssus+ a keyboard = 26€
Windows 8.1 = 0€

All brand new and legal. Then I get better and cheaper games, you could easily deduct 200€ from the price just because of the cheaper games. I don't see why anyone would pick up ps4.

Steam sale starts again tomorrow. ;)

hey I bought my P.S.4 with killzone £399

can you list me a pc for the same price, decent looking compact case included

that will perform exactly the same

You don't seem to understand the different architecture and how to calculate the equivalence.

The PS4 is a 8-cores x86 CPU optimized in all aspects for games. The GPU is the equivalent of a GTX 660ti but with an architecture (which is not limited by DirectX) and 8GDDR5 optimized and allocated to the GPU only.

So you'd probably a way better graphic card like GTX 750 with at least 4GB to match the current PS4 architecture.

But then again there's no point in trying to match it's power if game developper are not using that power, and also there's no point in getting a PS4 for the multiplatform game but for the exclusives.

The best combi is a powerful PC + a PS4.

You found 8 gigs of GDDR5 ram for 45€? please tell me where so I can put that beefy RAM in my own rig cuz that shit is super awesome.

To beat a console all you need is a quad core CPU made within the last 7 years.
8Gb of DDR3 Ram.
And the best GPU that you can afford.

Mantle is going to be supported by all the major game engines over the next few years, so my suggestion is to go with a Radeon 7950/R9 280/280X. (Or a Radeon 7870/270 if cash is tight.)
And because mantle will be reducing the draw cells, you will have lots of spare CPU cycles, AMD stated that with Mantle if you underclock an AMD FX to half the clock you don't loose any fps as the load has shifted off the CPU.

So with that in mind, get yourself a second hand Phenom 2 x4 or x6 system or find a second hand Second Gen/Nahelem based Core i5/i7 based PC, drop in a coolermaster Hyper 212+ CPU cooler, overclock the CPU to 3.6-4ghz, upgrade the Ram for a packet of smokes so you have 8Gb DDR3 and hunt around for a Radeon 7950 on sale/second hand.

Then you can enjoy superior gaming to the consoles.
Also something to keep in mind is that games are generally $10-$20 cheaper and usually you can get an extra 20-30% off that price at a minimum, even for launch games.
And you also get free online, so PC gaming is actually cheaper than console gaming in the long run, the money you would have paid for the online subscription can essentially buy you a new GPU every 3-4 years, which is about the length of time a high-end GPU starts to struggle. (Like the Radeon 5870's, which despite running EVERYTHING are only now starting to show their age after 4 years.)

On the flip side, do ignore the idiots saying that a PC can't match a Playstation 4 because the GPU doesn't have 8Gb of GDDR5 Ram, they really don't know how hardware and software works together.
For starters, the entire 8Gb of GDDR5 memory isn't available to games on the PS4 and a chunk of the left over memory has to be reserved for non-graphics duties for the game.
So that 8Gb is probably going to end up more like 3-4Gb for just plain old graphics, depending on the game of course, but it's certainly nothing a PC can't handle.

Personally, I have a high-end PC, more powerfull than four PS4's combined and I didn't need 32Gb of GDDR5 memory to achieve it and it's even 2 years old. (With the rebuild/upgrade finishing in January.)

I count them because I also have a laptop and I'd just use that entirely. The monitors are there for my gaming PC only. I do use the desktop for non gaming things, but it wouldn't be there otherwise

I probably don't use it enough to really justify its worth, but once it gets another 670 it'll do a great job with Star Citizen

But I do understand why you wouldn't count monitor costs in general

NVM

it is only possible if you can cannibalize some standart parts everyone should have.
Like casing, keyboard, mice, monitor, dvd-rom, hdd, desk, chair ...

what I could get for 500 bucks was:
530w psu: 35€
Motherboard z87: 80€
i5 4670k: 180€
amd 7870: 150€
8gb ram: 65€

the rest I already had ... dunno if it can compete with a ps4, but 1080p60fps is no problem until now.

except star citizen ... 1080p30fps only :/

Great, then it's definitely doable.

GPU ~$160-200 : HD7850(~$160, less w/ rebate, then overclock mem and core >=PS4)/HD7870(~$170w/rebate or sale)/ R9-270X(~$200)

CPU - $100-120 AMD FX Vishera quad or six core

Mobo ~50-70 - AM3+ about $70 or 50-60 w/rebate (can drop to ~$30-ish with rebate)

Ram $70-80 8GB DDR3 1600-1866 (I remember when DDR3 were cheap, 8GB 1600 for $30-35)

PSU - $40-50 -  450-500W 80plus cert (evga 500W 80plus $40 or $30 after rebate)

Total = $420-520

Add $60-70 for HDD + $20 disc drive, if you already dont have.

That should get you a PC equavalent(if not better) to a PS4.

If you just wanted the same core specs, you could possibly pull it off for $500 if you wait for sales etc. If you want a PC that can run games on the same level as the PS4, no, it's not possible. Consoles get a fair bit more out of their specs than PC's do.