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Forums - Gaming Discussion - So I just built a PC and here's my take on the whole Consoles VS PC argument

Mummelmann on 20 October 2015
Lawlight said:
Mummelmann said:

I'll give it a go;

1: Constant fiddling with drivers and settings. No, I update my graphics drivers about once every two months or so, the process is entirely automatic and can usually be performed in the background. Drivers for motherboard, sound card, HDD and SSD, optical readers and network gear is usually out of the box and practically never needs updating. GPU's are the only components which require frequent or semi-frequent updating. The firmware updates and various app updates on consoles are an equal hassle, sometimes more since the servers are terribly slow (especially on PS). I've also experienced not being able to play a new game at all (GTA V) because I lacked the newest firmware on my PS3 when I was without a connection for 2 months, the game simply would not start and I was forced to bring my PS3 to a friend's house across town, ride 30 minutes of trains and bus each direction simply to update it, this has never happened to me on PC ever since we entered the modern era of gaming (I've also spent 3-4 hours waiting for Gran Turismo 5 and 6 to update after not having played them for a while).
As for settings; I'm assuming you're talking about games here. Never have I "constantly fiddled" with settings in games, I buy the games, install them and then choose every setting and bind the keys and then I play the game, usually never touching the setting ever again until I'm done with the game, so that part is an outright lie at least.

2: Frequent upgrades required; no. I had my last rig for 5 years and it was in the upper middle segment of performance when I bought it, I never so much as replaced a single component in it. It was still fully functional and even ran the newest games, but I wanted more oomph and decided on a new one (and went balls-to the walls). This is among the favorite arguments of console gamers, but it's also an outright lie. Frequent upgrades are not required, my current rig can probably go for 7-8 years if I add another GPU on SLi setup, with no other components replaced, it won't max them but run them at least (1080p and unstable 30 FPS console gaming isn't anything to shower with pride either imo).
I guess it comes to to your definition of "frequent", but to me, every 5 years or so is not frequent, that's actually more or less in line with most console lifecycles for early adopters (with One and PS4 being exceptions and not the rule, PS3 and 360 had unnatrually long lives due to the HD era being ushered in).

3: Requires extra space to set up desktop, monitor and input devices. My monitor is huge (32") and my desktop is a Big Tower as well, it easily fits in my 1 room appartment of around 37 square meters though, and I also have a 46" TV here. My input devices are as follows; a Logitech 2.1 system with the small speakers placed on each side of the monitor on my fairly small desk and the bass placed directly below on the floor, an HD camera for Skype on top of the monitor and currently a Xbox 360 controller I use for FIFA. That's not really a terrible hassle and my screen and tower is vastly bigger than average. Besides; the TV + console + possible surround takes up a lot more room, so this is a non-argument at best and seems like serious grasping at straws.
If you can't afford living conditions that will fit a desk and a desktop computer, you probably don't have cash to spend on console gaming and a decent TV either.

4: Having to play with kb/m in MP just because everyone else is. Another non-argument; "the majority of users are using a controller setup I don't like, the platform is unfit for me." That's just personal preference. I hate playing FPS games and most RPG's with controllers, that doesn't mean that I complain about people playing Battlefield on PS and Xbox and state that I can't buy those consoles because other gamers are using controllers I don't like.
Keyboard + mouse is superior in every way on FPS and 3rd person games, as well as RTS and RPG's with lots of shortcuts and hotkeys; the fact that you don't like it personally is not an argument against PC gaming in general from any objective standpoint.

These are not proper arguments at all, they're either false or simply completely subjective and/or irrelevant. It's fine that you don't appreciate or like PC gaming, I can understand it on some level, but the above points are not fit to dismiss PC gaming as a whole.
There are a hundred arguments of the same nature I could use against consoles, but I don't because I see their lack of value in the discussion.
Some prefer console gaming (I did too for many years) and some prefer PC gaming and that's fine, we can't really "defeat" the other' preferences by imposing our own, especially with non-arguments and personal anecdotes on likes and dislikes.


1. That's great for you but a quick google search of "The Witcher 3 won't start" gives you multiple threads on multiple forums with people having issues just starting the game. I can have any number of updates on my PS4 games (though, those are done in the background) but I know I'll never have to spend hours trying to figure out why something is wrong with my game.

2. Who knows what components you have and how much you spent on them years ago.

3. I live in a 3-room apartment so don't worry about my lack of space. That's not the issue here, it's just a waste of space. I do have a desk but I have my work laptop on there. No way, will I waste other desk for a machine that's only going to be used for gaming.

4. KB/M is boring and uncomfortable to play with. No idea how people tolerate playing with those.


1: And Battlefield 3 problems on PS3 yields even more results; what's the point again? Skyrim and Oblivion also had massive problems on the PS3, Skyrim had a game-breaking one for quite some time, where the size of the save files would basically corrupt everything and that happened to every single unit who played over a certain amount of time and/or story and side-story since the files became too big. Besides; "The Witcher 3 won't start" as a search query yields about 2 million results for PC, 1.6 million for PS4 and 1.4 million for Xbox One (which also sold considerably less) so that's probably not the best example. And; yes, the PC sales on Vgchartz are bogus (TW3 has sold around 30-35% of its total on PC, majority being physical copies).
AC: Unity on consoles also says hi, I'm pretty sure a lot of gamers we're trying to figure out why their game wasn't working properly.

2: So I'm just spinning tales for the heck of it to prove a point? Sure, that really shows the level we're at right now. You don't have to believe me, but my anecdotes are just as credible as the obvious misinformation spread by those who seek to paint PC gaming black. Frequent upgrades quite simply are not mandatory in PC gaming, and I'm sure even you know this fact very well.

3: You have a laptop on your desk so you can't be bothered to house a desktop in your entire appartment? That's a ridiculous argument and says everything about your interest levels in accomodating hardware and nothing about size and impracticality of desktop PC's.

4: Again; that's just a highly subjective opinion that doesn't really discredit the PC as a gaming platform. I understand how you feel, I have the same opinions on controllers in shooters and RPG's, but I don't use it as an argument as to why consoles are a useless gaming platform overall.



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Conina on 20 October 2015
AnthonyW86 said:

Sorry it's difficult to find a good comparison between an HD5850 and a modern day card so i guess i could have been a bit off(what site is that btw?), especially since the progress moves exponentially.

http://www.computerbase.de/2015-05/geforce-gtx-470-570-670-770-970-vergleich/3/

http://www.computerbase.de/2015-03/geforce-gtx-460-560-660-760-960-vergleich/2/

AnthonyW86 said:

Also since PS3/360 launched power consumption of high end gpu's has more than doubled, so part of the performance gain is simply from amping the juice(and therefore making these chips less usable in small form factor consoles).

The power consumption of the GTX 460, 660 and 960 are almost the same (220 Watt for the whole system), the power consumption of the GTX x70-series also stayed about the same over the years (280 - 290 Watt for the whole system, only exception is the less consuming GTX 670):

AnthonyW86 said:

3 years after PS4 we have the GTX 970 which is about twice as fast with about the same amount of video memory.

10 months after PS4 we already had the GTX 970: (PS4-launch: 11/2013, GTX970-launch: 09/2014). Even now the PS4 hasn't rerached its second "birthday"!

 



bigtakilla on 20 October 2015
zero129 said:
bigtakilla said:
zero129 said:
bigtakilla said:

His post didn't make point invalid where I said there are pretty much every genre on the Wii U, so a lack of variety isn't an issue. I'm picking at straws in a response to someone picking at straws.

I do not think anyone can really say that the WiiU has them covered when it comes to many genres, and imo its kinda selflish to say so. Now i do think that if you own a PC or an x1 Or a PS4 that the WiiU would be the perfect console to complement one of them 3. But without having one of them 3 your missing out on so many great 3rd party games, and so many games its just pointless to say otherwise.

Now you're picking at straws.

Really?, how so?. I see nothing in that comment thats picking at straws but instead giving facts. If a person just owns a WiiU they are missing out on alot of games and genres and anyone that says otherwise is just kidding themselfs imo. This is in no way, Shape or form me putting down the WiiU and maybe you shouldnt take it as such its just a simple fact.

Just like anyone who doesn't own a Wii U are missing out on a lot of great games, and anyone who says otherwise is just kidding themselves. Also a plain and simple fact. 



slab_of_bacon on 20 October 2015

The important thing to take away from this is, people have different wants and needs when it comes to gaming. It's also important to know that convincing others on the internet that their wants and needs aren't right is folly.



Feel free to check out my stream on twitch 

AnthonyW86 on 20 October 2015
Conina said:
AnthonyW86 said:

Sorry it's difficult to find a good comparison between an HD5850 and a modern day card so i guess i could have been a bit off(what site is that btw?), especially since the progress moves exponentially.

http://www.computerbase.de/2015-05/geforce-gtx-470-570-670-770-970-vergleich/3/

http://www.computerbase.de/2015-03/geforce-gtx-460-560-660-760-960-vergleich/2/

AnthonyW86 said:

Also since PS3/360 launched power consumption of high end gpu's has more than doubled, so part of the performance gain is simply from amping the juice(and therefore making these chips less usable in small form factor consoles).

The power consumption of the GTX 460, 660 and 960 are almost the same (220 Watt for the whole system), the power consumption of the GTX x70-series also stayed about the same over the years (280 - 290 Watt for the whole system, only exception is the less consuming GTX 670):

AnthonyW86 said:

3 years after PS4 we have the GTX 970 which is about twice as fast with about the same amount of video memory.

10 months after PS4 we already had the GTX 970: (PS4-launch: 11/2013, GTX970-launch: 09/2014). Even now the PS4 hasn't rerached its second "birthday"!

 


Yeah sorry about that, i meant the hd78xx gpu inside the PS4 is 3 year old hardware. And a GTX 470 uses up to 200W for the card only, GTX 4
60 up to 160W but that card wasn't high end. An Geforce 7800/7900 series card(as used in the PS3) used about 80W and as low as 50W for the 7900 GT.



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DonnyOnzlo on 20 October 2015

I don't takes posts seriously with sigs that say PC Master Race. I game on PC and consoles. So does that make me a gaming god above the single minded master races? No, it does not. Just means I enjoy games on a different scale that fit my personal needs. Some like one way or another and others like it all. Don't get the mud slinging.



SvennoJ on 20 October 2015
Low78wagon said:
My problem is that if I build a pc I'm going to spend too much money because I go all out on everything. I don't want to do that. I also prefer console style gaming as it is. It's more convenient for me and consoles are collectible. I don't think many people collect old pc parts. I have a $650 laptop that has no disc drive and can hardly play 5 year old games at 30fps. Its fast for a i5 but the built in Gpu is shit. I know that doesn't compare to a tower where you can put in two gtx 980s in sli but I need a good laptop for work. I guess I'm saying I will stick to console for gaming and pc for work. I also prefer the Ui on ps4. The Ui on xbone and pc is more of a toss up. Kinda like I prefer android to Apple os. I own at least one of every platform I mentioned.

I'm kinda in the same boat. I spend too much initially and then there's always that nagging feeling there is something better once the next gpu comes out. And even while playing I go back to the settings frequently, maybe a bit more fps, maybe a bit more anti aliasing, not even settling for high settings but going into ini files to tweak fov and draw distance beyond the maximum.
On consoles I don't pay attention to fps drops, can't do anything about it anyway. On PC I start thinking what I can do to 'solve' it. I game on my laptop now, can't upgrade it so at least I'm not browsing for gpu's all the time. It's an i7 4700mq, 16gb ram with a gt740m so pretty decent for most games. Cost a lot more than a console though but it is multi purpose too.
In the end it's a different experience. Playing on PC is like going on holiday in the office. Sure that comference room is very comfortable and all those high end projectors are fun to play with. But it doesn't feel as relaxing as that crappy cottage on that windy lake.

It doesn't matter what you game on, there are so many games nowadays, any system has plenty to offer to keep you busy.



Mummelmann on 20 October 2015
DonnyOnzlo said:
I don't takes posts seriously with sigs that say PC Master Race. I game on PC and consoles. So does that make me a gaming god above the single minded master races? No, it does not. Just means I enjoy games on a different scale that fit my personal needs. Some like one way or another and others like it all. Don't get the mud slinging.


If you're referring to me; that's more of a joke and an ode to my favorite youtuber; Yahtzee Croshaw. Feel free to disregard anything I write though.



method114 on 20 October 2015
Zoombael said:
another big disadvantage - or should i say characteristic - of the PC, are the plenty o' buginfested and less refined games its buggin the hell out of me.

no one can tell me differently. i ve neen playing on PC for some time now (16 years) and its a huge difference. i never had this much trouble on any console.


It's funny because I always hear this and it's never be an issue for me. Another funny thing is on console boards I always hear people complaining about bugs in the games. I remember BF4 was broken for months on my PS4. By the time they fixed it I was bored with the game.



LudicrousSpeed on 20 October 2015

I only read the OP and none of the replies but uh.. PC's are cheaper. And more powerful. And though I prefer gaming on consoles since that's where my friends/family are, I can easily admit they make for superior gaming devices as well.

And to be fair, if you're going to include things like a monitor and OS and keyboard for the PC then you should also include a TV for consoles. And don't forget there's no online charge for PC's, and you can ALWAYS get new release games for a lot less.

You can actually build a PC that easily outperforms current gen consoles and save a lot of money in the long run.