# Build a Gaming Rig or Get a PS3 ?



## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

It was 8 years ago that I last built a gaming rig, and for the past six years I've been completely out of the game. Now, I'm tempted to build a new high-end gaming rig to be able to play today's PC games. I already got a new 42" HDTV (LG 42LD650, LCD, 2ms response time and 200Hz refresh rate) to serve mainly as a TV and also as a 1080p gaming monitor in the week ends. I'll only be doing gaming on this PC, and nothing else, and I'll only be gaming during the weekends and holidays. 

I've done my research, selected the suitable components, and found out that the system will cost me around $2,200. Basically, I just need some moral support here; please tell me again why I should build a gaming rig for this amount and not simply just get myself a PS3 for $300. Can we formulate a list of the advantages of a PC gaming rig over PS3 here?


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## erocker (Aug 26, 2010)

If you have to ask, get a PS3 as it's much cheaper.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

erocker said:


> If you have to ask, get a PS3 as it's much cheaper.



erocker, I just need some moral support to cover the additional $1,900


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## erocker (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> erocker, I just need some moral support to cover the additional $1,900



Nope. If you're only gaming on weekends and holidays, it is not worth it. We aren't here for moral support, tech support maybe.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

erocker said:


> Nope. If you're only gaming on weekends and holidays, it is not worth it. We aren't here for moral support, tech support maybe.



Ok, then kindly please provide me with technical support; how is gaming on a PC better than a PS3?


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 26, 2010)

erocker said:


> If you have to ask, get a PS3 as it's much cheaper.



Agreed with you for once! 

If there isn't going to be any other uses for the PC, go with a console. There are a few other reasons but main reason is its not gong to be used daily.


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## ebolamonkey3 (Aug 26, 2010)

If you are only gaming with this PC, there's no point in spending $1900 on it. Just get yourself a PS3.

But you can browse the web w/ your PC, which you can't w/ a PS3


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

ebolamonkey3 said:


> If you are only gaming with this PC, there's no point in spending $1900 on it. Just get yourself a PS3.
> 
> But you can browse the web w/ your PC, which you can't w/ a PS3



I'll consider this point #1 [You can browse the web with a PC] 

What else?


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## ebolamonkey3 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> Ok, then kindly please provide me with technical support; how is gaming on a PC better than a PS3?



C'mon now, do you really have to ask? 

Better graphics, better control (mouse keyboard > any control pad for any game except maybe Street Fighter.... and Flower).


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## erocker (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> Ok, then kindly please provide me with technical support; how is gaming on a PC better than a PS3?



Well tell me this. You know how to build a PC which I gather from you pricing $2200 in parts for it. Why would you choose a PC over a PS3?


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## DrPepper (Aug 26, 2010)

Sure spend less on a ps3 and settle for less than average graphics a few exclusive titles but pretty much all games are better on the pc except a few that require a controller which you can easily get for the pc. You could probably take away $300 in unneeded things and get a ps3 as well.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

erocker said:


> Well tell me this. You know how to build a PC which I gather from you pricing $2200 in parts for it. Why would you choose a PC over a PS3?



Because I'm an idiot who started gaming on computers back in 1986 and never ever owned a console. I always pride myself as being objective basing all my decisions on rational thinking and not emotions, but I can't help it; I simply just love PCs!


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 26, 2010)

One item I must point out:

Keyboard+Mouse controls are far superior when it comes to first person shooters. So I guess maybe depending on the types of games you play. 

Now my questions is, what parts consist of the speculated pc build?


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## ebolamonkey3 (Aug 26, 2010)

DrPepper said:


> Sure spend less on a ps3 and settle for less than average graphics a few exclusive titles but pretty much all games are better on the pc except a few that require a controller which you can easily get for the pc. You could probably take away $300 in unneeded things and get a ps3 as well.



Haha so true. You can easily shave off $300 on a $2200 PC and get both.


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## CDdude55 (Aug 26, 2010)

If you only game on the weekends and holidays, then definitely go for the PS3, it's got some great games that will look fantastic on that 42'' HDTV.



> basing all my decisions on rational thinking and not emotions, but I can't help it; I simply just love PCs!



We all love computers, but based on what you want/need according to your post the most ''rational''  thing to do is buy the PS3.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

JrRacinFan said:


> One item I must point out:
> 
> Keyboard+Mouse controls are far superior when it comes to first person shooters. So I guess maybe depending on the types of games you play.
> 
> Now my questions is, what parts consist of the speculated pc build?



Cooler Master HAF-X Case (unless a decent mini-tower mATX case comes up)
Asus Rampage III Gene MoBo
Intel i7 930 CPU
CoolerMaster V6GT CPU Cooler
Seasonic X-750 PSU
Crucial Ballistix 6GB DDR3 RAM
WD Caviar Black 2TB HDD
AMD/ATI HD 5870 GPU (waiting for Southern Islands)
Auzentech Forte 7.1 Sound Card
LG DVD ReWriter
Logitech G700 Gaming Mouse
Steel Series 6Gv2 Gaming Keyboard
Sennheiser PC 360 Gaming Headset
Logitech G13 GamingBoard
MS Xbox Wireless Controller for PC


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## CDdude55 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> Cooler Master HAF-X Case
> Asus Rampage III Gene MoBo
> Intel i7 930 CPU
> CoolerMaster V6GT CPU Cooler
> ...



That's a very nice build, but hefty on the price tag.

Are you sure you would rather spend hundreds more on a gaming PC then a PS3 if you're just going to be playing games on the weekends and holidays?

Then again, meh, you seem pretty rich.. go for it.


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## (FIH) The Don (Aug 26, 2010)

$2000 rig and no ssd?


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

CDdude55 said:


> That's a very nice build, but hefty on the price tag.
> 
> Are you sure you would rather spend hundreds more on a gaming PC then a PS3 if you're just going to be playing games on the weekends and holidays?
> 
> Then again, meh, you seem pretty rich.. go for it.



Not at all rich really  but I just have the money set aside for it. I believe that with the job, family, and kids, this is going to be the last opportunity for me to build a gaming rig


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> $2000 rig and no ssd?



I don't know but I'm really not convinced that I need it. I also considered getting a WD Velociraptor instead of Caviar Black, but couldn't justify that as well.


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## CDdude55 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> Not at all rich really  but I just have the money set aside for it. I believe that with the job, family, and kids, this is going to be the last opportunity for me to build a gaming rig



If you feel that it's your last opportunity and you really want it and can afford it, then go for it.

In the end it's what you want and if you think that the PC is the best way to go then i say go for it.


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## the54thvoid (Aug 26, 2010)

Why buy a BMW or a Mercedes when you can have a Ford or a Honda?  They all do the same thing.  The greatest rationale to buy a PC over a console is it's multi functionality- Gaming/Browsing/Multi-media/Online Pornography/Creative Suites/Office Apps/Social Networking/etc etc.

If you only use it for gaming, I'm with e-rocker - buy a console.  But if you haven't used consoles, stick with PC.  If you have the cash and want the fun of endless mods and upgrades a PC is far more involved than a console.

If i'm going to drive i just need a car, so my little Susuki Swift does the job.  Why would i need a BMW which will cost so much more?  The same principles apply to gaming.  I get a BMW because i can.


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## (FIH) The Don (Aug 26, 2010)

do this

EVGA P55 FTW

i7 860

2x2GB DDR3 1600mhz cl7/8 memory

GTX-470 or 2x 460 SLI

good quality 750w psu

Corsair 60GB force series

1tb caviar black 

and the rest is up to you

if this REALLY is your last chance to get a good gaming rig....shit id rob a bank to do it


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

Ok, the list up till now is:

[1] Browsing the net (between games),including downloads.
[2] Better Graphics at 1920x1080 resolution.
[3] Better Controls for FPS and Strategy games.

what else?


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

the54thvoid said:


> Why buy a BMW or a Mercedes when you can have a Ford or a Honda?  They all do the same thing.  The greatest rationale to buy a PC over a console is it's multi functionality- Gaming/Browsing/Multi-media/Online Pornography/Creative Suites/Office Apps/Social Networking/etc etc.
> 
> If you only use it for gaming, I'm with e-rocker - buy a console.  But if you haven't used consoles, stick with PC.  If you have the cash and want the fun of endless mods and upgrades a PC is far more involved than a console.
> 
> If i'm going to drive i just need a car, so my little Susuki Swift does the job.  Why would i need a BMW which will cost so much more?  The same principles apply to gaming.  I get a BMW because i can.



 I drive a Honda Civic by the way! and I love it!


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## CJCerny (Aug 26, 2010)

Biggest advantage to PC gaming is the mods. Virtually none for the PS3. Biggest advantage to the PS3 is that you can expect the game to run without fail as long as you just have the disc. There isn't anything embarassing about gaming on the PS3. I have both.

Honestly, the biggest factor is what kinds of games you play. If you play shooters, its a tossup. The controls "aren't better" for the PC, just more accurate, but everyone is gimped with the controls on the PS3. If you play strategy games, it's the PC. Buy the system that plays the games that you play better--that's as simple as it gets.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Aug 26, 2010)

Switch the cpu to a 920, the 930 offers no advantage but a higher price. Switch the cooler to a thermaltake frio, little cheaper same performance. Change the psu to a either a corsair AX750 or 750HX. Both are cheaper but equal quality. The AX is gold and the HX is silver rated. I'd get the HX. Personally there's a lot of other changes I'd make but just those should save money without compromising anything in your config.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

Ok, the list up till now is:

[1] Browsing the net (between games),including downloads.
[2] Better Graphics at 1920x1080 resolution.
[3] Better Controls for FPS and Strategy games.
[4] Allows for Modding.

what else?


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## Dent1 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim,

Looking at your spec it appears that you have a gaming rig already minus the video card.

It would be cheaper to drop in a $100-150 on a GTS 250, 5750 or 5770 and it would be classified as a gaming rig. That willn't buy you a PS3.

Nevermind, didnt realise your rig was in process....how much of this rig have you actually completed?


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

LAN_deRf_HA said:


> Switch the cpu to a 920, the 930 offers no advantage but a higher price. Switch the cooler to a thermaltake frio, little cheaper same performance. Change the psu to a either a corsair AX750 or 750HX. Both are cheaper but equal quality. The AX is gold and the HX is silver rated. I'd get the HX. Personally there's a lot of other changes I'd make but just those should save money without compromising anything in your config.



Noted thanks, but the difference between the i7 920 & the i7 930 is only $10 here, and the AX750 is the same price as the seasonic X-750 and they are both Gold 750W PSUs, and I'll look into the Frio and might just make the change.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> motasim,
> 
> Looking at your spec it appears that you have a gaming rig already minus the video card.
> 
> It would be cheaper to drop in a $100-150 on a GTS 250, 5750 or 5770 and it would be classified as a gaming rig. That willn't buy you a PS3.



Yeah, but the frame rates would be miserable using these GPUs at 1920x1080 in the games I intend to play.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Aug 26, 2010)

Have you thought about going 1156? Usually performs a few frames better in games than 1366. That should save money. See here http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/47


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

LAN_deRf_HA said:


> Have you thought about going 1156? Usually performs a few frames better in games than 1366. That should save money. See here http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/47



I did, and you are right. The only obstacle is that I would really like to have a mATX build (if I can find a suitable mini-tower case), and for a mATX MoBo (P55 LGA1156) when the auzentech forte PCI-e sound card takes the second PCI-e slot; the bandwidth of the first PCI-e slot (where the GPU is installed) drops to 8x instead of 16x, which will arguably affect the performance.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

Ok, the list up till now is:

[1] Browsing the net (between games), including downloads.
[2] Better Graphics (frame rates and details) at 1920x1080 resolution.
[3] Better Controls for FPS and Strategy games.
[4] Allows for Modding and Future Upgrade.
[5] It's a familiar platform and I'm used to it, meaning I can easily troubleshoot it.
[6] Can occasionally be used for media encoding for my iPod and Smartphone.

what else?


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## Nosada (Aug 26, 2010)

With 2200$ I'd do the following:

- Get yourself a nice 24" IPS LCD
- Make sure it has at least 1 DVI/Displayport and 2 HDMI inputs
- Buy a PS3, hook it up to the monitor
- Buy an X360, hook it up to the monitor
- Take the rest of your money, put it into a nice i5/X6 Phenom build with a GTX460/HD5850
- Depending on your tastes, buy the best exclusives for each system, buy multi-platform games for the PC
- Enjoy the best form of entertainment in the best way imaginable

(Disclaimer: In case of wife and/or children in the house, expect nagging in the form of "Are you in front of that thing AGAIN?")


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## Dent1 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> Yeah, but the frame rates would be miserable using these GPUs at 1920x1080 in the games I intend to play.



Which games do you intend on playing? you've probably already said but I can not be arsed to sift through the thread.

The 5770 can handle most games @ 30 FPS+, high detail @ 1920x1080 its no slouch you can add another one for CF at a later date. Cant your TV upscale 720p to 1080p? that will take the pressure off.


BTW other disadvantage for the PSU is:

1.) The cost of games, here a PC game on release are £25-30 whereas on a console its between £50-65.

2.) Playing PC games online means that there are dedicated servers and hence the pings are lower and servers are more reliable. Console versions of games tend to support less players on a given map when playing online.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

Nosada said:


> With 2200$ I'd do the following:
> 
> - Get yourself a nice 24" IPS LCD
> - Make sure it has at least 1 DVI/Displayport and 2 HDMI inputs
> ...



... I already got myself a 42" LCD 1080p HDTV and I can assure you that if I take your advice, and once my wife sees all these setups; she'll take the kids and leave me immediately  ...

By the way I'm already getting nagging from her for sitting in front of my notebook writing these lines.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Aug 26, 2010)

Nosada said:


> With 2200$ I'd do the following:
> 
> - Get yourself a nice 24" IPS LCD
> - Make sure it has at least 1 DVI/Displayport and 2 HDMI inputs
> ...



This has potential. You know a 460 can overclock to 5870 levels pretty easily. Just think how much fun it would be unpacking and playing with all that shit. And the 3 platforms for gaming is hard to argue with.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

Ok, now we are definitely getting some where, the list up till now is:

[1] Browsing the net (between games), including downloads.
[2] Better Graphics (frame rates and details) at 1920x1080 resolution.
[3] Better Controls for FPS and Strategy games.
[4] Allows for Modding and Future Upgrade.
[5] It's a familiar platform and I'm used to it, meaning I can easily troubleshoot it.
[6] Can occasionally be used for media encoding for my iPod and Smartphone.
[7] PC games are more affordable than PS3 games.
[8] Online gaming servers for PC are faster and more stable than those for Console.

what else?


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## Dent1 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim,

Buy a PS3 and connect your 42" to it ($300)

Then spend only $1,000 on a gaming machine with a 22" or 24" monitor.

You'd have atleast $900 which you can use on something else.

motasim, you missed #9, maximum number of players on PS3 games is less. For example Battlefield Bad Company supports 32 players on PC and only 24 on PS3!


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> Which games do you intend on playing? you've probably already said but I can not be arsed to sift through the thread.
> 
> The 5770 can handle most games @ 30 FPS+, high detail @ 1920x1080 its no slouch you can add another one for CF at a later date. Cant your TV upscale 720p to 1080p? that will take the pressure off.



Batman (Arkham Asylum & Arkham City), Battlefield : Bad Company 2, Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2, Mafia II, Metro 2033, Crysis 2, Need for Speed : Hot Pursuit, Aliens vs. Predator, Brink, HAWX 2, Nail'd, Blur, Red Alert 3, Rage, DiRT 3, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 , .... forgive me for the long list but I've been away for too long! I know that some games on this list haven't been released yet, but I intend to play them once they are


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## KingPing (Aug 26, 2010)

1) why don't you buy the PS3 and if you don't like it then buy the PC and sell the PS3

2) We can't say to you what's better for you. I have a PS3 and a PC and i spend almost 99% of the time on the PC, gaming, browsing, working, researching, etc. I play FPS a lot, and while i tried to play them in the PS3 the controller sucks, i don't enjoy FPS in consoles. 

3) Graphics: those of you who own a PC, a PS3 and COD4 MW, Mafia 2, connect both system to a HDTV and see how crappy the PS3 version looks, on the other hand there are games like GT5, or Killzone 2 that looks great (for console standard). If you are going to play multiplatform games, they will look better on PC.

4) I bought my PS3 for a few exclusive games that i know i will like (GT5, MGS4, Metal Gear Rising, Killzone 2,3, and a few more). But everything else i play it in PC (CSS, COD4, BC2, Killing Floor, STALKER SOC & CS & COP, Company of Heroes, GRID, DIRT 1 & 2, Il2 Strumovik, Lock on, Tropico 3, etc, etc ,etc)

Personally i don't care if i have to pay $800, $1200, or $2000, because i'm a PC gamer and will always be one, but if you have doubts then you have to ask to yourself what games do you like the more and buy a PC or a Console depending on that


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## Dent1 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> Batman (Arkham Asylum & Arkham City), Battlefield : Bad Company 2, Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2, Mafia II, Metro 2033, Crysis 2, Need for Speed : Hot Pursuit, Aliens vs. Predator, Brink, HAWX 2, Nail'd, Blur, Red Alert 3, Rage, DiRT 3, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 , .... forgive me for the long list but I've been away for too long! I know that some games on this list haven't been released yet, but I intend to play them once they are



Those games are not really that intensive, apart from Metro 2033, DIRT 3, Crysis 2 and BFBC 2. At 1080p you can turn anti-aliasing to 2x and you'd still get way over 30-40FPS for the most part on a midrange.

What do you think about my suggestion to buy both in my last post?


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Aug 26, 2010)

Well nothing is going to play metro 2033 on max. Which trust me is the only point in playing it, it's just such an awful game. A 460 on the other hand will play all those other games on max, especially overclocked. So I'd downsize the pc plans slightly and give up the mATX build if that's whats holding you back from going 1156. Then you'd have room to work in a ps3 and end the debate.


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## brandonwh64 (Aug 26, 2010)

metro 2033 to me was not a great game. It could have been better but i never really did play much of it to get a feel


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## hellrazor (Aug 26, 2010)

Racing games + PS3.

'nuff said.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 26, 2010)

hellrazor said:


> Racing games + PS3.
> 
> 'nuff said.



I don't think you should go there.


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## n-ster (Aug 26, 2010)

look, if you would kill for some eye-candy, dont go ps3... The PC can has the potential to be give eyecandy, but a 300~400$ PC might end up worse than a PS3 FYI...

PS3s can browse the web though... and you can download stuff too...

I went PC and PS3... PC for all the games like Napoleon Total War and strategic games like that. I am, however, doubting my choice... All this eyecandy is awesome, but not needed to enjoy the game... I might have been better off with a laptop, or at least a less high end system, I should at least sell my 2nd 5850


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## WAR10CK (Aug 26, 2010)

Buy a ps3 and you won't spend any money on games with the PS Jailbreak but a pc is more powerful than a ps3


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## ebolamonkey3 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> I did, and you are right. The only obstacle is that I would really like to have a mATX build (if I can find a suitable mini-tower case), and for a mATX MoBo (P55 LGA1156) when the auzentech forte PCI-e sound card takes the second PCI-e slot; the bandwidth of the first PCI-e slot (where the GPU is installed) drops to 8x instead of 16x, which will arguably affect the performance.



x8 vs x16 won't impact your performance unless you're running a 5970, even then it's only 1-2%. You won't even see any difference in games.

Go with P55, you'll save on the hardware and it runs cooler. A good i5 750/i7 860 setup will get you all the performance you need (and almost of what you'll get with X58) for less $$.

Then just get a single 5850 and you'll be set.

As for the PSU get the 750HX. The 750AX is just too expensive right now (how much would it cost you btw?), if you can get it for $150 or so then I'd say go for it, but the 750HX is already a splendid PSU.

I'd invest the money saved on a quality monitor.


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## KingPing (Aug 26, 2010)

ebolamonkey3 said:


> i'd invest the money saved on a quality monitor.



+1


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> Those games are not really that intensive, apart from Metro 2033, DIRT 3, Crysis 2 and BFBC 2. At 1080p you can turn anti-aliasing to 2x and you'd still get way over 30-40FPS for the most part on a midrange.
> 
> What do you think about my suggestion to buy both in my last post?



I would definitely go with your suggestion if I were single, but as I said there is no way in the world that I'll be able to go with both options and maintain a marital life  ; it had to be either a PC or a PS3.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

ebolamonkey3 said:


> x8 vs x16 won't impact your performance unless you're running a 5970, even then it's only 1-2%. You won't even see any difference in games.
> 
> Go with P55, you'll save on the hardware and it runs cooler. A good i5 750/i7 860 setup will get you all the performance you need (and almost of what you'll get with X58) for less $$.
> 
> ...



When I first started planning this rig I had my mind set on an i5 750 setup, but since I will most probably go with an ATI Southern Islands (6870) or the upcoming nVidia GTX490/495 GPU, I would like my setup to be future-proof and I am worried that the 8x bandwidth will be a bottleneck, so I am avoiding it from the start.

The AX750 is $180.


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## douglatins (Aug 26, 2010)

You should get a PS3 and a laptop


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## ebolamonkey3 (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> When I first started planning this rig I had my mind set on an i5 750 setup, but since I will most probably go with an ATI Southern Islands (6870) or the upcoming nVidia GTX490/495 GPU, I would like my setup to be future-proof and I am worried that the 8x bandwidth will be a bottleneck, so I am avoiding it from the start.
> 
> The AX750 is $180.



Both LGA1156 and LGA1366 are going to be discontinued soon, if you want "future proof" you should wait for LGA 2011 or Bulldozer. Now's not that great of a time to be building a "future proof" system.


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## Reventon (Aug 26, 2010)

PC games can be modded
PCs can run multiple things at once
PCs are much more customizable
PCs are multipurpose
The power of a good PC is greater than that of a PS3
PCs can play more and better games


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

douglatins said:


> You should get a PS3 and a laptop



Guys; I already have a laptop and I already got a 42" LCD HDTV to serve as a monitor for gaming.


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## erocker (Aug 26, 2010)

motasim said:


> Guys; I already have a laptop and I already got a 42" LCD HDTV to serve as a monitor for gaming.



Half way there! Get a PS3.


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## DrPepper (Aug 26, 2010)

PC's are just better.


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## CDdude55 (Aug 26, 2010)

DrPepper said:


> PC's are just better.



Everyone's circumstance is different, and if he's only going to play it twice every week and on the holidays, theres no need to spend more then he needs. There's no definitive answer to whats ''better''.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

ebolamonkey3 said:


> Both LGA1156 and LGA1366 are going to be discontinued soon, if you want "future proof" you should wait for LGA 2011 or Bulldozer. Now's not that great of a time to be building a "future proof" system.



By "future-proof" I meant the GPU, I want to get the best GPU possible so as to be able to play the latest games for the upcoming two years at 1080p without any need to upgrade, after that I'll most probably give away my gaming rig to my younger brother and quit gaming.

As such, as I expect the upcoming GPUs to utilize more of the PCI-e 16x bandwidth, I wanted to make sure that my new rig won't be built crippled from the start, hence decided to go with LGA1366 and i7 930.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

erocker said:


> Half way there! Get a PS3.



No erocker, I am not going to get a PS3! just to tease you


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

DrPepper said:


> PC's are just better.



They are, it seems that I just had to hear it from a doctor to believe it.

Forget about PS3, I'm building my gaming rig


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## DrPepper (Aug 26, 2010)

CDdude55 said:


> Everyone's circumstance is different, and if he's only going to play it twice every week and on the holidays, theres no need to spend more then he needs. There's no definitive answer to whats ''better''.



Yeah everyone's different. For example I haven't played any games in the last month but I still have a rather powerful system. The few times I do I want it to be worth my time and a good experience. I have no need for a quad core i7 either yet I have one because I wanted it. 



motasim said:


> They are, it seems that I just had to hear it from a doctor to believe it.
> 
> Forget about PS3, I'm building my gaming rig



Remember to take pictures and shit.


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## motasim (Aug 26, 2010)

DrPepper said:


> Remember to take pictures and shit.



Will do Doc


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## n-ster (Aug 26, 2010)

DrPepper said:


> Yeah everyone's different. For example I haven't played any games in the last month but I still have a rather powerful system. The few times I do I want it to be worth my time and a good experience. I have no need for a quad core i7 either yet I have one because I wanted it. .



Makes us all broke, fell into the i7 trap xD


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## DrPepper (Aug 26, 2010)

n-ster said:


> Makes us all broke, fell into the i7 trap xD



So worth it though (I tell myself before I sleep)


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## CDdude55 (Aug 26, 2010)

n-ster said:


> Makes us all broke, fell into the i7 trap xD





DrPepper said:


> So worth it though (I tell myself before I sleep)



lol, agreed.


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## DanTheMan (Aug 27, 2010)

Looks like Motasim already had made up his mind before even asking the main question. I think Erocker saw that and pointed it out like a real pro. All builders do it for the love and challenge - you just reap the rewards when you max out the games. I've never liked consoles and never will. Wish you luck in your endeavor!


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## newtekie1 (Aug 27, 2010)

I know you have said you need a beefy video card because you want to play at 1080p, but have you considered that almost every PS3 game is rendered at 720p and upscaled to 1080p?  Meaning to get the same experience on the PC side, you only need a video card capable of 720p, which is pretty much a HD5770.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Aug 27, 2010)

If it's an issue of her not seeing two items, maybe you could mod the ps3 into the pc. How's she gonna know


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## hellrazor (Aug 27, 2010)

LAN_deRf_HA said:


> If it's an issue of her not seeing two items, maybe you could mod the ps3 into the pc. How's she gonna know



Yeah, just get a really big case, remove the PS3s case, move the power button around, get some cables (I don't know what the PS3 uses) and move the drive to the side.....

That'd be a sweet mod


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## MilkyWay (Aug 27, 2010)

If you know you want to over spend on a PC then why ask? Clearly everyone who has suggested to get a PS3 you have disregarded. If it was me i would get a console because you also have a laptop for transferring media to your devices and for internet.

I wouldn't use a tv for a monitor but again everyone here doesn't matter so why even ask in the first place?

God sake there is still console bashing in TPU?


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## Athlon2K15 (Aug 27, 2010)

get the PS3 theres no reason to spend 2200 dollars on a pc unless your fitseries and want a huge E-cock to compensate for your misfortunes in real life


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## CDdude55 (Aug 27, 2010)

MilkyWay said:


> God sake there is still console bashing in TPU?



I get tired of it to. But what can you do?, this site was created for the PC gamer and hardware enthusiast, it's no surprise of the uber bias towards PC on such a site. Is it unfortunate?, yes.. but no site is perfect no matter what the mods or users tell you.


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## MN12BIRD (Aug 27, 2010)

I'm gonna jump in on this one and say this.  

If you're ONLY going to play games on a TV at 1080p and you're worried about the "extra cost" over the PS3 than your system build is WAY overkill.  Seriously.  Why go s1366 Ci7 at all?  I say go s1156 Core i5 760 because that 2.8GHZ quad core has enough power to handle ANY game and the motherboards are cheaper.

You could build a gaming PC that can run modern games at 1080p for half what you intend to spend and its still going to out power the PS3 graphically.  Shit my $900 PC out powers the PS3 in Resident Evil 5 as I can play it at 1080p with more zombies on screen and it still runs at 60FPS.  The PS3 can't even do that.

The Core i7's extra processing power (and perhaps Hyper Threading) might be great for heavy video editing but for strictly gaming at 1080p I think it's overkill myself.  

The super hardcore motherboard might be great for hardcore overclocking but really...  who cares.  I mean is it really worth it for a few extra FPS here or there?  Nope.

The expensive sound card is overkill too IMHO.  You're not a sound engineer or something are you?  Onboard sound these days if fine for gaming.  Not to mention all modern video cards already have 7.1 surround sound built into them and since you're running to a TV via HDMI you might as well just use the HDMI sound from the video card and save $200 on a sound card.  I mean in games you would hardly notice that $200 sound card at all.

I would just build mid range system with a Cooler Master 690II case, mid range Gigabyte P55 board, Core i5 760, ATi 5870, 4 or 8GB of DDR3 memory, whatever hard drives you need and a BD-ROM drive to play blue rays while you're at it.

I mean $1,200 could probably do that.  

Then use the left over money to buy a decent Yamaha 5.1 surround receiver with 4x HDMI inputs, a decent 5.1 speaker set and a PS3 just for Gran Turismo 5.  

Bazinga!

Okay well that's what I would do if I had $2,200 to spend and already had a nice 42" LCD TV and wanted the most gaming entertainment for it.


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## n-ster (Aug 27, 2010)

CDdude55 said:


> I get tired of it to. But what can you do?, this site was created for the PC gamer and hardware enthusiast, it's no surprise of the uber bias towards PC on such a site. Is it unfortunate?, yes.. but no site is perfect no matter what the mods or users tell you.



I bet many of the members who bash consoles have a ps3 or x360


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## choppy (Aug 27, 2010)

PS3 is of course better value for youur money.

also you cant play the likes of GT5 / MGS on a pc


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## Deleted member 67555 (Aug 27, 2010)

n-ster said:


> I bet many of the members who bash consoles have a ps3 or x360



I'm guilty of That...LOL
I have an XBOX 360 But it's only used for games like Guitar Hero as games like FPS are simply better on PC...


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## Fourstaff (Aug 27, 2010)

My friend had that debate some time ago, but went to PS3. PS3 is more crowd oriented than the PC . Overall, I think you will get more satisfaction per dollar out of PS3, but if you enjoy small games like  defense grid:the awakening, I think PC might be for you. But at the end of the day, I think you will be satisfied with whatever you buy, so flip a coin and buy one on impulse.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 27, 2010)

I still think the ps3+lower end pc w/high end gpu would be the way to go.


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## Fourstaff (Aug 27, 2010)

JrRacinFan said:


> I still think the ps3+lower end pc w/high end gpu would be the way to go.



In other words, get both :shadedshu


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## wolf (Aug 27, 2010)

you can easily overclock a PC, but not a PS3, for thet reason alone I say PC. not to mention far more control over your games (keyboard mouse and a shitload of awesome controllers) and you can do heaps more with a PC anyway, like countless applications etc.

but really when you weight the costs, a PS3 seems way more cost effective for gaming every so often.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 27, 2010)

Fourstaff said:


> In other words, get both :shadedshu



What's wwrong with halving the given budget to get both tho?


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## Fourstaff (Aug 27, 2010)

JrRacinFan said:


> What's wwrong with halving the given budget to get both tho?



Nothing wrong, but if OP can do this, he would/should have done it without asking us. Its simultaneously the best and the worst advice, because you fix all the problems in one fell stroke yet did not solve anything.


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## TIGR (Aug 27, 2010)

motasim, I'm unclear on one thing: do you already own the computer listed in your "System Specs," or is that the fantasy machine you want to build? Obviously, if you already own all that, you can add a video card for less than the cost of a PS3 that will make the computer a significantly more powerful gaming machine than a PS3.

But as for the gaming rig: $2200 is a lot more than you need to spend for PS3-destroying gaming performance. You could save a lot of money changing your choices in case, CPU, motherboard, PSU, and RAM, and build a rig that would perform within a few percent of the speculated build's capabilities with components that cost less than half as much—consider an AM3-based rig built with at least some used parts sold on forums like TPU.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 27, 2010)

How was nothing solved with that advice? Explain.


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## Fourstaff (Aug 27, 2010)

JrRacinFan said:


> How was nothing solved with that advice? Explain.



Well, if he can/want to take that route, he would have done that by now, so obviously, he can't/don't want to. Its good to own both (I have access to both) but if OP can't then the advice did nothing. Hope you understand what I am trying to say. Please do not see this as an insult/slander/etc, but rather me voicing my thoughts.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 27, 2010)

Fourstaff said:


> Well, if he can/want to take that route, he would have done that by now, so obviously, he can't/don't want to. Its good to own both (I have access to both) but if OP can't then the advice did nothing. Hope you understand what I am trying to say. Please do not see this as an insult/slander/etc, but rather me voicing my thoughts.



Nothing harsh seen,viewed or heard.


I'm justthhinkin all this budget when in reality both can be had. If it had to be a choice, and my own, that's which route I would take. If its down to saving cash, id go ps3 only as the op already has a laptop.


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## surfingerman (Aug 27, 2010)

i think clearly the best solution is to go PC but only spend 1500$ and then use the extra 400$ to buy your wife periodic gifts so shell stop nagging you and you can get more play time, seems good no?


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## motasim (Aug 27, 2010)

newtekie1 said:


> I know you have said you need a beefy video card because you want to play at 1080p, but have you considered that almost every PS3 game is rendered at 720p and upscaled to 1080p?  Meaning to get the same experience on the PC side, you only need a video card capable of 720p, which is pretty much a HD5770.



You are right, but in this case the advantage for the PC over the PS3 in graphics will be much reduced. Also, PS3 is capable of handling games at true 1080p, but only a few titles support that.


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## motasim (Aug 27, 2010)

surfingerman said:


> i think clearly the best solution is to go PC but only spend 1500$ and then use the extra 400$ to buy your wife periodic gifts so shell stop nagging you and you can get more play time, seems good no?



brilliant idea


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## motasim (Aug 27, 2010)

LAN_deRf_HA said:


> If it's an issue of her not seeing two items, maybe you could mod the ps3 into the pc. How's she gonna know





hellrazor said:


> Yeah, just get a really big case, remove the PS3s case, move the power button around, get some cables (I don't know what the PS3 uses) and move the drive to the side.....
> 
> That'd be a sweet mod



Wow  that'll be sweet! I'll keep it in mind.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Aug 27, 2010)

I have to say playing a 360 game on my monitor at 720p upscaled looks better than playing a pc game at 720 upscaled. I'd blame that on the 360 upscaler chip which is still one of the best on the market. I'd use it for dvds if it weren't so damn loud. I'm not sure how far behind the ps3's falls in comparison but it's probably still better than the pc upscaling.


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## motasim (Aug 27, 2010)

AthlonX2 said:


> get the PS3 theres no reason to spend 2200 dollars on a pc unless your fitseries and want a huge E-cock to compensate for your misfortunes in real life



...  ... I love your reply  ... so I take it that this goes for every one who has a high-end PC gaming rig? and only PS3 owners have sizable manhood  gives me something to think about. By the way; I clearly stated that I'm working on a MicroATX build, so please Freud, give us you take on that


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## wolf (Aug 27, 2010)

PS3 upscales beatufully too, I've had DVD's upscaled that end up looking better than certain blu ray's, also Unchated 2 looks like a freakin dream in 720p upscaled.

definitely agree that just running a game in 1280x720 on a 1080p computer monitor just isn't the same...

also motasim, you should multi quote people to reply in the same post rather than triple posting.


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## Melvis (Aug 27, 2010)

both thats why ill be doing, GT5 here i come.....


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## motasim (Aug 27, 2010)

Fourstaff said:


> Well, if he can/want to take that route, he would have done that by now, so obviously, he can't/don't want to. Its good to own both (I have access to both) but if OP can't then the advice did nothing. Hope you understand what I am trying to say. Please do not see this as an insult/slander/etc, but rather me voicing my thoughts.



You're right, I don't want to get both. The same have been suggested earlier in the thread and I already replied to that.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Aug 27, 2010)

You know I'm not even sure the upscaler in the ps3 is a chip, might just be software. In which case I'd imagine it could just keep getting better and better with each update.


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## motasim (Aug 27, 2010)

wolf said:


> also motasim, you should multi quote people to reply in the same post rather than triple posting.



You are right, sorry!



TIGR said:


> motasim, I'm unclear on one thing: do you already own the computer listed in your "System Specs," or is that the fantasy machine you want to build? Obviously, if you already own all that, you can add a video card for less than the cost of a PS3 that will make the computer a significantly more powerful gaming machine than a PS3.
> 
> But as for the gaming rig: $2200 is a lot more than you need to spend for PS3-destroying gaming performance. You could save a lot of money changing your choices in case, CPU, motherboard, PSU, and RAM, and build a rig that would perform within a few percent of the speculated build's capabilities with components that cost less than half as much—consider an AM3-based rig built with at least some used parts sold on forums like TPU.



No, I don't have that machine; I want to build it, and it's not much of a "fantasy machine" as I already have the funds set aside for it. I'm just waiting for two things; upcoming GPUs from both AMD/ATI & nVidia and a decent MicroATX gaming case, the latter not being much of a priority.

I agree with you, as well as with other members who kindly participated in this thread; I can build a good gaming rig for less, and I'll be considering doing just that. 

As for PS3; I didn't start this thread as a console bashing thread at all. I just really needed to have this discussion with other PC gamers since I am loyal PC gamer unfortunately surrounded here by strictly console gaming friends who never played anything on a PC other than minesweeper and solitaire  and I needn't tell you that any argument with them is pointless.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 27, 2010)

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10012039
Myself, brandonwh64, and erocker all have this case and we love it!

Too bad they are out of stock though.


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## newtekie1 (Aug 27, 2010)

motasim said:


> You are right, but in this case the advantage for the PC over the PS3 in graphics will be much reduced. Also, PS3 is capable of handling games at true 1080p, but only a few titles support that.



Yes, it would be reduced, but so would the cost, and the there would still be an advantage.

Yes, the PS3 is capable of true 1080p, with graphically weak games...

Anything graphically intense, and the game has to be rendered at 720p to keep playable framerates.


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## motasim (Aug 27, 2010)

JrRacinFan said:


> http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10012039
> Myself, brandonwh64, and erocker all have this case and we love it!
> 
> Too bad they are out of stock though.



Definitely a very nice case! and to think that I was considering to go with the the Lan-Gear Da Box 100 for $160 



newtekie1 said:


> Yes, it would be reduced, but so would the cost, and the there would still be an advantage.
> 
> Yes, the PS3 is capable of true 1080p, with graphically weak games...
> 
> Anything graphically intense, and the game has to be rendered at 720p to keep playable framerates.



Thanks newtekie1, I really didn't know that!


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## brandonwh64 (Aug 27, 2010)

160$ is way too much for a HTPC case IMO


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## Deleted member 67555 (Aug 27, 2010)

I agree I paid $30 for mine and it's quite nice It's the same one Erocker got..
That nice Bgears case...


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## Dazzeerr (Aug 27, 2010)

I couldn't stand going back to console now because there is no tweaking, it is what it is. You can't change it, you can't improve it, you can't mess it up then scratch your head wondering what the hell it is you've done wrong then congratulate yourself for somehow figuring it out and fixing it.

Oh and ANTI-ALIASING.


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## Wulfgar (Aug 28, 2010)

You can't play any decent RTS games on the console.
You can't play any decent TBS games on the console.
You can't play any decent H&S or RPGs on the console (even Dragon Age is made with the PC in mind).
You can't play online shooters on dedicated servers on the console.
There's no Starcraft 2 on the console (this game alone is a good reason to buy a PC).
You can't aim for shit with a controller.
You can't play on full HD resolutions with 8xAA on the console.

Plenty of reasons above to buy a new rig. Cut down on those peripherals. You don't need gaming keyboards or mice unless you wanna waste money. I play TF 2 with a 8$ mouse better than my friend with a G500.

Go for a GTX 470 instead for PhysX and save some money to buy Mafia 2 lol.

ATM any GPU above 300$ is future proof for 2 years at 1920x1080. The bare minimum framerate is 30 FPS and only Metro 2033 and Crysis manage to reach that "performance", mostly because of bad programming.


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## Deleted member 67555 (Aug 28, 2010)

JrRacinFan said:


> http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10012039
> Myself, brandonwh64, and erocker all have this case and we love it!
> 
> Too bad they are out of stock though.



Uhm I got one too!






Here is a pic before I organized the mess


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## mdsx1950 (Aug 28, 2010)

Don't bother with a PS3 if you can afford a good PC. I recently played a couple of games on PS3 ( God Of War 3, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue etc.) Graphics are good but are shit compared to a good PC.


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