XBox or PC?

[prisoner__24601]

So I think it's probably time for a computer upgrade. Right now, I can't run Mass Effect 2 - although it's debatable whether it's on account of my processor not meeting the system requirements or it's some crazy game bug (there's an epic thread over on the bioboards where people are trying to sort that shit out). Still, if it were problems with

Comments

[rose70]

I used to be a PC gamer only, but then I got the Xbox to play the original Mass Effect. Honestly, I've come to prefer the console, because I can sit out in the living room, with the people, and they can keep me company/watch/hopefully enjoy watching as I enjoy playing. I also always thought the graphics were better on the consoles (although they are now of comparable quality on PCs--if you have a good graphics card), and I liked how the graphics kept improving as games came out, yet I never had to upgrade the Xbox. Not so with a PC--I would have to keep upgrading or buying a new one to run games with increasingly high system requirements. Being a (mostly) practical person, lol, I would also agree that there are far more uses for a TV and Xbox than an upgraded computer, so to me it makes more sense to invest your money there.

[kitbug]

Seconded.

Granted, I'm heavily heavily heavily biased for console gaming and have never played anything more advanced that Plants vs. Zombies on the PC. XD

[prisoner__24601]

Heh, see, I'm pretty much the reverse. I've only owned one console and that was about a decade ago. I just never used it enough to justify buying another one. Every game that I've wanted has come out on the PC (eventually anyway), so I've never felt the need to get one. But the consoles are way better now, so I'm torn.

[prisoner__24601]

I haven't actually had to upgrade my PC all that often - actually I think the last time I did it was like three years ago (I think it was the video card).

I don't know. I'm tempted to get the xbox, but then I have to buy a TV as well, and I really don't think I'd use the TV for more than letting my kids watch a DVD on occasion or using it to play games. I actually use my PC far more than I'd ever use a television.

Then again, it would be awesome just to be able to pop a disk in and play.

How long have you had your xbox for and how many games have you played on it?

[w1nky]

Yeah, see...I like both. Console and PC gaming.

That being said, you have to ask yourself this!

Which will I get the most use out of?

For me, it would be a computer, as I use it for work, gaming, writing, my social life (lame, yes), etc.

But for you it might be different.

[prisoner__24601]

Yeah see that's the thing. I use the computer far more than I would a TV (we have a crappy little one for DVDs for the kids). I don't know if it's worth buying a brand new tv + an xbox just for gaming.

[w1nky]

Wouldn't be for me. Though my boyfriend would probably like me to buy a 360, and I just might if for no other reason than to keep people out of my hair while I'm trying to write/work/angst.

[trojanphoenix]

What ever you do you should probably be aware that the xbox has a twentysomthing percent failure rate which is a bit sucky.

[prisoner__24601]

Ouch! That sucks. Definitely should buy the warranty then if we decide to go with a console.

[prisoner__24601]

Yeah, I've only upgraded my PC every three to four years, if that. I think this PC my husband built four years ago, I think the Falcon Northwest we had before that was six years old. We've upgraded the video card since then, but that's because we were using our old video card when we built it the first time. ME2 was the first game that I've had in years that I haven't been able to install and play right away.

Right now it runs games okay, but not awesome. Dragon Age for instance, is okay 98% of the time, but during some of the cutscenes there's a bit of stuttering on occasion, and laggy loading times.

ME2 - won't run at all, which is kind of my own fault. I should have looked at the system requirements and realized that they needed a dual core processor at least. But since I was able to run a bunch of games recently with no problem (Dragon Age, Bioshock, Fallout 3, Sims 3, etc...) it didn't occur to me to check the specs before spending the cash.

[prisoner__24601]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the monitor. I had this totally awesome 34 inch monitor for five years and that one cost me 50 bucks (we got it used when a local business went broke). I used to play WoW on it, and it was AWESOME. When that one crapped out I got a flat screen Samsung for a couple hundred dollars. I figure the monitor I have now I'll just use until it breaks too.

But yeah, building your own PC and salvaging parts that don't need replacement is definitely a way to save cash.

Depends on how you're measuring the costs

[nivenus]

If you're going for something cheap in the short-term a video-card, RAM, or processor upgrade will probably handle what you need fixed for a pretty cheap price (relatively). NewEgg is a pretty good source for that sort of thing (though you may already know that

Re: Depends on how you're measuring the costs

[prisoner__24601]

We've pretty much decided to go the PC route for now, with the possibility of buying an xbox and tv sometime in the next year. I just don't think I'd use the tv for much more than playing on a console - whereas I use the PC for so much more.

My husband just ordered the parts from NewEgg, I'm just hoping that I don't run into more problems running Mass Effect 2 anyway - although I think as long as we can get the system to recognize more than one processing core (which is apparently hangup the multi core people are having), we should be okay.

I think it would bother me to take a step down in graphics actually. Games look pretty damn good on my computer - hell even the parts of ME2 that I could get running looked freaking gorgeous.