Page 1 of build a £300 gaming pc?

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/df-hardware-introducing-the-digital-foundry-pc

It`s an interesting article, especially since a lot of hardcore gamers would spend 300+ on a graphics card. In any case like Ars Technica`s system guides with the God Box, Hot Rod and Budget Box it`s interesting to see what you can get for your money ,where to compromise, and is a useful starting point.

Not sure how much lifespan a £300 PC would have though, I don`t think it would last as long as a games console, and after a couple of years you`d probably need to update more than just the graphics card.

Like my 8800GTS 512 in Tom`s Hardware is still rated quite well, but my AMD X2 3800 doesn`t cut it, which is why I bought the PS3 in November, as a cheap upgrade.

Mine`s only a 9800GT, 3Gb RAM with an AMD X2 5200+, but I`m hoping it will do me for a few years yet. It`s starting to struggle when I`m multi-tasking though, so a CPU upgrade might be needed. I didn`t spend a lot on it though, and it owes me nowt.

Personally I think the days of huge desktop upgrades are over, especially now as we move into the tablet age (allegedly). I reckon a £300 PC could do you for some time. :)

i have to admit,  for me the gaming pc is dead,  gave mine to connor so he could play MW3 (built it a couple of years ago,  for less than £300 oddly enough ;) )

it`s consoles & HTPC`s all the way for me,  tho, to be truthfull apart from playing upto 1080p mkv`s the most taxing thing i do is convert mp3 audiobooks into m4b`s lol..  still using my very trusty old mac mini (first gen intel) for 99% of my computing needs,  i`ll eventually get a new version of it,  but untill we have to start playing super duper extra hi def,  it does everything i need..  not bad for a 5 year old mac mini lol..

I don`t think I`ve played a game on the PC since we got the PS3, but the missus plays most games ont he PS3, but plays The Sims 3 on the PC, she does moan about it chugging now and again though. Her desire to play Skyrim was main reason (excuse ;) )to get PS3, as that was cheap option to play that and most other games we were interested in. She liked the Sims games they did on the GC as an aracdey alternative to PC version, but does seem to be a PS3 equivalent :(

So, if next Sims 3 add on chugs even more, may be the reason/excuse I need to get back into PC gaming. I`ve got PC games I enjoy which I hardly play, just don`t seem to find the time as most PC games I like, like GTA IV you have to devote a substantial amount of time in each sitting. I also got a bit fed up of the installation issues etc, but I think I said that when the old PII450 started getting on a bit, switched to console gaming then for a while, then with this PC got back into PC gaming for a bit.

Similar article from Gamespot now

http://uk.gamespot.com/features/how-to-build-your-own-steambox-6393863/

I guess with Steam box a reality round the corner GameSpot did an update

Can We Build a Gaming PC on a Console Budget?

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/?ftag=MKT16187cb

Quote:
There's no debating that a souped-up gaming PC will outperform an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 any day of the week, but it'll also cost you a lot more at checkout. However, what about a gaming PC that isn't top of the line, say, one that was built for $550?

This is the question we put to the test: could we build a gaming PC from scratch that could provide a gameplay and visual experience on par with a next-gen console, for around the same price as a next-gen console? While the PlayStation 4 is substantially cheaper, we wanted to make this exercise as competitive as possible, and that meant allowing ourselves the luxury of a slightly higher budget. Our own Mark Walton and Peter Brown each built one machine; one based on Intel and Nvidia chipsets, and the other on AMD hardware. Then, we put them to the test to see if Mark and Peter used their budgets wisely or if they would have been better off buying a console for great graphics on a fixed budget. The text on this page covers the basics of our test, but be sure to check out the videos below for a more in-depth look at Mark's and Peter's process and results.
it's a interesting concept, for right this minute, but the problem is in a  couple of years time when your console will play BF6, Assasins Creed X with no extra expendature, but you'll have to spend again to upgrade the PC. I guess you could argue, the money you saved on the retail price of games, pays for the next hardware upgrade.

personally, I can't be arsed with PCs for gaming any more, hardware and software upgrades, incomptabilities, drivers etc, I like console stability.

As I don't have time to play games much any more, I'm "missing out" on games on all platforms anyway ;)

This item was edited on Tuesday, 22nd April 2014, 21:41

Quote:
admars says...
"personally, I can't be arsed with PCs for gaming any more..."
Nah, me neither. I'm very late to the party with the PS3, which I got in June last year after a conscious decision to stay a generation behind to keep gaming cheap for me. And I love it. I much prefer the console technology snapshot to the moving PC target. And you do away with all the spec-snobbery too.

$550 Alienware Alpha vs. PS4 and Xbox One - Graphics Comparison



http://www.gamespot.com/articles/550-alienware-alpha-vs-ps4-and-xbox-one-graphics-c/1100-6422982/


apparently that cost is a bit more than a ps4 or xbone, and Alienware are selling it as a console. I suppose if missus wants Sims 4 it could be an easy option ;)