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Cheap PC vs. Xbox 360 for gaming ?

BoA*

BoA*

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 8, 2005
44
0
FL
Okay,
so while I'm saving up my money I'm trying to think of what to buy.

Is the value better to get a cheap PC or an Xbox 360 for gaming? The game I want to play the most is Oblivion. I was thinking I could play Morrowind and Oblivion on low setting using a cheap PC from Gateway or Dell. But, seeing as I just bought an iMac G5 last Christmas, would it be better to just buy a 360 ?

I don't really play games that much, just TES series and I also used to use RPG Maker. Everything else I do, Aperture, Photoshop, Sims 2, playing movies, and the web I do on the iMac. So, would a PC be kind of dumb to get ?

Maybe I should just split the cost of a 360 with my dad who is a game freak, and use the rest towards a Wii when it comes out or a new PSP or something...

You guys' thoughts ?
 
At the moment I'd definatly go 360 for gaming, it has graphics to rival a top of the range PC and has some great releases coming out, not to mention it works out far cheaper....Oh and xbox L!ve is amazing!!!

SHadoW
 
Re:

Shadowmoses:
Hmm. Thanks! The only thing that gets me is the fact that you can't use the Construction Sets though...

TheMadKiwi & Tristan:
I'm not sure. Is the Core Duo that much better than the G5 ? I like sticking with what I've got, now that I've become attached lol. Will Boot Camp run on the MacBooks ? Is Boot Camp out yet though ? Also, have either of you run Oblivion or Morrowind from BC if it's out yet ? I tried to do it with Virtual PC on my G5 but my copy wouldn't work so I returned it...
 
To get the graphical finesse of an xbox 360 in a pc you'll be spending a lot more money, so go for the 360, just make sure you hook it up to either a HDTV or a monitor...
 
You can find out more about Boot Camp and games on the "Windows on Mac" forum.

A cheap PC isn't as cheap an option as it looks because you need RAM, a good graphics card, a monitor, etc. That all adds up, and I assume you don't want to spend $800 bux. An Xbox 360 is pretty new tech and its like $400 bux so that seems like the better value.

It also depends upon what kind of games you like, what kind of TV you have, what your house set up is, etc. Like I'm a strategy game guy so console games don't do much for me, and I don't even need a fast computer or even expensive games, I'm happy to play older games that work on my PBG4. And if I did have a console, my wife would get sick of me hogging the TV, so that's not really an option. When she watches something that bores me, I'm on the laptop conquering the world, which is fine with me. So obviously my next laptop will likely be a Boot Camp laptop that plays PC strategy games too.

Then I have another friend who shares a house with some computer geeks and they have a monster TV in the living room - perfect setup for an XBox, obviously. And then I had another friend who LAN gamed all the time in his basement which doubled as a Linux lab, so he went dual-boot PC, obviously. I guess its more of a lifestyle choice.
 
Dreadnought said:
If you do want to play multiplayer games against pc friends, forget the xbox.
Click to expand...

Actually some games in the future might support the Xbox Live Anywhere intiative:

"Dubbed “Live Anywhere,” the initiative puts gamers at the center of a ubiquitous always-on world where their digital identities, games, friends and digital entertainment are always accessible through the familiar Xbox Live interface, regardless of location or device. The plan also clears the way for groundbreaking cross-platform gameplay scenarios, with participants using Windows-based PCs, mobile phones and Xbox 360 consoles to play together simultaneously."

From a Microsoft Press release.
 
for what its worth, a bottom end PC will not run oblivion at playable frame rates, However it runs nice and smooth on my 360.
 
If you want to be able to play the top notch games like Oblivion, then get a 360. a cheap PC would just flat out die.
 
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