Get a gaming rig now or wait until PC gaming is in full bloom?

[icemanchilled]

The problem isn't specs, but optimization. Console games are optimized so well that even older hardware does a great job. PC games are heavily under-optimized with a few exceptions due to hardware variety. I am defending consoles here - I just want to make the a wise cost/benefit analysis to decide when and what.

But it takes years for developers to get the most out of new consoles, year on year the quality improves, but the games at the end of a consoles life are far more impressive than the early ones. So by the time those consoles reach that level of eye candy, the PC will have again moved on. The good thing about the next generation of consoles is that the 360 will be DX11 compliant, which translates well for ports. The past 5 years have seen the PC making huge leaps in terms of technology, this is the first time that i'm aware of that the next generation of consoles will be outdated on the day of release. In comparison to the PC, new consoles usually at least match PCs of the time, not this time though.

[EarthAtGates]

Hmm, yeah probably but even when the 360 came out it really couldn't match the PCs for THAT long...I remember it being a very short time.

[valtterieranen]

About one year. The 8800GTX finally outmatched it in multiplatform titles.

[Brat Gvidon]

So, maybe it makes more sense to buy a gaming rig when new consoles finally arrive, and it is not soon...


Ah, screw it - I want a rig, I can afford one, and I want to build one! Building is the best part - LEGOs for adults. I take it too far sometimes and become agitated when overclocking. I go as far as soldering wires on video cards to up the voltage and try every new BETA BIOS with 100s of option changes, etc... I killed so many parts... The very first time I got a PC was in Europe and it was pre-built but did not turn on, so I changed that red switch on PSU from 220 to 110 and SHIZAM! It stunk, so I used toilet spray and told the builders it wasn't working... Then I proceeded to erase a third of my father's Ph.D work from a floppy to save space for some naked girl pictures... Why am I telling you all this...

[DhinShin]

Sounds like you've got the bug. Just get a solid gaming PC and upgrade the card everytime they change process node, like from the 480GTX (40nm) to the 680GTX (28nm). The CPU should still be fine when the new consoles come out next year.