XBox 360 or Not?

[CaseyV9]

I'm a bit stuck.
My PC is great. I have only had it for about 14 months. Core 2 Duo, PCI Express. Great.
Thing is I got a kick in the balls when I discovered the Via chipset is incompatable with PCI-Express 2.0 graphics cards. I like RPG's and although I find myself playing less games latley I'm looking forward to Fallout 3. Fallout 2 was amazing. Thing is, an upgrade would need a new mobo and OS even before I get to buying a graphics card. Annoying since my PC is very capable for my needs. It runs Crysis half decent.

My problem now is I really want to play GTA IV. I have a 17" monitor so that rules out a PS3.

But as I have looked online about XBox 360 I have seen the overheating issue. I can't get over the poor cooling. the tiny heatsink on the GPU that is directly below the DVD drive. Some people claiming that it heats up the discs and warps them.

Argos has a Premium XBox 360 with Halo and GTA IV for £200.

I guess you guy's would know how bad the XBox 360 is hardware wise.

What do you reckon? Should I buy an XBox 360 or would it be more wiser to save my money and upgrade my PC at a much later date?


Oh yeah, Is GTA IV alone worth buying an XBox 360?

[educatedfool]

Originally Posted by CaseyV9

My problem now is I really want to play GTA IV. I have a 17" monitor so that rules out a PS3.

But as I have looked online about XBox 360 I have seen the overheating issue. I can't get over the poor cooling. the tiny heatsink on the GPU that is directly below the DVD drive. Some people claiming that it heats up the discs and warps them.
?

Well, I've had my Xbox a month or so (premium), and today it has been running for about 13 hours non stop (bloody fifa 08 manager mode is far too addictive, though infuriating) and it doesn't even seem too hot, hasn't frozen. The air coming out of the back is a bit warm, but nothing really compared to my 2900xt after a couple of hours of gaming. I've had only one freeze and that was also during fifa a couple of weeks ago, during penalties against my brother, I think it just couldn't handle the pressure . No problems running GTA expect the dodgy multiplayer connections.



I'm sure it's been running longer aswell, as I fell asleep one night with it on and it times out after 6 hours

[CaseyV9]

Originally Posted by educatedfool

Well, I've had my Xbox a month or so (premium), and today it has been running for about 13 hours non stop (bloody fifa 08 manager mode is far too addictive, though infuriating) and it doesn't even seem too hot, hasn't frozen. The air coming out of the back is a bit warm, but nothing really compared to my 2900xt after a couple of hours of gaming. I've had only one freeze and that was also during fifa a couple of weeks ago, during penalties against my brother, I think it just couldn't handle the pressure . No problems running GTA expect the dodgy multiplayer connections.



I'm sure it's been running longer aswell, as I fell asleep one night with it on and it times out after 6 hours

So what do you think about XBox 360 hardware wise? I'm aware I may just be only only hearing negative things about it.
Have you found it as good for gaming as PC?

[SiM]

I was planning on getting one, but I bought a 9800gtx instead... There are just too many reports of xbox deaths and other problems.... decided that its not worth the hassle

[CaseyV9]

Originally Posted by SiM

I was planning on getting one, but I bought a 9800gtx instead... There are just too many reports of xbox deaths and other problems.... decided that its not worth the hassle

Yeah, I've had my eye on the 9800GX2's for a while. Thing is, I wouldn't settle for anything less than an X38 MOBO or something with a PCI-e 2.0 graphics slot.
And then on Wiki I saw that PCI-e 3.0 is on it's way aswell.

I can only sit here foaming at the mouth.

It's getting ridiculous.

It's annoying because my PC is fine in every other way.

I know there are a lot of cheaper options for me PC wise.

But how come it seems that XBox 360 can produce nice graphics on such old tech. (GPU wise anyway)

Isn't a PS3 using a Geforce 7 series type GPU or something? I mean this is High Def aswell.

[educatedfool]

Originally Posted by CaseyV9

So what do you think about XBox 360 hardware wise? I'm aware I may just be only only hearing negative things about it.
Have you found it as good for gaming as PC?

Well, since I've got it I havent really played my PC very much at all. At the minute there isn't really much that interests me coming out, although when Empire: Total War and possibly spore some out I'll be back on it. In honesty though I'm not really into gaming at the minute only GTA 4 and fifa. I played COD4 to death on the PC when it came out, I wouldn't touch it for the xbox.

It's also far easier just to stick in a disk sit back and play than faff about with all the PC stuff. I still prefer the PC for RTS/FPS by many a mile


And you'll always hear the negative more than the positive. More people go online to complain than those who do to praise

[educatedfool]

Originally Posted by CaseyV9

Yeah, I've had my eye on the 9800GX2's for a while. Thing is, I wouldn't settle for anything less than an X38 MOBO or something with a PCI-e 2.0 graphics slot.
And then on Wiki I saw that PCI-e 3.0 is on it's way aswell.

I can only sit here foaming at the mouth.

It's getting ridiculous.

It's annoying because my PC is fine in every other way.

I know there are a lot of cheaper options for me PC wise.

But how come it seems that XBox 360 can produce nice graphics on such old tech. (GPU wise anyway)

Isn't a PS3 using a Geforce 7 series type GPU or something? I mean this is High Def aswell.

The GX2 will probably not even use all the bandwidth available in PCI1.1 never mind PCI2.0

[tigerboyce]

Seconded to the above, i bought my 360 just before GTA came out for that reason and haven't put it down yet. I also have not been on a pc game since. really worth it imo

edit:- 2 posts above

[Ciber]

I think your motherboard should still run pci express 2.0 cards just fine, just not in 2.0 mode. Ask in the hardware forum here, theres experts there, as I'm not 100% sure.

[Spud1]

Stick with your PC - thats a flexible, upgradable machine that can do so much more than the xbox360.

GTAIV is very very overhyped - it's not that great of a game..it's OK, in the same way that the Halo series is 'OK', but not groundbreaking. It's no Half-Life or GTA1 (although i've only played it for a couple of hours, I got bored very quickly).

[JimmyBoy]

the newer models of xbox are a lot better now just make sure if you get a premium it has hdmi because thats the easiest way of knowing its a newer model and runs cooler, i'd say get one and gta4 is awesome i recommend it to anyone, your pc is capable of anything at the moment even if you cant play with the highest settings its about enjoying the game not having it look amazing, as long as your framerates are ok theres nothing to worry about

[G4Z]

Well, I have both and they are great for different things.

I would say, if GTA4 is your thing, go get an xbox as it really is fantastic. As far as the xbox hardware goes, I have had one fo the new premium models with HDMI for a couple of months and I have noticed no heat issues at all, even after several hours of gaming.

You PC sounds pretty decent, if I were in your shoes I would be tempted top put the upgrade off for a while as what you have should do fine for most games today (you said it runs crysis ok, so must be!)

[CaseyV9]

Originally Posted by G4Z

You PC sounds pretty decent, if I were in your shoes I would be tempted top put the upgrade off for a while as what you have should do fine for most games today (you said it runs crysis ok, so must be!)

Well, It's playable in lower resolutions in DX9. I've always been on the lower end hardware PC's, so I don't know any better. But yeah, the demo plays fine. Just no DX10.

[Hicks12]

ignore pci-e 2.0, you wont need it and so far cards are not using it. What card do you have? id say ignore gta 4 and just keep the pc and save the money on an upgrade for the future.

[mediaboy]

As above.

360s are outdated.. wait for the 720 to come out (2012 I think.. something like that anywway) and get that one.

For those that don't know, the 720 is the guestimated name of the next Xbox, and the release date is predicted on the length of time between each technological advance and generation of console... and how fast the companies are growing...

PS3s aren't actually significantly technologically better... a £300-400 can just about double performance (numbers only) and some of the best computers just shouldn't be compared to 360s. The benchmarks as compared to a 360 would be hugely improved...

Save up. Get a new computer/graphics card/motherboard. It'll be more fun later on.

For certain, one game isn't worth £250.

[G4Z]

Originally Posted by mediaboy

As above.

360s are outdated.. wait for the 720 to come out (2012 I think.. something like that anywway) and get that one.

For those that don't know, the 720 is the guestimated name of the next Xbox, and the release date is predicted on the length of time between each technological advance and generation of console... and how fast the companies are growing...

PS3s aren't actually significantly technologically better... a £300-400 can just about double performance (numbers only) and some of the best computers just shouldn't be compared to 360s. The benchmarks as compared to a 360 would be hugely improved...

Save up. Get a new computer/graphics card/motherboard. It'll be more fun later on.

For certain, one game isn't worth £250.

Well, i think its a bit of a stretch to say its only for one game. There are a lot of great games on the xbox that are worth getting. I would also say that if the new x-box is out in 4 years then that £250 investment buys your a lot of gaming time, I know that I for one will spend an awful lot more than that on my PC over the next 4 years.