Intel & NVIDIA: Can you Build a Gaming PC on a Console Budget

Can an inexpensive gaming PC made from Intel & NVIDIA parts compete with an Xbox One or PlayStation 4?

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.

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[StickNoob]

The mistake you made with this build is you grabbed a crappy CPU. An i3-4130 would have given you a much better performance and better framerate. It is obvious that the CPU was a bottleneck with this build.

[WhynayEmnayRS]

Ok, because let's be honest, nobody actually pays for an operating system anymore. Replace the cpu with an i3-3220 and get 2x4GB 1600Mhz ram and you have a much better pc for the same or lower price.

[RansomOfficial]

So many of the console gamers are arguing that they didn't include a monitor in the price... Do you lot buy a new TV every time you purchase a console? No? Thought not. You can just plug in your TV to the PC like you do on your consoles. Also, this video was to prove that PC gaming isn't expensive and it did just that.

The rest of the console gamers are saying that it's a shitty PC and yes, it is, yet it outperforms the "Next Gen" consoles by being able to run games @ 1080p AND 60FPS without compromising one for the other... Like the Next Gen consoles do.. So in the end, it is a really low powered PC but it's still more powerful than the PS4/ XBONE and it does show how cheap PC gaming can be. 

ALSO, to those of you who think it's best to stay on consoles because of having to "tweak" and "modify" settings to be able to play a game on a PC. LOL. No. In all of my years of PC gaming, I've only had to tweak and modify if I WANTED TO. The same applies to all PC gamers. We don't need to do anything to be able to play, but because we can, we do ;) We don't need to follow the strict guidelines consoles gamers do. Once we pay for a game, the game is ours, meaning we can do whatever we want to it and go online and no one will care :) #PCGamingIsFreedom  

Plus, even if you do spend over 500 on your PC, you'll still end up saving money when purchasing the games for it seeing as how games are always on sale on Steam. So in the end you don't pay for a console + $/£40-50 for a game, you pay for the system and end up paying way less for a game than you did as a console gamer. 

EDIT - "The Gooch" pointed out something I forgot the first time around; being able to play online for free. No one should have to pay to play online on a game they've already purchased using an internet connection they also pay for. Why are you guys paying to do things that are free to do on the PC? How can you justify paying for online subscriptions after already having paid for the game and the internet connection? How does paying to *access your games multiplayer using your own internet connection* not piss you guys off? 

Seems to me every console player says PC gaming is expensive yet you guys are the ones spending a shit load on games and MP fees. So overall, you lot end up spending more than we do *;)* 

[T]

Don't be a cheap skate, Don't build PC's like this spend at least $1000 on a PC for the best experience. It's money well spent.

[jrodificator]

They really dropped the ball on this build. They shouldn't have even made a budget intel build. For the money, AMD is much better.

[DeIeted]

You build it for less than $500 by pirating Windows and skipping the case and peripherals, using ones you already have from your "normal" home PC.  I hate these videos because none of them ever mention the reuse of non-critical components.  I understand not mentioning pirating Windows, but I get upset when people making these videos act as if you have to buy everything brand new and can't even pull an old ATX case out of a dumpster.  Not to mention, some idiots include a monitor yet you don't include a TV when buying a console.  Sickening.

[mistaflake]

So the AMD rig wins. It's easy, if you want quality you go Intel/Nvidia, if you want pure performance you go AMD.

[Tunainthebrine]

PC will always be better, just less convenient and can be more of a headache at times due to components fucking up and software issues.  I recently switched to PC and honestly I have had my fair share of headaches with it.  However, once you experience the graphics and range of a PC, you never really go back.

[SynthieFlowers]

As linus would say "don't be surprised your computer is fried when you have a potato powering it instead of a good psu". Or something like that.

[PhatChris]

I think you should do a pc build for the cost that a console gamer would spend... But you have to remember a console gamer also needs a pc or laptop for everyday tasks.  So if you take the price of an average pc and a console and build a gaming pc for that.  PC wins every time

[biobasher]

Just remember, this isnt just a gaming device, it's a pc as well, meaning you can do alot more things that a gaming console can't do. I'm betting you're probably sat there with a $300 laptop or desktop if you're commenting on this with a $400 gaming device, that's already $700... think outside the box ;)

[AdmiralFloof]

Pirate the goddamn Windows, and save 100 bucks :D

[arnoodle]

Updated specs : CPU - Pentium G3258 
Motherboard : BIOSTAR Hi-Fi H81S2 LGA 1150 
Ram : Crucial Ballistix Sport 8gb 
Case : Cougar Spike 
Power supply : EVGA 500b 
Graphics Card : GTX 750 TI 
HDD : Seagate Barracuda 1TB 
OS : Windows 8.1 
Total cost without rebates $480 
Keep in mind that there are taxes here in california, and Windows is so cheap because there are OTHER places to get windows, such as Reddit :) on reddit /microsoftsoftwareswap there are legit windows 8.1 keys that go for $10-$20 and are eligible for the windows 10 upgrade 

[TheLastLineLive]

If you have a spare copy of windows, you can expand the budget even more, probably netting an i5 and a slightly beefier card with that money. Also if you have any components you can reuse from a current machine like a power supply, disc drive, harddrive, or case, that can help some.

Personally, Im just gonna wait for the 500$ Ibuypower or Cyberpowerpc steam machines, they will work great, and I have an unused copy of Windows 8 I can put on it. It will be a fully functioning PC, but will also handle gaming needs.

[bradlewis]

I literally built a sub $300 pc last week as a htpc build, BUT plays all games on max/high in 1080p with over 30fps. USING

AMD APU- Quad Core
AMD r7 260x
4gb DDR3
550 Watt PSU
Cheap Case

[felixxixon]

Almost every gamer needs two things: a machine that plays games and a computer. It just so happens that my PC can do both.

[Beebat]

Moral of the Story: Don't buy a budget PC with an Intel CPU

[formerdave]

price point should rather be compared to the PS4. You don't get any better specs by paying 100 bucks for an additional camera!

[shinypeekatyou]

Building on the anti static bag made me cringe. The outside is what prevents the inside getting static because the outside has conductive material.

[strmgaming]

WTF... Am i trippin'... or does the PS4 preform better that the build.
Like the colors on PC are way too faded.