Posted: 11/27/2007 3:58:04 AM EDT
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Very soon I will have a lot of time on my hands. I am not a big gamer by any means but do enjoy blowing shit up every now in then in both real life and in a game. I have a HTPC that once I get the damn thing working will be hooked up to my 50" plasma. My question is should I upgrade my HTPC (it will need a new MOBO, CPU and memory) or should I get a console like the WII, PS3 or Xbox360? Thanks |
| If you don't mind spending a few hundred on a decent graphics card every 1-2 years, I would say go with PC. PC just offers so much more, but such features have a price. There are some console exclusive games that you will obviously be locked out of, but the same thing happens when you buy a console (locked out of other console and PC games). |
You can use a PS3 as a HTPC (you can install Linux on it). It has built in wifi, bluetooth, gigibit ethernet, USB and a 40GB laptop SATA harddrive (which you can easily swap out for something bigger) - not to mention it has the Cell Processor - which is excellent for multimedia use. And you can get all of that for $400. Granted, you can't upgrade the graphics (which are equivalent ~ Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX) and you can't run Windows (I don't think)....but other than that - it's a decent HTPC. ETA: How could I forget - you also get BluRay player built in - so it can play movies in Hi Def (which would look great hooked to a 50 inch plasma  )
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A PC rebuild will cost more, take more time to build and still will not be as good. |
 You might as well start telling me a Mustang V6 smokes a Corvette. I mean both statements are just as truthful. There's not a single feature that the PS3 has that a PC cannot have and greatly exceed except for the fact that it plays PS3 games. That's not to say a PS3 doesn't make a great HTPC. A computer just has the potential to be better and has more versatility. He's not a big gamer anyway so he doesn't need top of the line hardware.
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Upgrade the PC, and buy a 360. Stay away from the PS3; any game coming out on the PS3 is also coming out for the 360 at ten bucks cheaper per title, and all the PS3 exclusives are crap. Buy a Wii if you feel like it. They are a totally different sort of experience. |
Right - so I guess Gran Turismo, Killzone, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted, SOCOM, Tekken, etc. have all become 360 franchises now?  If anything - stay away from the 360 - they overheat and get the RRoD  , you have to pay for online, and they don't even play next-gen hi def movies ...not to mention they're as loud as a vacuum cleaner .
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Thank you all for confirming my thoughts. I have decided to upgrade the HTPC however given my current situation I can't do the upgrade I wanted to and instead oped for upgrading the video card and getting an HDTV turner. The upgrade I wanted to do was going to be just over $900. I will just have to work out the issues with this one and deal with it until I get back on my feet again. Hopefully the video card will make the difference.  Here is my setup. Black Zelman HD-160 HTPC case ASUS A7N8X-Deluxe MOBO AMD 1.2 GHZ Athlon CPU 1.5 GB PC3200 1 TB storage EVGA 6200LE (currently, and the damn thing will NOT play video) EVGA 7300GT (in the mail) Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 Zelman Power Supply Zelman Case fans Zelman CPU heatsink/fan Not the fastest beast but it should do it's job for a couple of older FPSers. Once I get the damn video issue straightened out that is. |