PC Gaming Thread
#1251
DVD Talk Legend
Re: PC Gaming Thread
I'm still watching and waiting.....there was one of these Console vs PC YouTube Videos I watched...about 2 months old....and I responded with my comments which said PC's have several advantage with the custom configurations, price variations, software, amount of games and basic hardware like Mouse, KB, Monitors....BUT>..they fail when it comes to getting the most out of some current games...like 21604K...that you need a pretty good Video card that costs half of the total PC....plus you almost need to upgrade every few years due to the changing of visual performance demands with games....
So the question isn't "can this gaming PC run all new games at their highest settings?" which isn't going to be true for any gaming PC build probably a month or two out from purchase, but "can this gaming PC run new games at the level that I'm happy with?"
This is different than with consoles, where due to the mostly fixed hardware per generation, it's a "take it or leave it" situation. The developers only have to target one set of specs, so they can tweak all the settings until they get something they like, and the consumer can purchase the game and play it at those fixed settings and level of performance, or not play the game on that console.
That said, consoles can look good compared to similarly priced PC hardware due to developers being able to optimize for that specific hardware, where on PC they have to make sure the game generally runs well on nearly and hardware, which is a near infinite combination of dozens to hundreds of CPUs, GPU, RAM capacities and speeds, HDD/SSD seek and throughput, etc. PC just isn't a platform where you're going to ever find one piece of hardware that plays all games at best performance for any extended period of them.
If you're waiting for the "perfect" PC, you're never going to buy one.
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K&AJones (02-16-23)
#1252
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Also, worth noting - you don't have to upgrade every few years, graphic cards last much longer than people give them credit for - they just won't offer some bleeding edge features, and neither will their console counterparts.
Otherwise, you can still play modern games on a GTX 980 that was released 8 years ago.
Otherwise, you can still play modern games on a GTX 980 that was released 8 years ago.
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Jay G. (02-17-23)
#1253
DVD Talk Hero
Re: PC Gaming Thread
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Jay G. (02-16-23)
#1254
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: PC Gaming Thread
I play my PS5 thru a ASUS 32" Gaming Monitor at 2160 and can flat out tell the difference between it and my old PS4 at 1080P. I have not seen anything at 1440P so no comment there. To me, the 2160 at 60FPS is a sweet spot for a majority of games out there. I personally don't see me going back to playing anything at 1080P...might as well just fire up the PS4. I don't look for anything on the High End nor low end but right in the middle. But as noted, the High, Middle, Low is constantly changing and evolving with both Hardware and Software so there is No Perfect Time To Buy...
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Jay G. (02-17-23)
#1255
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: PC Gaming Thread
I took Atomic Heart that is coming out. They listed it will be 4K 60FPS on Consoles...great. They then listed the PC Specs. What they recommend for 21604K at 60FPS is a RTX 3080 Nivida and RX6800...right now both of those cards are around $750-$850....which proves my point. Now if one is happy at say 1440P and 1080P at 60-120FPS then more power to them but thats less "Visual Candy" that XBox and PS5 offer...so...
#1256
DVD Talk Legend
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Consoles are built for one purpose only and are sold at a loss even years after they release. NVidia can't do that because they don't have software sales to make their profit (same with manufacturers of any PC components).
#1257
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Anyone have opinions, experience with these cards....as of now, I would pick one of these and so far what I've seen, depending on Game and Settings, these are all close to each other....
RTX 3060Ti, RTX 3070, RX 6750 XT and RX 6800...I'd say for a card my Budget/Build Idea is about $600 Max.......with MB and CPU I'm more open and have several in mind with both Intel and AMD...
I found this video from 9 months ago comparing specs. Not paying attention to the cost factor since in 9 months it's changed a bit.....
This is a Setup I have looked at seriously (with RX 6700 instead)....I can see myself doing 1440P with close to max settings....
RTX 3060Ti, RTX 3070, RX 6750 XT and RX 6800...I'd say for a card my Budget/Build Idea is about $600 Max.......with MB and CPU I'm more open and have several in mind with both Intel and AMD...
I found this video from 9 months ago comparing specs. Not paying attention to the cost factor since in 9 months it's changed a bit.....
This is a Setup I have looked at seriously (with RX 6700 instead)....I can see myself doing 1440P with close to max settings....
Last edited by K&AJones; 02-18-23 at 09:04 AM.
#1258
DVD Talk Legend
Re: PC Gaming Thread
I have zero personal experience with those cards, but for a general AMD vs Nvidia comparison:
https://www.tomshardware.com/feature...vs-nvidia-gpus
https://reviewed.usatoday.com/gaming.../amd-vs-nvidia
https://www.tomshardware.com/feature...vs-nvidia-gpus
Nvidia wins for 4K and ray tracing performance, AMD wins for standard 1080p and 1440p gaming, and also in performance at similar high-end and mid-range price points. DLSS also counts in Nvidia's favor, however, and while FSR 2.0 might be relatively competitive, it works on any GPU...
While AMD and Nvidia have superficial parity on most features, Nvidia's implementations are generally superior — and cost more. G-Sync, Reflex, DLSS, and NVENC all end up being at least slightly better than AMD's alternatives...
Overall, which GPU you prefer will likely come down to personal preference rather than hard numbers. AMD clearly wins most match ups (comparing similar priced cards) in standard benchmarks, but it falls behind in ray tracing games and DLSS still factors in. We could certainly see people being willing to pay 10–15% more money to get an Nvidia card, even if it may not technically be the "best" choice.
While AMD and Nvidia have superficial parity on most features, Nvidia's implementations are generally superior — and cost more. G-Sync, Reflex, DLSS, and NVENC all end up being at least slightly better than AMD's alternatives...
Overall, which GPU you prefer will likely come down to personal preference rather than hard numbers. AMD clearly wins most match ups (comparing similar priced cards) in standard benchmarks, but it falls behind in ray tracing games and DLSS still factors in. We could certainly see people being willing to pay 10–15% more money to get an Nvidia card, even if it may not technically be the "best" choice.
Both manufacturers are constantly adding new features and updating their graphics architecture in their cards to keep the competition hot, but Nvidia’s key features like ray tracing and supersampling have been around for longer, whereas AMD has the lead on frame rates (for now). Ultimately, you’ll have to decide if you prefer the best frame rates or the best ray tracing.
#1259
DVD Talk Hero
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Ray tracing looks cool, but the performance hit... I want my games to look good, but I also want them to move smoothly. 4K/60fps would be the goal for me. Sure 4K/120fps sounds amazing on paper, but I don't think we're really there yet. Anyone who knows better, feel free to correct me.
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K&AJones (02-19-23)
#1260
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: PC Gaming Thread
I've been watching a lot of videos showing comparisons between 1080P vs 1440p vs 4K all with Ultra Settings....with various cards and CPU's in the mix. While the FPS Numbers fluctuate between all three options, one thing I have noticed though, 1080P Ultra seems to hold it's own visually. Of course it depends on the game itself in terms of type like Fortnite is not the same as say Destiny in terms of details. And some games no matter what will and can stress the card/CPU no matter what...like in the video below Red dead Redemption and Cyberpunk put this setup...a RTX 3060Ti with Ryzen 5 5600x to the test at all three settings while others not so much.
After posting this early this morning, had to go do grocery shopping, came back and this story popped up on the side that caught my eye....a pretty good long read. And I started to think about because with some games I'm playing, I read reveiws and all and there's several there mention...PC Performance Issues and Bugs....being part of the Con & Negative...... PC gamers are getting fed up with one shoddy port after another | PC Gamer
After posting this early this morning, had to go do grocery shopping, came back and this story popped up on the side that caught my eye....a pretty good long read. And I started to think about because with some games I'm playing, I read reveiws and all and there's several there mention...PC Performance Issues and Bugs....being part of the Con & Negative...... PC gamers are getting fed up with one shoddy port after another | PC Gamer
Last edited by K&AJones; 02-19-23 at 10:54 AM.
#1261
DVD Talk Hero
Re: PC Gaming Thread
After posting this early this morning, had to go do grocery shopping, came back and this story popped up on the side that caught my eye....a pretty good long read. And I started to think about because with some games I'm playing, I read reveiws and all and there's several there mention...PC Performance Issues and Bugs....being part of the Con & Negative...... PC gamers are getting fed up with one shoddy port after another | PC Gamer
#1262
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
Re: PC Gaming Thread
I know he was making point but I do have to say the ports of God of War, Returnal, Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite were really well done.
#1263
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: PC Gaming Thread
i've been back looking at CPU and Motherboard combos....I'm almost set on the CPU...AMD Ryzen 7 5700X. However on the MB's I've narrowed it down some but...can someone tell me just what is the difference with the last letter attached to the number means? In other words I'll see a B550-F...B550-P...B550M....B550-A.....I remember seeing a Review Video on various AMD Boards and they said don't get the "M" for whatever but I simply don't know what these letters at the end mean on the B550/B650 Boards mean?
As of now...if I had to pick it's this one...it doesn't have a letter after the B550...just curious asto what they all mean....
Gigabyte B550 AORUS ELITE AX V2 (AMD Ryzen 5000/B550/ATX/True 12+2 Phases Digital VRM/PCIe4.0/DDR4/USB3.2 Gen 1/Realtek ALC1200/Intel WiFi 6/2xM.2 Thermal Guard/2.5 GbE LAN/HDMI/DP/Gaming Motherboard) (amazon.com)
I was looking at cards and nowonder everyone is shaking their hea at the insaness......I looked at a RTX4070Ti for about $890.00....and right below it was a RTX3080 for $900.00....good grief...
As of now...if I had to pick it's this one...it doesn't have a letter after the B550...just curious asto what they all mean....

I was looking at cards and nowonder everyone is shaking their hea at the insaness......I looked at a RTX4070Ti for about $890.00....and right below it was a RTX3080 for $900.00....good grief...
Last edited by K&AJones; 02-20-23 at 05:34 PM.
#1264
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: PC Gaming Thread
i've been back looking at CPU and Motherboard combos....I'm almost set on the CPU...AMD Ryzen 7 5700X. However on the MB's I've narrowed it down some but...can someone tell me just what is the difference with the last letter attached to the number means? In other words I'll see a B550-F...B550-P...B550M....B550-A.....I remember seeing a Review Video on various AMD Boards and they said don't get the "M" for whatever but I simply don't know what these letters at the end mean on the B550/B650 Boards mean?
As of now...if I had to pick it's this one...it doesn't have a letter after the B550...just curious asto what they all mean.... Gigabyte B550 AORUS ELITE AX V2 (AMD Ryzen 5000/B550/ATX/True 12+2 Phases Digital VRM/PCIe4.0/DDR4/USB3.2 Gen 1/Realtek ALC1200/Intel WiFi 6/2xM.2 Thermal Guard/2.5 GbE LAN/HDMI/DP/Gaming Motherboard) (amazon.com)
As of now...if I had to pick it's this one...it doesn't have a letter after the B550...just curious asto what they all mean.... Gigabyte B550 AORUS ELITE AX V2 (AMD Ryzen 5000/B550/ATX/True 12+2 Phases Digital VRM/PCIe4.0/DDR4/USB3.2 Gen 1/Realtek ALC1200/Intel WiFi 6/2xM.2 Thermal Guard/2.5 GbE LAN/HDMI/DP/Gaming Motherboard) (amazon.com)
#1265
DVD Talk Legend
Re: PC Gaming Thread
i've been back looking at CPU and Motherboard combos....I'm almost set on the CPU...AMD Ryzen 7 5700X. However on the MB's I've narrowed it down some but...can someone tell me just what is the difference with the last letter attached to the number means? In other words I'll see a B550-F...B550-P...B550M....B550-A.....I remember seeing a Review Video on various AMD Boards and they said don't get the "M" for whatever but I simply don't know what these letters at the end mean on the B550/B650 Boards mean?
The "M" designation, however, most likely means a Mini or Micro-ATX board, so not what you want unless you want a compact PC build.
https://linustechtips.com/topic/1429...rd-names-mean/
afaik it is brand by brand, and it is to differentiate features/revisions/colors, ect....
The only suffixes after a motherboard name that typically mean something are "M" and "I." "M" typically means "MicroATX" and "I" means "Mini ITX." Although sometimes you'll also see an "M" for a "Mini ITX" board, so even that isn't perfect.
The only suffixes after a motherboard name that typically mean something are "M" and "I." "M" typically means "MicroATX" and "I" means "Mini ITX." Although sometimes you'll also see an "M" for a "Mini ITX" board, so even that isn't perfect.
#1266
DVD Talk Legend
Re: PC Gaming Thread
After posting this early this morning, had to go do grocery shopping, came back and this story popped up on the side that caught my eye....a pretty good long read. And I started to think about because with some games I'm playing, I read reveiws and all and there's several there mention...PC Performance Issues and Bugs....being part of the Con & Negative...... PC gamers are getting fed up with one shoddy port after another | PC Gamer
It's not like PC-exclusive releases aren't known to have major bugs and issues upon release too. It's all about how much time and effort the developers/publishers want to put in the product, and whether they're aiming to meet a particular release date, and how much QA they do. However, PC releases are always going to be trickier and more bug-filled due to the complexities for releasing a product that's going to run on thousands to tens of thousands of PC configurations. Like, the game could run fine on all the PC configurations the developer had on hand to QA test on, but once released into the wild it's going to be run on PC configurations they hadn't thought of, and those could potentially reveal issues previously unseen.
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K&AJones (02-21-23)
#1267
DVD Talk Hero
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Are Alienware PCs still considered overpriced, or is this actually a good deal?
https://deals.dell.com/en-us/product...HtswyomkrrgPaO
https://deals.dell.com/en-us/product...HtswyomkrrgPaO
#1268
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Are Alienware PCs still considered overpriced, or is this actually a good deal?
https://deals.dell.com/en-us/product...HtswyomkrrgPaO
https://deals.dell.com/en-us/product...HtswyomkrrgPaO
#1269
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Are Alienware PCs still considered overpriced, or is this actually a good deal?
https://deals.dell.com/en-us/product...HtswyomkrrgPaO
https://deals.dell.com/en-us/product...HtswyomkrrgPaO
A long time ago when Alienware first came out, they were considered Top Notch....many feel when Dell took them over, the uniqueness and brand started to go down. It might have changed, I can't say....some areas might be great like their Laptops and Monitors...BUT...after I saw this video from Gamers Nexus doing a review on a $5000 Alieware PC...I'll never even consider one....from 9 months ago...
Which with that, I saw this story the other day and hts the nail on the PC gaming Coffin....the insane prices on High End Rigs, Cards, Boards... Ultra-enthusiast hardware is strangling PC gaming | PC Gamer
Last edited by K&AJones; 02-21-23 at 07:32 AM.
#1270
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Alienware is fine when there are sales for their mid-level rigs. You can get a Gen 12 core i7 with a 3060 TI from them for under a grand which isn't bad and the performance is great on that particularly setup. But no, they are no longer a viable option for high end configurations (and frankly never really have been).
I don't particularly agree with the high end rigs/boards complaint, since bleeding edge has always been absurdly overpriced - that article even says as much. You can buy a sub $400, generation old graphics card and still reap most of the benefits.
I don't particularly agree with the high end rigs/boards complaint, since bleeding edge has always been absurdly overpriced - that article even says as much. You can buy a sub $400, generation old graphics card and still reap most of the benefits.
#1271
DVD Talk Hero
Re: PC Gaming Thread
I'm just 7 minutes into the first video and... Yeah, Alienware is still overpriced. Might even be worse $/performance than I remember it being. 
I'd normally build my own, but was feeling lazy this generation. Hell, I might just get a Steam Deck to tide me over until I decide what I wanna do. I'm currently saving for a new AV Receiver, so I guess I got time.
EDIT: Here are two articles that should be of interest. Best PC Builds for Gaming: From Sub $500 Budgets to $3000+ (for the DIY'ers) and Best gaming PC in 2023: the top systems today (for anyone looking to go prefab).

I'd normally build my own, but was feeling lazy this generation. Hell, I might just get a Steam Deck to tide me over until I decide what I wanna do. I'm currently saving for a new AV Receiver, so I guess I got time.
EDIT: Here are two articles that should be of interest. Best PC Builds for Gaming: From Sub $500 Budgets to $3000+ (for the DIY'ers) and Best gaming PC in 2023: the top systems today (for anyone looking to go prefab).
Last edited by RocShemp; 02-21-23 at 11:34 PM.
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K&AJones (02-22-23)
#1272
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: PC Gaming Thread
I'm just 7 minutes into the first video and... Yeah, Alienware is still overpriced. Might even be worse $/performance than I remember it being. 
I'd normally build my own, but was feeling lazy this generation. Hell, I might just get a Steam Deck to tide me over until I decide what I wanna do. I'm currently saving for a new AV Receiver, so I guess I got time.
EDIT: Here are two articles that should be of interest. Best PC Builds for Gaming: From Sub $500 Budgets to $3000+ (for the DIY'ers) and Best gaming PC in 2023: the top systems today (for anyone looking to go prefab).

I'd normally build my own, but was feeling lazy this generation. Hell, I might just get a Steam Deck to tide me over until I decide what I wanna do. I'm currently saving for a new AV Receiver, so I guess I got time.
EDIT: Here are two articles that should be of interest. Best PC Builds for Gaming: From Sub $500 Budgets to $3000+ (for the DIY'ers) and Best gaming PC in 2023: the top systems today (for anyone looking to go prefab).
Curious on the Power Supply Choice but guessing price wise. Corsair PS seem to be always rated high. I have them, EVGA, Cooling Master, Seasonic and another that's some are high on...XPG
Other day when looking at MB's I went over to Best Buy and saw where they had a MB and CPU Combo up...and also noticed that the newer model MB & CPUs Combos costing $700 to $900...all Sold Out...
Saw this article that pretty much sums up what everyone else knows...and one primary reason why PC gaming has got expensive.... Shocking but not surprising: The average price of a GPU at retail has doubled since 2020 | PC Gamer
And this site here is a good one on Video Card Stuff...plus they cover Ram, CPU's and other parts but mainly Cards..... VideoCardz.com - Home of Graphics Cards, Video Cards, GPUs
Last edited by K&AJones; 02-22-23 at 07:30 AM.
#1273
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Once again...as the old saying goes....More $$$$ doesn't always buy happiness or in this "CASE"...better quality....just posted 10hrs ago....
#1274
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Prices have come down a lot recently, although they're still artificially high. Just has a quick look at Best Buy - 3060 = $399, 3070 = $550, 4070Ti = $829. A 3060 or 3070 will easily see you through the next several years of PC games.
#1275
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: PC Gaming Thread
Once again another great video from Gamers Nexus...who this time went out and bought a very expensive PC...this from Origins at the tune of $6000+....this video is more of indepth of the teardown inside. the original review is ...well interesting on all the stuff they found.