Comparison of New Video card with Consoles

[TapWater]

Hi, I basically have bought myself a new video card, the ASUS 7970 AMD card TOP edition and have been playing some titles such as Crysis 3, BioShock Infinite, and Tomb Raider (Thank you AMD never settle promotion!).

Just wanted to ask, are the graphics going to get a lot better?

Whilst I am impressed to a point with my Quad Core i7 975X, 12GB Ram, Liquid Cooled, Sandisk Extreme SSD, AMD ASUS 7970 TOP GFX card.. And I am a little confused.

Its just that I have now started playing Gears of War 4 on my old, 2006 model XBOX - and guys, I don't know.

The frame rate is pretty smooth on the old XBOX360.. as a reminder it has 512MB ram, and the actual GFX on GOW4 look very good - as good as some of the PC games im playing for sure.

Im not trolling - I just spent $479 on a video card (on top of what this computer cost back in 2009/10) - quite an investment.

My XBOX cost about $600 for the whole thing back then (2006).. so when does the massive change in GFX happen, now that I have spent my hard earned money because I am really not seeing GFX advantage that PC gamers seem to go on about.

opinions? Ideas? better games to try maybe? Am I tripping the #### out? Do people really think all this money they layout for PC games is worth it? What am I missing and please mention a game that should push the card if you know of any.

Thanks

 

[DaveSimmons]

GoW is being rendered at 1280x720 and 30 fps. You might like the art direction, or you might like how your TV or 360 upscales and softens the image, but the graphics are not comparable.

 

[lavaheadache]

you didn't seem to mention anything about settings used, resolution, monitor... really anything that will help us determine whether or not you are getting good use out of your setup.

Also, how is your eye sight?

 

[ozzy702]

you didn't seem to mention anything about settings used, resolution, monitor... really anything that will help us determine whether or not you are getting good use out of your setup.

Also, how is your eye sight?

^ This. While I haven't played at only 1080p in awhile, when I was gaming on it, PC games looked significantly better than console games.

 

[Sleepingforest]

There are some people who just legitimately can't tell between 30 frames per second and 60 and an AA'd image and a blocky one. I'd recommend you look at the TV from the close distance a desktop monitor would be from you, and you'll start to see the difference.

You also have to remember to bump up the settings manual. The games may come preset at far lower quality levels than your graphics card is capable of.

 

[Sohaltang]

Im right there with you. 7970 OC, 3770K @ 4.5ghz, ssd oc ram, blahh blahh. Playing at 1080 with pretty much same games. Not super impressed vs my ps3. Yeah if I sit right on top of my 63 plasma it looks worse. But who does that? At 10 feet plus I cant tell too much difference and Im really trying. The ps3 is a better overall gaming experience for me. I will admit that there are some unique PC games that do get my attention, but these mega hit cross platform games I rather play on PS3. TR was soo much better on PS3 and not near as glitchy. PS3 is in a lull right now as its the end of its lifecycle. That why I built a gaming PC. When the Ps4 comes out and some solid titles are available Ill ditch this rig for most gaming activities. This PC will revert to a dust collecting platform for work, pictures, and downloads.

 

[tential]

Im right there with you. 7970 OC, 3770K @ 4.5ghz, ssd oc ram, blahh blahh. Playing at 1080 with pretty much same games. Not super impressed vs my ps3. Yeah if I sit right on top of my 63 plasma it looks worse. But who does that? At 10 feet plus I cant tell too much difference and Im really trying. The ps3 is a better overall gaming experience for me. I will admit that there are some unique PC games that do get my attention, but these mega hit cross platform games I rather play on PS3. TR was soo much better on PS3 and not near as glitchy. PS3 is in a lull right now as its the end of its lifecycle. That why I built a gaming PC. When the Ps4 comes out and some solid titles are available Ill ditch this rig for most gaming activities. This PC will revert to a dust collecting platform for work, pictures, and downloads.

Viewing distance makes a huge difference. I learned this when building my home theater setup how important viewing distance and resolution is. When taking a PC setup to the gaming room to compete with consoles you really have to take viewing distance into consideration. A lot of people game at over 10 feet away from their tvs. There are a number of graphs showing that it's hard to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. This difference only gets worse when you go up to 4k resolution. There is a trade off when you compare screen size, viewing distance, and resolution. I'm on my phone so I can't give you full numbers sadly.
For a little reference, I game on a 70 inch, at about 6-9 feet viewing distance from my tv. I can tell when I'm close but when I'm at around 10, 720p and 1080p video looks very similar. I can tell on my laptop when I go use it to fiddle with video settings but once I'm playing video I really can have trouble telling my 720p from 1080p movies. Wish I could give more on video games but my laptop gpu temps are too high for gaming. Have to open it up to clean and its just not worth the hassle haha.

I still would rather game on a PC tho hooked up to a tv. Being able to tab out and check a strategy guide or being able to fire up a movie, or just watch tv, all from one device is more convenient to me. If the new xbox or ps4 offers easy wireless keyboard, mouse, Web browsing and ability to add a cable card (basically a htpc) then I think it'd crush the value of my pc.

 

[UaVaj]

whatever you are smoking - we all could use some from time to time.

joking aside. sounds like you playing those game on "default" setting. go into the settings and turn up the quality. then report back.

youtube is your friend (make sure you watch at max)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKLCVcQpVv0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suHMZIbPk4A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0fg8lC72_8

difference is night and day.

 

[tential]

Yes it's definitely nght and day when playing on a PC monitor sitting right next to your console. I don't disagree. When I I watch videos on my laptop its obvious. When you are sitting 10-12 feet from a tv with a controller in hand its very different.
How about you instead of loading those videos on your computer that you're sitting next to, load them up on your 65 inch to 100 inch tv, sit back on a couch, and the compassion give the comparison.

Trust me dude, I was just about to purchase a gaming fig for pc, until I started watching a bunch of movies this week and realized I could t tell the difference from 1080p and 720p when watching from my couch. Only when you I loaded a video up on my laptop.
Obviously there are other benefits from using a PC though. You can get more objects loaded etc. But I'd say if you have a large Tv, eith yiur pc and xbox hooked up test it out.
I can understand a little because I only use my 70 inch tv to view things. Whether I pc game or watch movies its all through that. When I gamed on my laptop I noticed huge differences in graphics from the smallest changes because you're literally on top of your pc. When using a tv, not so much.

 

[Sohaltang]

I still would rather game on a PC tho hooked up to a tv. Being able to tab out and check a strategy guide or being able to fire up a movie, or just watch tv, all from one device is more convenient to me. If the new xbox or ps4 offers easy wireless keyboard, mouse, Web browsing and ability to add a cable card (basically a htpc) then I think it'd crush the value of my pc.

This I wont argue. I played FFXi on the 360 for 4 years and racked up 390ish days of play time. That game REQUIRED a manual in hand to complete even a simple quest. I still have marks on my legs from the laptop burns. 360 with a laptop in well.. my lap. Most games dont require that anymore. With TR, I wanted to complete every tomb. Used my Ipad for you tube videos while running the missions. My note2 would hav been enough. I understand your login but tech has made it mostly irrelevant.

 

[Bateluer]

whatever you are smoking - we all could use some from time to time.

joking aside. sounds like you playing those game on "default" setting. go into the settings and turn up the quality. then report back.

youtube is your friend (make sure you watch at max)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKLCVcQpVv0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suHMZIbPk4A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0fg8lC72_8

difference is night and day.

The middle video, for Tomb Raider, is still no where near maxed out, since thats only showing the X360 and PS3 versions. The PC version makes both look like complete ass.

Here's my TF2013 playlist, recorded at 1440p with Ultimate presets.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVtyox1qyPlJ7iEJ_T8aEUCedc0R9ExKn

 

[Sohaltang]

The middle video, for Tomb Raider, is still no where near maxed out, since thats only showing the X360 and PS3 versions. The PC version makes both look like complete ass.

Here's my TF2013 playlist, recorded at 1440p with Ultimate presets.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVtyox1qyPlJ7iEJ_T8aEUCedc0R9ExKn

Yeah it looked great. Except it was almost impossible to finish with all the bugs. Thats why I hung up the PC version and went to blockbuster for 4 days of awesomeness. Have not touched the PC version since. Completed about 90% of the quests. Was a great experience compared to the PC. Honestly it was not any more "epic" on the PC that it was on my 63 with DTS.

 

[showb1z]

Yeah it looked great. Except it was almost impossible to finish with all the bugs. Thats why I hung up the PC version and went to blockbuster for 4 days of awesomeness. Have not touched the PC version since. Completed about 90% of the quests. Was a great experience compared to the PC. Honestly it was not any more "epic" on the PC that it was on my 63 with DTS.

100% finished it, only bug was it crashed a couple times when alt-tabbing.

If you don't value the things PC's add, stick with consoles and knock yourself out. There's no right or wrong answer here.

 

[DaveSimmons]

One big difference with some games is user-created fixes and mods, and debug console access.

I'm replaying Fallout New Vegas right now, and besides the better graphics on PC there is also a massive fix pack to correct hundreds of quest script errors and other bugs. There are also hundreds of mods available for everything from better weather to new companions.

But if you're happy with console versions, that's great. I only use my 360 and PS3 for their exclusives, but the point of playing games is to have fun, not to take screen captures.

 

[Sohaltang]

100% finished it, only bug was it crashed a couple times when alt-tabbing.

If you don't value the things PC's add, stick with consoles and knock yourself out. There's no right or wrong answer here.

Im sorry. Not trying to judge. I love both for what they are. Luckily I am in the position to own the best of both worlds. I can throw down on 4 titans tomorrow if need be. Personally dislike the multi monitor setups. Looking to buy a >1080P 30 inch screen at some point. At the moment the "experience" on a console is still > the PC in most games. Going to pick up a control pad soon and start playing some PC games on my TV. My opinion may change.

 

[canadiantrex]

Am I the only one that noticed he claims to running an Xbox he bought back in 2006... Same one with no RRoD?

 

[Sohaltang]

Am I the only one that noticed he claims to running an Xbox he bought back in 2006... Same one with no RRoD?

I got a PS3 from around then. Gave up on 360's. Moved to 4 PS3's. Only one is original. Killed 4 360's since launch. Gotta give FFXI credit for that though.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If TapWater ever comes back to his thread, here's a suggestion:

To see if you bought more video card than you need, go into all of the PC games and change the display settings to 1280 x 720 and low or medium.

If the graphics still look great to you, then yes you did buy too much card and you can replace it with a 7770. But first you might want to get an eye exam

 

[tential]

I'll agree with the eye exam that DaveSimmons said. Not sure if serious or not but I have to say I don't have the BEST eyesight. I can tell the difference between PC and Xbox 360. I dunno about graphics because again, my Laptop can't run games at max settings anymore. It's old as hell at this point at 5 years old. My first task is to get some glasses. Then hopefully, if I can get someone to fraps some games at 1080p with various settings I can see if it's truly worth it to get high end or not.
Having seen at least 10 different reviews say that viewing distance, screen size and resolution matters when it comes to watching movies, I won't doubt that the same effect is on gaming. If you're sitting 50 feet away, you can't tell the difference between 1080p/720 (OBVIOUSLY using this as an extreme). So there is a viewing distance where you can notice the effect of resolution, AA, etc. Also the type of game you play as well.

I don't think a games like GOW will benefit from a really great graphics card as much as more interactive environments. GOW is fast paced and close up usually. I'm sure though if you compare Skyrim on your Xbox and PC, even if you run the same AA/Resolution, your PC can still load more characters, view distance, etc. Because I'm purchasing my PC for games like that, I'm believing that I am looking for a card at around 250 to be able to game at 1080p at max settings (Tahiti LE).

Sadly though, for us gamers who game on TVs from our couch, we largely get left in the dust in reviews though as there will be very few reviews comparing settings from a couch experience. Would be a nice niche review for anandtech to do though. Perhaps comparing gaming experience of that new 4k 50 inch TV at 1080p vs 4k from a couch and at different settings. Considering that many companies are trying to push PC hardware type devices into the living room/hometheater, I would jump at that. That's been my goal from the start of my purchasing a 2.1 speaker setup, receiver, amplifier, 70 inch television, was to get ready for a gaming PC and new consoles. The setup is deafening haha.

Guess I'll be seeing for myself soon though.

 

[Sohaltang]

The biggest upgrade I have seen in graphics quality since 2005 was 720P and a new set of glasses. 2013/14 is upon us and I can say without a doubt that console gaming will satisfy 95% of the population with the upcoming consoles. No one loses. These games are x86. That means more titles for ALL platforms. Glad we live in this generation. Just wish we have holodeck AKA startrek tech but it will happen before we die

 

[nenforcer]

TapWater, your current PC is easily as powerful or more powerful as the unreleased and future PS4 and XBOX Infinity.

You won't have to upgrade your PC until the next round of consoles in 2020 or so.

 

[alcoholbob]

You should be able to tell a difference in cutscenes easily, now during gaming, if you are just running and gunning, sure, it might be hard to notice the difference...

 

[alcoholbob]

TapWater, your current PC is easily as powerful or more powerful as the unreleased and future PS4 and XBOX Infinity.

You won't have to upgrade your PC until the next round of consoles in 2020 or so.

Yeah but most PC gamers aren't interested with gaming at minimum details. You can try running a 8800GT with current gen games but I doubt you can do more than minimum or slightly above minimum details.

 

[tential]

Yeah but most PC gamers aren't interested with gaming at minimum details. You can try running a 8800GT with current gen games but I doubt you can do more than minimum or slightly above minimum details.

I think he was exaggerating a little. But the point was PC vs New Gen of consoles. Will his PC provide new gen of console graphic quality? Yes. I don't doubt that for a second. Will it provide top of the line graphics for the next 7 years? Probably not. But it definitely will keep up with the PS4 and New Xbox that's for sure. If that's his benchmark I don't see why not.

You can play Xbox quality graphic games on a 8800 GT, even today probably. At 720p resolution a 8800 GT is perfectly fine. The thread isn't "Is this acceptable for PC graphic gaming!?" It's "Is this acceptable for console gaming?".

I think the OP though isn't playing the types of games where his rig shines though. Also factoring in settings, if he isn't happy with 7970 graphics compared to Xbox 360, it's usually settings/ game choices. You won't be that happy with a 7970 when you're playing games that didn't really need it in the first place, at resolutions that really aren't that high, in a setting where you're sitting much farther from the screen than in a typical PC gamer setting.
Playing at 1080p right up on my monitor for Dota 2 looks great, but when I turn the settings down, and use my 70 inch TV from my couch to play, it still looks extremely similar. I can only truly tell the difference easily when playing on my laptop right up on my monitor.

 

[Chaoticlusts]

I guess it partially depends on what you notice. People here have been stating repeatedly the difference between 720p and 1080p at various distances but for me the major thing is settings like draw distance. I really dislike the low draw distance on consoles, it's one setting that adds a huge amount to the overall feel of games (obviously this mainly applies to open world games). There's other settings too of course consoles will have much crappier water details, shadows etc some people may not notice or care at all and that's fine but if you do they can make quite a difference.

Another thing worth noting is major graphics overhauls, granted they only happen for the occasional game and can be a bit of a nightmare to get working (depends how lucky you are really) but damn do they make a difference, just look at GTA IV

GTA IV on PC with mods http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fVREgIaa_M
GTA IV on PS3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STEZpIURCpM

If your happy with consoles that's fine, they're great cost effective gaming devices but there's definitely a difference. I do understand the arguement that for a lot of people that difference is not worth the money/time involved so in the end it comes down to personal choice.

Oh and if buggy ports are a major concern for you, as people have mentioned both major next gen consoles will be x86 rather than all 3 (ps3/360/pc) being different architecture. Crappy ports should be *far* less of a problem next gen than they are now (it'll still happen always has but they'll be fewer and less severe).

*edit*
In terms of comparing current PC performance to what the PS4/next Xbox is capable of that's going to sit in the realm of speculation until the end of this year, but the PS4 trailers that have come out (so far) aren't doing anything good PC's can't currently do however they will be doing it cheaper than PC's when they hit the market (as that's generally how it works). I'd be amazed if your rig couldn't run Watch Dogs at high/top settings when it comes out and that's something that has next gen trailers out for it. Personally short of a major exclusive I don't want to miss I doubt I'll be grabbing a next gen console for a while (after a few price drops I'll likely grab one), but again speculation I'm perfectly happy to be proven wrong impressed and go grab some new shiny tech ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v13VzWTSyjU