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[Sentenza]

It's a valid argument, plug and play is one of the strongest aspects of console gaming. Hell according to Nvidia even most PC gamers don't play with settings:

Which is atrocious, but ironically enough is even the strongest counter-argument to people claiming in this very thread that playing on PC makes "fiddling with options" mandatory.

You can even take power out of the equation entirely and recommend PC as the most flexible gaming platform.

I think this point is never stressed enough, in these discussions about what PC gaming is or isn't about.
Top tech is great stuff when you can afford it, but it's *not* the only point of gaming on PC.

 

[NullPointer]

It's a valid argument, plug and play is one of the strongest aspects of console gaming. Hell according to Nvidia even most PC gamers don't play with settings:

Many settings aren't accessible or user friendly at all. How the hell am I supposed to know the best choice between a host of acronyms like SSAO, FXAA, MSAA for my hardware capabilities and preferences? Or which multiple of Anisotropic filtering will work best? And believe me, going to wikipedia doesn't clarify matters much.

Hell, you get all sorts of technical discussions back and forth here on GAF even when it comes to triple buffering, v-sync and input lag.

Then people see insanely gorgeous screenshots in the PC gaming thread and look into ways to replicate that, and holy shit, that rabbit hole can go deep. Some settings requiring making changes that can corrupt save files, or cause crashes when a new patch is released because of incompatibilities, or having to revert to previous versions of a game or set of drivers or betas of drivers, or mods that work against each other, or just lead to weird artifacts on some machines like missing textures and other weirdness.

Options are nice, but it doesn't surprise me one bit that most people go with the defaults. Like most things it's only simple if you already know it, and sometimes people who are in the know with IT backgrounds, or hobbyists that build their own rigs, they forget how daunting things look from the other side. ;p

 

[RawkHawk2010]

I can't play most Japanese games on PC.

Best post.

 

[Bigmac1910]

Very good OP, I'm leaning towards that PC gaming as well next gen, just depends on the console exclusives and DRM they are going to implement. I'll make up my mind after E3.

 

[TheD]

What's baffling to me in these threads is that people who use arguments like "Looking at options is too mentally taxing for me" expect even to be taken seriously or respected for their opinion.

Yeah, that and the "if I can not max the settings out then what is the point of PC gaming?" (bar the fact the game still looks and runs much better) are really dumb arguments.

 

[Speevy]

The PC is one platform out of many people can and should be interested in.

There is absolutely no PC substitute for the types of games Sony and Nintendo have published over the last 30 years.

 

[Mr.Wreckless]

Many settings aren't accessible or user friendly at all. How the hell am I supposed to know the best choice between a host of acronyms like SSAO, FXAA, MSAA for my hardware capabilities and preferences? Or which multiple of Anisotropic filtering will work best? And believe me, going to wikipedia doesn't clarify matters much.

Hell, you get all sorts of technical discussions back and forth here on GAF even when it comes to triple buffering, v-sync and input lag.

Then people see insanely gorgeous screenshots in the PC gaming thread and look into ways to replicate that, and holy shit, that rabbit hole can go deep. Some settings requiring making changes that can corrupt save files, or cause crashes when a new patch is released because of incompatibilities, or having to revert to previous versions of a game or set of drivers or betas of drivers, or mods that work against each other, or just lead to weird artifacts on some machines like missing textures and other weirdness.

Options are nice, but it doesn't surprise me one bit that most people go with the defaults. Like most things it's only simple if you already know it, and sometimes people who are in the know with IT backgrounds, or hobbyists that build their own rigs, they forget how daunting things look from the other side. ;p

Thats the thing that gets me. The PC gamers will say "Oh you dont need the high end machine, a midrange one will serve you fine". But there are never any screen shots of games running on those mid or lower range PCs. Whenever the PC/Console debate comes up its always those shots of PC games running on ultra high settings that get posted. Then sometimes when you actually research the settings and mods used to get those graphics you find out the game will only run at 15 fps looking like that and in some cases so much worse that the game isnt playable its just a screenshot grabber.

Ive yet to see a 400 buck computer that will be able to output what the PS4 will be able to do.

 

[NullPointer]

Thats the thing that gets me. The PC gamers will say "Oh you dont need the high end machine, a midrange one will serve you fine". But there are never any screen shots of games running on those mid or lower range PCs. Whenever the PC/Console debate comes up its always those shots of PC games running on ultra high settings that get posted. Then sometimes when you actually research the settings and mods used to get those graphics you find out the game will only run at 15 fps looking like that and in some cases so much worse that the game isnt playable its just a screenshot grabber.

Oh yeah, the PC screenshot thread is mostly a dream-crushing heap of bullshit if you're looking for a gallery representing smooth, playable settings. Its more for people to appreciate the art and design of the game at its best, without distortions.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I'll just say this much - after my PC completely died on me to the point at which I can't even turn it on to diagnose the cause of the HW failure, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to focus too hard on PC gaming ever again. I just can't deal with that - the last thing I want to do is be forced to slowly replace every single component in my PC until I find the one that the failure sprang from.

And the worst part is that all of it started because I tried to fiddle with a single driver. Now I have a $1200 hunk of worthless plastic and no way of figuring out what I need to replace to get it working again.

 

[Sentenza]

Thats the thing that gets me. The PC gamers will say "Oh you dont need the high end machine, a midrange one will serve you fine". But there are never any screen shots of games running on those mid or lower range PCs. Whenever the PC/Console debate comes up its always those shots of PC games running on ultra high settings that get posted. Then sometimes when you actually research the settings and mods used to get those graphics you find out the game will only run at 15 fps looking like that and in some cases so much worse that the game isnt playable its just a screenshot grabber.

What you are ignoring (or pretending to ignore for the sake of your own argument) is that even those "disappointing medium settings" so poorly represented in the screenshot threads most of the times still mop the floor with any visual output you can get from consoles these days.

 

[NullPointer]

What you are ignoring (or pretending to ignore for the sake of your own argument) is that even those "disappointing medium settings" so poorly represented in the screenshot threads most of the times still mop the floor with any visual output you can get from consoles these days.

I don't think I've ever seen an article or thread that takes non-bullshot console shots, and provides basic PC settings to replicate the same quality level on today's mid-level PC hardware.

I think it'd make for some surprises. PC's have some disadvantages compared to consoles when it comes to overhead, bandwidth and lack of optimizations. Didn't Carmack say he had a tougher time getting Rage to run 60fps solid on mid-level PCs than the two HD consoles?

 

[staticneuron]

The PC is one platform out of many people can and should be interested in.

There is absolutely no PC substitute for the types of games Sony and Nintendo have published over the last 30 years.

Fully agree. The gap that separated the consoles and PC environment is getting smaller but still doesn't overlap fully yet.

What you are ignoring (or pretending to ignore for the sake of your own argument) is that even those "disappointing medium settings" so poorly represented in the screenshot threads most of the times still mop the floor with any visual output you can get from consoles these days.

There is no set common trait for medium on PC. Unlike consoles which are fixed, the games releases on PC have their own set of ranges for required and recommended, which can be further tweaked to alter numerous graphic options to the point where the gamer can choose what to sacrifice and what not to sacrifice. Medium on some PC titles are still a give and take but just because some are skewed to a higher recommended preset doesn't mean that ALL PC games on medium look better than their console brethren.

 

[Grief.exe]

I'll just say this much - after my PC completely died on me to the point at which I can't even turn it on to diagnose the cause of the HW failure, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to focus too hard on PC gaming ever again. I just can't deal with that - the last thing I want to do is be forced to slowly replace every single component in my PC until I find the one that the failure sprang from.

And the worst part is that all of it started because I tried to fiddle with a single driver. Now I have a $1200 hunk of worthless plastic and no way of figuring out what I need to replace to get it working again.

Can you get it to boot to BIOS?

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Can you get it to boot to BIOS?

Not anymore. It's completely bricked now. I used to be able to get it to turn on and it would automatically reboot without an error message right before Windows tried to load, but the last time I checked it, it won't even do that anymore.

Worst part is, a friend of mine gave me an old PC of his to use for salvage...I took it apart, removed all the pieces I could use from the case - and then found out its motherboard (which appears to have been built specifically for that PC's cube-shaped case) isn't designed to fit into a tower.

So I now have a perfectly usable motherboard sitting on a table in my kitchen with nothing to use it on.

 

[Sentenza]

I don't think I've ever seen an article or thread that takes non-bullshot console shots, and provides basic PC settings to replicate the same quality level on today's mid-level PC hardware.

I think it'd make for some surprises.

if by surprise you mean thins like realizing that in truth even a 5-6 years old PC can replicate or top the same detail, then you are absolutely right.

PC's have some disadvantages compared to consoles when it comes to overhead, bandwidth and lack of optimizations. Didn't Carmack say he had a tougher time getting Rage to run 60fps solid on mid-level PCs than the two HD consoles?

He talked about some *very specific* issues with syncing frame renders with clock cycles or something like that.
That said, even taking that as example would be a bit misleading, not just because as I already pointed we are talking about something very specifically tied to his engine and he did things, but also because RAGE on PC doesn't run at the same detail and resolution it does on consoles.
If that was the case, he would probably have to struggle a lot less with technical issues.

doesn't mean that ALL PC games on medium look better than their console brethren.

Can't think of a single exception in the last... six years? to be honest.
Worst case scenario, you usually have the very same amount of detail at a higher resolution.

 

[Grief.exe]

Not anymore. It's completely bricked now. I used to be able to get it to turn on and it would automatically reboot without an error message right before Windows tried to load, but the last time I checked it, it won't even do that anymore.

Worst part is, a friend of mine gave me an old PC of his to use for salvage...I took it apart, removed all the pieces I could use from the case - and then found out its motherboard (which appears to have been built specifically for that PC's cube-shaped case) isn't designed to fit into a tower.

So I now have a perfectly usable motherboard sitting on a table in my kitchen with nothing to use it on.

The reason I ask is because it honestly sounds like a software error than a hardware one. If Windows isn't loading its likely the cause of multiple viruses or registry errors. Both can be easily fixed with a quick reformat.

The motherboard can be just placed on a piece of wood, as long as its not touching something that will cause a short it will work just fine.

You can even go to the hardware store and make yourself a box out of plywood. Cut a couple holes out of the side for fans and rear ports, then spray paint.

 

[Mr.Wreckless]

What you are ignoring (or pretending to ignore for the sake of your own argument) is that even those "disappointing medium settings" so poorly represented in the screenshot threads most of the times still mop the floor with any visual output you can get from consoles these days.

Mop the floor is quite strong from what ive seen of those 400 buck and under PCs. They have not shown me anything that made we want to go out and spend money on a PC when i can already play those same games on my 360 or PS3.

And like i said there surely wont be any 400 dollar builds this holiday season that will rival anything the PS4 puts out.

 

[1st Course]

Options are nice, but it doesn't surprise me one bit that most people go with the defaults. Like most things it's only simple if you already know it, and sometimes people who are in the know with IT backgrounds, or hobbyists that build their own rigs, they forget how daunting things look from the other side. ;p

I remember when PC games didn't have any options at all, not even a resolution option. Then Unreal Tournament and other games came out and started introducing the low/medium/high options system. Now PC games come with like 15-20 option that only true enthusiasts are really capable of understand. To this day I really don't understand the difference between SSAO, HBAO and HDAO for example.

 

[alexandros]

Hopefully the Steambox will manage to bridge whatever small gap remains between PC and console gaming so that more console players make the jump to a much better platform. A 'turnkey solution' is the only thing that the PC lacks in order to lure in the mainstream console gamer. I am certain that once gamers make the jump they will never go back to console gaming. It's just that first step that seems intimidating to part of the gaming audience.

 

[Gotchaye]

Thats the thing that gets me. The PC gamers will say "Oh you dont need the high end machine, a midrange one will serve you fine". But there are never any screen shots of games running on those mid or lower range PCs. Whenever the PC/Console debate comes up its always those shots of PC games running on ultra high settings that get posted. Then sometimes when you actually research the settings and mods used to get those graphics you find out the game will only run at 15 fps looking like that and in some cases so much worse that the game isnt playable its just a screenshot grabber.

Ive yet to see a 400 buck computer that will be able to output what the PS4 will be able to do.

The difference between a mid-range and high-end PC is really not that noticeable unless you're one of the people posting in the bullshots thread. I'm still playing on a GTX 460. Everything runs at 1080p and at least 30 fps. Everything looks unbelievably better than console versions. I don't get quite as much (or as good of) AA as you see in some screenshots, I don't get PhysX, and sometimes some options need to be turned down a little. Still looks great. I'd like to upgrade, but it's really not a hardship to wait for a new architecture from Nvidia.

Likewise I don't really understand complaints about options. Half 99% of the time you get a great experience doing nothing more than changing the resolution, if it isn't auto-detected. You can do better if you tweak, but it's hardly necessary.

 

[Grief.exe]

I remember when PC games didn't have any options at all, not even a resolution option. Then Unreal Tournament and other games came out and started introducing the low/medium/high options system. Now PC games come with like 15-20 option that only true enthusiasts are really capable of understand. To this day I really don't understand the difference between SSAO, HBAO and HDAO for example.

Its all Ambient Occlusion, don't worry about the details too much.

Spoiler

Honestly, turn it off. You are unlikely to notice the difference and AO is generally associated with a hefty performance hit.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

The reason I ask is because it honestly sounds like a software error than a hardware one. If Windows isn't loading its likely the cause of multiple viruses or registry errors. Both can be easily fixed with a quick reformat.

The motherboard can be just placed on a piece of wood, as long as its not touching something that will cause a short it will work just fine.

You can even go to the hardware store and make yourself a box out of plywood. Cut a couple holes out of the side for fans and rear ports, then spray paint.

Unfortunately, it's kind of impossible to do a reformat when the entire system won't even turn on. It probably was a software issue that cascaded into hardware failure, considering the kinds of errors I was getting when the system was still usable but unstable. Lots of memory errors, lots of full-system bluescreens. I even got a memory BSOD while trying to reinstall Windows.

Eventually, I started from complete scratch with an entirely different version of Windows, blanking the entire hard drive in the process. The exact same memory errors started hitting me, then the system went fully belly-up late last year. Now it's basically a brick.

 

[Grief.exe]

Unfortunately, it's kind of impossible to do a reformat when the entire system won't even turn on. It probably was a software issue that cascaded into hardware failure, considering the kinds of errors I was getting when the system was still usable but unstable. Lots of memory errors, lots of full-system bluescreens. I even got a memory BSOD while trying to reinstall Windows.

Eventually, I started from complete scratch with an entirely different version of Windows, blanking the entire hard drive in the process. The exact same memory errors started hitting me, then the system went fully belly-up late last year. Now it's basically a brick.

RAM would be my first thought then.

It could be a failed RAM stick, which generally have lifetime warranties btw. Would be worth it to throw your old RAM onto your friends motherboard to test the issue.

If it is getting to that stage we can basically cross off the CPU, PSU, and HDD as the failure states since all of them would have caused errors before then.

 

[Game Guru]

Even without the latest graphics, I actually believe investing in PC gaming is worth it. Until 4 years ago, I would primarily game on consoles. There were a few exceptions, but I wouldn't focus on PC. Four years ago, I signed up for Steam and well, I love PC gaming. I'm not the type to care about graphics, but just the variety and cheap price of classic and indie titles is worth having PC as a gaming platform. I still own my 360 and my Wii, but I can understand why people love PC Gaming as a platform. I haven't even forgotten my roots as a console gamer since I was able to purchase 58 Genesis titles and the first five Tomb Raider games digitally, as well as buy the NES Castlevania and Contra games physically on PC for much better savings than I could have ever had on a console.

 

[TheD]

Unfortunately, it's kind of impossible to do a reformat when the entire system won't even turn on. It probably was a software issue that cascaded into hardware failure, considering the kinds of errors I was getting when the system was still usable but unstable. Lots of memory errors, lots of full-system bluescreens. I even got a memory BSOD while trying to reinstall Windows.

Eventually, I started from complete scratch with an entirely different version of Windows, blanking the entire hard drive in the process. The exact same memory errors started hitting me, then the system went fully belly-up late last year. Now it's basically a brick.

Software can not kill hardware unless it is something like furmark (huge GPU ALU load.) or a driver that overvolt's something.

You have a dead motherboard (that may or may not have killed other parts) by the sound of it.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

RAM would be my first thought then.

It could be a failed RAM stick, which generally have lifetime warranties btw. Would be worth it to throw your old RAM onto your friends motherboard to test the issue.

If it is getting to that stage we can basically cross off the CPU, PSU, and HDD as the failure states since all of them would have caused errors before that stage.

I also replaced my RAM last year, yeah. It helped for a few weeks, before the exact same problems came back. Exact same errors, exact same crashes. My theory was that something damaged the memory management module on the motherboard.

Software can not kill hardware unless it is something like furmark (huge GPU ALU load.) or a driver that overvolt's something.

You have a dead motherboard by the sound of it.

That's my current theory as well. I'm almost 100% certain that trying to install those stupid third party PS3 controller drivers is what started the whole failure spiral.

 

[Grief.exe]

I also replaced my RAM last year, yeah. It helped for a few weeks, before the exact same problems came back. Exact same errors, exact same crashes. My theory was that something damaged the memory management module on the motherboard.

Yep

Then its the mobo, they generally have fairly long warranties as well.

Not lifetime since there are large amounts of capacitors on there that have a literally random failure rate.

EDIT: I'm going to bed, I would suggest looking into having your mobo replaced if it is still under warranty. Or perhaps using your friends instead, just leave it on the table.

 

[Sentenza]

That's my current theory as well. I'm almost 100% certain that trying to install those stupid third party PS3 controller drivers is what started the whole failure spiral.

That's very, VERY unlikely.
Also, not sure why you aren't taking advantage of your warranty.

 

[MrHicks]

so how much is a PS4 level PC gonna cost me?

 

[PlanetSmasher]

That's very, VERY unlikely.
Also, not sure why you aren't taking advantage of your warranty.

I'm not sure they have a retailer warranty on the motherboard. I tried to contact Mwave about replacing the RAM when I thought that was causing the problems, and they shunted me over to talk to the manufacturer instead. I can only imagine the hassle of getting a pre-customized motherboard replaced is going to be even more frustrating than that.

...in fact, just looking at my order page on Mwave (I bought this PC back in 2009? Yikes...), the motherboard itself isn't even listed anymore. I know it's an ASUS mobo (P5QL Pro), but that's about all I know.

 

[hgarrett54]

Sigh. Yet another person touting how great PC gaming is. We get it already.

 

[TheD]

That's my current theory as well. I'm almost 100% certain that trying to install those stupid third party PS3 controller drivers is what started the whole failure spiral.

By driver I meant GPU driver.
Drivers for other devices can not do anything like that.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

By driver I meant GPU driver.
Drivers for other devices can not do anything like that.

Well, all I know for sure is that the problems started the DAY I tried to install those drivers. Either the drivers themselves screwed the system up or they had a virus hidden in the installer that did it. But the cause/effect relationship is too clear.

 

[alexandros]

so how much is a PS4 level PC gonna cost me?

It's too soon for a proper answer. Wait until launch and ask again, you're sure to get much more accurate suggestions.

 

[Calvarok]

You can even take power out of the equation entirely and recommend PC as the most flexible gaming platform. Flexible in choice of vendor for software and hardware, choice of components in your rig, choice of peripherals and user interface, choice to mod or tweak or keep things vanilla, choice to go in depth with graphics options to prioritize high framerates, consistent framerates, IQ, or just to remove some graphical artifacts that drive you nuts.

There's a lot to love even if you don't have the latest hardware.

Scalability is there, but for a lot of people it's upsetting that they have to settle for the lesser version of the game. Even though with a console that might technically be the case, you are at least comfortable in knowing that this version of the game was designed to work specifically for your system, and in the case of a well optimized game that means everything runs and looks as well as it possibly could.

The lack of flexibility is indeed a reason some prefer PC, but it's also a reason many prefer the console. So yes, that would be good to add to the title, but I simply felt that the title of this thread didn't consider the choice between PC and console to be a matter of trade-offs and what you care about most, but instead what defines if you made the objectively right choice which defines your "Rank" in the gaming world.

That attitude is terrible.

I have no beef with people who swear by PC gaming, and I entirely understand why one would want to. I still use a gaming laptop for MMOs, since they're exclusive to that platform.

But I have tried to make a proper gaming pc, and that experience taught me that I just don't care enough about the end result to deal with the bumpy journey.

 

[alexandros]

Scalability is there, but for a lot of people it's upsetting that they have to settle for the lesser version of the game.

I never understood that notion. If you want a better-looking version, spend more money and you'll get it. There is no meaningful difference between a PC game having multiple graphics options and a console game being released for both current-gen and next-gen systems. If you have a PS3 and you buy Thief, your version will not look as good as the PS4 version. If you want the prettier version, spend some money and get a PS4. It's exactly the same on PC, the only difference is that all the different versions are on the same disc or file.

 

[Serandur]

I never understood that notion. If you want a better-looking version, spend more money and you'll get it. There is no meaningful difference between a PC game having multiple graphics options and a console game being released for both current-gen and next-gen systems. If you have a PS3 and you buy Thief, your version will not look as good as the PS4 version. If you want the prettier version, spend some money and get a PS4. It's exactly the same on PC, the only difference is that all the different versions are on the same disc or file.

I never got it either. I play games on my laptop with a GT 540M GPU (entry-level by any modern gaming standards) and even it provides much better and more comfortable gaming performance than the PS3 or 360, even if my games are running at 1280x720 (as do the console versions) with a mix of settings from low to high so as to not ruin the frame-rate. Console frame-rates honestly just flat-out disgust me after. 30 fps is mediocre and the typical dropping below that found on consoles I find irritating and nauseating. Even an entry-level machine with the same resolutions, but better textures, anisotropic filtering, some AA, and 40-50 fps in games is much better.

 

[thesolidshark]

My desired exclusives are on consoles now anyway.

Fixed for my opinion.

It's hard looking at threads like these sometimes, mainly because it makes great big arguments when it's a matter of tastes most times. Literally most of what I play can only be found on a certain console. If I had the option to play a PC port, I might go for it depending on the content it gets.

Being able to improve on what your PC can play is nice, but there'd have to be a lot of games I wanted available on the PC to go through all the trouble-shooting, upgrading, FAQs, etc to yield what's supposed to be the "best" quality.

 

[szaromir]

I never understood that notion. If you want a better-looking version, spend more money and you'll get it. There is no meaningful difference between a PC game having multiple graphics options and a console game being released for both current-gen and next-gen systems. If you have a PS3 and you buy Thief, your version will not look as good as the PS4 version. If you want the prettier version, spend some money and get a PS4. It's exactly the same on PC, the only difference is that all the different versions are on the same disc or file.

Additionally, playing a 2013 multiplatform game on PS3/360 vs playing the same game on PC on low settings will result in visuals and overall experience on PC.

 

[nbthedude]

Very good OP, I'm leaning towards that PC gaming as well next gen, just depends on the console exclusives and DRM they are going to implement. I'll make up my mind after E3.

Thanks for reading the OP! Most do not and assume this is a pissing match.

 

[Des0lar]

Sigh. Yet another person touting how great PC gaming is. We get it already.

Good on you for not reading the OP.

 

[teokrazia]

I've always been a multiplatform gamer (arcade, home computers, consoles, PC, smartphones), but it's about 10 years that PC is my main course. It's the platform that gives me the higher level of control over my passion, let me go deeper within it and have the chance to make the fruition of a game fully matching my personal tendencies.

The more consoles are becoming similar to PC, the more they are losing appeal to me.

 

[scytherage]

I used to be on PC too, but man, the cost is ridiculous; and games feel even more rare on this platform.

And a lot of the time you're updating drivers, benchmarking, etc....not really gaming.

 

[Monty Mole]

Which was the last big great console exclusive though? Serious question

Well, for me most recently, New Super Mario Bros Wii U, God of War Ascension, Halo 4. It's subjective, sure, but I personally couldn't live without any of those three recently.

It's why I'd rather spend the same money on three consoles, instead of one fancy PC. Now that's hardcore

 

[Sentenza]

I used to be on PC too, but man, the cost is ridiculous

Yeah, it is! You save so much money.

 

[Duallusion]

If Steambox actually manages to offer best of both worlds, I'm probably back in. If not, I prefer the convenience and console exclusives over any and all benefits of PC (which, admittedly, there are many).

 

[Bumhead]

It's a valid argument, plug and play is one of the strongest aspects of console gaming.

Really?

No gaming system puts more barriers between me and my games than the PS3 does, with installs, patches, firmware updates etc.

There have been times where I've sat down to play at my "plug and play" console and its taken me an hour to start playing something. Which is often my entire evenings available game time.

 

[Sgt. Pinback]

I used to be on PC too, but man, the cost is ridiculous; and games feel even more rare on this platform.

And a lot of the time you're updating drivers, benchmarking, etc....not really gaming.

I will never, ever understand why people say stuff like this. What the hell are you people doing with your time?

Once every couple of months, Nvidia Settings tells me I need to update my graphics drivers. I click a couple of buttons, the computer reboots, and it's done.

If you're spending more than a few minutes every few months on driver upgrades, you are doing it wrong.

 

[Hypron]

I will never, ever understand why people say stuff like this. What the hell are you people doing with your time?

Once every couple of months, Nvidia Settings tells me I need to update my graphics drivers. I click a couple of buttons, the computer reboots, and it's done.

If you're spending more than a few minutes every few months on driver upgrades, you are doing it wrong.

Pretty much this. And anyway you can continue browsing gaf or doing whatever else you're doing while your drivers update. And one more thing: you're not obliged to install new drivers, whereas on consoles if you don't install the latest firmware/patch you can't go online.

 

[Sentenza]

I will never, ever understand why people say stuff like this. What the hell are you people doing with your time?

Once every couple of months, Nvidia Settings tells me I need to update my graphics drivers. I click a couple of buttons, the computer reboots, and it's done.

If you're spending more than a few minutes every few months on driver upgrades, you are doing it wrong.

Driver updates aren't even mandatory.
But let's face it, people who claim to waste a lot of time with driver updates and so on most likely don't have any familiarity with the PC environment and are probably just going for one of the most popular strawmen to dismiss the platform.