2008-09-11 16:49:57 PC Specs that approximate an Xbox 360?

Hi people, i know this is a console forum, but i was just wondering what PC Specs approximate the performance of an Xbox 360 on games that are available both on PC's and consoles.

Specifically, i'm planning to upgrade to a Geforce 8600GT and a Core 2 Duo E7200 2.53Ghz. I've already gotten the 8600GT and am running it on my old P4 2.66Ghz and i must say that it's performance in Gears of War isn't half bad when compared to the 360. At 1024x768 with all features at max (except DX10 antialiasing), the cutscenes are actually smoother and more consistent on my PC than on the 360. The gameplay though runs at about half the framerate of the 360 version at worst.

So i was wondering if i upgrade my processor too, will that be able to match, or even surpass the performance of a 360?

BTW i'm not dissing the 360 or anything. It's just that my 360 3RL'ed on me twice, and i live in a country that doesn't have Microsoft customer support for hardware. So i was thinking that my backup plan, in case my 360 reaches a point where it can't be repaired, is that i could speed up my PC, at least while waiting for a Jasper or Valhalla 360 to hit my shores.

2008-09-12 13:39:05

I think you can compare the Xbox 360 hardware to highend PC hardware of about 2 years ago.. So that would be something like a Core 2 Duo E6600, with 1GB RAM, and a ATI X1950XT videocard..

I would try and get a faster videocard if I were you.. The 8600GT is not that powerfull.. Try and see if you can pick up a 8800GT somewhere, or maybe a cheap 2nd-hand 8800GTS or ATI 3800 series..

See this as reference: http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/gaming-graphics...

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2008-09-16 12:36:59 In reply to Inflatable (2008-09-12 13:39:05)

Thanks for the info. I guess the E7200 would be fine then.
I think the 8600GT will be fine for now. They say it's the best bang for your buck card anyway. Maybe by Christmas i'll be able to get one of them 8800's, if the price goes down. I have this principle of not getting video cards until they're below 80-90$. :)

2008-09-16 15:05:08

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

$110 is pretty close, and it murders the 8600GT. The 8600GT doesn't have the best bang for the buck, because it fails at providing any bang whatsoever ;) I think the best bargain out there right now is the Radeon HD 4850 though. It's around $150 after rebates, and is much faster than the 8800GT.

2008-09-19 16:21:34

Can my 8600GT and Core 2 Duo E7200 combination run Race Driver Grid at 60fps?

2008-09-19 18:00:18

At what settings, and what resolution? If you want to run it in high res + max settings then no, I doubt it. Spend the extra $50 on an 8800GT. The Radeon 4850 is seriously a better value, but the 8800GT is still decent.. the 8600GT is hardly a gaming card, really.

2008-09-20 18:52:53

Yup, invest that $50 extra in a 8800GT, or a bit more into a ATI 4850, and you'll get access to a lot more newer games running just fine on your PC.. It's worth it..

I doubt a 8600GT will run GRID at 60fps even as low as 1024x768 with max details (forget about DX10 with that card)..

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2008-09-22 03:45:07

Too late! i bought it already! waaah!

*joke*, it's alright. I got the Core 2 Duo E7200. I haven't tried the GRID demo on it yet, but Gears of War runs smoother than on the Xbox! Framerate ranges from something like 30 at worst to 60fps at best!

Thanks for all the help guys. Hopefully by Christmas the price of the 8800GT will go low enough for me to just kinda "pick it up on the way home".