How to Build Powerful PC for Gaming, Gaming PC vs. Next-Gen Consoles (Part 2)
...... continuation of Part 1
Standard Native Resolution of the Consoles and PC
When the game consoles follow standard HD 720p and Full HD 1080p, then PC follow a standard called XHD. It seems that representative of the Xtended HD or Xtreme HD.
There are 3 types of resolutions that are categorized as XHD, namely:
- 1680x1050
- 1900x1200
- 2560x1600
Third resolution is used on the 19" wide LCD monitor, 22" Wide, 24" Wide, and 30" Wide. HD 720p resolution used by the popular next-gen game consoles and 32" LCD monitor in fact the quality is still lower rather than SXGA (1280x1024) resolution are commonly used on the PC with 17" LCD monitor. HD 720p resolution actually is Wide version of the 1024x768 resolution that commonly used on the 15" LCD monitor.
Maximum resolution supported by PC game has reached 2560x1600 (WQXGA), while the game consoles maximum still 1920x1080 (Full HD 1080p). But very rarely console games that really supporting Full HD 1080p resolution. The majority of PS3 games and Xbox 360 just to use the 1280x720 resolution (720p HD), a resolution that much lower rather than common resolution among PC Gamer is 1280x1024.
Can or not a PC gamer reach to XHD resolution depends on the videocard and monitor that they have. The good videocard and the higher the type of monitor, then the higher resolution that can be use by them to play. Meanwhile for consoles gamer, they will remain trapped in the carried game resolution that the majority only 1280x720. Even if they use the LCD monitor Full HD 1080p, the picture will still be broken because the original game resolution only 1280x720. In this case, LCD TV 1080p only do "upscale" the game that still 720p resolution.
Some games in the Xbox 360 and PS 3 even has a lower resolution rather than 1280x720 (720p). Examples are Call of Duty 4, Oblivion, Tomb Raider Legend, and Alone in the Dark that has a 1024x600 resolution (600p), and the more severe is Jericho only 996x560 (560p) and Guitar Hero 3 only 1040x585 (585p). While that games on the PC are supports the resolution of 1920x1200 and even 2560x1600.
Grand Theft Auto 4 on Xbox 360 and PS 3 are also only 1152x640 resolution (640p) is much lower rather than in PC version that supports 2560x1600 resolution. In addition, only a few game in Xbox 360 and PS 3 use the Anti-Aliasing (AA) to refine the image. A lot games in the consoles are not supporting AA, which means the image is certainly very jagged. While in the PC you can even increasing AA to 8X.
How to Choose Video Card for Gaming PC
Please note that the purchase videocard for $100 and below will only make you regret that poor performance and can not be compared games sensation in Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Therefore, rather than waste money $100 to buy low-end videocard better to save your money and collected to buy a middle-class or high-end videocard.
Facts prove that the best seller of videocard in the world at this time is Radeon HD4850 that notabene is middle class ($200), not low-end videocard. Previous the best seller of videocard is Geforce 8800GT, which is also middle-class videocard. (Geforce 8800GT now changed the name to the 9800GT).
Therefore, if you want to experience the performance of the Gaming PC, which should to use Radeon HD4850 512MB videocard. This videocard include middle category with $200 price, which means still much cheaper and more powerful than Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. It have the ability to play all the games are well in maximal detail setting, and will still be able to play games that will appear in 1-2 years.
Another alternative to the performance equivalent of Radeon HD4850 is Geforce 9800GTX+ 512MB. The advantage is support PhysX and CUDA. But a weakness of this videocard is extravagant power and very long size. Unlike the Radeon HD4850 that can use 400Watt PSU and the size definitely enough to all casing, Geforce 9800GTX+ often require users to upgrade to 500 Watt PSU and replace with a larger casing. Because of "hidden cost" is large enough, the giant videocard is less in demand rather than Radeon HD4850, especially Geforce 9800GTX+ is still more expensive around $30.
Geforce 9800GTX (up) vs. Radeon HD4850 (down)
For $100 segment, Radeon HD4670 is interesting because of the potential CrossFire that enables user in the future to add 1 more videocard to get the equivalent performance Radeon HD4850. Potential of CrossFire on low-end ATI videocard more interesting rather than potential of SLI on the low-end NVIDIA videocard, because the number of motherboards that support CrossFire more cheaper rather than the motherboard supports SLI.
Please also note that the videocard can be to overclock, so that when a game that appears later is too heavy, you can still improve performance of videocard with the way increasing the GPU clock and VGA memory.
Currently, the overall, Radeon HD4850 is a best seller videocard in the world. While for high-end segment, Radeon HD4870 is the best seller. Performance of Radeon HD4870 ($300) proven able to overcome the Geforce GTX260 which costs far more expensive ($400).
In the price segment $150, Geforce 8800GT/9800GT more interesting rather than Radeon HD4830. However, some Geforce 9800GT types the prices is too close to Radeon HD4850, so that better to get Radeon HD4850 who are performing clearly far more quickly rather than Geforce 9800GT.
Keep in mind how expensive videocard that you buy also depends on how high the size and resolution of your monitor. The higher-resolution monitor and size, the more expensive videocard that you must buy. Because of more expensive videocard (more powerful) will have extra power to handle the high resolution.
Even if you can turn-down monitor resolution, but keep in mind that the LCD monitor will have the view that more bad when not using its native resolution. Therefore, not too obsessed with the 19" LCD that able to offer higher resolution (1680x1050) if your videocard is still $200 class to down. Because the 1680x1050 resolution ideally raised by $300 class videocard like Radeon HD4870.
Unlike the LCD Monitor, 32" LCD TV in the public market does not need to require expensive videocard, because the resolution of LCD TV even much lower rather than the LCD monitor with a smaller size. Considering the game consoles are generally played using a LCD TV like this, so the powerful gaming PC ideally use a videocard range of $150-$200 that have been strong enough to lift the 32" LCD TV resolution.
The majority of gamers in Indonesia using the 17" LCD monitor that have 1280x1024 resolution. Therefore the videocard segments $150-$200 will be ideal for the majority of gamers. 32" LCD TV 720p is also the type of LCD TV's that most popular used in Indonesia. Therefore videocard segments $150-$200 will be ideal to be paired with a LCD TV that only have 1366x768 resolution (the number of pixel even still low compared to 17" monitor with 1280x1024 resolution ).
For the 19" or 22" monitor with 1680x1050 resolution, you should choose $300 videocard. Because the videocard for $200 is less ideal for pairing with the monitor's size.
Videocard $150 class was actually could be run games in 1680x1050 resolution, but only feasible for the light games category such as Call of Duty 4, Devil May Cry 4, Unreal Tournament 3, Bioshock, ET Quake Wars. While in the game a little weight, you need to start setting down the detail so that the graphics quality of videocard $150 class is able to provide a smooth framerate. However a bad graphics quality result from that, is still better rather than the graphics quality on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
Please note that the 32" LCD TV (720p HD ready) the number of pixel still less rather than the 17" LCD monitor. LCD TV is basically just the bigger size of course, but in terms of sharpness (resolution) of image is still less rather than LCD monitor.
Back to Part 1
