Are there any products where nobody but you on LTT recommends?

[Sauron]

Checked out your alternatives. All of them are more expensive without Windows or peripherals or any free included games found with console bundles. Also you are assuming said user will game online and we're talking about GAME consoles. People want to game, not edit word documents. Can you even play GTA V on Linux? I'm sure there are some workarounds but performance and usability will never match consoles.

 

most of the builds I have on there are more powerful than a console. Again, more expensive than an xbone, and only slightly more than a ps4 - cheaper than both after two years of internet sub fee. and yes, I am assuming people want to play online games of some description because a LOT of games require an internet connection to use all their content. If you just want to play a couple of offline games and that's it, then sure, an xbone makes sense - although frankly dumping 350$ on a system to play only a couple of games doesn't seem like a great move to me.

 

Besides, prices have gone down since then and windows insiders get windows 10 for free.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($69.99 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A78M-HD2 Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($41.24 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Team Elite 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($35.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.87 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card  ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Rosewill FBM-02 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($21.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($32.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Keyboard: Microsoft Keyboard 200 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($6.99 @ NCIX US) 

Mouse: Rosewill RM-C2P Wired Optical Mouse  ($4.99 @ Amazon) 

Total: $374.04

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-19 14:13 EDT-0400

 

Beats a ps4 for the price of an xbone (or little more).

[othertomperson]

Checked out your alternatives. All of them are more expensive and some without Windows or peripherals or any free included games found with console bundles. Also you are assuming said user will game online and we're talking about GAME consoles. People want to game, not edit word documents (which is why I won't use the argument that those builds also lack blu-ray). Can you even play GTA V (using as an example of a popular AAA game) on Linux? I'm sure there are some workarounds but performance and usability will never match consoles.

 

You can play The Witcher 3 on Linux. It's getting pretty common for AAA games to appear on Linux, even if it doesn't include all of them yet.

 

Your exclusion of other PC features is also not economically sound. Most people have a need of some kind of office productivity software. Even with very cheap Android tablets offering this to some extent, when you include the Surface-style keyboards and the relevant apps you're looking at something that is £450-£550 for this and a console. You could build a highly competent gaming PC for this much. This isn't even taking into account the massive gulf in prices between games for PC and consoles.

[TroubleKlef]

You can play The Witcher 3 on Linux. It's getting pretty common for AAA games to appear on Linux, even if it doesn't include all of them yet.

 

Your exclusion of other PC features is also not economically sound. Most people have a need of some kind of office productivity software. Even with very cheap Android tablets offering this to some extent, when you include the Surface-style keyboards and the relevant apps you're looking at something that is £450-£550 for this and a console. You could build a highly competent gaming PC for this much. This isn't even taking into account the massive gulf in prices between games for PC and consoles.

 

In that case these builds should feature wifi cards, dedicated sound cards, and blu-ray players. If one is acknowledging the extra capabilities of PCs then they must also address such features on consoles. If one wants to be unbiased of course.

[omega_AI]

KingFast SSDs, they're super cheap, with decent speeds and have lasted 5 months for me, even after dropping it on marble flooring

Let us know how they last. I´ve seen those on cheapo sites for real good prices but never had the balls to buy one.

[App4that]

Let us know how they last. I´ve seen those on cheapo sites for real good prices but never had the balls to buy one.

I'm going to be honest, I looked at them and couldn't get over the ugly. You can't even see it, but damn, they ugly.

[TheProfosist]

Windows Media Center.

Well not any more since its not in windows 10 and they are slowly shutting down all the services it runs on.

[TheProfosist]

Scythe CPU coolers don't get enough love

Also a huge fan of Steel Series Headsets.

Scythe makes coolers? And if you are with people who claim Siberia V2 has good sound quality for the price...

Yes they do just you won't see them in the US for the most part as the parent company of Scythe USA entry under and took them with so there is no US distributor for Scythe stuff.

Back when the Siberia v2 launched it was a great headset actually. Well back then not much actually competed against SteelSeries in that market.

[Kherm]

Well not any more since its not in windows 10 and they are slowly shutting down all the services it runs on.

Well, sort of. 

 

http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-get-genuine-windows-media-center-working-in-windows-10/

[Guest]

KingFast SSDs, they're super cheap, with decent speeds and have lasted 5 months for me, even after dropping it on marble flooring

I think that is because people think they are just a china knockoff brand, even though they aren't/

[TheProfosist]

Lenovo ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint

It's pretty handy if you type out a lot of essays, the trackpoint will save you a lot of time moving your hand to and from the keyboard. It's also good for browsing the web.

I personally recommend the Bluetooth variant of that keyboard I use it on my HTPC.

I've had the Gamecom 1, I think the Gamecom 355, and I'm currently using the Gamecom 780.

I am not a fan of the 780.

Coolermaster N series.

it seems like every one is recommending Corsair, Phanteks, NZXT, Fractal Design.

I can't really recommend corsair anymore. There are just better option at the same or better price. But yea not much can touch the later three at the moment.

In that case these builds should feature wifi cards, dedicated sound cards, and blu-ray players. If one is acknowledging the extra capabilities of PCs then they must also address such features on consoles. If one wants to be unbiased of course.

I could see wifi cards if it's needed. I don't get a BD drive unless your going to watch physical media. And the dedicated sound card makes zero sense since consoles barely have one and rely on the TV or receiver to decode the audio.

[omega_AI]

In that case these builds should feature wifi cards, dedicated sound cards, and blu-ray players. If one is acknowledging the extra capabilities of PCs then they must also address such features on consoles. If one wants to be unbiased of course.

The good thing about pc-s is that they are modular and you dont have to buy everything at once so you can add the more luxury items such as sound cards at a later date. And on a side note wifi for gaming = unnecessary lag.

[omega_AI]

I'm going to be honest, I looked at them and couldn't get over the ugly. You can't even see it, but damn, they ugly.

You could put car decals on them or something like that.

[Mao_Zedong]

I can't really recommend corsair anymore. There are just better option at the same or better price. But yea not much can touch the later three at the moment.

Well corsair's newer style with the 760t/780/a540 ect. is very unique. I got an air 240 because it looks amazing IMO. They aren't always a great value, but they are generally pretty great.

[TheProfosist]

Well, sort of. 

 

http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-get-genuine-windows-media-center-working-in-windows-10/

I was hoping they were going to do that only problem is that MS is slowly removing the back end stuff like like guide. Also WMC just lost Netflix support due to Silverlight. Funny thing is that the Xbox One has a mini version of media center and now even accepts TV tuner cards. I cant believe that they abandoned a mostly great piece of software for a dedicated piece of hardware that cant compare. <.<

I think im going to look into River Media Center.

Well corsair's newer style with the 760t/780/a540 ect. is very unique. I got an air 240 because it looks amazing IMO. They aren't always a great value, but they are generally pretty great.

I have built in and owner many of their newer cases and I just find too many flaws as I build in them. The Air 240 should have bee a ITX only case as that's what you have to run in it if you want to utilize half its features and the 380T should be a mATX since th things is feaking massive! (for ITX) And they are on the more expensive side and a number of other companies have better build. Prior to the Define R5 and H440 I was considering them more and for about a year plus I was using almost exclusively corsair cases for builds.

[othertomperson]

In that case these builds should feature wifi cards, dedicated sound cards, and blu-ray players. If one is acknowledging the extra capabilities of PCs then they must also address such features on consoles. If one wants to be unbiased of course.

 

How is it "unbiased" to throw in a bunch of superfluous shit that you're not going to use just to artificially raise the price? Especially considering that most motherboards come with onboard sound of about the same quality as most dedicated sound cards these days.

[TroubleKlef]

How is it "unbiased" to throw in a bunch of superfluous shit that you're not going to use just to artificially raise the price? Especially considering that most motherboards come with onboard sound of about the same quality as most dedicated sound cards these days.

 

which is my point. If people just want a gaming device they don't care that they can open up word documents on a PC.

[othertomperson]

which is my point. If people just want a gaming device they don't care that they can open up word documents on a PC.

 

You're equating having one device that does all of the things that someone needs for the price of either one of them (or both if they want the experience to be vastly superior), with paying for a tonne of extra bullshit they don't even want or need. What's worse is you seem to genuinely not understand why these are not the same thing.

[App4that]

which is my point. If people just want a gaming device they don't care that they can open up word documents on a PC.

Then why do consoles come with Netflix?

[TroubleKlef]

You're equating having one device that does all of the things that someone needs for the price of either one of them (or both if they want the experience to be vastly superior), with paying for a tonne of extra bullshit they don't even want or need. What's worse is you seem to genuinely not understand why these are not the same thing.

 

which is why I choose to compare just the gaming aspect. You on the other hand are letting bias blind you (its clear when you say "vastly superior" and "bullshit'). Learn to look past that and maybe you will see. 

 

A good analogy would be comparing gas mileage between two vehicles. Both seat 2 people but 1 is a car that gets 30mpg and the other is a truck with 15mpg. Me, being unbiased, would say that the 30mpg is better. You on the other hand, would say one is a truck so it offers more flexibility (towing, carrying shit, etc). However, since we're comparing gas mileage, it doesn't matter how flexible it is.

 

Then why do consoles come with Netflix?

 

 AFAIK, they don't. They're downloaded from their respective stores.

[App4that]

which is why I choose to compare just the gaming aspect. You on the other hand are letting bias blind you (its clear when you say "vastly superior" and "bullshit'). Learn to look past that and maybe you will see.

A good analogy would be comparing gas mileage between two vehicles. Both seat 2 people but 1 is a car that gets 30mpg and the other is a truck with 15mpg. Me, being unbiased, would say that the 30mpg is better. You on the other hand, would say one is a truck so it offers more flexibility (towing, carrying shit, etc). However, since we're comparing gas mileage, it doesn't matter how flexible it is.

AFAIK, they don't. They're downloaded from their respective stores.

OK, compare gaming power. Frame per frame consoles lose. So PCs are better.

[TroubleKlef]

OK, compare gaming power. Frame per frame consoles lose. So PCs are better.

 

I cannot compare it so that PCs are better. Every comparison I have come across consoles have had the upper hand. That being said, I'm going to stop discussing this topic on this thread. If you would like to further discuss this you can PM me. I don't want to spam a good topic.

[othertomperson]

which is why I choose to compare just the gaming aspect. You on the other hand are letting bias blind you (its clear when you say "vastle superior" and "bullshit'). Learn to look past that and maybe you will see.

 

I know you choose to compare just the gaming aspect. You do this because it is the only possible way to make buying a £350 console AND a £300 laptop (which is what most people end up doing) seem like a better use of money than buying a £350 PC that can perform the functions of both.

 

You are then calling me biased for making the astronomical leap that a £500 PC provides a "vastly better" gaming experience than a £350 PC.

 

You are calling me biased for calling £200 of stuff that adds nothing to either productivity functionality, gaming functionality or general ease of use "bullshit" because you are hell bent on making a console seem like good value for including all of this stuff that no one really needs anyway.

 

You are the one making misrepresentations and ad hominems to desperately make a case that is blatantly false, not me.

 

You know if you add up most of the gubbins that comes with a standard pre-built gaming PC (wireless cards, AV subscriptions, 5-in-one card readers, etc) it comes to about half the price of what they charge for the prebuilt. Are you going to start championing the likes of HP and Dell for their value for making their PCs only marginally more expensive than what you could build if you only included the peripherals you actually wanted?

[iamdarkyoshi]

OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS

 

The Sony MDR 101 headphones!!!

 

they sound really quite good for such a cheap set. unfortunately, they are practically vintage now. Anyone got a set they can vouch for?

[-iSynthesis]

Steelseries. Everyone here seems to be reccomending Corsair k70's and whatnot but i personally love the 6GV2.

And Teufel Audio

[SkilledRebuilds]

Tt Shock Spin Headphones. (Mine is Supersceded by newer 'Spin' models) (I have bought three sets cos I like them so much, still using the first set)

Not Audiophile, not that upper-class kind of product at all, but for the price, it shits on other cans in the relative price range.

I have a few brothers, all with their own tastes, their headphones range from $60-200, and I still find mine to be the best of the bunch.

Great noise cancelling, not 100% of course, but it pretty damn good at drowning out the outside,...Sound is Not drowned out by BASS, excellent volumes without distortion, clarity at higher volumes, and REALLY comfortable.

 

I recommend them, and people instantly bash on Thermaltake, which is granted, their not the best, and people have different tastes, but don't write these off, their awesome.