Lo there..
 
simple quastion actually its dumb.. How does the xbox 360 compare to todays pc's and graphics ? should i spent the money on a xbox 360 or spent it on a nice quad core pc in christmas time ?
 
 
AMD  X2 3800+ (2.8ghz)
2gb Kingston Mem
XFX 7900 GT
80GB Sata 2
200GB Sata 2
Gigabyte Poseidon case
Gigabyte Watercooled.

Of course you would ask this on a personal computer focused site.
 
Get the PC.

 
There is one main problem with your question to begin with.  You cannot get a good pc gaming rig for the price of an xbox 360.  Granted if you straight upgrade form the system you show listed, which if you wanted a quad core chip i.e. "kentsfield" you couldn't do only AMDs 4x4 which is a dual cpu setup form what I understand.  If you were going to go to a real quad core then you will have to at least replace the mobo and chip and that alone will most likely run you close to the price of an xbox 360.
 
There was another thread a month or so ago about which is better console or pc and this is basically the same question.  The 2 are mutually exclusive for the most part.  Console gaming and pc gaming are like apples and oranges it is difficult to compare the 2 fairly.  You have to ask yourself what you want to play console games or pc games, yes they have crossover games, but the experience is fundamentally different because of the hardware.
 
The last post from caboose-1 one says go for the pc which is correct if you want to play pc games but if you want to play console games get the console.  No one here can give you a correct answer either way without bias you just have to ask yourself what do you want.  Frankly with the pc you have you can probally play pc games just fine but it can always be better, just as you probally have an xbox but with an xbox360 it can be bettter.
 
And no one even bring up vista or DX10 since if he is wondering about a upgraded pc or an xbox360 I doubt he is worried about Vista since moving to vista and DX10 will cost much more than the price of an xbox360.

This is a funny question really, with the implementation of HD gaming in Xbox360 and upcoming PS3, the PC as a gaming platform will diminish some.  The advantage of the PC over console was the resolution and flexibility, this is gap is disappearing rapidly.
 
If gaming is your only gig, it is becoming less sensible to go PC as the costs to put together a PC-gaming worthy system is in excess of 1000 bucks, while the consoles are around 300-600 (including PS3 pricing).
 
Jack

right now i have both a 360 and a nice gaming computer and i really dont see upgrading as of yet personally because my computer can run all the newer games at high settings so i went ahead and spent the money on the 360 so i could play those games that are exclusive to console that i like alot. right now im just screwing around modding it since my pc is already cracked out as it is but i like them both equally as much and wouldnt want to give up either of them.

Get the PC, but quad-core isn't going to make squat difference to your gaming unless you like ripping DVDs, encoding APE and running lots of spyware at the same time as you play.

 
Jack hit the nail on the head, yet again! My view is that if you have the cash and you want bleeding edge techonolgy then get a PC. But if all you want to do is play some games, whether multiplayer or single player, get an xbox360. I was suprised at how good Live actually is, puts many pc games online server browsers to shame!
 
My advice if you just want to game, get a 360 and a Wii. Don't bother with a PS3, far too expensive for far too little benefit over a 360.

The Best thing about having an XBOX 360 is the HD games. When you have a big screen TV playing Madden 07 its like being Ben Affleck at a strip club.  
 
The only problem I have with the XBOX 360 is playing FPS. I grew up fragging with a keyboard and mouse back when DOOM came out, and I can't get use to a controller for games like HALO 2.
 
Conclusion: If you have a nice HDTV then drop the money on the XBOX 360 otherwise keep dumping money like the rest of us in our gaming rigs.

 
Errrr....I'm guessing that's not from official MS literature.

 
You´re forgetting something though. Most people need a PC to work, to do their homework or just to surf the internet. If they have to buy a PC anyway (costing around 600$), why not invest another 300$ into it so it can be used for gaming instead of buying a xbobx?
In addition, while most parents like buying toys for their kids (xbox, ps3), ALL parents want their kids smart,  and getting them to use a PC to gain some computer skills still looks like a way to achieve that - at least to an average parent. The kids have a totally different idea of what to do with that machine though...

Replace the 7900GT with a budget 7600GT, drop the expensive water cooling, and grab a 360 as well if you ask me..
 
That's pretty much what I did actually.

 
Pure genious, our friend here took the words right out of my mouth, how clever, yet so swift. Get both. If you don't have the money get a job. If you have a job, get another.

I assume you already own such a system, since you're talking here about buying a quad core.
If so, i'd say that your PC is good enough for the current generation of games, and i'd have no doubt and buy an Xbox 360 (or perhaps a Wii).

The only consoles I've ever owned are all by Nintendo, the NES, SNES, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, N64, GameCube... because I consider Nintendo the cheap fun console for playing silly games with my friends.
 
My computer however, is for when I seriously want to game and everything else in my life. If I had the option of getting an XBOX 360 or a computer, I would obviously chose the computer, because it can be used for so much more. If I need to wirelessly stream music around, if I want to be able to watch movies anywhere in my house, if I want to play games with all the eye candy. It would be a lot more expensive, but most games I play on the XBOX I can play on computer. Plus, MMORPG's... I want to see someone play WoW on the XBOX 360 =P
 
I like versatility. I would rather pay more for an all-in-one system than pay for individual things. Especially since space is an issue also...

 
For those fo you who have played FPSs on a console, can you please compare the gameplay to a computer? I grew up playing on a keyboard and mouse, starting from Duke Nukem 3D, Warcraft, Command and Conquer, and Doom 2. I love the mouse and keyboard. I played Halo no the Xbox once, and did not like the control, although I did not play much. It is obviously cheaper to get a computer, but if you learn the control, is it ok to play FPSs? I am thinking of getting a Xbox in the future if the control is good to play FPSs.

I hate FPS on consoles, could never get the hang of it. I would place bets that between 2 people of the same skill level playing a FPS with one on a console and one on a computer, the computer guy would decisevly kick the other guys butt.
 
Also, I'm waiting for 1080p projectors to come down to almost normal prices, and then we can see whats better, your 5x" HDTV or my 1xx" projector screen.

 
 
 
My Xbox 360 is sitting on Ebay at this very moment with 4hrs to go and $280 on the bid so far. It is practically new as I have only played it a couple of times and its the Premium system with some extras. You should check it out if interested.
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.d [...] %3AIT&rd=1
 
The reason I am getting rid of it is because I am quite honestly dissapointed with it next to my top end PC. I didnt realize it at the time but did you know that nearly every game for the 360 that is out or is coming out is also availible for the PC? save for a few exclusives that I dont care to play.
 
 
Also so far any game I have played on my PC that is also availible for the 360 just anihilates the 360 version. Prey, Condemned, COD2, Oblivion.....ETC
 
 
The thing I hate the most about the system is the lack of AF filtering in those games, If you ever want to get a good laugh just look at how Oblivion looks compared to a High End PC using 16XAF 8O  
 
Texture Filtering is a big deal too me and its as if that system uses little to none and I just cant stand textures that look like they turn into Melted Crayons off in the distance.
 
 
Dont get me wrong, its not a bad system for the price but the above mentioned reasons is why I am ditching it.  
 
 
I do like consoles and I actually preffer to have one that will have a ton of games that will not be on the PC so I can have the best of both worlds 8) . Most likely I will get a PS3 Next year after prices drop and supply picks up. I would much rather Play Metal Gear Solid 4 than Halo 3.

One big advantage of console is that you know that when you put the CD into the drive tray its going to work and you dotn have to worry about how good your GPU is or how much RAM you have. Another advantage is that if you play online with consoles the only advantage someone is going to have over you hardware wise is internet connection and widescreen.  
 
I have friend whos computer is upgraded to stay top of the line. He has 3 WD 150GB raptors in a RAID 0 stripe and 2 GB of the best OCZ Ram he could buy at the time. Couple that with his ultra fast internet connection and in COD2 he will load maps 20secs faster than your average gamer.