I'm just wondering when will average gaming pc's (eg. currently c2d 6600, 2gb ram, geforce 8600gt/radeon x2600) will be faster tnan ps3, xbox 360, such that game developers pay a little more atention to pc games until next gen consoles (2011?).
 
I beleive ps3, despite the fact of having only support for shaders equivalent to those in dx 9.0c, can produce images as beautiful as the fastest of the fastest pc thanks to its octa core cell core processor (pc gaming punisher processor).

The end of this year will see 256-bit midrange cards on par with the 9600GT but for half the price... well, that's what I'm expecting to see anyway.
 
 
512MB Graphics - 256bit @ £70
4GB Ram is available at a low price too.... around £60
 
500GB HDD @ £55   ....  CPU @ £100 (E6750 / E8300)
 
I think I'd rather pay that little more and have a machine that can adequately do EVERYTHING, over a console where games cost a fortune and it's only true advantage is BluRay (which drives for the PC are falling in price weekly).
 
So, by the end of this year I expect a sub £500 machine will outpace a PS3 and offer extra capabilities (maybe not taking into account my Avatar)
 

With those specs you won't be liking your gaming experience. I've hooked my Pc up to my 1080P 42" lcd at the native resolution and COD4 looks flippin amazing.  
 
What you described is not an average gaming PC. a 6600 is not a c2d it is a c2q.  And the video cards listed are not gaming cards, they are more for HTPC's, video playback, standard video apps. Not games, stick with an 8800 series nvidia or 3800 servies ATI for examples.  Or the last gen game cards.  
 
Personally I think it is preference between who likes console, vs PC games. Younger and older crowds go for consoles alot because they don't want to or can't mess with the PC aspect of things.  Most Gamers also form a hobby out of PC upgrading/building/overclocking/etc.  
 
I personally like FPS games and can't stand them on a console. The lack of control frustrates me. Mouse and keyboard rule over the contoller.  I enjoy the racing, sidescroll, and fighting games on console.

I could spent $800 on a computer right now and have a much better machine than a PS3 could ever be.. and saying the PS3 can match quality with a high-end rig is crazy..

Well, I think you are comparing apples to oranges.  A console is basically a finely tuned graphics card.  Any above average computer could wallop a poor console in processing and graphics power, however it takes more work to get PCs to work at their top.  Another thing you aptly pointed out was that some companies don't put much effort into their PC games or write them poorly so they run slow (ie, Crysis).  In reality, PCs had passed consoles before the new consoles had even been released.

I agree with jay on every thing he said and i also think the op is very close to trolling.  
The question could seem by some to be an attempt to get Pro pc people to bite,as its worded very badly.
 Im not going to say its intentional. hey I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
  Mactronix

I'm waiting for the day PC people can play against PS3 and xbox people online on the same game.  I wonder if we would have the advantage? haha.  And I don't mean paying for freaking Xbox LIVE! crap either.

to correct jay2tall on some things
 
pc gamers will destroy console gamers on nearly every game if they were to play online together
 
the 6600 the op is probably referring to is a CORE2DUO e6600 (most likely)
 
 
towards the op:
console gaming doesn't compare to pc gaming right now
it might in the future because consoles are moving closer and closer to being a full blown computer  
PC gaming looks 10^10 better than console gaming
i've played all systems and currently own a better than average PC and the consoles dont compare to crysis at 1920x1200 very high settings with all nvidia controls all the way up.  

Why bash console gaming?
 
The real question is why these computer hardware companies continue to release new technologies and ultra-buff hardware just so developers can only scratch the surface of the hardware's actual capabilities before the next money-sucking piece of **** waste of time video card hits the market.
 
PC Video processors are clearly more powerful then that of the PS3's or Xbox 360's, but at least if you buy a game for one of those systems you KNOW it's going to play smoothly because it has been designed to use as many capabilities as the hardware can offer.
 
Don't get me wrong I have always been a PC gamer and fan, but I'm also not a **** moron and I realize that all of this ridiculously expensive hardware will likely not even be fully realized or utilized in the games I intend to play. Thus, I don't expect it to.
 
As mentioned by someone up above, it's like comparing Apples and Oranges. This bullshit troll attempt of a thread got me all riled up.
 
Ahh well...

I've seen a video of Gran Turismo 5 on PS3 gameplay and it looks beautiful. No driving game on PC looks that good at the moment.
 
However no shooter on the consoles looks as good as Crysis at Very High Settings...........

 
Play the ps3 on a 20" monitor with keyboard and mouse, and you will see how far the rabbit hole goes....
 

Is there even a driving game for PC?  One that is native to the PC, those ripped off of consoles are always horrible.

then u will be asked to pick a red pill or a blue pill...

Oh  yeah I forgot about those. I have not hear many of these words spoken of an e6600 in many ith time.  Only thee q6600 ith spoken from thou tongues.

TrackMania United is PC only.  If you like arcade-style racing games, get it!  As far as the console V. PC debate goes, I'd much rather spend $800 on a decent gaming system than $300+ on a console and double for the games.  My computer is my TV, stereo, gaming system, programming dev system, etc.  Well worth the extra money, IMO.

 
That PC is also better than the PS3 and 360.
 
BTW, just so you know, the PS3 is almost like 2 Intel Quad cores clocked at 0.5GHz, in term of relative power. However, thanks to things like core specialization, optimization to only one set of parts, and not-running-a-normal-OS, consoles can look slightly better their inferior hardware suggests.

Plus when you build a computer it also has great programs like calculator, Notepad, Wordpad, and Paint. Those by itself make the Pc worth it.          
 
 
 

 
dittox2

I think the reason everyone on this forum is so anti-console is because they're afraid of what appears to be the downfall of PC gaming. Piracy is such an issue these days, and the majority of developers simply don't care about the PC the way they use to now that their profit margins are in danger. Epic has sold an estimated 5 million copies of Gears of War on the Xbox360, numbers they would never dream of on the PC.