So better grapichs=PC.

Now, let's talk CPUs. Where do the CPUs in the consoles stand compared to current pc technology? I really appreciate all of your responses!

That's not entirely correct... You shouldn't really compare consoles and pcs in raw power, because a console is much more effective due to the fact that all the hardware is the same on all units, making it much easier to optimize the code.
Don't make the decision based on horse power, let mods be the deciding factor. The current console generation has been since 2005 (!), and it's quite possible that mid-range computers today will play the game on good settings.

Hard to say considering consoles seem to cope for low GPUs with their undedicated CPUs, but i'd say it's deffinately better that the consoles. consoles just share loads differently between components, as far as i understand.

keep in mind the PS3 has 256 MB DDR3 ram. very hard to compare raw power.

As many have said if you have a decent PC that will run the game then get the PC. If you have a huge LCD or Plasma TV then connect your computer to it and use a wireless Keyboard and mouse to get the best picture. If you do not have a computer that will run this game (like Me) and have a console then get it for the console.
But if you are going to buy one or the other then go with PC so that you have access to the Mods

Console would be cheaper. Unless you already have a high powered gaming pc. If you have that then go with the pc because of mods.

How would you guys and gals define "mid range" as far as pcs go? Both GPU and CPU wise. All other components not being considered at the moment...

Also, I understand console optimization for fixed specs. I wonder how much horsepower this can make up for...

PC without a doubt.

You will still play TES V years after it's release if you get it for PC due to visual mods as well as game play mods, there's really no comparison. I still play Morrowind and Oblivion because of mods.

Both XBOX360 and PS3 have 3,2 Ghz multicore CPU, which are very good compared to actual PC technology.

The thing that really limits consoles it's their extremely low RAM (512 both), and their relatively low-budget graphics card (which also decreases the graphics technology that can be used in games). I simply don't understand why they're so outstanding in CPU power, and so mediocre in RAM and graphics.

So, we figure a base price of ~300$ for a non stripped unit of either console? Is that correct?

I had that exact same thing in mind :foodndrink:

Well i can tell you this already, since skyrim is gonna be on the existing consoles (ps3 and xbox360) the graphics on the PC version
ARE gonna be better, Hands down. Like Seriously, they had to make the graphics [censored]tier for oblivion just so it could run on the
xbox360. Ive never had a good enough pc for the majority ive played oblivion (which i can tell you ive clocked in well over 1000 hours). But
just recently ive come across a doomsday machine, and i got oblivion on it, and i can tell you the graphics are WAAY better. Plus you
can see people from like 2 miles away, they dont dissapear after 30 feet like they did on the xbox.

Plus the PC version has mods, which
pretty much give you unlimited replayability with the game. Like oblivion i got the deadly reflex mod which give you mounted combat, you
can decapitate people, take of their wrists, do a finishing move to people while their on the ground, do a throat slit one hit kill (which is
really hard to get off), or do the quick jump sneak attack which knocks them down and does a fair amount of damage, you got a shield
bash whenever you want, and the best part about all this, is that the npcs do it too. Ive seriously been decapitated by an npc, or they
used a finishing move on my when i fell down, and they even do the backflips and [censored]. Also oblivion has mods like the elswyr mod, which
give you the entire kahjit province and a bunch of quests, or mods like Nehrim (which is an entirely new game, and its freakin huge, and
the rpg aspects of it work differently then oblivion, the landscapes look soo much better then oblivions, im seriously 50 hours into it and still
havent beat the main quest. The caves and monsters around arent leveled to you, instead if you goto a place you shouldnt right off the bat, you
ARE going to die. i definitally recommend it to any rpg fans out there.) Plus the team who made nehrim was hired by obsidian
studios to help make fallout new vegas. Anyway, im ranting off here, so ill just leave it at that.

If you have a computer that can launch nukes, then get Skyrim for the pc, and screw the consoles.

Edit: for example, a pentium 4s single core operating at 3.2ghz would be much much slower than a core i7s single core also operating at 3.2ghz frequency?

I understand the frequency, but is that not just a number? Not really indicative of the horsepower behind it?

Spend 150-200 $ on a GPU, say the HD 6850. The CPU only need to cost 70-100 $.
At least 4 GB of ram. The rest is not that important for performance, unless you want to decode videos fast as hell.
Do some research at hardware sites like Tom's hardware or other sites like it. Tom's hardware have monthly lists with the best bang for the buck.

www.tomshardware.com

PC................on the off chance that you dont have either a console or PC then definitely PC. for a few hundred dollars extra you get a much more powerful machine and it its a computer so you can do computery thingies with it.

The frequency when talking about ANY CPU (and GPU's and memory too) is not "just a number", but the most important to have in mind In short: more Ghz = more speed. Also, almost as important is the number of cores it has. (1, 2, 4, 6....).

Why do you think overclocking is so popular when wanting to increase a computer's performance?

PC... it will probably have mods so definitely PC!

Like others have said on a console it will entertain you for months, on PC it can do that for years with mods especially since the TES series has a huge modder base.

I will be playing it on PS3, mainly because as a student i do not currently have the money to buy a PC that would run it smoothly.But if you do have the possibility, you should definately go for PC.

It looks like I can throw together a pc with several times the graphical power of either console with operating system for just under $400. It will be attached to a 1080p tv via hdmi, and have the rendering power to run the game at real 1920x1080 resolution with graphics far superior to consoles?!

:-0 if this is true, then why do people still use consoles for games like this?

Thanks so much for the responses!

Just want to clear up a misconception that's been running through this thread: the PS3 and the 360 can both run games in 1080p, in games whose development isn't focused on any given platform the 360 version is more likely to be the one rendered at a higher resolution than the PS3 version (and with games like Skyrim that use Microsoft's system as their lead platform, that's doubly true), and neither console tends to ever reach 1080p. It happens on both of them and it's rare on both of them, especially for third party games like Skyrim.

Skyrim almost certainly won't run at 1080p or 1080i on either the 360 or the PS3. In all likelihood, it's going to either be rendered natively at 720p with a target framerate of 30FPS (maybe 60FPS, but I don't really expect that) or it's going to be upscaled from a resolution just slightly under 720p.


I did some research on this. It actually renders at 1280x1080, but with 2x AA. The menus are supposedly rendered at full 1920x1080. And actually, both the PS3 and the 360 have games that run at 60FPS in 1920x1080, they're just very rare.

Only in the short-term. What's more expensive? Plunking down $100 every 5 years to keep your computer "current" (when I say "current" I don't mean "top tier"), or plunking down the $300 for a brand new console when they need to upgrade? PCs are upgradeable, and anyone can do basic upgrades without too much trouble.

I just love how technical your terms are

While the frequency is important, with all factors the same, more can be said for performance differences between different architectures. So when comparing apples to oranges, frequency becomes far less important. This is my understanding.

I played oblivion on both and PC every time for me even if the graphics are worse