PC Graphics Vs Console Graphics

[Paradoxxx]

MG (Muscle Grip ie Rumbellys bro) and I were having a convo to as hda does a console get such smooth graphics from weaker hardware. I havnt personally done any research into the actual technology and I would like to know how its done.

I think the first thing that should be asked is

Do you agree that Console graphics surpass that of a equiv stocked PC?

then follow through with the how

[G_Pinkie]

Take in consideration software taking up and using cpu and ram on the pc. On the other hand consoles just have a small lil bios or OS on the systems also they don't have applications taking up the precious resources. Therefore console games can get about 100%of the resources they get while the avg pc users are limited to avg 80%, all depending on the pc setup. Games take advantage the consoles new hardware , while pc games will take time to support the new hardware, example duel core and cell.

But it is known pc's have the better graphics than consoles. Is just that pc's always require upgrading and consoles depend on games to make money, so therefore consoles are able to to have good parts for cheaper while the pc users need to spend much more for equivilant or better graphics.

[Paradoxxx]

I dont think CPU / RAM usage is a factor here, well not as much as we PC ppl would think. The PS2 has a 300MHz processor and Im rounding up with that figure.

Maybe its the display on a television that give it the look as though the graphics are smooth?... AA?

[Itachi]

para i think pinkie gave the best explanation,since the consoles don't need to run the OS or any other things in the background (except for a clock) not much resources are used,so i guess it wud be able to use the parts to their FULL potential,while a pc wud only be able to use it to the potential that is available (which wud be less than a console since OS and such needs to be run in the background)

[xearo-jaosan]

I dont think OS has anything to do with it or programs in the background. It's a simple fact that consoles are only designed for gaming while a pc can "also" do gaming. PC's will have better graphics as always (High Rez, High Texture Packs but mainly High Rez) But that is assuming of course that the pc is an Expensive-ass one. But wait...if the cost of a gaming PC is $12000 and a console is like $5000?(not sure) then wont a Console be better? If they made consoles with $12000 worth of graphics and made it able to play on a PC monitor then wont the console like rule? :wacko:

In term of games...games always run smoother and nicer on a console, and since it is more of an entertainment artifact for a living room then they would have cool menu screens and loading screens and a whole other extra good looking technical mumbo jumbo.

PC's rule, but I raped my piggy bank to rule :(
Then I paid so much money for all the better graphics, for the game to crash...wtf :banana:

[PhoeniX]

true consoles dont have background thingies running like the large OS or other crap someone may have on the pc games are more demanding this way

[Styx.]

I want to see a pc pull off Grand Turismo 4 to an exact level in terms of graphical quality.

Too bad there isn't a pc release so we could compare.

[Geese]

You ppl all seem to forget that consoles run are made to be used on TV's which are 320 x 240 native resolution. So naturally anything 640 x 480 or above (which is probably the minimum for all the consoles out now) would look noticably better than a PC version. XBOX res is somewhere close to HDTV res or so I've heard.

[PhoeniX]

i think it all comes down to cost and how much will a console company be willing to invest in dropping in high end graphics to counter that of a high end computer and then ship out milions of units to users worldwide

it wud obviously be more expensive to make a console output the computer's graphics and rival it

also once a console comes out it takes time for another one to be released wheras the pc continues to upgrade and upgrade and is and always will be Ahead of the console's graphic power

[shadow_hitokiri]

comps have the potential to be the superior in this topic but it take money peeps....money that not all have and thus a system bred specifically for gaming like for example xbox or ps2 would be the better alternaltive for cheap ass peeps like my dad who gt me a comp that video card will shit up on friggin paint or minesweeper i bet

[Paradoxxx]

Originally posted by Geese@Apr 12 2005, 07:20 PM
You ppl all seem to forget that consoles run are made to be used on TV's which are 320 x 240 native resolution. So naturally anything 640 x 480 or above (which is probably the minimum for all the consoles out now) would look noticably better than a PC version. XBOX res is somewhere close to HDTV res or so I've heard.
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Ah RB thinking along the lines I was... The major difference is the display, console TV computer Moniter. I was thinking that maybe there was some more special than just res.. but point well taken.

[G_Pinkie]

The processor is not x86, and the graphics card is not a pc graphic card, as someone said games were made just for this system so they take full advantage of the system spec. Many PC games are more complex and thus require more cpu power. when they port a pc game to console they take out many intensive effects and so forth so it can run smoothly on the console, and it has console games that have had slow down problems on.

Graphics is the most notable thing here but you can't directly compare graphics, a monitor is different to a tv. So how graphics look on a tv would be different. So graphic card rendering on a 320*240 screen would be much different from a 800*600 or 1024*768 and beyond.

I have yet to see a game out for pc and console which looks better on a console with a pc maxed out.

[LARUTO]

i was thinking that maybe it has to do with optimisation, developers recieve a specific kit for when developing their titles for console releases so they have something specific to work with. i'm guessing this may be a problem for PC developers since there isn't any one specific set of specs for them to work with.

[Paradoxxx]

Im not sure if I understood larutos post properly.

Are you saying that PC Developers dont have a constant platform in terms of API to work with? Or are you saying that PCs vary in terms of hardware and compared to the static hardware of a console the Developers know what their users are going to have?

I would agree with the hardware one, If we all had the same spec machine then game manufacturers would design all the games to run really well on those specs.

Software wize... APIs are pretty well laid out imho, it has never been a source of complaint. Atleast thats the case for the popular ones.

[LARUTO]

i was referring to the hardware, don't know much about API's

[PhoeniX]

ok loook at this an average gaming rig wud set someone back about 6000 right?????????????
say i buy the PS3 which wud be arounf 2500 when it comes out or 300 US if i git it away i think the prices will soon meet when yuh buy lots of games for it and controls tuh those tekken men who mash buttons so i guess it cud add up to the same thing

the pc just offers more functions

[mojo]

I think laruto's contribution was the most significant.

The fact that when a game developer is programming a game for a console, he is doing this knowing fully well that all systems running the game are going to be exactly the same with respect to hardware.

PC games canot be programmed in this way.

Console games have to be done using a specific SDK (Software Development Kit) with optimized instructions specific to the console.

PC games have to be programmed to operate with different ranges of end user hardware. Since we are talking about graphics here, i wont get into mice and keyboard etc. but numerous CPU's with different instructions...GPUs with totally different methods of rendering....... and just one API for all to conform to.

hmmmm... i anticipate problems especially with all the different combinations of hardware that a PC might consist of.

[xearo-jaosan]

Which is why a console should have an overall better gaming experience...no glitches, pure smoothness, and what not. And speaking of rez...what about XBox and its ability to connect to an HD TV. That at least has gotta look sweet. Anyone has a HD TV? :rolleyes:
Is it "a Hd tv" or "an Hd tv"?

[cereal_killer]

Originally posted by xearo-jaosan@Apr 14 2005, 07:09 PM
Which is why a console should have an overall better gaming experience...no glitches, pure smoothness
Quoted post



know this off topic but look at a game like champions of norath, that has some sever errors in it
items that increase health and mana have little or no effect at all
with pc games u can download patches to fix problems much easier than a ps 2 game.

[mojo]

Originally posted by cereal_killer@Apr 14 2005, 07:26 PM
know this off topic but look at a game like champions of norath, that has some sever errors in it
items that increase health and mana have little or no effect at all
with pc games u can download patches to fix problems much easier than a ps 2 game.
Quoted post



well, one of the main reasons that Microsoft banned game patches is chipless modding!!!

people were using Mech A$$ault from Microsoft Games and using a doctored patch file to soft mod the xb0x.

So if the game developers don't test the gme properly, it remains with the bugs since they cannot be patched via an update file.

[b00st]

Yep in a sense. But then if you say that then just about every PC game not tested properly.

Norath is an online game as well. But in my Norath i havent had any problems like that.

Ninja PC vs console its PC all the way. I would recoment if anyone has the $$$ go with the PC. Personally I dont really find it cost effective to have a 400+ US graphics card to say i have better graphics. The console version of the game may not be as gorgeous, but its enough to make you say "THAT IS XBOX??? YOU SURE?".