OMFG!!! GTA 4 PC system requirements !?!?! OOOOO Fuck!

[bvar22]

First, I am not a serious gamer....more of a sideline amateur who uses his computer primarily for other more mundane projects..... mostly graphics, digital photo processing, digitized document storage, word processing, InterNet access....

I have been patiently awaiting the release of GTA IV for PC. I knew it was going to be released about November of 2008, so today I Logged On to see if I could pre-order.
I was stunned by the system requirements to play this game.

Recommended System Requirements

* OS: Windows Vista - Service Pack 1 / XP - Service Pack 3
* Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz, AMD Phenom X3 2.1Ghz
* Memory: 2 GB (Windows XP) 2.5 GB (Windows Vista)
* 18 GB Free Hard Drive Space
* Video Card: 512MB NVIDIA 8600 / 512MB ATI 3870

Since my first 386 in 1991, I have homebuilt(assembled) my own computers....every 3 years or so.
My current system is no slouch:

AMD Athlon64 +3200 Venice 939pin
ASUS A8N-SLI
1gig Ram
GeForce 6800GT Graphics
250G SerialATA HD
500 SerialATA HD2
480 Watt Antec ATX Power Supply

Though the above system is nearing 3 years old, it performs beautifully for all the applications I use. All of my programs are fast and stable. I could use another gig of ram, but whats that....60 bucks?
It would cost around $400+ to upgrade to their recommended requirements just to play their game.

I'm not going to do it.
There would be no noticeable improvements in the other application areas that would justify the cost at this time. :shrug:

I'm going to Plan B....a console.
I have never played a game on a console, and have never followed the market.
I'm humbly requesting guidance from the serious console gamers here.

XBox?

PS?

Other?

Whats Hot?

[nickgutierrez]

1. I'm pretty partial toward the PS3

I think it's the system that is capable of bigger and better things in the next few years. People are just now starting to figure out how to program for it, and we're seeing some seriously great results.

See: LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2.

[bvar22]

3. Thanks.

:patriot:

[OwnedByFerrets]

8. Plus, you can watch BluRay discs if you have a HD tv.

[Bjorn Against]

2. Both PS3 and XBox have their advantages and disadvantages.

As far as games go both systems have some very good exclusives, but most titles are cross-platform and can be played on both systems. It looks like you already have a decent PC though, and most of XBox's good "exclusives" are also available on PC, whereas PS3 exclusives usually are truly exclusive to PS3. For this reason if you are looking for games that you can't play on your PC you would probably be more happy with the PS3's selection. (Notice I did not even mention the Wii, I haven't played mine in nearly a year and everyone else I know who has one doesn't care for theirs either. Despite its popularity Wii is by far the worst console on the market).

As far as hardware goes the PS3 is superior to the XBox. It includes a Blu-Ray player, a faster processor, and it is far more reliable. The XBox does have a slightly better graphics chip and uses its memory more efficiently, but it is also a notoriously unreliable system. The failure rate of the XBox has been put at somewhere between 30-40% which is completely unacceptable, and while the newer models are more reliable than the old models they are still having problems. The PS3 failure rate is only about 1% so it is a much more well built piece of hardware.

As far as online play goes, XBox has the better online service with more options available. There is a downside to this however, as to play on XBox Live you have to pay a $50 annual subscription fee. PS3 has free online which works very well most of the time. The only times I have really had trouble with PS3's online play is when I have tried playing a major new title in the first days after its release as the servers are taking a major beating.

If you ask me I would say the PS3 is the better of the two systems, although there are some people who disagree with me on that. The XBox has some very good things right now, but the PS3 has more powerful hardware which the developers have not even came close to tapping out the full potential of yet. At the same time however Sony's financial future is not quite as secure as Microsoft's, so they may not have the money it takes to really push their system forward. The PS3 has made some major strides since its release though, and it appears it will make some more major strides over the next year. You probably would be happy with either console (unless your XBox were to fail on you that is), and to be honest both of them are pretty similar. If I were to recommend one though I would say go with the PS3, it has exclusives which you won't be able to pick up for PC, a Blu-Ray player, and more reliable hardware and I think that makes it the better choice.

[bvar22]

4. Thanks.

This is exactly the information I'm looking for.
I don't really trust the online reviews, and no one in my little circle plays games. (I'm 59, live in the woods, and grow organic vegetables).

It would seem that the system demands of the next generation games have become so specialized that it is way more economical to simply purchase a console designed for that specific task.

Thanks again.
Bob
Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas

[CabalPowered]

5. My only complaint on the PS3 is sound

The sound processor is junk. In a sound intensive game like Bad Company, you get low level static. VOIP is nearly inaudible. At first I thought it was my setup but I've seen it on other systems. CD/DVD playback sound is also deficient compared to a rack component.

Besides that, it's an amazing piece of hardware for the price. I haven't partitioned the drive for another OS but I've been thinking about tinkering with it.

[Bjorn Against]

6. I never had a problem with the sound...

I don't have a super high end audio setup so maybe I just don't notice it, but I haven't heard any other complaints about the PS3's sound in fact most people with high end systems praise the sound quality. On Blu Ray movies in particular it should sound amazing as all of the audio is uncompressed. Is it possible that you might not be using the correct audio settings? I know when I first got my TV I was getting some really bad sound, but I just went in to the system settings and played around with the audio options and now the sound quality is as good as anything my setup is capable of.

[CabalPowered]

7. I have no complaints on BluRay playback

But I don't have a standalone player to test against. Testing CD's and DVD's against my $200 jvc dvd player, the difference is immediately recognizable. I've tinkered with all the settings and tried different outputs. I get the same from hdmi as I do from the toslink cable. :shrug:

[sam sarrha]

9. CORSAIR ValueSelect 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit $40 rebate

You have to have matched memory..#Ax2=2gig, #Bx1=1 gig...your existing RAM,

that would give you 2.5 gig functional RAM for $24

$24 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145579

discounts http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000170147%201052407862%201052308477%204803&name=Discount%20Item

rebateshttp://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000170147%201052407862%201052308477%204801&name=Mail%20In%20Rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227210

[Gore1FL]

10. If you are configured correctly, it runs OK on less

I have a Dell 1520 laptop:

T7300 CPU (core 2 duo with 4 MB L2 cache, 800 Mhz FSB, @ 2Ghz)
2 GB memory
nVidia 8600m

I run it OK without a lot of hassle, though the video is down pretty low. There are occasional glitches, but it is playable. And let's face it. Laptops are not meant to be gaming machines.

My biggest complaint is having to sign up for Windows Live and the Rockstar Social club to freaking save the game.

[distantearlywarning]

11. Not sure if this is the right thread for this, but...

Hubby bought this for me for Christmas. My computer meets the system requirements just fine (had to upgrade the video card, but whatever). But I am unable to play it because there is some kind of problem that makes the game unplayable with any controller - the installation of any joystick-type thing causes a spinning camera problem. My husband the IT guy was unable to fix it after almost 7 hours of tweaking. Nobody on the internet seems to have solved it either, at least as far as we can tell. I am really bummed (and pissed off at RockStar Games - who the fuck releases a very expensive driving-centric game that can't be played with any controller????) because I've been looking forward to this game for 6+ months and it was basically the only real Christmas present I received. So no X-Mas for me if we can't solve this problem. :cry:

Anyone know anything about this or what to do about it? Is there a controller out there that will work? Or some kind of patch that can be downloaded? Please help - I'm very sad and out about $150 for an unplayable game at this point!

(And please don't tell me to get a console - I already have a PS2 so I can play all the DDR games and I don't need to buy an XBox or whatever just so I can play GTA4. That's what I have a very expensive PC with a video card upgrade for.)

[bvar22]

15. I used Keyboard + Mouse on GTA 1-3.

A 3 button mouse works well.
You have to be a little creative in assigning functions.
RMB = Full Speed Ahead
LMB = Fire

Steering and reverse with the cursor keys.

My wife got the XBox360 & GTA4 for Christmas.
I've never used a controller, and it is taking some time to get used to it.

Good Luck.

[Brucie Kibbutz]

18. Have you tried the XBOX 360 controller?

It's my understanding that they are PC compatible.

[Greyhound]

22. Keyboard & mouse will beat controllers in head to head every time. n/t

[DS1]

12. Laggy on a 3.16 dual core and 280 GTX

:crazy:

levels set to medium, draw and detail distances set to lowesst (1)


crazy bad

[BelgianMadCow]

13. that is idiotic

they can stuff their system reqs

[DS1]

16. Apparently it's CPU-related

Anything less than a quad-core is going to lag. I can turn the video settings right back up, the lag is still there but it looks prettier :eyes:

[bvar22]

14. Problem solved.

My wife gave me an XBox360 AND GTA4 for Christmas.

Crazy time learning the controller...I always used Keyboard + mouse....

But so far...Its ALL GOOD!

[Brucie Kibbutz]

17. I have a few jobs for you, if you're interested...

I'll be at my garage in East Hook. ALPHA! :headbang:

[bvar22]

19. Send me an E-Mail at the Internet Cafe....

LOL.

I love GTA4, but kinda miss my Grove Street Boys.

[Brucie Kibbutz]

20. BTW...

If you want to try XBOX Live, every 360 comes with three free one month Gold memberships. The offer is for free Silver accounts but before you finish setting it up, it will give you the option to make it a Gold membership for free.

[Greyhound]

21. The time honored heartbreak of Rockstar's PC ports.

All of the GTA games since III (1 & 2 were top-down scrolling type) have been rife with glitches, bugs, and compatibility issues. Adding insult to injury, they never fix them beyond getting out a few patches so you can at least install and run them.

That being said, they are my all-time favorite games (I haven't played IV yet due to the XP/Vista req), with the best stories, voice actors, free-form game play, and seemingly endless details and secrets, that give them tremendous re-play value.

Building your own systems does reduce the number of issues since you are not going to install some OEM version of OS with all the bloatware and proprietary drivers.

If you want to play it now, I'd say just go with the PS3 even though the consoles can't match the capabilities of the PC, the reduced frustration factor is worth it.

Imagine how cool it would be if they'd port it to a real OS that would set your hardware free.