Next Gen Graphics: How Good Are They? Part 2

Okay, so part two of the Next Gen graphics comparisons. Today, we're gonna find some graphics cards that are equal to the ones in the two high end next gen consoles.

For a little bit of a recap, let's look at what the consoles have for their GPUs.
PS4 = AMD Radeon 7870 equivalent, shared RAM with CPU, 8GB GDDR5 RAM
Xbox One = AMD Radeon 7790 equivalent, shared RAM with CPU, 8GB DDR3 RAM

Now, give an estimation of how much each card costs in their respective systems.
PS4 GPU = around $200. The entire console is $400, so the APU would probably be around $250 with RAM being $75, and the controller and such all amounting to $75 as well. Sony is obviously getting these at bulk prices, so they can sell them at a profit.
Xbox One GPU = Around $200. Yea, I said it. The extra money for the Xbox One pretty much comes from the Kinect.

So, let's look at how to get a PC GPU that gives you either better performance at a slightly lower price, or better performance for only a little bit more. This is price to performance.

1. AMD R9 270 or Radeon 7870 GHz Edition - $180 to $200 Put into a $600 rig (Newegg prices)
So the R9 270 is pretty much the perfect card right now. For $180, you get a card that has insane overclockability. You can't overclock that 7870. Also, the R9 270 has a clock speed ranging from 900MHz to 1.1GHz. That's a lot faster than the 800MHz on the PS4's 7870 equivalent.

2. AMD R7 260X or Radeon 7850 - $130 Put into a $500 rig
Right now, this card isn't too amazing. But, if you remember my build earlier, this is what I called the Mantle Baby. When using Mantle, if it is as good as AMD says, this card will be as good as the 270 is now. Battlefield 4, Thief, and any other Mantle games will allow this card to run a lot better, probably better than the PS4's card. It also has higher clock speeds than the PS4 GPU.

3. AMD R7 250 or Radeon 7790 - $100 Put into a $450 rig
If you want to build an Xbox One equivalent PC, I think this would be a good card to use. Since the Xbox One's APU uses DDR3 for it's graphics memory, it will be about equal to this $100 card. Plus this card will also be able to use Mantle, meaning it'll run a lot better down the line (Yes, the 7000 series cards can use Mantle too).

4. nVidia Geforce GTX 660 - $185 Put into a $600 rig
The best bang for your buck card from nVidia is the GTX 660. At $185, you'll get about equivalent power to a standard 7870, which is better than buying a whole new console. You'll easily play most games with this card, and if you need more power down the line, this is the perfect card to use SLI with, because of the price to performance you get per card. Two of these is equal to a GTX 770 for much cheaper.

If you want to build a good replacement for the next gen consoles, I highly recommend these cards. They give you the best price to performance, especially when you take into account things that consoles can't do, like overclocking, Crossfire/SLI, and better cooling (better cooling leads to better performance). There's a reason why I prefer building a PC over buying a console. These are seven great reasons.

Happy gaming everyone.