Even though this comparison is silly since console systems like the Xbox One X have been extremely well optimised for the purpose, some might have you believe that it is cheaper and better, in the long run, to build a PC system with similar specifications to that of Xbox One X. We spent some time online searching for all the parts that you’d need to build a system that might come remotely close to running at the same capabilities as Xbox One X.
Unfortunately, since the Xbox One X is custom built, it’s impossible to recreate the marvel Microsoft have released. But we tried and attempted to get the best parts closest to its impressive specifications at the cheapest price. We used Amazon for this comparison since they have a wide range, and are usually cheap in comparison to others.
Note: Due to the fact that AMD GPU’s have been selling out everywhere, we opted for Nvidia cards. The card used here is the GTX 1060. You can swap out this card for the RX 480 or RX 580 at a similar price whenever they come into stock again.
Our build comes in as follows:
These parts are mandatory
- AMD FX-8320E 8-Core CPU which is selling for around $119.99
- MSI 760GMA-P34 Motherboard which is selling for around $49.99
- Kingston ValueRAM 8Gb comes in at around $54.76
- EVGA 400W PSU which comes in at around $28.35
- Asus GeForce GTX1060 6Gb Graphics card which costs around $293.99 (You can swap it out for the RX580)
- WD Blue 1Tb Hard Drive (7200rpm) costs around $49.99
- Thermaltake PC Chassis coming in at $39.99
These parts will give you a PC that runs, and it comes in at around $637. However, the Xbox One X is a complete system at $499, which includes higher quality parts in an impeccably designed form factor and includes a 4K Blu-Ray player. To add to this, you’ll end up spending upwards of $900 to build a system which is arguably close in capabilities even though nothing in the PC space comes close to the specific hardware specifications Xbox One X has.
But this comparison as I have mentioned is flawed since the Xbox One X includes a controller, Dolby Atmos support, Optical audio output, Vapour chamber cooling, Bluetooth and more. To get all these included you’ll be looking at a price much higher, and that assumes you own a copy of Windows 10, or you’ll be stuck with Linux and everyone knows how terrible that operating system is for gaming.
Microsoft has blown the roof off E3 by offering gamers one of the best values in the console space, giving true 4K capabilities with framerates reaching as high as 60FPS in games for a mere $499, something the PC build above is bound to falter at achieving at some point, since developers rarely optimize for PC. Some might have you believe they can build it for cheaper, however, anyone can build something even more inferior at a lower price. I’m sure many of you are willing to dig around on eBay for 2nd hand parts instead of paying $499 for a beast of a system.
What do you think? Will you buy the Xbox One X when it drops later this year, or can you dumpster dive better? Comment below.
