Here's my goal for a PC build.

A console will typically cost anywhere between $300 - $600 and last (until a new console is released. my NES still works fine, for example) for anywhere from 4 - 7 years.

Along those lines, I figure for highest cost and shortest longevity, a PC build for $600 that will last reliably for 4 years, playing games on, we'll say, medium graphics. I can't get it to work.

I'm aware PC's don't degrade like fruits, but it gets to the point where you don't want to play a few games on low settings at 20 fps anymore, and then you build a new PC or upgrade if you can.

In my case, I have already upgraded my video card. Within a year, I'll likely build a new PC. The build I asked about has a budget of $600 and should be able to play most games at high fps on high to medium settings for about 4 years. Can that be done, or not?

this presupposes that graphics matter, and i think any hardcore gamer will agree that graphics only need to be acceptable. they never need to be mind-blowing, and if the graphics are too good, the game is usually bad.

i know very few people who play more than a game or two regularly. the online-only crowd is the type of crowd who is highly addiction-prone.

if a game needs to be modded, then it wasn't much of a game, now was it.

as you were.

Holy crap. I never put two and two together and realized that's an advantage PC gaming has.

Edit: Oh wait. It's only $40 a year. Eh... I think it comes with PS Plus too. That's actually a pretty good deal considering you get a **** ton of games with PS Plus.

Double Edit: Since no one has really responded/cares to my Nintendo rant, I'm copy pasta-ing it to the OP.

The thing with PS+ counts only for the monthly (and all time) free games, everything you payed for is yours.
I like consoles for the easy starting procedure. I come home, make a coffee, sit on the couch, press the button and that's it.
Sometimes the games or the FW gets an update, so this will take a few minutes longer before starting the game.

No need for drivers, and the other stuff you have to deal with.
Yes, you have to deal with this anyway, but not that big if you only use it to "work with".
The Console is just more comfortable for me. My pc runs a couple of years now with linux what makes things much more comfortable for me too. Maybe i build a Steam OS PC for playin on PC again someday, who knows...

Doubt people will say this but the worst part of fps PC gaming is the community, you think the dust forums were bad on the release of legion at the dust keynote... that pales in comparison to the daily active PC fps communities.