Newbie seeking some opinions!

Ok so as per the title this is my first post and I'm looking for some opinions/advice.

I've been a console gamer for many years and to be honest have been fairly happy with it but have always had a soft spot for the idea of a gaming PC. What I'm wondering is if this is the right decision for me.

So why the change? Well firstly theres none of this 'backwards compatibility' rubbish from what I've seen whereas some titles I'd have liked to have replayed from PS3 etc can't be replayed on PS4. I've noticed that graphics comparisons can vary between PC vs other platforms but PC games always come up trumps even if it's just minor details (I accept this is dependant on configurations etc).

This all came about simply from some online videos of GTA V and various mods that have been done (LSPDFR caught my attention) and had me thinking how good it's be to do/have some of these things (though I know modding isn't allowed on various titles?)

So, I'd mainly be looking at FPS, action/adventure and the odd RPG most likely. Wha I'm essentially asking is, would it be worth me investing in a gaming PC (i'd be keeping the PS4 purely for a few games I play online with friends) and if so could anyone kindly assist with some basics in terms of a reasonable configuration (in terms of price (in the UK) and decent performance)? I know this could be a daft question but help would be appreciated. id considered something like this: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/cyberpower-gaming-empire-elite-ii-gaming-pc-10140548-pdt.html, though I'd need to sort out a WiFi card:

Currently own a mac (using it as a glorified internet browser essentially!) and know this is neither use nor ornament generally for gaming!

Apologies for the questions, but my mind is battling with for/against and finding a reasonable setup!

Cheers

Dave

I'm moving this to hardware discussion since it's a "system build" question.

My own 2-cents is everyone here is going to say "Yes it's worth it" - but I would advise that some games seem to get really sloppy half-assed PC ports, so don't always assume purchases for your new PC will be the better choice over your PS4. That being said, it is going to be largely true that they will run better (and often be much cheaper) for your PC.

Another piece of advice is to build your own PC, because it can cost way less. That being said, if you can afford a pre-built and "don't want to go there" then there is nothing wrong with going with a pre-built rig. Some people are vehemently against pre-built gaming rigs because of the cost hike over building yourself, but maybe they don't acknowledge how intimidating the idea can be to someone who has never done it AND that a couple hundred more might be worth it to someone with enough money to avoid the headaches.

If you DO want to consider building yourself, we can help with that too

Ah, thanks appreciate it, also thanks for the reply!

I suppose the port issue rings true on other platforms. I know when I played battlefield 3 on PS3 the textures were awful even compared to that of the xbox 360.

I think, should I go for a PC, I'll probably stick with a pre built rig. I've seen some for a reasonable price with reasonable specs for starting with for what I want. I think if I tried to build my own it'd take me forever. I've replaced some hardware on my mac but only with the help of various guides and think at the moment thats about the limit of my knowledge! It's just justifying buying one that's got me in a dilemma.

@iamdave: I agree with the other guy build your own computer then you can get the exact parts you want. I used to be a console gamer too, and moving to PC gaming was a great decision. If I was you i would wait till April/May when Pascal GPU's come to the market. The main thing I enjoy most about PC gaming over console gaming isn't the resolution, but the higher hz you can achieve with a good graphics card. Gives you an advantage in fps games, and just makes the game run a lot smoother.

If your not comfortable building your own, then have someone build it for you. Built my own for the first time didn't have any problems. Just watch some YouTube videos on how to build one. Custom built is usually cheaper and better than a pre built computer.

Although the pieces are pretty much the same, doing it on Windows computer is somewhat easier when you don't have to shell out extra for it to be Mac compatible.

It is quite easy. There is only one type of slot to put the GPU in, RAM has only one place to go, one place where it fits. I know it might seem an undoable task in the beginning, but it is really quite easy.

Thanks for the advice so far!

I've looked into the cost of a custom build off the back of the advice and although it's more expensive than some of the pre builds I've seen it does ultimately have some better components.

I have a rough idea what I'd need:

Case

Motherboard (no idea what to select here?!)

Processor: Thinking core i5 with at least 3.2ghz (seen some bundles with 8GB memory/core i5 processors and various motherboards, are these a reasonable option?)

RAM: 8gb

Graphics Card: looking at Nvidia GeForce GTX 960

Power Supply (again no idea what I should be going for)

HDD: 1TB or 2TB disc (are housings always supplied?)

ODD

Cooling (reading a lot about liquid cooling is this a worthy option?)

WiFi: card or dongle? (Running a cable is a bit of a pain in the backside)

Bluetooth: possibly

I'm certain there'll be things I've missed (guessing little things like data cables etc?).

@iamdave: An i5 build with GTX 960: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/6ZxRLk

It's 670 pounds with no keyboard, mouse and monitor. Also didn't include the stupid optical drive :P. The power supply is an overkill, I thought it might be a good idea if you decide to upgrade the graphics card down the road. The CPU is not overclockable, so no need for an aftermarket cooler. If you want to OC, you'll need a "K" model CPU, a more expensive motherboard and a CPU cooler. You don't really need to overclock the CPU with GTX 960 but with a stronger graphics card it would be worth it.

As for wifi, I used to have a USB adapter and it worked just fine, only changed to cable because more speed (but ping is the same).

Edit: You'll also need sata cables for HDD/SSD/DVD burner.

@PfizersaurusRex: ah appreciate that, thanks! I also wasn't even aware of that site, it's made things feel less complicated. At the moment I don't think I'll be overclocking anything (no idea how to even do it anyway) in the future perhaps but that seems like a decent setup for the money.