Building a Budget Gaming PC in 2021: A Price Nightmare
Building a budget gaming PC in Spain is nearly impossible, with GPUs exceeding €1,000 and full rigs costing over €1,500. Alternatives include consoles or AMD APUs.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Building a Budget Gaming PC in 2021: A Price Nightmare
Assembling a gaming computer at the lowest possible cost has become an almost impossible mission. Graphics card prices have skyrocketed to the point where a single GPU costs more than a complete system from just a couple of years ago. Component shortages and the cryptocurrency mining boom have pushed the price of building a gaming tower above €1,500, whereas €640 used to suffice. The gaining alternative is to stick with consoles or AMD APUs, despite their limited performance.
GPU Prices Devour the Budget
The complaint is unanimous: graphics cards have become by far the most expensive component. A system that cost slightly less than €1,000 (tower, GPU, and monitor) two years ago now exceeds €2,000. The graphics card alone can surpass €1,000, if stock is even available. The situation is so extreme that some compare buying a standalone GPU to purchasing a car engine that costs more than the entire vehicle. The prevailing explanation is supply and demand: as long as people keep buying, there is no reason for prices to drop.
Is Building from Parts Worth It, or Should You Buy Pre-built?
Faced with this landscape, many opt for intermediate solutions. Pre-built systems from brands like Lenovo or HP, antiestéticaturing a tenth-generation i5 and a GTX 1650, are offered for around €535, allowing for 1080p gaming with lowered settings. These machines come with generic components and mediocre power supplies, but sometimes their price makes them irresistible. Another route is using AMD APUs, such as the Ryzen 5 3400G or 4650G, which integrate graphics and allow building a basic setup for about €320. However, performance in demanding games is modest and requires lowering resolution and quality.
The Second-Hand Market and Office PCs Option
The second-hand market offers curious alternatives. Repurposed office computers, such as an HP Z230 with a Xeon processor and 20 GB of RAM for €110, can run modern games smoothly when upgraded with a GTX 1050 Ti and an SSD. Previous-generation consoles are also popular, like the Xbox One X for around €150, which antiestéticatures a GPU equivalent to a GTX 1070. The key is adjusting expectations: it’s not about playing in Ultra at 4K, but simply about playing.
The Future: Will Prices Drop?
The most repeated prediction is that the situation will persist until late 2022, when the cryptocurrency bubble is expected to deflate and component supply to normalize. Meanwhile, the general recommendation is not to overspend and to make do with what you have. Some speculate that RTX 3000 series cards could drop to €300 once the storm passes. Until then, patience is required.
Key Data
Assembling a gaming computer at the lowest possible cost has become an almost impossible mission. Graphics card prices have skyrocketed to the point where a single GPU costs more than a complete system from just a couple of years ago. Component shortages and the cryptocurrency mining boom have pushed the price of building a gaming tower above €1,500, whereas €640 used to suffice. The gaining alternative is to stick with consoles or AMD APUs, despite their limited performance.
GPU Prices Devour the Budget
The complaint is unanimous: graphics cards have become by far the most expensive component. A system that cost slightly less than €1,000 (tower, GPU, and monitor) two years ago now exceeds €2,000. The graphics card alone can surpass €1,000, if stock is even available. The situation is so extreme that some compare buying a standalone GPU to purchasing a car engine that costs more than the entire vehicle. The prevailing explanation is supply and demand: as long as people keep buying, there is no reason for prices to drop.
Is Building from Parts Worth It, or Should You Buy Pre-built?
Faced with this landscape, many opt for intermediate solutions. Pre-built systems from brands like Lenovo or HP, antiestéticaturing a tenth-generation i5 and a GTX 1650, are offered for around €535, allowing for 1080p gaming with lowered settings. These machines come with generic components and mediocre power supplies, but sometimes their price makes them irresistible. Another route is using AMD APUs, such as the Ryzen 5 3400G or 4650G, which integrate graphics and allow building a basic setup for about €320. However, performance in demanding games is modest and requires lowering resolution and quality.
The Second-Hand Market and Office PCs Option
The second-hand market offers curious alternatives. Repurposed office computers, such as an HP Z230 with a Xeon processor and 20 GB of RAM for €110, can run modern games smoothly when upgraded with a GTX 1050 Ti and an SSD. Previous-generation consoles are also popular, like the Xbox One X for around €150, which antiestéticatures a GPU equivalent to a GTX 1070. The key is adjusting expectations: it’s not about playing in Ultra at 4K, but simply about playing.
The Future: Will Prices Drop?
The most repeated prediction is that the situation will persist until late 2022, when the cryptocurrency bubble is expected to deflate and component supply to normalize. Meanwhile, the general recommendation is not to overspend and to make do with what you have. Some speculate that RTX 3000 series cards could drop to €300 once the storm passes. Until then, patience is required.
Key Data
- A gaming PC with a dedicated GPU can cost over €1,500 today, compared to €640 a couple of years ago.
- The graphics card alone can exceed €1,000.
- Pre-built systems with an i5 and GTX 1650 are offered for €535.
- An AMD Ryzen 5 3400G APU allows building a system for about €320.
- A second-hand HP Z230 with Xeon and 20 GB of RAM can be found for €110.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (142 replies).
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