How do I explain to someone that building a decent pc will not be obselete in 2 years AND its upgradable?

Posted by diddys_favorite@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 434 comments

My dad asked me what I wanted for christmas, and I really wanted to build a pc. It's seeming like he thinks that it would be a bad investment. I've never really been able to play any games more that roblox and minecraft, because my parents never allowed me to put money into a better pc. All I want is to be able to play video games with my friends and not be the one that always crashes and can barely run fortnite at 360p 30fps.

Reply to Post

Reply

434 Comments

[-]

Lucky-Tell4193@reddit

Sounds like you know what the problem is and you need to just do it yourself with your own money be a little more adult like

Reply

[-]

Playful-Mastodon9251@reddit

It's not an investment, but it is a wonderful tool. But yes, it won't be obsolete in two years and they are very upgradeable.

Reply

[-]

Fun-Agent-7667@reddit

Got a friend still running an AM3+ cpu with a 1060. The AM3+ is slowly reaching its limits as a Platform. These are now over 12 years old. I myself run a system from 2015 since last year. If you get a good PC for 600 now you will probably be able to run it easily for 6 years and then you can still upgrade and run it for another 6 years easily

Reply

[-]

tmmzc85@reddit

A PC is absolutely an investment if you do not have one that can do most things a contemporary PC ought be able to. Obviously it doesn't appreciate, but your skills using it do, particularly if you don't already have basics like keyboarding or file systems knowledge, which I see a lot of kids lacking these days because more of the tech work is done on phones, tablets, and Chromebooks. PC ownership is not entirely like College in terms of investment, it's an expense and will only make you a profit based on what you're willing to put in and how develop and carry the skills you build along with it.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

I do have those skills, my pc is just complete ass. I literally had to switch to linux a year back, because my laptop couldnt even run windows.

Reply

[-]

my-ka@reddit

What if Xbox PS5 for games Laptop sor more serious things. If you already use Linux (like not just gui) it is a good investment Consider ARM MacBook m4

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

i hate console gaming, i love the options that computers offer, and hed shoot down anthing just for games even faster.

Reply

[-]

my-ka@reddit

Same But xbox supports mouse and keyboard

Reply

[-]

my-ka@reddit

9 funs :)

Reply

[-]

EnforcerGundam@reddit

considering how lackluster current gen consoles are, thats a bad strat ps5 had most of it's big exclusives shared with ps4 a last gen console

Reply

[-]

tmmzc85@reddit

Okay, so I would switch up your approach with your rents - you sound like you know what you're doing, so what do you want to do (besides gaming) on a PC that you cannot currently do on your laptop? Make a list - be it video editing, 3d rendering, learn autoCAD, idk - but find use cases that you'd like to be able to explore that your current hardware cannot reasonably do, and use that as your justification for a build rather than just upgrading your gaming experience, as it is access to those tools that will make it an "investment."

Reply

[-]

LotzoHuggins@reddit

As a dad, I believe u/tmmzc85 is onto something here. I am a gamer dad who cannot stand my child playing Roblox. I think it's the dumbest thing ever, but that doesn't mean I will deprive my child of the joy it brings them. However, I could see another dad not recognizing the value of buying a PC just for gaming. You might have success if you come up with a valid argument outside of gaming that you currently cannot do without an upgraded PC, perhaps for more traditional educational tasks. Matlab, autoCAD, perhaps you need a robust IDE for coding.

Reply

[-]

Old_Leather_Sofa@reddit

Oh, a PC is absolutely not an investment! That's like saying a car is an investment. Its a tool, a toy, a possession that will devalue, cost money to keep running and be virtually worthless and/or stripped for parts when it reaches old age. It should certainly last five years, or longer. And it doesnt matter if what it costs if you feel you are getting value for money. But it's lets not for a moment kid ourselves building a PC is an investment.

Reply

[-]

ConsumeFudge@reddit

It's an investment, to the extent that is a guaranteed negative return, when looking from a cash basis. I can see OPs dad/parents potentially looking at the arguably steep up front cost as compared to a console, and not understanding why it is necessary

Reply

[-]

thischangeseverythin@reddit

I build PCs for people occasionally and make money doing that on the side. I also streamed counter strike for a year and made enough money doing that part time to pay for the computer I was using to stream like 3 or 4 times over. There are ways to use your computer for profit for sure. Just depends on if it's just an expensive gaming console or if you are using it for work.

Reply

[-]

theappleses@reddit

I mean, if you're using it to learn then it's a tool to invest in yourself, and in that sense it is an investment. If you want to get into 3D modelling/animation you are functionally incapable of learning that skill with a potato.

Reply

[-]

Richard_Thickens@reddit

I mean, it's only an investment if you can expect an ROI. Otherwise, it's no more an investment than pencils and paper for school or a car to get to work. Like computers, these things depreciate over time, rather than appreciate. There is a difference between purchasing tools for learning or employment, and investment as an asset that increases in value over time by virtue of its own attributes.

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

You're just using an arbitrarily narrow definition of the word investment.

Reply

[-]

Richard_Thickens@reddit

Okay, zooming out a little bit here, in what world is a gaming PC an investment?

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

If the computer is only being used for gaming and nothing else, maybe you could call it an investment in OP's mental health, but OP has already said they have many more uses planned for the computer. Increasing OP's ability to program and create things is an incredible investment in a person. Heck, a decent computer is also an investment in time savings. The faster a computer can do things, the less time you need to spend waiting for it and the more time you have to do other things. This is all kind of like asking how a washing machine is an investment because it can never actually make you money. It's an investment because of the time it saves you.

Reply

[-]

Old_Leather_Sofa@reddit

I'll let you have that. Yes, spending money to build your own marketable skills is often phrased as an investment. I think if OP tries to convince Dad he should drop the word entirely. Dad is not going to be convinced. Actually, to sidetrack the conversation, I'd be more worried about identity theft, theft, and OP's Dad ruining his credit than any PC at the moment. I see Dad opened a stock trading account in OP's name and has used OP's money for that.

Reply

[-]

counters14@reddit

None of this is true in any capacity. The things you're saying are not incorrect, but the way you're applying the outcome and conclusion is completely backwards. A PC is a tool. The item itself does not appreciate in value in any meaningful way. In the hands of someone able to make use of that tool to achieve other means, then yes a PC is an 'investment'. However, not an investment in the computer itself, the investment is in the usefulness and growth that the PC can provide to the user. For me, a $500 Japanese hand saw would be a hobby purchase, not an investment. It is something that would be fun for me to play with, but it is never going to be the means to an end that results in any greater profit than the cost that I've sunk into buying it initially. For a professional finishing carpenter who makes money with their hands, a $500 Japanese flush cut rip saw would absolutely constitute something that could increase the quality of their end products and teach them skills that further hone their ability to create. This would be an investment for them. If OP is not aiming to make money as a professional gamer or streamer, a PC to play games on is not an investment and is just a hobby purchase. There is no monetary return on the actual money spent initially, the value comes from the utility of owning the PC period. Also, aiming at making money as a professional esports athlete or streamer is just as short sighted as trying to bank on a scholarship to play basketball as a high school student. Don't do that shit, get your education and keep your hobbies as hobbies until you've got your foundations figured out first.

Reply

[-]

tmmzc85@reddit

"Obviously it doesn't appreciate," is in my second sentence man - I think my analogy to college is solid, there are also a lot of justifications you could make for not spending your time doing that either, glad you said what you feel you had to, but I don't see you point.

Reply

[-]

counters14@reddit

He's already got a PC that can facilitate learning in an academic environment. It just sucks for gaming on. I've got a $9.99 18" Craftsman handsaw hanging up in my garage. It allows me to make cuts just about as well as anything else. That $500 Japanese saw is not going to help me get any better at anything if I'm not using it as a means to achieve a greater end.

Reply

[-]

Kay-Is-The-Best-Girl@reddit

Honestly it kinda is imo. My shitty gaming laptop can barely use excel which I use for my homework pretty frequently. Not having a slow pc while trying to do homework or work is amazing

Reply

[-]

Current-Row1444@reddit

Yeah a PC is definitely not an investment.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

This is kinda what i told him, but like i said to someone else, hes one of those people who can never be wrong

Reply

[-]

unkelgunkel@reddit

The problem with being a kid trying to convince your parents of something is that even if you are correct, parents have a switch in their brain labeled “I used to wipe your ass. You don’t know shit.” It never goes away and they can flip that switch whenever they are about to lose an argument.

Reply

[-]

theprofessor1985@reddit

Tell him you plan to make money on the side with it

Reply

[-]

qtx@reddit

The issue is the fact that you said it will be upgradable. To him that sounds like he will have to pay twice. He wants to hear that you don't need to upgrade for the next 5+ years. And if you buy a good enough PC that isn't a problem at all.

Reply

[-]

turdlefight@reddit

Yep. Depending on your age and what you’re getting, “it’s good enough to not need an upgrade until I’m paying for it” is how you sell it to Dad.

Reply

[-]

bootzmanuva@reddit

This needs to be upvoted more. Dad doesn’t want to keep paying for your upgrades—pitch it to him so that you can upgrade it with your own money down the line so you don’t have to buy a completely new rig.

Reply

[-]

ollie12343@reddit

You can also sell the old parts, or if when you end up upgrading you upgrade most of it you could build a streaming PC or a home server for cheaper if you want. Even if you only upgrade GPU, CPU, RAM you can sell those to your friends to help them get a PC too, know, or they can upgrade their current pc if your old stuff is better than their current stuff. They know the used parts are good so they don't have to worry about buying second hand from people they don't. That's what some of my friends have done.

Reply

[-]

Proof_Working_1800@reddit

There's always the friend whos a tech bro in every friend group lol

Reply

[-]

Pixels222@reddit

If it wasnt for my pc bro college friend i probably would have stayed on laptops for a few too many more years.

Reply

[-]

vamadeus@reddit

This is a good way to frame it. I'm guessing the dad may be weary of the idea of OP keep coming back asking for upgrades. Make the case that X hardware will last for years and by the time it needs an upgrade they can upgrade it themselves with their own money.

Reply

[-]

Isario@reddit

My i5 6600k and gtx1070 lasted me 9 years. I still use the 1070 while waiting for the next gen gpu’s to come out next year.

Reply

[-]

eyemalgamation@reddit

This wouldn't even be wrong if you build smart (or at least luck out lol). My pc is turning 8 in 2025 and the only thing I upgraded was ram (and it was a mid range at best, I have a 3 gb 1060 on it and use HDDs for basically everything). With the games I play and the programs I use I could probably make do for another couple years at least. I'm upgrading just because I want to and my old pc is going to my step dad, and will be used for like 10 more years after that.

Reply

[-]

elongio@reddit

I built my pc in 2014. Still going strong.

Reply

[-]

Kommunist_Pig@reddit

I’m still rocking an e5-1680 v2 DDR3 build from 2013 and I still get 60+ fps In new games though it’s starting to be not enough.

Reply

[-]

Varides@reddit

I built my PC roughly 5 years ago. The only upgrade I've made is a M2 SSD and I'm probably have to replace my monitors within the next year. Spent around $1,300 CAD and it still runs fantastic.

Reply

[-]

jhaluska@reddit

Tell him Moore's law is dead. Computers are no longer improving as quickly as they did 20-30 years ago so they're lasting a lot longer than he remembers.

Reply

[-]

ecco311@reddit

well, then maybe you will not change his mind. If you are in the US and you accept buying used, you could build a usable PC for around 200USD though. If that means you do not need money from your parents, I would maybe go that route?

Reply

[-]

Proof_Working_1800@reddit

I've done that, the transactions were so small my wife had no clue until the RGB kicked in and she asked where it came from lol

Reply

[-]

Proof_Working_1800@reddit

I've done that, the transactions were so small my wife had no clue until the RGB kicked in and she asked where it came from lol || || ||

Reply

[-]

brandongreat779@reddit

Around 2K? Try like 500 bucks.

Reply

[-]

ecco311@reddit

No

Reply

[-]

Ok_Draw9037@reddit

You can pirate and run games on steam unlocked. PC is a investment

Reply

[-]

buildapc-ModTeam@reddit

Hello, your comment has been removed. Please note the following from our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/wiki/rules): **Rule 3 : No piracy or grey-market software keys** > No piracy or so-called "grey-market" software keys. This is includes suggesting, hinting, or in any way implying to someone that piracy or the use of these licenses is an option. If a key is abnormally cheap (think $10-30), it is probably one of these, and is forbidden on /r/buildapc. --- [^(Click here to message the moderators if you have any questions or concerns)](https://www\.reddit\.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fbuildapc&subject=Querying mod action for this comment&message=I'm writing to you about %5Bthis comment%5D%28https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/1hk36qq/-/m3eorew/%29.%0D%0D---%0D%0D)

Reply

[-]

Mrcod1997@reddit

He just doesn't want you to have a pc and came up with the first excuse that popped in his head. You aren't going to win the argument. Honestly, I wish I didn't throw together a system for my little brother, because he doesn't even play shit with me. He plays some stupid ass mmo on roblox all day. Honestly, go earn some money. Shovel snow, mow lawns, help old laddies garden or whatever. It you are old enough, get a part time job.

Reply

[-]

Zerel510@reddit

Don't talk about "upgrades" and "feature". Just talk about price. Set your price, and hold to that price. Assume at least $100 of extras. Source cases and power supplies used. Prove to old man that you can get a good deal

Reply

[-]

benmols@reddit

It will NOT be obsolete in 2 years. My PC I built 4 or 5 years ago ( in fact the build video is on my Reddit somewhere), and I’m still using it. It’s using a 2070rtx, runs modern games great still - Space Marines 2, cyberpunk etc. It’s only obsolete in 2 years if you follow all the hype around the next CPU and GPU’s and basically get pulled into the sad loop of wasting money to barely improve your PC at a great cost. I’m having to explain this to my nephew whose PC I built 3 years ago. He’s nearly 15 now and is wanting to upgrade. He almost exclusively plays FIFA. So we’re upgrading parts that will help improve that game and not just installing a 4070 for the sake of it.

Reply

[-]

sharkdingo@reddit

Its repairable so you can keep it for a very long time and save a ton of money vs having to replace consoles when they break. After all, there are 10 year old pcs still running games.

Reply

[-]

FullyStacked92@reddit

I'm playing games on a pc i built and haven't touched since 2017. The only way a pc goes obsolete fast is if you need to be able to play every new AAA title at 4k 200fps.

Reply

[-]

Ethereal_Haze@reddit

You can tell your dad my last system cost me $175/year as a midrange gaming pc I built in Jan 2017, until my purposes demanded an upgraded GPU and CPU. During 8 years, the only upgrade it needed was an SSD ($90, included in yearly total) as they had become reasonably priced and begun to be necessary. That system could have even lasted longer for many people as it was only a tiny bit shy of minimum CPU for Sons of the Forest and Cyberpunk 2077, hits minimum for Plague Tale: Requiem and Alan Wake 2, and runs RDR2 and Witcher 3 Next Gen on High. It was only deciding to buy a VR headset for heavily modded SkyrimVR that necessitated retirement as it STILL can play all other VR games I've tried so far. I just built my next system and I kept my old storage drives, optical drive, and copy of Windows, while I got a free M.2 SSD with my CPU and took advantage of other holiday sales. The new build only cost me $1.1k, has similar power and value relative to this generation of hardware, and I expect it to last at least another 8 years itself. Because I went with AM5 and an 850W PSU, I also have more room to upgrade this time around.

Reply

[-]

Lunar_Cats@reddit

I just passed my 6 year old PC down to my son last week. It will easily carry him for several more years as is. We added an SDD last year and upgraded the ram a couple months ago, otherwise i haven't had to do anything other than clean it regularly. We build a new PC every couple of years, and pass the previous model down to the next in line. Admittedly we do put a lot into the initial build, but it's our main entertainment, so we tell ourselves we're justified. My youngest two kids are still using a computer my husband built 11 years ago with minimal repairs/upgrades.

Reply

[-]

Mugiwaras@reddit

My build is however old the 1070 is, and only within the last year or two is it starting to struggle with some newer games. Starfield is pretty much unplayable for example, but most other games still run decent.

Reply

[-]

Boxing_joshing111@reddit

Do a search on the 1080 graphics card, show him when it came out. Then do a search for “Still using 1080 in 2024” and scroll through a bunch of Reddit threads where people say they still use it and it runs well. And reminder: Used parts are your friend and you can save a lot of money with them.

Reply

[-]

Hannibal_Leto@reddit

Here is one specific example for you/your dad. I built my ATX PC Jan 1, 2018. It had 8700k CPU, GTX 1070 GPU, 32gb ddr4 ram, 500gb SATA SSD, noctua cooler, and stock case fans. Over the years I upgraded to 64gb much better ram (my first kit was actually defective but I didn't identify it for over a year). Added cheat Arctic fans to max out the case. Upgraded to 3080ti GPU. And got numerous SSDs (nvme and sata) up to around 12tb capacity now. I got all the parts for a new AMD am5 build last Christmas. But infant and toddler said I won't get any time until this week. Guess what? My current PC is still very good and runs whatever I want at pretty high settings. Yes, it's dated and old now, but it's not obsolete and I still enjoy using it every day. Good luck man!

Reply

[-]

ambulance-sized@reddit

Your build and upgrade path is very very similar to mine. I had a 1070ti, 9700k, and similar other parts that I built in 2017. Upgrades to a 3070ti in 2022, got an am5 build upgrade about 6 months ago. My “old” parts are in my wife’s computer (except she has a 2080 super which is possibly better than my 3070ti) and it handles most new games fine.

Reply

[-]

Puppiessssss@reddit

Ask your Dad to DM me. I will tell him a thing or two.

Reply

[-]

pacoLL3@reddit

You people are delusional, dear lord.

Reply

[-]

Puppiessssss@reddit

I already replied to his Dad. Sending him 9800X3D/4090 PCPartpicker list. He’s buying me one too. I guess I told him a thing or two!

Reply

[-]

Fresh_Fortune3430@reddit

LMAOOOOOO

Reply

[-]

donkey_loves_dragons@reddit

Tell your dad, that if he doesn't have a clue about a topic, he should listen to the experts, not his gutt feelings. In other words: if you don't know shit, stfu.

Reply

[-]

pacoLL3@reddit

You people might genuienly be the dumbest people on earth.

Reply

[-]

pacoLL3@reddit

He is buying your PC.... It is bad character to talk down to him.

Reply

[-]

CryHarder304@reddit

With a name like that ifk if you should be online as a child. So fkd up for a " child" to have that as a name. Ate you crying put for help. Is someone abusing you. Have they touched you in the nonos

Reply

[-]

LeonMust@reddit

Show your dad the Steam Hardware Survey results. A lot of the top results are using components that are at least 2 years old.

Reply

[-]

quiznos61@reddit

It’s 100% an investment

Reply

[-]

DryDealer3816@reddit

> It's not an investment Is if he also uses it to generate income or further his education.

Reply

[-]

Luiikku@reddit

I have my GTX1070Ti, i7-7700k and 16GB RAM pc up and running. Yes, you dont play 4k with that most likely, but this was also built in 2017.

Reply

[-]

Liquidretro@reddit

He might also see thr current limitation as not being able to game as a good thing too. Something to keep in mind. I might try and steer the conversation away from gaming and more to productivity that op could game on too. Video editing, 3d modeling, rendering etc.

Reply

[-]

Strange_Quest@reddit

It can also be used for school, job searching, furthering education etc

Reply

[-]

ShredGuru@reddit

Brother. If you spend hundreds of hours using a tool, a good tool is an investment.

Reply

[-]

lolwatokay@reddit

If you're doing things besides browsing the Internet and playing games, sure, it could be an investment in your skills that requires hardware beyond a good laptop. If it's just for gaming and browsing Reddit, I'm unconvinced.

Reply

[-]

Charles_The_IV_HRE@reddit

Learn about parts, find good deals and be really pationate about it. If they see that you know what you're doing and have trust in you, they might end up helping you.

Reply

[-]

RipperRuger@reddit

This is a tough one as it seems like your parents have a barrier of entry related to actual technical knowledge when it comes to PCs. I think the best way forward for you is to explain what the concept of "future proofing" is to them and find a video which explains cost efficiency when investing into a PC. I did a quick search on YouTube and there are plenty out there. If they won't take your word for it, you'll have to educate them via an outside trusted source like JayzTwoCents or any other popular but reputable PC YouTuber. Even an article explaining the concept would perhaps be more their speed. One last thing: I would make sure they understand that "future proof" does not mean you will never have to upgrade/swap parts. It simply means that the cost efficiency of the machine is very high and will be relevant for years to come.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Thanks, unfortunately my dad is incredibly hard to convince of any other facts other that the ones he thinks are true (hes one of those people that can never admit to being wrong, even if they are completely 100% wrong.) He also almost guaranteed wont even let me explain it to him, for the same reason ("im right because im older")

Reply

[-]

MinuetInUrsaMajor@reddit

>hes one of those people that can never admit to being wrong, even if they are completely 100% wrong. Does anyone else find it really weird that a kid has this perception of their dad? I wasn't really able to learn my dad's personality flaws until they started surfacing in me.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

I have divorced parents, I heard it from my mom first (when i was around 8) and then I started to see it in him myself, later.

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

Sorry man. My parents are also very narcissistic and difficult to change. You can cope with them, just don't think too much about what you can't do and think more about what you can do. A custom PC in particular is hard to sell because unlike a laptop, you have to sell each individual component. While I hate premade PCs, it might be an easier option for him to digest. Say that it's "under warranty" so if it breaks they'll fix it for you. So ironically it was easier to get a $1,000 laptop under my parents than a $800 desktop. Even that was pretty hard. You could also ask your mom for help building it. Even if it's not the whole thing, buying it piecemeal can make it worth more. Just look for bundles CPU and DDR5 capable motherboards. Then the GPU. You can get by with just a $20 thermaltake psu. Mine still works. It was a pain in the ass to use because it's not modular, but it still works.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the advice. unfortunately, its been a few days and its too late to change anything, so maybe if this does't work out this year, ill try more throughout the year. lmao i sent him a long ahh paragraph wth a bunch of information from this post, it took me like 10 minutes to type lmao

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

Ok. Well don't give up. Perhaps u can get him to buy you $500 laptop with a thunderbolt port for school. Then, you can buy an e-GPU connector, then save for a GPU. Won't be as powerful as a desktop but way more powerful than a laptop with integrated graphics. :(

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

Not really. It's not hard to identify a major personality flaw, like never being able to accept being wrong even when you're blatantly incorrect. A 6 or 7-year-old can identify that kind of hypocrisy. Throw in some commentary from the other parent and maybe a therapist if the other parent is supportive, and it's not hard to realize just how fucked up your parent is at a young age.

Reply

[-]

shnufflemuffigans@reddit

Could you just ask for money? And then buy the computer yourself?

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Answered a couple others who sugested this, my dad doesnt let me spend my own money unless its on something hed consider 'constructive'

Reply

[-]

shnufflemuffigans@reddit

Your dad sounds... well, to be frank, narcissistic. He doesn't admit any error. He is extremely controlling. He will not let you live your life. So, really, this is a problem well above r/buildapc 's expertise. r/raisedbynarcissists might be better.

Reply

[-]

bzober@reddit

Damn, that's sad...

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

I agree but. Try not to go down this route as it won't solve anything. It'll just make bigger arguments and more grief. My parents were like mountains. And I had to look for ways around them rather than direct confrontation.

Reply

[-]

Zeiban@reddit

That is unfortunate, as a father myself its hard to let your kids make mistakes but you have to let them do it. Otherwise they will not learn to deal with making mistakes. Obviously, more serious mistakes should be prevented by parents but potentially wasting some of YOUR money on a PC isn't one of them.

Reply

[-]

CtrlAltDesolate@reddit

A computer is constructive as long as you do something constructive with it. As you already know coding, 3d modelling is something that would benefit from a more powerful system - and something that's a useful skill in this modern age. Back to your OP - a cheaped out system will be obsolete fast, so that's true. But given gpu makers have shifted to ai reliance now, we're at the point of raw horse power needs reaching their peak. So my suggestion would be to find a legitimate rationale for a decent cpu (code compile times, etc) and a solid gpu (rendering, modelling, etc - maybe a 4070 super or smth). Once you have that, make him a proposal regarding how you'd use the hardware but stick to it. If it's just for gaming, hate to say but it's good parenting. However... I had to bust my balls from age q2 to afford the stuff I wanted to and put up with limited hardware initially, if you're doing the same then you have a good excuse to say "dad, I'm working hard to afford my hobbies, and I don't under the lesson you're trying to teach by refusing to let me spend that money". And if you're legitimately going to use it for more than just gaming, you have a stronger hand to play here. But if it's just so you can play Minecraft at a better resolution, sorry but he's doing you a favour. There's more important things in life.

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

Hate to say this but you may need to find a part time job. But you're already coding. That's an incredible feat, the kids in my IB program that did coding all went to MIT or Harvard (or got a free ride on a cheaper affordable university/community college) Tell your dad you're gonna be a data analyst, but you need a good pc. Look up jobs requiring knowledge of python and C++, show him the salaries. Tell him: "someday I'll be buying you new stuff, dad." I highly recommend looking up those jobs regardless of what he says because this is a very marketable skill.

Reply

[-]

Secure-Evening8197@reddit

You could get a part time job and save up to buy your own PC without needing to go through your parents

Reply

[-]

Hollywoostarsand@reddit

My approach here would be to tell him "its not 'one computer' yhat we're buying, its actually 8-10 different components, working together like a fully modular machine. That way to upgrade it later, say, some time after two to four years, it will only cost a component or two, which won't be as costly. Most components like the case, hard disk, power supply, cpu cooler,speakers, monitor, k+m, will stay the same even after the upgrade." At the end of the day, you know your dad better than all of us, if he is not willing to listen to logic and reason, there's nothing much we can do

Reply

[-]

Electric-Mountain@reddit

All you have to do is explain that a PC is used for more than just video games.

Reply

[-]

TrollCannon377@reddit

>Thanks, unfortunately my dad is incredibly hard to convince of any other facts other that the ones he thinks are true (hes one of those people that can never admit to being wrong, even if they are completely 100% wrong.) Sounds like my mom until I was 18 and in college she refused to ever believe I new more than her especially when related to things related to tech (which was hilarious given I was the one who setup all the Firewalls and IP blocks for them to keep my little siblings off of age inappropriate sites and constantly had to diagnose whenever they had a PC issue) beat way to get past is show your research and present information in a calm and professional way

Reply

[-]

slamnm@reddit

Let me give you a piece of advice about people. You say your dad is never wrong even when he is and cannot be convinced otherwise. In my experience people who are never wrong have some insecurities inside, and they may not even realize it, but if they admit they are wrong they feel badly about themselves. While you cannot tell this to your dad (trust me, don't even try!) you can work with it if you understand it (isn't easy, but is possible). Right now you want your dad to understand why spending money on a PC makes sense, but he has to figure that out himself. So it is 'his' idea. First, you say you code. I don't know what, but you can work this angle a bit, if you like coding and are thinking of a career in it send him some stuff on the best AI careers (starting pay is six figure if you play your cards right, and with a masters sometimes starting with a 2 or a 3) and what it takes to learn and do machine learning (hint, my machine learning computer has a server Xeon processor with 24 cores, 128GB ram, m.2 SSDs, NVME ssd's, and 12 TB data storage in a raid 10 array, and two 3090 GPUs as in it can run damn near any game easily. So if he realizes you want to get into AI and need a computer that can do machine learning, he might get behind you pursuing that dream. (Actually a pretty good dream IMHO). You can talk about things like that at the dinner table, you can do research into machine learning and leave information lying around that he will see, you can talk to your mother, etc. etc. It won't happen overnight and it might never happen but if he gets behind a career choice and the tools you need to make it a reality he might suggest an 'investment in your future career' or be open to one from you. Just a thought, and good luck.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

i do code, and this is prolly the best response ive gotten so far. thanks a lot :P

Reply

[-]

slamnm@reddit

If you want to get into machine learning look at the subreddits here and make a post on the best sites to learn.

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

Man I couldn't even hope to understand machine code. Much less regular programming.

Reply

[-]

slamnm@reddit

Honestly it's like math, a bad teacher can make it seem like particle physics, a good teacher can make it seem like a chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you don't need to get into the Theory (where you design novel loss functions) it is t too bad. But how you are taught matters a lot, it needs to meet your aptitude. This applies to coding, to hacking, to IT Auditing, to Machine learning, etc. I am not saying it is for everyone, definitely isn't. If you are a real people person you might be better off letting someone else do the math while you make the results explainable, lolol!

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

Yeah that's true. I always hated that I excelled in English instead of math and science. Though I did receive a science award in middle school for being the most curious lol

Reply

[-]

slamnm@reddit

Honestly some people would have been good at math or science but weren't due to external forces they were not aware of, while others just struggled in general. My sister had a lot more problems with math than I did but actually because a great math teacher because she could really relate to the student's issues and understand their challenges. I know many women are turned off because of external pressures like teachers favoring the boys in the math and science classes. And something many people don't realize is hormone levels are critical for brain function. Testosterone in men and testosterone and estrogen in women (yes women make and need a little testosterone too) is first used by the brain, when either is low the brain struggles to process information. If hormone levels are fluctuating (which never happens during puberty or later in life /s) it can impact students ability to comprehend and do math and science.

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

That's something to think about I suppose.

Reply

[-]

Human_no_4815162342@reddit

A simple start could be something like Ollama to run a Large Language Model locally, you need a good chunk of VRAM for decent results so a GPU that wouldn't be bad at gaming.

Reply

[-]

crowcawer@reddit

Dad might also be concerned about the cost. Lots of things in the news is talking about rising costs of A,B, and C, even if it’s cheaper than ever to build right now.

Reply

[-]

randomlurker124@reddit

Yeah this comment is quite right, and it's a life skill applicable to many people other than your dad (think your future boss). One other way of going around it is asking questions that point towards the answer, but because he's the one providing the answer, it's "his idea". E.g. : Hey dad, do you think it's a good idea for me to try learning to code ai stuff? It seems popular recently and wanted your thoughts on this industry. Assuming he agrees, a few days later say hey, I've been looking into trying to do ai coding but a lot of programs have minimum specifications my PC doesn't meet. I've been trying to put together a diy cost effective PC, maybe you can help? Once you get his buy in to achieve x goal (ie build a PC that can do x task), then you're already halfway there. You want to avoid confrontation, but subtly angle yourself to be on the "same side" of doing something.

Reply

[-]

slamnm@reddit

Welcome. You could get started now because a lot of the sites allow you to run models online, but those would be smaller models. It's when you get into bigger datasets then you will need the GPU with enough memory. You could make a post here asking about a build for an upgradable entry level machine learning build that can also play games, something reasonable in price, but a bit future proof (hint, to future proof a build spend a little more on the things you would not normally change, like a motherboard with a socket that will be probably be used and good for 6 years and 2 m.2 sockets even if you only start using 1, a beefy budget power supply that could power higher end GPUs, try to set up your RAM so you can add sticks to upgrade it without loosing your initialinvestment, a case that you can add more fans and hard drives to, etc. Try to start with something really reasonable and then upgrade down the road as necessary and you will have something that can last years.

Reply

[-]

Forrestgladbrook@reddit

This is a really good response. It reminds me of the classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People. One of the chapters was on how to get business done, and how to make an idea seem like it’s mutually beneficial, not just something that is for you. That’s not the case with this PC as OP wants it solely for himself, but the idea kinda applies. Gotta make it so dad knows that this is good for many things and might benefit him indirectly. PCs are used for many things that make us better people in general. Studying, writing essays, researching anything… like you pointed out, coding and tech skills are certainly applicable for the future workforce. Surely dad wants his kid to be successful as an adult. Gotta find a way to lay it out to dad that the PC is an investment for your future, not just the present. Finally, when OP goes to create a parts list, make one that does just enough for now with room to grow in the future. A 7500f on the AM5 platform, and then a cheap GPU for 1080 gaming doesn’t seem crazy. Especially if you can point out that $500-$1900 GPUs exist, and you’re just looking for a $200 one.

Reply

[-]

AHrubik@reddit

Case - Forever Power Supply - 10 years Motherboard, CPU and RAM expected life is 4-6 years. GPU - 2-8 years depending on the games and model. Upgradablility is always a gamble but if you do enough research you can figure out if you're at the end of a socket cycle or not.

Reply

[-]

Baumpaladin@reddit

I'll be honest, unless need the hardware professionally, upgradability is pretty much just consumerism in disguise. You should definitely have a goalpost that you are aiming for, like 1440p 120Hz or something and make your choicses based on that. I'm planning to move from a R5 2600X/GTX 1070 8GB to a R7 9800x3D/RX 7900 XTX, leaving me with headroom that will likely last me a decade. Even if I had chosen mid-tier parts, I wouldn't have changed parts again until AM5 probably got discontinued. In my opinion, I find quality control and repairability the biggest strengths for the average person, because the average guy can't afford to to buy every new release of CPU or GPU just for some mild performance increase, but we can do our research and buy quality parts.

Reply

[-]

saganakist@reddit

100% agree. Aside from upgrading 2->4 Ram sticks or adding another ssd, "upgradability" is overrated. Example: You could get a ryzen 7600 now and argue that you can switch it for a better AM5 chip later. But you are already paying a extra 200€+ over a ryzen 5600 considering you need a more expensive Motherboard and RAM. All that for a minimal performance increase and an "upgradability path" down the line. Keep in mind, that upgrade will not be free either. So we are likely talking about spending upwards of 400€ overall just to have a pc with an upgrade in 2-3 years. Instead you could spend that money into a better GPU right now. Those 200€+ saved right now is the price difference between a 3060 and a 4070. A vastly better GPU resulting in a lot more performance. Maybe in 3 years once you upgrade the other PC it can catch up and even exceed this one? But at that point you had a way worse experience for the whole time. And for what? You spent 200€ upfront so with your CPU-upgrade you don't have to switch your three-year-old MB and RAM. Which you could now probably buy for less than 200€ anyway?

Reply

[-]

Baumpaladin@reddit

Haha yeah, just a few last week I had that realization that "upgradability" is just a consumerism trap, for the most part in the current day and age. There is no reason for me to sell my old scraps anymore, I'll just repurpose it somehow myself. Kind of reminds me of the card game Rummy. You are picking apart one PC to build a better PC, but most people will now have some useless "junk" on their hand with no immediate use. Like, were I to re-use my old PSU, first, it would be risky due to it's age, and second, it would mean that my old PC would be incomplete now. With RAM and storage you definitely need to plan beforehand, but for what they cost you should skip ahead and at least buy the desired RAM amount right away. I went with 2x16GB DDR5-6000 for 90€, if you get them on a sale, you can get a 2x32GB kit for around 180€ at the same clock speed. On my old PC I went from DDR4 2x8GB to 4x8GB. Clock speed obviously turned out lower afterwards and dropped from 2133MHz to 1833MHz. Storage is less problematic in that regard. Anyways, time to just watch the market passively for the next 5 years, because I have strong doubts that we will have any major breakthroughs in the consumer market soon.

Reply

[-]

AHrubik@reddit

Generally I advise people to aim for a targeted percentage improvement. Software like Hardware is a moving target from year to year. Sometimes it gets optimized and you get more performance with older equipment. Sometimes new features are released that make newer equipment much more performant with older software. I generally advise people to look first at the software they want to use and find a benchmark that addresses that specific piece of software to see what your money is going to get you.

Reply

[-]

RTXEnabledViera@reddit

These targets are only if you care about having a machine that can always run the latest software with outstanding results. Or if you're playing the latest games/running productivity tasks on the newest revisions of software. But if you're willing to cut back here and there, you can easily double these numbers. Your beast computer today can become the MS office machine of tomorrow.

Reply

[-]

LexingtonDelta@reddit

When i get asked to help build someone a PC i tell them i have three options. 1, I s exactly what you need, nothing more. 2, will be good for some time and helpful with possible tech needs in th future. 3, the tank, if your needs dont change much it will last you UPTO(not guaranteed) a decade without needing much upgrades. All three i advice the person that i can make it so it can be upgraded part by part for a bit more(example, using DDR5 instead of DDR4) but ultimately its up to them. I use my personal Tank build that i have been using for almost 8 years, GTX1080, Ryzen 7 1800x and 16GBs of ram, I havent needed to upgrade anything in it yet, havent even had to replace a fan, but i can when needed, and most games i play on high to medium settings, newer is lower, mainly because my case is slightly smaller than i should have so if im in a demanding game the air around the GPU will heat up something fierce lol, but it doesnt bother me and i can swap cases if i need to later.

Reply

[-]

EatCheapGlue@reddit

I built my PC in 2019 and it still runs strong on the stock parts I built it with. Had a water-cooler die and my PSU makes some noise but otherwise I play any new game I want to still at solid settings.

Reply

[-]

Barfinggopher@reddit

I mean my 6800xt was still in 1440p high to ultra territory but I decided to upgrade anyway and that's a late 2020 card could easily be 5 years before it gets dumped down to 1080p territory assuming it made it that long. It's not much different than buying Bluetooth headphones or a car. There will always be something newer with better features coming out soon but it will still make the same drive and play the same songs as what it did when it was first purchased. Assuming a bit of care was taken with it's use.

Reply

[-]

contractcooker@reddit

A PC is absolutely not “an investment” it’s a deprecating asset and a tool. Eventually it will be obsolete but it will last much longer than, say, a console will if you make a few choice upgrades over time.

Reply

[-]

T2ISTAN@reddit

Built my PC in 2017, recently upgraded the CPU, and she is running like a champ! I can still play AAA titles with great graphics at 144FPS. Hopefully I'll get a few more years out of her.

Reply

[-]

fR0z3nS0u1@reddit

I haven't built one in 12 years but a decently well-priced build should last you for around 3-4 years. I've been a laptop user since my last build, but my current one is almost 6 years old and only this year I had to switch from 4k to 2k resolution in AAA games, meaning that performance has finally gotten really subpar. Also it's been my production/work tool all those years.

Reply

[-]

Kelmor93@reddit

If you get top end stuff, it can last for a decade. Even mid-range gpu/cpu/mobo can last 5 years. Upgrades mean spending less overall as well. Power fails, just replace psu. Need more ram? Just replace.

Reply

[-]

AirmanatSea@reddit

Well my 8700k and 1080ti still isn’t obsolete today. Nor is my buddy’s 5800x3d and 3080 or 10700k and 3060Ti. Sure we don’t play the latest games, but we can still enjoy games even if it’s not max settings.

Reply

[-]

niceskinnygirl@reddit

Who cares if it’s a bad investment it’s what you want

Reply

[-]

koalfied-coder@reddit

No built PC should be obsolete in 2 years. I still have a PC with a 1080 downstairs and it's great! I upgrade typically every 5 years and that seems reasonable.

Reply

[-]

DinnerEeder@reddit

Idk how to explain it to your dad but my first build lasted literally 10 years and went from me to my gf with very few upgrades. We just finally rebuilt her a pc this year. And my second build, I’ve had for 4 years already with no changes.

Reply

[-]

FishermanMurr@reddit

Try to explain to him it's not like the early 2000's when that was the case. Things have slowed down a lot.

Reply

[-]

justsomedude1776@reddit

Maybe you can convince him to get you something like a steam deck oled, rog ally x, or lenovo legion go, because it's more paltable to him because it looks like a console.

Reply

[-]

Parking_Abalone_1232@reddit

I still use a 12 year old Dell laptop. The only reason it won't run windows 11 is because Satya says it can't.

Reply

[-]

WonderGoesReddit@reddit

A $300 PC can play any game at 1080p at decent graphics. GTX 1080 + i7 8700. There’s a ton of used deals just like that. They’re not gonna drop in price

Reply

[-]

LenoVW_Nut@reddit

Be responsible and show him a build list. Use an Amazon returned sub $100 motherboard and an i3 (13100F is nice, or R5 3600). Get the thermalright 3 pack of ARGB fans for less than 15. Use a nice Montech case for $60 or less. PSU is difficult, local marketplace or FSA034 Lenovo 610w Gold PSU and cable adapters. Silicon Power US75 drive, or realistically the cheapest used 4.0 NVMe on ebay, $25 for a 512, $45 for a 1TB. Local GPU under $100 ( I got a 1080 for $50, which is nuts, but $80 for 1660 Super is good too)

Reply

[-]

QuietNefariousness73@reddit

*speaks in AM5*

Reply

[-]

trizkit995@reddit

My rig still runs strong 5 years later. Only reason I would need to upgrade ATM is if I wanted to get into 3D modeling.

Reply

[-]

Current-Row1444@reddit

Ask your dad if getting a car is a good investment. Those depreciate in value as soon as you drive it off the lot. A PC is the same way

Reply

[-]

NoLie129@reddit

I built a top of the line pc every 7 years. Best of everything available at time of build. The last machine before my current one is a 1080 with 64 gig etc, is 10 years old. My wife now uses it and it can still handle 90% of all games out there with no issues. I full expect my current machine to last as long. The machine I built after that will most likely be my last as I’m almost 60. And I would expect it to outlive me.

Reply

[-]

hijifa@reddit

Is not an investment anyway. Like a tv isn’t an investment.

Reply

[-]

HisAnger@reddit

Simple. Intel sockets last 2 gens. So in 2 years there will be new socket and you will be having hard time upgrading as nothing viable will be available. Am4 lasted for whole ddr4 and still gets new cpus. The same is expected from am5 and ddr5. So buying amd system means than even in 5 years you will probably could still buy new amd cpus

Reply

[-]

100drunkenhorses@reddit

well, the 2060 is still kicking in my buddies PC. I moved passed it real quick but it's still plays plenty of games at a great rate. imagine if you bought a 2060 6 years ago. 😮😮

Reply

[-]

manfredpanzerknacker@reddit

Get a job.

Reply

[-]

Gullible-Extent9118@reddit

It may need a cpu update in a couple of years to be honest but if the chipset is a 650 or better designed for an AMD 5 then you can update it.

Reply

[-]

iamlepotatoe@reddit

Bad investment lol. Its not an investment. Just like most cars.

Reply

[-]

Terakahn@reddit

PC parts have significantly. More staying power than they used to. My first major build was with a gts 250. 5 years later, gta V came out and I could not open the game. It refused to even open because I was so ubderspecced. Built with a 980 ti that year, and it lasted 7 years before games felt like they were too much. And even then I was still running 1440p 40-50fps on high. I built in 2021 with a 3070 and it's still having an easy time with pretty much everything. Obsolete is a bad term. Things get more demanding, but not that much more. And not that quickly. Doing an upgrade or rebuild every 5 years I think is a reasonable expectation. Unless you're gaming at 1080p then you could be good forever.

Reply

[-]

Mysterious_Trip424@reddit

Man top of the line won't be top of the line in 2 years. Omfgwtgbbq.

Reply

[-]

frr_Vegeta@reddit

I'm typing from a PC I built exactly four years ago. One of my other two screens has a modern 1440p game running at 155FPS. It would be higher but that's as high as my monitor goes. Screen 3 has a youtube video running with some nice music. This "ancient relic" is still going strong and in a few years I may simply need to replace my graphics card and that'll get me another 3-4 years. So, yes, this investment is temporary, but so is my car. My car's going strong after 8 years and my PC is after 4. It doesn't even need an upgrade but a simple gpu swap would get it another 4 years easy.

Reply

[-]

nano_705@reddit

Say that it's a one-off payment, that he won't have to worry about it for a 'long' time. And you're not lying saying that. A decent PC rig will definitely last you 4 years if you take care of it, and you know where to compromise in the settings.

Reply

[-]

pRedditory_Traits@reddit

Our tech could be obsolete in a month if something insane comes out. But a decent PC today does you a lot more good than a PC 2 years from now. Does he just not want you to learn anything about computers? You might mess up and get bunk-ass parts, yeah, but you might do what I do and score something that is good for almost a decade for whatever you do. I survived on an FX 8370 and 1070ti for almost 10 years. And I learned a lot by building just my own personal PCs. You're paying for the hardware and EARNING the knowledge, but you gain NOTHING by not building the computer at all. If he thinks he did a good job as a dad, he should trust you to handle this. TL;DR it doesn't matter because you learn nothing by not building the PC. Just do your research and you'll be fine sooner or later.

Reply

[-]

eperrybean3@reddit

I built one two years ago and it still runs like a dream, plus just choosing parts and building it was lots of fun by itself. And like you said, literally every part is upgradeable.

Reply

[-]

timotheusd313@reddit

Name brand PCs will go obsolete just as fast, because they are made from the same CPUs and hard drives. Building it yourself, you wind be saddled with a proprietary power supply or chassis that will make it impossible to troubleshoot later. FWIW I’ve had 6 PCs that lasted over 10 years. None of them were cheap, and the first few were slow and limited in the software they could run, but were still usable.

Reply

[-]

SyrousStarr@reddit

I still play "modern" games on a Phenom II X4 system I built in 2009. All I did was slap in a new PSU to go with the used GPU I got. That CPU is from 2009. It's almost 16 years old.

Reply

[-]

GrizzlyDust@reddit

You can't teach someone who is unwilling to learn.

Reply

[-]

FehdmanKhassad@reddit

mine still going strong over 10 years later. well, not playing the latest and greatest games in 4k but you get the picture. I play chess and poker these days anyway. so it suits me very well

Reply

[-]

RolandMT32@reddit

Interesting.. My dad has always been into computers, and I learned some of what I know about building computers from him.

Reply

[-]

drfreemanlv@reddit

I was disappointed when after upgrading my nvidia app to new version it scanned my pc and suggested to put most of game to medium graphics. I built my pc 2 years ago for 2500 eur by myself. At some point i think that that new nvidia app is made to accelerate your upgrades in the future. 5800x3d and 12gb 3080 is still a decent setup.

Reply

[-]

FreeNet_Coyote@reddit

Ryzen 1600x, gtx1050 4 gb still running fortnite and minecraft fornthe yougling. The system is 7-8 years old. Planing to put a 5600x and drop my rtx2060 in it, will be good for a couple more years of fun.

Reply

[-]

RIP_GerlonTwoFingers@reddit

If that’s their logic then consoles are obsolete before you even buy them.

Reply

[-]

fallte1337@reddit

It’s upgradable until you have to replace everything because they’ve changed sockets. Then you can keep the box and throw away everything else, lol. My last motherboard supported two whole CPU gens and was obsolete in three years.

Reply

[-]

Me_Before_n_after@reddit

If you don't mind, could you let us know what budget you proposed to your parents? or perhaps share your proposed spec here? It’s possible that your parents are constrained by their budget, aside from their technical knowledge. Not to accuse you or invalidate your frustrating feeling, but the other day on pcmasterrace, there was a post about a son asking his non-tech father for a 7945HX3D with a 4090 laptop to finish school. The father was concerned about the cost since he couldn’t afford it.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Nah, its very budget pc ($800). For comparison, he offered to get a 3d printer that costs aroudn $1200. The specs are on my previous post here, ill link to it [https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/1hjqu38/what\_do\_you\_guys\_think\_of\_my\_potential\_build/](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/1hjqu38/what_do_you_guys_think_of_my_potential_build/)

Reply

[-]

XiTzCriZx@reddit

Have you asked about if they'd consider it if it were cheaper? I built my PC when I was 16 and the one I originally wanted was about $800 which my parents absolutely refused, so I put together a build that was a bit over $500 and they actually agreed to it. It was definitely far worse than the $800 PC would been, but it was good enough to play anything I wanted at low/medium settings with a solid 60fps st 1080p. That PC is still in use *8 years later* by my gf and can still handle lightly modded minecraft as well. This is about as cheap as you can go without using used parts, going used you could probably knock off another $100-150 but parents don't usually like used as they see it as being less reliable when that's usually not the case. [PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/v8Nd9C) Type|Item|Price :----|:----|:---- **CPU** | [AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/yq2WGX/amd-ryzen-5-5500-36-ghz-6-core-processor-100-100000457box) | $79.58 @ Amazon **Motherboard** | [Asus PRIME B550M-A WIFI II Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jQrRsY/asus-prime-b550m-a-wifi-ii-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-prime-b550m-a-wifi-ii) | $99.99 @ Amazon **Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/p6RFf7/corsair-memory-cmk16gx4m2b3200c16) | $39.38 @ Newegg **Storage** | [Crucial P3 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/chzhP6/crucial-p3-plus-1-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-ct1000p3pssd8) | $59.99 @ Newegg **Video Card** | [PowerColor Fighter OC Radeon RX 6500 XT 4 GB Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/p8vdnQ/powercolor-radeon-rx-6500-xt-4-gb-fighter-oc-video-card-axrx-6500xt-4gbd6-dhoc) | $169.00 @ Amazon **Case** | [Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/rnGxFT/cooler-master-masterbox-q300l-microatx-mini-tower-case-mcb-q300l-kann-s00) | $36.99 @ Amazon **Power Supply** | [Corsair CX650M (2021) 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/x96p99/corsair-cx650m-2021-650-w-80-bronze-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020221-na) | $64.99 @ Best Buy | *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* | | **Total** | **$549.92** | Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2024-12-22 15:42 EST-0500 |

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

If the dad is willing to buy a $1200 3d printer but not an $800 computer that is required to actually use the printer, then nothing will save this situation.

Reply

[-]

XiTzCriZx@reddit

For my parents it wasn't about how much the total cost was it was "a computer that expensive is a waste of money", for my situation my parents had just bought 2 cars (used but still expensive) and upgraded their phones to brand new devices, so money definitely wasn't an issue, it was their perception of what a computer is "supposed" to cost since they didn't understand the difference between an office PC and a gaming PC. Some parents just don't understand that there are different kinds of computers, I bet OP's dad went to Best Buy or Walmart and saw computers for $300-400 so he thinks an $800 computer is a waste of money vs a $1,200 printer that likely has some type of feature that'd benefit the Dad so it's essentially a gift for both him and his kid vs the PC just being a gift for the kid. Obviously I'm not a mind reader or anything but that's something I've noticed about a lot of parents, they're willing to spend more if it can benefit them as well.

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

While I generally agree with what you're talking about(parents like gifts they get benefit from), That doesn't make any sense in this situation. For Dad to use a 3d printer, he would need some basic knowledge about computers, which would be enough to understand the difference between a $300 internet browsing computer and something with enough power to do 3d modeling. Unfortunately, in this case, I suspect that Dad doesn't know anything about 3D printing or computers but is too proud to admit that and listen to his far more knowledgeable kid. Dad has probably heard buzzwords about how amazing 3D printing is and has decided that it is what his kid needs, even if the 3D printer is useless without a sufficiently powerful computer.

Reply

[-]

XiTzCriZx@reddit

By the Dad using it I didn't mean him directly printing stuff, I figured it'd be more of "hey I'll get you some filament if you make me this" kinda thing. >understand the difference between a $300 internet browsing computer and something with enough power to do 3d modeling Do you understand that diffence? Because the machine I currently use is a $300 *laptop* and it works great for the simple modeling I've done so far. Not to say it'd be suitable for a huge project or anything but it's fine for making simple models or using slicers. >too proud to admit that and listen to his far more knowledgeable kid. I do agree with this though, I think I saw a comment from OP that the current PC can't even run the slicer programs so it's gotta be some ancient office PC and the Dad thinks as long as it turns on it'll work fine.

Reply

[-]

Me_Before_n_after@reddit

Thanks for sharing it. The budget should not be a big deal if we compare it to the 3d printer. it is best to explain to him that you want the PC not because of gaming, but rather the potential knowledge you could gain from it like coding, content creation, 3d modeling, data science, etc. This may justify the investment since your parents see it as an investment for your future, rather than just a gaming rig.

Reply

[-]

PsychopathDeadly@reddit

Tell your father the plain truth. I've read too many ASPD sufferers recognizing your father also has it, advising you to gaslight him into it. Don't do that. If it backfires you lose his trust for a time. Not worth it. The truth shines brighter than any "gaslight" and always shines through it. You script in Python and you want to work on AI. AI on a consumer PC would require the power to do it and the memory to hold it. Research the specific AI tasks you want to start with, spec out a machine for it, print that up and give it to him. Do not tell him about it. You've made it abundantly clear he does not want to "hear it" so allow him to read it. Giving him things to digest himself is going to go a long way based on your descriptions of him. Also, consider coding a demo that explains it, to showcase your skills and desire to improve them. Include in said demo the hold backs of your current computer. Show them by including instances of code that bring your computer to a crawl. This way it can be physically seen. Make sure it explains the inadequacies of your current computer to allow for AI model training. That even lowly language models require a modicum of speed and vram to accomplish outside of an expensive add on neural accelerator. Make sure to site the newest papers on it and include all necessary links so he can look it up himself. Make sure he can understand it all. Do not assume he does, but do not attempt to spoon feed him, either. Your father has framed the debate. He believes a new machine is a waste and you'd just spend more time playing games, which is not constructive to him. Your initial job is to argue your side of the debate. However, you would also want to argue his side of the debate. Show him you understand his wisdom and where it comes from. Try and push even harder into reasons why it's not necessary to upgrade. This way he sees you've given this ample thought. That it's not some fad or thing you are going through. You need to fully understand both sides of this debate. Just knowing you want a PC does not sound like it's enough for your father. Seems he wants you to be able to see what he feels is his wisdom and go along with it. By showing him you understand both sides of this debate from a point of view that is larger in scope and more detailed at the same time than his own, while still being able to prove the type of productivity boost you'd gain from a new machine is tangible, should be the impetus needed for him to consider your request and begin to look into it in earnest. You aren't asking for a puppy or a pony. You're not even asking for a console. You are asking him for tools that will allow you to broaden your understanding of the universe, speed your current development and allow yourself to enjoy your downtime gaming. It is a Swiss Army Knife and needs to be seen as one. Not some gaming rig with blown out RGB in a fishbowl case with under powered components that will be useless in 2 years due to what is perceived as ongoing advancement not to mention underpowered components. One last matter. You need to know where you stand with your father. If your relationship is strained, this will be an impossible task. Are you doing well in school? Good grades, no write ups, calls home or other negative reports? Are you physically fit for your age and health condition? Due you eat well and sleep well? Are you doing what your father asks of you like chores, hygiene maintenance or any other tasks you may need to fulfill in your household? If you have siblings, are you on good terms and happy? These things might seem mundane to you but to parents that care they are all very important. If you are lacking in any area of your life in your father's opinion, you should bring these up to snuff while preparing your printed and programmed demonstrations. Your father will see that you are serious this way. He may not any other way. Make sure your request is reasonable in comparison to your father's income. If he doesn't have much he might be telling you no due to it. Make sure you aren't asking for the improbable. Make sure you aren't trying to build a computer worth more than say, his vehicle, or an older siblings vehicle. Knowing where you are in the financial pecking order should inform you as to what is reasonable to spend and what is simply not possible at the moment. This way when you put together your presentations both on paper and in code, you have a chance at it rather than a flat out refusal due to price. If this all fails? Consider a fund raising platform. Many people might donate to a youngster in need. Consider a social media blitz and sending the link to every email address you know. If your father sees this it might actually go a long way to communicating how much you need what you are asking for. Not want, but need. Parents will give the best necessities they can. If your PC is known to be a need and not a want, it makes much more financial sense. I hope this was of some help to you. Good luck.

Reply

[-]

PirateRob007@reddit

I built my first PC with budget parts when FO4 came out. Didn't have to build another one until cyberpunk came out, and I wouldn't have needed to upgrade if I hadn't gone with budget parts on the first one. A PC, like a car, is not an investment. However, maybe you could get into video editing or something as it might help convince your parents if you want to do more than just gaming on it.

Reply

[-]

LobstaLegs@reddit

Tell him it’s what LobstaLegs did

Reply

[-]

flyingtiger188@reddit

Look to the design specs. ATX format can about in the early '90s. USB in the '90s. SATA and PCIe in the early '00s. Cases, motherboards, power supplies from decades ago could in theory still be used today. Peripherals and other components nearly as old could still be in use. Most components in a PC could still be in use, or directly replaced with a modern one that slots in with minimal issue. PCIe is an important one, because that includes GPUs. You could take a machine with a first generation i5 760 from 2010 and drop a 4090 in there. Sure it'd be bottlenecked considerably but it would work. A GTX 1660 still can be a decent 1080p card today if you're willing to adjust settings or aren't playing the new cutting edge poorly optimized games. That was a midranged card from 5 years ago. Sure it's not winning any awards today, but 1080p 60fps could be doable today with it. So really we look at the CPU and mobos. AM4 came out in 2016, AM5 in 2022. That's 6 years, and each generation of CPUs that used that AM4 socket are for the most part drop in replaceable. AM5 is slated to last at least til '27. The latter releases for AM4 are still relevant parts today. Intel is a bit less forgiving here since they like to change sockets more to force mobo upgrades, but AMD is more consumer friendly in this regard.

Reply

[-]

Hungry_Reception_724@reddit

XD show them a 1080ti running modern games at 60fps 1440p... the 1080ti is a card from 2016/2017... its 8 years old and still kicking ass.

Reply

[-]

owaikeia@reddit

My build lasted 5 years. And truthfully, nothing was wrong with it, but I just wanted to upgrade. I didn't get the highest of high end stuff. I only upgraded the video card after 2-3 years (which I'm still using BTW). My point if that I agree with you - it'll last much longer than the 2 years. Also, FYI, I didn't overclock much - only the video card when playing my fps games.

Reply

[-]

D3moknight@reddit

I usually buy top of the line, or nearly top of the line parts and don't do much to the PC for upgrades for 3-6 years after because it doesn't suddenly go bad and become obsolete. That takes 10+ years for the most part.

Reply

[-]

LectaAus@reddit

It looks like you'll need to earn your own money to build your computer.

Reply

[-]

TechinBellevue@reddit

It is a great investment in your own knowledge and understanding of how systems go together and work. Several years ago we gave our son the choice of a new pre-built PC from the store or he could use that money to buy all of the components and build a better one...plus learn how to do it. He chose to build gaming PCs. He has learned how to upgrade and repair computers. He built my wife's computer and gaming computers for his friends. He even fixed up an old gaming PC a friend of mine gave him and gave it to his cousin so they could play games together. Cousin used that computer to learn how to build them himself. My son used the PC Picker website to select all of the components for his computers. I highly recommend you do build your own. Have your dad DM me if he is still not sure. Best wishes to you!

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Thanks, unfortunately he doesnt use reddit (he thinks that its stupid, and a google search would work just fine). Ill just have him use my acct or sum. If he gets vulgar, i appologize in advance. Hed prolly treat you like a 5 year old too

Reply

[-]

TechinBellevue@reddit

That's ok if he does.

Reply

[-]

syonxwf@reddit

Would love to know if you do talk to him and what the outcome is. Glad to see someone offer this, hopefully the man sees reason when talking to someone with knowledge.

Reply

[-]

TechinBellevue@reddit

Happy to help. I will DM you my email address so he can reach out to me directly if he is willing.

Reply

[-]

Lolseabass@reddit

I ran with my i3 32gb ddr3 gtx 1650 since 2018. Maybe it’s because I built it myself but I loved that pc o upgraded to something modern and I’m not used to how fast things are done now lmao. But if that old workhorse was good to me for so long modern stuff will last plenty of time.

Reply

[-]

Skitzo173@reddit

Tell him your saving money as you won’t have to fully replace the PC for easily 6-8, 10 if you really wanted, years if you go with latest AM5 build.

Reply

[-]

vic1ous0n3@reddit

Just compare it to a console with handpicked parts. They last for years and can’t typically take upgrades even.

Reply

[-]

Its_Raul@reddit

Prove that it isn't by showing the steam hardware survey. https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/videocard/ The 3000 series are like ...4-5 years old (2020) and is the most popular. The 1650 is from 2019 and is widely used. Thing about games is that you just lower settings until you can't tolerate it anymore. I was rocking a i5 4670k and gtx980ti until 2023. I rebuilt my entire PC because the mobo died and there were no replacements that had that cpu sockets readily available. That PC was from 2015...nearly a decade later. And I kept the same PSU, hard drives, fans, case, so forth. Anyway, maybe you can just look at the top 20 GPUs and show that majority of them are well over 2 years old. Even then, you likely own a console, and you need a PC for work/school whatever. Just combine the two.

Reply

[-]

helldive_lifter@reddit

Easy, tell them a consoles lifespan is 6-7 years and as soon as they launch they are already outdated then say with a pc a decent cpu and gpu will last you longer than that and if they are not happy they can upgrade parts

Reply

[-]

biggranny000@reddit

Building if you do it right is cheaper, more reliable (the warranties on some parts alone are a long time or are lifetime vs many prebuilts are one year). RAM is lifetime for instance, power supplies are 3-10 years, GPUs are 2-3 years, CPUs are 3 years, etc. I also just love customizing to how I want it exactly and it's really cool to make something work that you've built. There's plenty of reputable YouTubers and articles out there on ideal PCs for every budget. You can spend as little or go as crazy as you want. Technology has slowed down in progress over the years, 2 years is not enough for a PC to go obsolete. Also, obsolete depends on the person. A professional that needs the fastest hardware because time is money might have something to obsolete every generation, but most casual gamers as long as you have a decent GPU and CPU you can just turn down game settings, use upscaling, etc for years. My PC build many years ago was a i7-6700K and GTX 1080, that combo is over 6 years ago and it can still run modern games just fine. I have a 9800x3d and 7900xtx now, but 2 year obsolete periods are nonsense.

Reply

[-]

New-Lead-6888@reddit

I built a pc in 2021 -2022and it’s still doing fine today and plays anything I want. I just bought some more small things like ram and upgraded cooling things

Reply

[-]

GranSacoWea@reddit

Bought my 1070 when it was released in.. 2016? Haven't upgraded my PC since then, nothing new, not even the thermal paste (I know, sorry). Still works perfect, I'm playing marvel rivals, rdr2, dying light 2, making animations and video rendering etc. On the other side, my mom had 5 laptops that get like 2 years of working well and then thrash.

Reply

[-]

Apprehensive-Ad4063@reddit

Explain to him the benefits about building the pc yourself. He might remember when working on cars was similar. If something broke in your 1999 car and you knew how to take a look under the hood you’d be able to fix it. You saved money and felt empowered. Building a pc when I was a kid wasn’t really possible, too many incompatible parts and too expensive but now that I’ve built multiple pc’s I can help my parents when they have an issue. The world revolves around technology. If you’re able to work with components that run our world’s infrastructure you’ll have an easier time in the world. Figure out how weak spot and create an argument that hits that spot.

Reply

[-]

AwfulUnicorn76@reddit

Im still rocking an 8 year old PC 🤣

Reply

[-]

majhickxonsun@reddit

I have not had to replace a gaming rig that was under 7 years old. My current one is a ryzen 1700 build with 16gb of ram and an old 1080ti I got for cheap in q3 of 2017. They last a lot longer than people think. Will they crank out 144 frames at 2k/4k? Probably not. Will they do 1080p @60+ fps, absolutely. And even when they do get dated, you can resell it or have a second box for a NAS or something similar.

Reply

[-]

bennyjammin4025@reddit

My pc went unupgraded from 2017 to this year, and even now I'm still running a few of the original parts I bought back then. Well built pcs are an investment and versatile for whatever task you need it for

Reply

[-]

thischangeseverythin@reddit

Starting with better more expensive hardware and then swapping out the gpu every 3 or 4 years can make most modern hardware (if you bought good stuff initially) last 10+ years. And after those 10 years you can install linux and use it as a home media storage server attached to the network. If you go and buy a $30 case and $45 motherboard and budget ram and cpu it definitely won't last as long. If you get decent speed ram and processor and motherboard you'll have those components for a long time. I built a pc in 2010, the best amd processor and ram I could at the time and it lasted me until 2022. Only upgraded to a gtx 970ti. Then eventually put a rtx 3060ti in it. Then the processor couldn't keep up and bought new motherboard ram and processor and it's now my wife's gaming rig.

Reply

[-]

Shoddy-Area3603@reddit

A new mid grade system will be good with out upgrade for a minimum of 7 years if you get current Gen hardware.

Reply

[-]

Ewalk@reddit

There used to be this phenomenon where computers would be useless fairly quickly, but that ended in the mid 2000’s. He may still have that idea, especially if he doesn’t follow tech. It doesn’t help most company’s do yearly product releases so it seems like they are doing big changes but that’s really not the case anymore and in some situations is actually bad. I just gave my nephews two 4th gen i5 optiplexes, so 2014ish, with 1650’s in them and they are play GTARP on them just fine.

Reply

[-]

DoubleAction2@reddit

My Maingear PC is 12 years old and can still play Fortnite, only upgraded the video card once. So saying a high end PC is obsolete in 2-3 years is hogwash. Yes, back in the 1990s, if you had a 3 year old PC it was a different story as the CPUs and GPUs were advancing at an incredible pace.

Reply

[-]

willanaya@reddit

You go to your dad and say," Dad, building a pc will not be obsolete in 2 years and guess what, it's upgradeable." Then if he replies, "No." Then you reply, "I guess I can save all that money to put you in an old folks home." Then walk away, don't turn around, just walk. The next day gather some old folk home brochures and scatter them around the place but make sure they are crappy ones.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

nahh bro thats too far, the first statement sounds great, but hes actually past retirement age and im only 14, so this could end really really bad for me

Reply

[-]

Graxu132@reddit

So he's what? 70 and you're 14? Dude ain't gonna be alive forever... Ask him to do at least one thing that YOU want and do it together like building a PC with ACTUALLY good components before he goes 6 feet under 🤦

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

65, and if i said that, hed beat the living shit outta me

Reply

[-]

WetRainbowFart@reddit

Push him on the ground and stand over him saying “I’m the daddy now, daddy.”

Reply

[-]

Graxu132@reddit

Then there's no convincing him 👍 See you back on reddit when you will be asking for components recommendations from your earned money 👍

Reply

[-]

oldpappa12@reddit

I am a father of a 15 year old son, and my plan is to buy parts to put together a computer with him. He has a laptop that is getting dated. Say it is something you can do together. If he is like me, I am always looking for ways to spend time with my son. Even if he doesn't know how, it could be a learning experience for both of you. Also, to say it is outdated in 2 years feels like an overstatement. It will still be able to do all the games you play at day 0.

Reply

[-]

Belzebutt@reddit

Wow, someone feels entitled...

Reply

[-]

stickyfingers_69@reddit

That's just being a dick

Reply

[-]

chasingthegoldring@reddit

If you are in SoCal I’ll give you a computer that is pretty good. Come and get it. Decent specs. The cpu won’t upgrade (yet) to win11 so that needs upgrading.

Reply

[-]

Proof_Working_1800@reddit

Instead of a whole new PC how about just a few PC parts to get you where you need to be. Might end up with a cool sleeper build that way

Reply

[-]

stonecats@reddit

i'm on year 9 with my home built pc there are a few things it can't do but i can live without them. i built a new pc this year which i don't expect to ever become obsolete as it's already faster than i could ever need. consider that anything your pc can't handle already has a cloud based equivilent.

Reply

[-]

MaximumGrip@reddit

Could you sell it as a father son project? What you really need is a decent gpu.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

I could try that, but then hes gonna think its completely his computer, which in the past has lead to problems ("get off of MY computer", when im in the middle of coding smthg)

Reply

[-]

DankPalumbo@reddit

What do you code? You can tell him a low grade computer cannot handle what you’re trying to perform. Frame it around your skill set and not the games you play.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Python projects, and i want to learn AI, but havnt been able to (4 gb ram isnt enough, actually)

Reply

[-]

froli@reddit

I'd go with that as arguments. I would play the honesty card and also mention how that computer would be useful for BOTH gaming and doing valuable learning. More importantly, you have to explain them that even though tech moves fast, a decent modern computer won't be "obsolete" before a decade. You have to make him understand that even though better hardware always comes out, you could still use what you have by lowering graphical settings in game or being more patient while compiling your projects. He needs to understand that what you have right now does not even allow you to do that because it is too late for that computer for those specific tasks you demand of it. Show him what that hardware would unlock for you on the coding side. He is unlikely to understand that a hardware part for gaming is actually needed for programming, so show documentation on that. Then the step forward is a budget and a plan on how you would spend it. Show him what his money will get you and how long your expect to use is as-is before needed to upgrade something. The most important thing is that he can trust that you are serious about it and actually learned about it and not just wanting to follow whatever your friends are doing

Reply

[-]

uni-monkey@reddit

Yeah. If my son told me he needed something more powerful for coding/learning I would definitely be open to getting him what he needs. Instead he just plays Roblox and complains about ONE game that has horrible framerates even though every other game is playing at 90fps+ for him. We did at least build the computer together this summer so he has a basic understanding of how it all works. I even upgraded his GPU when he had some trouble with that one Roblox game but it didn’t change anything. I’ve come to the conclusion that game is just horribly coded and no amount of GPU will fix it.

Reply

[-]

gatornatortater@reddit

And frankly.. tech... or at least the importance of upgrading.. doesn't move nearly as fast as it use to. I've no problem running LLMs on a low end I built 5 years ago or on the upgraded HP420 that dates back to a decade ago. Or modern games of course. Not that that is a priority any more.

Reply

[-]

terrendos@reddit

Yeah, this is how you sell it to your Dad. Emphasize that you need a better computer for school work / career development, regardless of gaming. However, if he gets you a GPU as well, a decent graphics card is cheaper than a gaming system like an XBox. Plus, PC games have much steeper sales such that the savings will increase in the longer-term. You can even show him the price difference with a few different games during the ongoing Steam Sale versus buying at Walmart or Best Buy.

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

Holy sheet. Yeah that's a great reason to ask at minimum for a good laptop. (Which is more expensive but the portability maybe wntice him.)

Reply

[-]

Evening-Cricket@reddit

You don't need a powerful computer to learn AI, use tools like google colab which have free tiers that you can use to learn with

Reply

[-]

RTXEnabledViera@reddit

Well you could approach it in a manner where he's helping you build a computer. Cause all the other kids have had their dads build computers for them to use with school and all, cause it's 2024 after all. The same way a father would build a swing or a basketball hoop for his kid.

Reply

[-]

HungPongLa@reddit

If he is paying then it is his computer lol. If you are paying the long term solution is to buy separate computers for you and him. A cheap solution is to build a ryzen 5 3600g for him.

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

What you're coding!? Holy sheet. Someone get this kid a new gaming rig. I couldn't hope to code in my life.

Reply

[-]

ThatJudySimp@reddit

GPU isnt all that if you dont have a cpu you need a balenced set. i made that mistake years ago and it ruined alot of performance because the cpu was dog but the gpu is good

Reply

[-]

thenord321@reddit

Point out you want an AMD socket on your motherboard, not an Intel one that used to change every year. Either he then takes interest in what you have to say or he's uneducated on the subject and wants to stay that way. -many people have had experiencd "un-upgradable" Intel pc that would change their socket years you had to buy a whole new motherboard + more.

Reply

[-]

psycoturko@reddit

Dont waste your time.

Reply

[-]

Other-Evening-5651@reddit

I would also add that, a good quality used computer from facebook marketplace, or somewhere similar. There are people there who can help you source a PC for a small fee. Its possible to get a great PC for around $400 or so if your in a city and willing to deal hunt.

Reply

[-]

siamonsez@reddit

It's not meant to be an investment, if he got you a bike or whatever else that wouldn't be an investment either, but it's what you want.

Reply

[-]

Durock7400@reddit

I mean, if this isnt the perfect time for a PowerPoint presentation, I dont know what is.

Reply

[-]

UnitGhidorah@reddit

I guess a PC can be an investment now since most products are going to be 20% more expensive in a couple months due to Trump's tariffs.

Reply

[-]

Rustycake@reddit

I am still using a PC I built almost 12 years ago. I only ever had to upgrade some fans and the GPU. The GPU I am using is a 1660ti, its a workhorse. I just looked up a new one and I cant believe its still $300 (new). I can play most games I want to play (DRG, CSGO, Rocket League). But if its demanding on the CPU I am fucked.

Reply

[-]

Thannondorf-@reddit

Does he think building is a bad investment, or a pc in general is a bad investment that will be obsolete in 2 years? Cause generally, building a pc can be a little cheaper than buying a pc of comparable strength, try using that as a selling point?

Reply

[-]

kriosjan@reddit

I built mine when i was pretty broke in college. Its almost 10 years old now and is finally showing its age for modern games coming out.... Its running an I7 3300 cpu and 64 gigs of ddr3 with a budget 980 gpu (had a 1080 but my psu died and took it with it)...its straining but doable haha. Ive got my next linup of parts bookmarked and for about 1400 i can breathe complete new life into it. Granted itll basicslly be a new pc, witu new cpu, ram, mobo, and gpu but yeah lol

Reply

[-]

TrollCannon377@reddit

What resolution do you want to be gaming at ? GPU is definitely the biggest factor IMHO, I've been running a ryzen 3600 since it came out and it still keeps up decently well but I have had to upgrade my GPU once to go up to 1440p and the res you want to play at and your budget really affects what specs you should get

Reply

[-]

ItsLoserLooser@reddit

I play mostly Diablo 3 and getting ready to play FFXIV, but I built a higher end (app. $2,500) PC 10 years ago and I'm still using it. https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Churchland/saved/#view=9vBxFT

Reply

[-]

SariellVR@reddit

Tell your dad you want cash for christmas. Ask for enough to build a PC.

Reply

[-]

AileStriker@reddit

If he needs examples, I am running a 6 year mobo (b450 Aorus M), with a 4 year old processor (5600x) and an 8 year GPU (GTX 1080). It can run quite a bit if you are willing to tweak settings a bit and settle for 60 fps. But it absolutely crushes lighter games (Rocket League for example). I am just now looking at upgrading and I am still not buying an entire new computer. Swapping the processor for a 5700x3d to squeeze out the last bit of potential out of this mobo and will swap the GPU when I save a little cash up and the next gen drops. I don't play at 4k (1440 ultra wide), and don't play a lot of big titles, so I could honestly probably hold onto the 1080 for another year if I can't find a good deal. The 5700x3d swap is going to cost me less than $200 and I will be able to resell my 5600x on eBay for an ok hunk back. The 1080 I will end up keeping as I don't have a back up card. I expect these upgrades to last another 3-4 years before I am looking at a new mobo/processor. At which point, I will keep whatever GPU I end up with and re-use, NVME, HD, PSU and case assuming they are all running fine. A PC is not investment (just like a car isn't). It is a tool/hobby that you can slowly swap parts out at your own pace to keep up with your current level of need.

Reply

[-]

KillaCamCamTheJudge@reddit

What does your dad want / expect you to do for a living? Sounds like the root issue might be what he expects of you and what he wants you to spend time on. Almost anything you would buy someone for Christmas would be a “bad investment” unless it’s real estate / stocks / etc… lol. If he doesn’t approve of you working with computers / gaming it’s going to be a hard sell… a lot of parents have a hard time seeing it but kids who grow up working with computers often develop those skills into some very rewarding careers. Good luck.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Funny w that, a couple years ago, for Christmas, he opened a stock trading account lmao

Reply

[-]

Forrestgladbrook@reddit

I’d use that as leverage. Think of all the learning about stocks, investments, and skills that you could apply to the future.

Reply

[-]

Head_Haunter@reddit

Bad leverage, you need like a tablet to learn about stocks and trading, a not a computer with anything powerful for a GPU

Reply

[-]

cheeseybacon11@reddit

I mean a desktop with multiple screens might be nice. Doesn't need a GPU but if OP could get the rid of the machine then they're halfway there. And it's easier to buy a GPU without pop's knowledge and slide it in there than it is to somehow sneak an entire PC case and parts.

Reply

[-]

cheeseybacon11@reddit

Brotha christmas is in 2 days, if he just asked you ain't getting nothin and he's just coming up with an excuse why.

Reply

[-]

AFishNamedFreddie@reddit

> needs parents permission > named "Diddys Favorite" reddit moment.

Reply

[-]

gabrieln90@reddit

I built my PC 5 years ago (i7 9700k, 2070super etc) Apart from storage I have done zero upgrades. For the games I play I still max out my 1440p monitors at 165hz and have no plans of upgrading for a while yet. I use the PC for a plethora of things including coding, cad design for my 3d printer, gaming, general activities, etc Certainly has been an investment. Now to ensure future upgradable there are a few things to note; PSU size, id oversize it to ensure future GPUs can be handled without having to upgrade, use dual channel RAM but if possible go for bigger sizes so when upgrading you just need another two sticks; pay attention to motherboard and CPU. Ensure you have a couple of generations left to upgrade on that mobo. All in all, certainly an investment even if just for your hobby.

Reply

[-]

AcedYourGrandma@reddit

Try and persuade him and say that with the incoming tariffs, electronics will be more expensive and therefore NOW is the best time to buy

Reply

[-]

BeautyLover40@reddit

OK! Let me tell you from my experience. I like to get things from my own $. I worked a part time job when I was a kid and saved the $ for over than 2 years and got my first PC. Saving your own $ and build by your own self. It is a real progress and show to your parents that you do know how to get into your target. Don't feel bad for the PC you own right now. I can tell you this as well. Can buy a prebuild or used PC and will never get pretty much issues most of the time in these days.

Reply

[-]

Coupe368@reddit

Its going to be cheaper to buy a midrange board and processor now, and then buy another set in a couple years. The midrange processor in a year will be dramatically faster than the most expensive option today. The 12900k is slower than the 13600k.

Reply

[-]

errorsniper@reddit

Its not a 401k. Its not about its value down the road. Its about the enjoyment. Most people spend far more than a grand every few years and get far less out of their hobby.

Reply

[-]

Cumcentrator@reddit

Tell him this: "if you had a lawnmower that did the job okayish but constantly stopped working randomly, had croocked wheels and you couldn't bare to see the neighbours see it, wouldn't you buy a new top of the line one and then parade it around the neighbour hood?"

Reply

[-]

Ciovala@reddit

Don't, unless you want to support it. This is only a good idea for people who are actually willing to tinker around with their PC.

Reply

[-]

ale_pipita@reddit

You can still game on a DDR3 machine, so if your goal Is something different than "I want to play every triple AAA at max resolution", you'll have fun. It's also an investment, even if It lasts 4 years, because It Will make you have fun and enjoy your time. It's important

Reply

[-]

hasibrock@reddit

No pc goes obsolete in 2 years … my last PC lasted for 12 years mostly productivity usage … upgraded to Ryzen 5900 series and pre-owned 6800Xt and plan to use it for as long as it will last

Reply

[-]

LobsterNo9737@reddit

My father was the same way, just bug him and make it clear that is what you want. He might just be giving you shit to keep the surprise hidden in the event he has gotten you that for Christmas.

Reply

[-]

Head_Haunter@reddit

I'll be the unpopular opinion here, but depending on the initial cost of the build, it could be functionally "obsolete" in 2 years. Like sure, you can use it still and do stuff, but if you're building with like a 2070 or something, then your options could be limited. That leads to the question though: - 1) What is your budget? - 2) What is realistically your budget for upgrades? - 3) What do you plan on doing with your PC? I've built like 7 or 8 PCs in the last 15 year and maybe 5 of them were for my own purposes, the others for friends or whatever. Realistically, I've always added $100-$200 worth of parts in ~2 years time; be it new RAM, SSD, or new CPU fan. If I had a friend who had a limited budget who purely wants to have a device to play games with and don't care about learning how to tinker with computer stuff, then I would honestly just recommend a PS5 or something. For $500 it'll last you more than 2 years easy. If you wanted to tinker with computer upgrades and stuff, then I would question what build you currently have now and what options you have to upgrade the current build you run instead.

Reply

[-]

Zeiban@reddit

My upgrade timeline is even longer than that. CPU, RAM, Motherboard every 5 years, new GPU about every 2.5 years. PSU, case, storage are as needed. I'm still using a case that I got 8 years ago an my 1000w PSU is 10+ years old.

Reply

[-]

anotherwave1@reddit

Hey, you can see from the replies here that it's absolutely possible to build a budget gaming PC that will last a long time. I'm a gaming snob with 4 gaming PC's yet the one I use the most is almost 8 years old (it runs immaculately). I have a friend who owns a company, he can afford pretty much anything, he's perfectly happy with his AM4 platform PC he bought in 2016 (he just chucked a 5800x3d in there) If you can come up with a plan, and a budget, and a means of perhaps making a bit of extra money to reach that - it'll always look good.

Reply

[-]

GoodBoyWriter@reddit

Just tell him that there are only like 5 games worth playing anyway that don't even require the best of the best specs

Reply

[-]

Zeiban@reddit

If you buy a mostly top of the line PC for around 2k today it will last you 5 years with a GPU upgrade at around 2.5 years. That's if you want play the latest and greatest at playable (> 60) framerates.

Reply

[-]

Postmodern_Rogue@reddit

So, about 8 years ago I built my first PC. It's the first PC I had since I was a kid. I had a small bonus from work and I spent about £500 for something that "just worked" and I could play basic stuff like Minecraft. Over the course of those last 8 years, I've upgraded bit by bit. My last upgrade was last year, getting a new AM5 motherboard, CPU and RAM. Obviously a very expensive upgrade, but I've not got enough spare PC parts I could build my sister a PC for her birthday with just my left over bits and she loves it. This next upgrade is going from a 3090 to a 5090 most likely. But for context, I went from a X370-F board with a pre Ryzen CPU and a RX370 and 8gb of RAM, all the way to what I'm running now with incremental upgrades. Having a PC is a great hobby and something your dad should foster as it can teach you some new skills, especially if you keep upgrading etc. My current build? ROG cross hair X670-E Ryzen 9950x 128GB DDR5 Nvidia 3090 And obviously a bunch of other various SSDs and NVMEs etc. You can 100% build up from a small PC without it ever becoming obsolete and it can really be a great hobby and skill to learn. Tell your old man he's wrong and show him this post.

Reply

[-]

khometsv2@reddit

I built my PC about 5 years ago now, and i am just finally looking to build a new one and not because i need it because i want it. I am playing every game i want to play and every game that looks fun including the big ones that come out like cyberpunk and bg3. you can definitely build a good PC right now with good parts that will last a long while, and you can tell your father that you are very interested in computers and it would a a great experience for you two to build together!

Reply

[-]

TerrorFirmerIRL@reddit

There's three methods. Build a cheap pc now that you can upgrade down the line, eg a base with Ryzen APU that would still run Fortnite fine, but can add a proper gpu down the line. Buy a second hand decent pc for small money that can be upgraded down the line or simply sold on and replaced in a year or two. Build a decent pc now that'll last 6 or 7 years without needing anything, this can be done very affordable if building yourself. My friend still runs a pc from 2017 with i7 6700 and gtx1070 and he's still getting by almost 8 years later. All he upgraded was a bigger ssd.

Reply

[-]

Acrylic_Starshine@reddit

And yet i bet he would be willing to go for a console.. My last gaming rig lasted 10 years. Thats because i upgraded it from time to time to keep it relevant and took it apart for maintenance and dusting from time to time which is something you aren't supposed to do with consoles.

Reply

[-]

Aromatic_Soup5986@reddit

My CPU is 10 years old and running great. In fact nowadays the platform I use (1150) is so cheap, you can upgrade for peanuts and have a not terrible CPU. Honestly, you should try that. Get an RX 570 and a 2011 xeon combo from AliExpress ans you'll be able to play most popular games without much issue.

Reply

[-]

UnCommonSense99@reddit

Make a compromise with your dad... instead of building yourself a new pc, upgrade your existing pc..... With a new mother board, processor, memory and graphics card 😀 If you don't already have an SSD, get one. If you choose sensible mid-range components your existing case should be fine, possibly your power supply too. My pc is a beige case from the year 2000. The actual computer inside it has been replaced repeatedly is currently over 5 years old and still going strong.

Reply

[-]

AMv8-1day@reddit

Your dad is a clueless luddite who's only experience with computers are the cheap pieces of shit he's likely bought from some equally clueless Best Buy sales rep that sold him last year's junk because his boss told him to unload the old stock on idiots. Computers don't become obsolete in 2 years if you don't already buy underspecced, 4yo crap in the first place.

Reply

[-]

Lucky-Tell4193@reddit

It’s a great tool and will undoubtedly help your future everything is done on a computer from work to school and shopping and baking

Reply

[-]

machinationstudio@reddit

He needs to define what obsolete means.

Reply

[-]

rain21199@reddit

My PC lasted seven years. I just had to upgrade the CPU and motherboard this year, and I'll probably have to upgrade the GPU in the next two. It's definitely never going to be cheaper than buying consoles but you have access to way more games and modding.

Reply

[-]

Particular_Yam3048@reddit

Same problem. You know what i did? I build my own pc by myself no questions asked.

Reply

[-]

rm0234@reddit

Get a job and buy it yourself

Reply

[-]

Littlelordfuckpants3@reddit

It builded my 1st pc back in summer 2014. It was no monster just a mid range gig. Used it pretty munch everyday, school, work, game, media you namne it. 7 years later I got a new gpu from a friend dirt cheap. Was able to play a few new games but the pc still felt fast. My parens are on their 3rd cheap laptop. 10 years later my motherbord died and I needed a upgrade. Black Friday 2024 bought motherbord, cpu, ram and more storage. Kept everything else. The pc works great but my gpu is holding me back from playing the newset games. I think im gonna wait one year and upgrade that as well. My parends are on thier 5th laptop cheap laptop. When new they felt ok but after just a while they felt slow. My pc never felt slow for basic task even after 10 years with the same cpu. They have spent more money buying those laptops than me. And they got a slow experience, I paid less money and got to have a good and fast pc for 10 years.

Reply

[-]

SuperPizzaman55@reddit

ChatGPT will give you the perfect answer

Reply

[-]

CSAbhiOnline@reddit

If he wants "investment" ask him to gift some good stocks

Reply

[-]

likwidglostix@reddit

I'm running a 4790k with 16gb ddr3 2300 and a 1080ti. Last month, I finished half-life alyx. Ran at 120fps, no stuttering at all. Back in your dad's day, computers became obsolete much quicker. My wife built this pc ten years ago, and it still plays all but the most demanding games. I don't have ray tracing, but I don't care about that. I bought a 165hz monitor a few months ago and played the outer worlds at a steady 165. Almost any half decent pc built with intent should be useful for years to come, especially if you have an upgrade path. Our cpu is at the top of our socket, so anything better requires a new motherboard. Whenever I'm looking at a new game, I will Google my cpu vs. the one in the specs. You could do the same with the games you're looking at and the components you want to use. Show him the data. Also, look up the ages of the cpus and gpus in those minimum and recommended specs to show how long modern components are useful for.

Reply

[-]

Biohorror@reddit

If all you're wanting is to run Fortnite just ask for a mini pc. You can get something pretty cheap that runs it at 1080p. What is your budget? (I know this doesn't scratch the build a pc itch though)

Reply

[-]

10hole@reddit

I had this argument with my dad, like many moons ago. I wound up with a career in i.t. after pursuing my passion for computers further. Not sure it wouldve happened if I didnt build that first pc.

Reply

[-]

10hole@reddit

And you can always do a budget build to start and upgrade pieces later as needed....you know maybe find a used gpu for a deal, okay cpu, and swap as you save and things bottleneck your performance

Reply

[-]

Richandler@reddit

A gaming PC by definition isn't an investment. It's a just pure consumption. If you're using it for other things, learning some trade or tool that requires similiar resources then it's an investment, but in the machine, it's in you.

Reply

[-]

Oflameo@reddit

Your dad is right. It is a fact that you can get a refurbished Xeon workstation and put a middle of the road graphics card in and play 99% of games on high graphics settings and run them on at least 60 FPS. That is good enough for me, but it isn't ultra. It isn't pushing the limit. I can't run an unoptimized tech demo sold as a game and have it run well.

Reply

[-]

Ancient_Sea7256@reddit

Ask him how long his phone lasts.

Reply

[-]

HariPota4262@reddit

I built my pc about 4 years ago, can't even remember. I used to come here on and off for advice on stuff. More or less, the same configuration, has been running perfectly ever since. I have added, removed storage or cooling systems as per requirements but really the whole unit has mostly remained the same. I plan on upgrading the processor soon, but it's getting difficult to justify it, given what I currently have works just fine for me. The specs I have are not crazy, or even average by 2020s standard. I built a budget pc. It has 3300x, 1660ti and 16gb ram and ssds and all that. I think I paid the equivalent of 600 USDs to get parts and built it myself and it has not needed anything more ever since. If that is paired with ease of replacing just one thing if it goes bad and ease of variety of upgrade that you can do suitable to what you need, you really shouldn't need more reasons to buy a PC.

Reply

[-]

RiverRattus@reddit

I’ve been using the same PC for Over ten years. It still plays modern UE5 titles

Reply

[-]

SoundByThought@reddit

Very easily, you could get a new power supply for around $80, and a used 1080, or 1080TI even for about 160 on ebay and be very nicely upgraded for pretty much dirt cheap. If you need a new case, you have like 100 decent options for around $60. You could keep your motherboard and hard drives at the very least. Even then you could upgrade your hard drive to a solid state 2.5 or m.2 for like $30 for a small but hugely performance boosting upgrade as well lol. Computer upgrades are pretty cheap nowadays, as long as you arent trying to go present day enthusiast builds.

Reply

[-]

toumei64@reddit

I built a PC (with everyone else) in April 2020 and the only thing I've done since then is go from 32 to 64 gigs of RAM and add some more SSDs. I don't plan on any other upgrades anytime soon, still going strong. You can go in with a mid-range budget build something easily that will last you for years.

Reply

[-]

MeIsBaboon@reddit

Even if you don't upgrade, a custom PC with second hand components in the same price range as consoles will not be obsolete in 2 years.

Reply

[-]

banedlol@reddit

My PC parts are all 10 years old and I could run fortnite fine.

Reply

[-]

Rankork1@reddit

I built a computer in 2017, which worked brilliantly until only the past year. Replacing the GPU with a slightly better but still second hand one solved the slight issues it had. It’s now been replaced with something new. But for 7 years, my PC served me well & I expect the new PC I built to also do the same.

Reply

[-]

dank_imagemacro@reddit

I do not know your dad. Different arguments will work on different people. All I can do is put out some resources that might help him come to a logical conclusion on this. If his aversion is not powered by logic, however, than none of that will work. If he's not willing to sit and actually talk about it, none of this will actually work. I would start by looking at the steam hardware survey. https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-Welcome-to-Steam This will give you hard numbers on what people are actually using, and how long they last. Currently, the #1 card is the 3060. This was released in early 2021, and far from being obsolete, it is the most common in-use gpu in existance right now. If a GPU were obsolete in 2 years, the 3060 would hardly be on the charts. The GTX 1650 is #4 on the chart. Not the most popular card, but it comes in the top5 list. It was released in 2019. A GPU is therefore obviously still at least usable 5 years after release. Even if it is not top of the line when new. This, however, brings up the truth of the matter. Five years really is as long as you will probably want to keep a GPU if you expect to keep running most new games. This is a lot longer than 2 years, but the general point still stands. This will not last forever. You might then ask your father what he would expect to last forever. A shirt worn daily will not last 5 years. Shoes worn daily will be lucky to last 2 years. Tickets to a concert won't last more than one night, or perhaps a weekend if they are to a festival. A book might technically last years, assuming you read it once, perhaps twice a year. Dollar to hour, that's MUCH worse value for the money than a new gaming computer. Be up front, let your father know that you do expect he will find one or two things that will last longer, but that your point is most things won't. How many things do you still have from your 2019 Christmas? How many things does HE still have from 2019? Tell him that if you game 7 hours a week for 5 years, you will have almost 2,000 hours of enjoyment out of the computer. (1820 hours). If you spend $900 on a new computer, you have entertainment at $0.50/hour. Ask him what entertainment he can think of that will cost less per hour. You can also point out, that you want the experience of building it. People build models that just sit there, and many spend much more on it than you would need to get a decent computer. Once their creations are complete, they just sit on a shelf looking pretty. Yours can sit on your desk looking pretty, play games, play media, browse the web, run local AI, manage a database, etc. Then provide several DIFFERENT builds that you would enjoy making. I'd go for a $700 or so build, a $1000 build, and a $1500 build. Write up the plusses and minuses of each, including how long you would expect it to last before needing an upgrade. Include what each part does, and why you selected it. Show that you know what you are talking about and cite sources if possible. Show that this is something you have spent a considerable amount of time considering and are not just selecting bits without considering them. Good luck, and enjoy the coal.

Reply

[-]

stykface@reddit

It's a hobby, not an investment. Your Dad also has hobbies that do not have any financial return at all other than he likes doing it. I'm assuming you're younger and still living at home so a simple "Dad, this is what I like to do, play games and build computers. It's fun, enjoyable and keeps my interest."

Reply

[-]

gatornatortater@reddit

Not knowing what your current hardware is (assuming its not a laptop), I will suggest that maybe just a $100 to $200 GPU might be plenty to get you caught up.

Reply

[-]

ProfaneExodus69@reddit

Fortnite... I can see why he doesn't agree. A PC is not an investment. It's an ongoing cost. If you want to convince him that you need it, then give him actual reasons why you need it. "I can upgrade it later" doesn't sound like an investment, but like a money sink... Which it is. PC gaming is a hobby where you just keep on spending, be it PC components, games or just electricity. You say the PC won't be obsolete in 2 years... Maybe... Maybe not. You will never run out of things to want, things to change, things to buy for the hobby. It could even be that the day after you make the PC, quantum computers come out and everyone is moving to them. So how about you start looking at it for what it is? I understand you have the expectation that your parents use their money for you, but honestly that's just you wanting something as opposed to needing. So focus on why you want it, don't try to color it as something you need if it's not. We all know the reality of it. So think again. Why do you want it? How important is it to you that you get what you want? How difficult will it be for your parents to get you what you want and what can you do about it? Can they even get you a PC in the first place? Will your parents feel like that sacrifice on their side will be with it? Do your parents understand why you want it so much? I see many people talking about how to "convince" your parents, calling them technologically illiterate, but not many think about the bigger picture. You're trying to convince them something that's not true, which will never work. I know some people decline things without giving the complete reason either. It might be that the financial situation is not good enough to get you the PC you want. As a kid relying on your parents financially, you don't really know how difficult it may be for them. So them refusing might just be a way of hiding the financial hardship. The price of a good PC is not something everyone can afford, and definitely not on a short notice. I don't know you or your parents to give any real advice beyond all this. Figure out why it's important for you to get a better PC and see if you can find a common ground. But keep in mind that the PC is not going to be an investment.

Reply

[-]

PsyOmega@reddit

My 3800X (5 year old) and 3080 (4 year old) PC is not obsolete and likely won't be for the duration of the console generation.

Reply

[-]

Driftex5729@reddit

I upgrade once in 5 years. After 5 years motherboards, cpu, ram, disks have gone through multi generation changes. So they will be discarded for small change. Along with that you would possibly want to change the case and smps. So basically buy a new computer. Except for maybe gpu. But i dont play games much

Reply

[-]

Dirty_Nickel@reddit

You most likely will be able to sell whatever you buy in a few years to make up some of the difference for the upgrade. I do this every time.

Reply

[-]

itsaride@reddit

Show them benchmarks from two years ago and today. Things move slowly on that count. Also, hardware doesn't really deteriorate, fans and PSUs are replaceable . It's easily possible your new PC will last ten years.

Reply

[-]

Hakaisha89@reddit

with ddr5 ram finally being the preferred option over ddr4, and the early ddr5 issues gone. With CPU changes per generation being fairly minimal, along with a mid-high range gpu such as the 4070ti super 16gb vram, assuming 64 gb of 2 ssd amd 2 m2 disks. You would should replace the cpu paste after 5ish years, and by 10ish years replace the harddrives, and by 15ish years you might wanna upgrade your GPU, followed by a full system upgrade -gpu 5 years later. So something good today can easily last 20 years.

Reply

[-]

Abject-Difference767@reddit

Fortnite? Roblox? A lot of people are calling this a investment in your education, but the reality is it's a gaming rig you're after. A computer is more likely providing distractions to your education and social development. You're the investment he's worried about. You should stop playing Roblox and learn to do something productive or educational with your computer to show a computer will be a actual investment rather than a time waster.

Reply

[-]

xl129@reddit

Ask him how much he earn. Then show him tech's salary. A pc will align you closer to that path.

Reply

[-]

VoidNinja62@reddit

You should join the circus

Reply

[-]

GotAnyNirnroot@reddit

Build from used? It's absolutely the big brain move in order to game on PC.

Reply

[-]

TheMagarity@reddit

Perhaps Dad's xmas budget is too tight for a gaming PC?

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

no, thats not it. he said that he wanted to get a rlly expensive 3d printer instead (\~$1200, and the pc is 800)

Reply

[-]

TheMagarity@reddit

A 3D printer is fun but you don't use it every day. A PC can be used for schoolwork all year.

Reply

[-]

AgnewsHeadlessBody@reddit

Tell him that a 3d printer is relatively useless unless you have a computer that is strong enough to run 3d modeling software. I was forced to buy a new desktop during college because my computer couldn't handle even somewhat complex designs in Solid Works. Honestly, with what you said, it might be hard to run slicers on your current computer.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

it is, i cant even use prusa slicer to get decent slices lmao

Reply

[-]

AgnewsHeadlessBody@reddit

There's the investment side, tell him that you need to learn fusion360 for a future engineer/tech job.

Reply

[-]

UrMom306@reddit

I’m building a new pc right now. My last pc, built it in 2014. I can still play most games with decent settings at 1080p. I’m only upgrading because now I work from home and the pc cpu is showing a little age in the productivity section. I built the pc in 2014 on a 2k budget. That’s 2k for 10 years (arguably more if I was just gaming), that’s 200 a year, that’s 16.67 a month. If he thinks that’s a bad investment then I don’t know what to tell him.

Reply

[-]

sitefall@reddit

I very quickly just checked your post history (just the submissions didn't read into it). You're in the 3D printing subreddits so I have to assume that is something "constructive" your dad approves of. Learn CAD and Blender. It's constructive, you can do many engineering projects, make your own keyboard, learn to solder, build a whatever to do whatever, but learn CAD and sell your dad on the idea that you need an actually okay computer to run it with any degree of success (which is partially true). Sure you can probably run Fusion360 right now, but doing cpu intensive things like filleting a mesh body with high number of vertices etc is going to CRAWL. Also your ability to render is limited. Same idea with blender, but it's more GPU focused. Maybe explain some actually constructive things you want to do, go over the system requirements for these softwares, actually commit to learning them, and you can get dad to switch over to team "build a pc".

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

OP already said they struggle to run Fortnite at 360p. Their 3d modeling experience is likely to be absolutely abysmal on whatever machine they're using currently.

Reply

[-]

sitefall@reddit

Hence the need to build a new computer.

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

I misunderstood your last paragraph. I thought you were telling OP to make do with what they have already

Reply

[-]

Puzzleheaded-Fuel554@reddit

try to have a good conversations with your dad. i hope he's not a stingy one, lol. you should tell your reasoning, that you wants to play with your friends, and the games needs specific minimum specifications to run it. and with that, promise him that the money he gonna spend won't turn you into some "game freak" and makes him regret the decisions to buy you a decent one, you set the rules, like how many hours max you gonna play, while prioritizing your study. well this suggestion based on i think maybe you're a highschoolers or younger than that.

Reply

[-]

Crimbustime@reddit

It’s probably just a money issue. I’d say you’d have an easier time just convincing him to get you a better graphics card if it’s that bad.

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

not a money issue. OP has stated in other comments that they want an $800 computer, and Dad wants to get a $1200 3d printer that won't work because OP's current computer can barely run a slicer. Unfortunately, the issue here is OP's dad is too prideful to admit his son knows better than him.

Reply

[-]

BiscuitBarrel179@reddit

Unless you earn money via PC use don't sell it to your father as an investment. Instead sell it as a learning tool that has many functions, one of which happens to be gaming (but stress education first). If you want to go down the upgradeable path then you will most likely want to be using the AM5 platform. Do some research into an entry level build that suits your current needs and present the costs to your father. Also present a more expensive, but more powerful build to show that it can indeed be upgraded now, and say that in years to come those upgrade prices will be cheaper. Unless you are covering the costs yourself, at the end of the day it is your parents money and as frustrating as it is what they say goes. If the discussion doesn't go your way just accept it and let it go, as getting heated will make up his mind forever (trust me I'm a father).

Reply

[-]

dragonbud20@reddit

If your child proving you wrong(getting heated) causes you to set your mind in stone and refuse to change it, then you are a shit father.

Reply

[-]

Negative-Succotash54@reddit

Gaming PCs have become much more affordable and powerful in the last decade. Getting something that can play Fortnite exceptionally well could range from 600-800. Easily cheaper if you get a cheaper GPU like amds models or a 1080ti

Reply

[-]

Naus1987@reddit

Convince him you will troubleshoot and fix any problems. A big reason people get pre mades are for the warranty and support. If you can’t follow through on this, then you don’t deserve your own pc. Be prepared to learn :)

Reply

[-]

bedrooms-ds@reddit

Well, how about getting a RAM? (I've read your comments here.) I think it's difficult to convince your dad. But, if your current PC allows swapping RAM, and you get a compatible RAM (DDR 5 or 4, maybe lower) of 8GB or 16GB, (depending on what you play), you can at least avoid crashing your game. Also you might be able to buy the RAM on your own.

Reply

[-]

bazookatroopa@reddit

it is not an investment…a PS5 is much cheaper and will run AAA games better than any similarly priced PC PCs are for enthusiasts or because you need it for other things too

Reply

[-]

No_Camel7011@reddit

Fight the battle and try to educate with videos but if theyre stuck no prebuilt plenty of decent ones out there to achieve your objective

Reply

[-]

Unlikely-Addendum-90@reddit

🥲. Show him my comment. I was the only kid that couldn't play with my classmates. As a result I was left out a lot and had no friends in middle school. My former best friend was even hanging out with the girl I had a crush on. All because my parents were very strict and didn't allow me to buy "useless" items. The other issue however, could be that money is tight. And while I'm sure he'd love to give you many gifts, he has to make sure that what he gives will last. So I say this- the technical skills you'll obtain from building and troubleshooting your own PC will help you and your family for many future years. It certainly helps now that my mom runs a business on the other side of the world. I think a decent PC is worth the upgrade. I've had my home 3080 for 4 1/2 years, and am currently still using my 2070s in my travel case, and have no reason to upgrade it. If you can, Google and show him the cost of parts (and go easy on him with the RGB). My first case (fractal g) was $30 when it came out in 2016 (now $59). But this [Coolermaster is $36](https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Transparent-Adjustable-Ventilated/dp/B0785GRMPG/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3UXMDH0A2JHYY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.x5-38d8Ug6abF_-bO_Ymdb8Qw1Uzqg7ZU9pr32W0tyrSFOnkr4aaOoVh9f5NchxydZ-aidsVXKh_bVgGiYvERWKvAX8w4fcplhR_1FsW71GUzvdoxDTlz6Wfo0M_gd1LRRwAqncZFX5Z6lJgaS_cjUjrPduKez7D16lm0fmgwLl979TsQNCUnjFCBekvPYJurSEWMrvtILxIhQuUWseh-2Ma1F31g-DM6JP8Ey8vVXDMVBeFCBtI6rgpv65LQSy6ihtDAmkHdm1l-VLN9l3q6HJixPh-N_QdOBSqpjlSzwd8xwRFA5HDdG_gUEtgVKIh7RjKRNitrK_TB9bkW-YmLRUs2C4kNtYkflM85vkY5ekrbVIrMEUWPwysrC8_c26ub8v1Cjjy-K6No7jQ7VoppulnGUcrnNpepNzJyfenx4hK1t8ErT6dPFNBYJC6y7DD.238o_liAUWaFWUN4lbkSvGw0Jb-amYvs5I_bWGp0J_w&dib_tag=se&keywords=Cheap%2BPC%2Bcase&qid=1734911915&s=mobile-apps&sprefix=cheap%2Bpc%2Bcase%2Cmobile-apps%2C320&sr=1-3&th=1) [Thermalright Fans 3-Pack for $12.90](https://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-TL-C12C-Computer-Included-Quantities%EF%BC%89/dp/B0BKKG1ZND/ref=sr_1_15?crid=BBSZJ9GL9SED&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6J5839pw5ElSEFmLYsRyjxVNsza6dqmlVJILTB2RVbiJdS5ODp_5PWvh762KzABO1CxSCaJMPtRoCUTnskQGdKOcBSByIyCTB30YjAsHivrSSKRtIvPSZzIjF1D9KTboFYkBnUqYGaHWwc3mdLAkidu8tCR7l-HU3kj3Wx64EnbVOwHuhmVNycy6AeCH1eaqIYs56BuG3BlDln6At4vqV49blZSkFOMxx4iQuz7LJTxLivC1ecEWxYyfY-L_U1JqOv0FqaeU9J4pb54dRj13cLLe4ohqyJybeJ6F1QJSKuo0jDqAIbq8djiC-FrnCpSiNS5SQAX2tcTLAvP6vQYRQcvQ-lkdMDmY_YD2Bcj26uzvWuejkD3qXhEEK-6Ltl1JLdhmuyieaqOw6NSi4T_SMaWZDmMMhJTQqrU3RkjFNz7f3556HQSJK7rJHVKz1EEE.JWUgy1PcPJs6ELo8zvnrfhm4cFjr6XyfTD-YtitkKE0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Arctic%2BP12%2B3%2Bfan%2Bpack&qid=1734911724&s=mobile-apps&sprefix=arctic%2Bp12%2B3fan%2Bpack%2Cmobile-apps%2C543&sr=1-15&th=1) of case fans on Amazon for $22. Get a CPU and mobo deal like [this Microcenter AMD 7 7700x + b650 mobo](https://www.amazon.com/16-Thread-Unlocked-Processor-ProSeries-Motherboard/dp/B0BXWFSTY4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1MS2FEFSWATTI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EXYSCRhdFUvfqE9LcPlzt-D0zJ4dZqUCYijzcaaWDFHXzIpEwO63T5jEVb_Y_k-QvYFJcN1dIGfSqqEOvOyQKrf98Koxr_9asjMjSxpDbz1z-0Vj3b4bjK_kjmJVlQLH8HGnLmG2VDUfY2ZE22rEJP1GbQ99ns98mHItlzTbSw6ScsFouwXw8KRcsQqlnpL6JQbfjFIRdxPPwAeZYWI8nP3TtvbIwqlmenZRHQL5hOZmNsS4ggLGkw8f-AByZw-VvTIqub56HIjoveEKVgoYIhUlE-Bjqn5CmARMFldu65KoESXHWbEzTwN0Bp33ACOA1BzQmGoBylO83e8_AXv2yvz0CYksN3Y7dpQsnENSYBZFOyB4_-IyDl88Dn5fEzF2acZwravJKtMj4nDfs6sIrsAsXIP8Ax_unTbZMhg3ljQQ6SkEw6CuMd6zfXHobu-Q.edV539SExBTVvLnINcZZFVPbNdzMO4wVFQQN4FdpPlc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Motherboard%2Band%2BCPU%2Bbundle%2Bwith%2Bddr5&qid=1734912235&s=mobile-apps&sprefix=motherboard%2Band%2Bcpu%2Bbundle%2Bwith%2Bddr5%2Cmobile-apps%2C346&sr=1-2&th=1) it's obviously not the best CPU, but I've been using my AM4 5 5600x for 4 years and havent had to upgrade it (yet). In this case, you'll get an AM5 architect which allows for upgrades for well over 5 years- (unless AMD turns into Intel) This [Crucial pro](https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-6000MHz-Overclocking-Desktop-Compatible/dp/B0DHFD5625/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=35EOA0VBOLUXP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DFQ64b84b1LbN4jOBYdNc6RAo71EBTgwmjNBFs9gZv_Uu-zHu-4p9Mrk36VvjLEVpXW97nJn9T-NCiGw9y5TWHbWi11YZKBQ06SurK7CuGJMQN1mNEhDcqfQs0ek8fsOH19X-SPqdC5jDLtpsah3brTE-2hB_6Sp4tDp2jApQYAWO7bgzMaz4JFkM01nGSd6-etuUmBXRkjxl59uZLpqR5RWKpOaA9eZHwYgGQRYOyQ.rNAB0BFFTMZjDve0yTbuWHYJiGqvndD8CnWN9DjwlsI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Crucial%2Bballistic%2Bddr5&qid=1734912812&sprefix=crucial%2Bballistic%2Bddr%2Caps%2C391&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1) may not have fancy lights, but it's cheap and DDR5. I highly recommend a [Samsung 2tb 990 (or Sabrent or crucial nvme)](https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-Internal-Expansion-MZ-V9P2T0B-AM/dp/B0BHJJ9Y77/ref=sr_1_3?crid=TW40QF7YU47O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.X4WDrbXWvIeKZWZq7p6nOztGF1Q7BEIrteV0gEaacKoN-vcVZeTm3Crdjz2KcuEWJSYak3MnzbFgu416K0lE96-VfpM-FFOpggVuaKzgiNr7XBNmJKwdGgAOReIWFK_4UPTcdUOBrrbTCklk6mjiu8hianTiULuqpGL3x_UhthTIxtgps8ahlZFZv62zbyNjHUoVWHbduLm6tQ63iT0Il9jDhmVfIHM-HFUymLl68E4.jg9UfoNEMMDRIFu2JDmqmcJIn243gJk3KRMCRzTNAvY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Samsung%2Bnvme&qid=1734912949&sprefix=samsung%2Bnvme%2Caps%2C483&sr=8-3&th=1) but the best value imo is obtaining a 4tb SSD (nvme or sata SSD), because as tech gets more sophisticated, it takes up more storage. - also note that less having less storage space means you'll likely be deleting/rewriting more frequently which can sig ificsntly lower the lifespan for cheaper QLC storage (est 5 years) significantly compared to a TCL storage (est 15 years) - though technology may have improved enough to negate this issue. The est was on a graph for if you constantly rewrite or don't. So if you get a QLC try not to delete/rewrite terabytes of data every month and get the biggest affordable storage capacity for it. As for a GPU, if you can't get a 4080, then 4070 Ti Super is a downgraded 4080 and I believe is the best value GPU on the market. Sorry I got kinda technical at the end. But please don't be upset if he says no the first time. Your dad would love to give you the best, but sometimes they just financially can't. So I'm sorry if this doesn't convince him, but don't be frustrated or think he doesn't care about you. Maybe in the future he can get you some or all of these parts. I myself had to strip old laptop cooler parts, and an old CPU blower fan to make up for lack of case fans. Take care and happy holidays.

Reply

[-]

thepopeofkeke@reddit

agree with your Dad. It is a bad ''investment'' or better said would be that its an appliance thats value can really fluctuate since technology change a pretty good chunk year over year. BUTTTT if you xplain to him the higher up the stack you go the more useful those higher performing parts can be for a much greater window. A well built machine can easily last and give a great exp for years and years and can even be updated and upgraded when need be. You got to teach it to him sort of, The more you know what it is you are trying to do and the reasons for the parts you chose will help him better understand. You just got to communicate it to him. Give him options on the configuration and tie in other uses like school, or learning a trade even. good luck!

Reply

[-]

Themustachecook@reddit

As a parent, and also as someone who’s been into this kind of thing all my childhood, I’d recommend one, not being rude. There’s just a few comments in here that suggest otherwise and may have lost perspective. Two, as others have suggested, this is not really an investment. The saving overtime may be better than continually buying a new build but over time it’s also not just plug and play. Can’t put ddr5 into a mobo that doesn’t support it, and gpus continually tend to pull more power etc. and it still ads up quick. and finally, as a parent you may not want your child in front of a screen longer than you already are. But if he doesn’t support it, and this is something you’re interested in, do it slowly yourself. It’s not like if he says no, you’re just going to let it go. Try to understand their perspective and work on a plan to get the items you need. It’ll be much more rewarding that way anyways.

Reply

[-]

Hopeful-Sir-2018@reddit

> I’d recommend one, not being rude. Respect goes both ways. I know that's a hard pill to swallow but it's the fact of life. If you don't want the kid to cut you off when they move, learn basic respect. Or don't and cry when they go no contact and blame everyone but yourself. > Two, as others have suggested, this is not really an investment. At young ages - learning **IS** an investment. Trying out *many* things is good. > The saving overtime may be better than continually buying a new build but over time it’s also not just plug and play. That's just plain wrong. Most everything is plug and play now. No need to set IRQ's or anything like that. Most everything works on PCI-E or PCI as far as cards go. M.2 is optional - SSD sata's are still find. FFS, even running via USB 3 is fine. I don't know WTF you're thinking. You aren't going to make a lot of money from $800 investing. You just aren't. If you were more people would be doing it. > Can’t put ddr5 into a mobo that doesn’t support it Sure but it's not like they stop selling older memory the very minute new stuff comes out. You're just being ridiculous. > and gpus continually tend to pull more power etc. So? Buy whatever fits your machine. You don't have to buy the latest and greatest. I dropped $800 on my 4070 Ti Super. It's going to last **YEARS**. I could have saved a pretty coin and somewhat gone down and... it'd still last years. I don't know what you're implying but whatever it is - you're just plain wrong. > and finally, as a parent you may not want your child in front of a screen longer than you already are. I know this is a big ask but... as a parent... **USE YOUR WORDS**. Kids, contrary to what you've been lead to believe, are not mind readers. Additionally, if you're one of those hyper-weird parents that are scared of technology - then own it. Admit it and move on. So when the kid is an adult they can leave you and live with the modern world. > Try to understand their perspective and work on a plan to get the items you need. It's a shame parents can't do the same and learn to listen to the kids perspective. > It’ll be much more rewarding that way anyways. Oh get fucked. I've been told this and I ended up have some horror stories from it. Fuck your "you must suffer to be happy" bullshit. That's not what they mean and you know it --or-- you're simply being dishonest. Personally, I suspect you're a parent like this and are butt hurt and feel called out. Learn to listen to your kid and respect them. Unless, of course, you specifically aren't teaching them to be a functioning adult in society and just want them to obey you... at which point, go sit in your corner when you cry after they leave and want nothing to do with you. I specifically did not treat my kids like this. It's a damn shame you seem to or are defending their bullshit.

Reply

[-]

sly_sally28@reddit

I built a high end PC at the end of 2017. It had a fast CPU, 32GB of RAM, a silent sealed water cooler, 1TB M2 drive and a 1080Ti. All good branded parts with a silent 1kW Corsair power supply. When I replaced it a couple of months ago the CPU cooler had a failing bearing but it still worked perfectly and played modern games fine. I had to turn down the quality slightly on newer games of course but if I had replaced the CPU cooler and installed a 3080 it would have happily carried on. 7 years of high end PC access for about £1000 isn't bad value. The RAM and GPU were reused and the CPU sold.

Reply

[-]

e2g4@reddit

I’m not a gamer, but I am an architect so I have a lot of overlap w gamer pc (good graphics processor, etc) I just built two machines about $5k each, replacing two that were top of the line….10 years ago. I get a good long life outta these boxes.

Reply

[-]

coheedcollapse@reddit

I'm probably not the norm, but I still have computers I built literally over a decade ago doing things in my house - running servers, being used as arcade machines, media centers, etc. It's not an investment because you won't get money back from it, but having a good PC made of parts that you can swap out means that as you upgrade, you'll be able to build new PCs with the parts and they'll also be good, even if they aren't top-of-the-line gaming.

Reply

[-]

Hopeful-Sir-2018@reddit

First off, you need them to define what obsolete means to them. That being said.. what is believed without reason cannot be changed with reason. Meaning if, in his fantasy, computers don't work in two years very well - you're going to have an uphill battle. Let's assume, for the sake of argument, you got every comment here to agree with you. It's unlikely he'll change his mind. > All I want is to be able to play video games with my friends and not be the one that always crashes and can barely run fortnite at 360p 30fps. How much do you think this computer that you want will cost you? What specs are you imagining? > It's seeming like he thinks that it would be a bad investment. It's also possible he has a hidden reason that he doesn't want you to be aware of and this is his "out". It's possible he once spent money and got burned and now will forever believe that experience is everyone else's. I once had a friend who failed to make backups of his code and when his hard drive took a shit (this was back in 1998) - he blamed Microsoft when in reality it was his own mistake not to make a backup. It took him until like 2012 to pull his head from his ass. It's also possible your dad is simply a shitty dad who "knows it all" at which point... sucks to be you, there is no "answer" to that except moving out when you can afford it and therapy for the trauma you'll inevitably have but won't see until *much* later in life. Take it from me - getting therapy sooner rather than later makes for a better life. It's *hard* to undo decades of damage you've denied exists than it is to make new habits in early adult years. > All I want is to be able to play video games with my friends and not be the one that always crashes and can barely run fortnite at 360p 30fps. You say you do programming and want to get into AI - but this is your real answer. Everything else is tertiary. > because my parents never allowed me to put money into a better pc. **FUNNY STORY**. I worked once summer back in ~1997 to get a computer. My dad was rarely home and as such I was, more or less, on my own. He did robotics. I didn't want to wait the few days for him to get home so I built it myself. I didn't know what standoffs were. I didn't put them in. *poof* one motherboard *dead* instantly. That sucked sooooooooooooooooooo much. Keeping in mind - this is ~1997 prices. Then, to make matters worse, I had a 2x CD-ROM... game needed 4x or 16x (I can't remember). So the only game I wanted to play...... I couldn't. Man.. that was rough. Once I finally got all I needed after months, I practically never left my room. 2024... I still rarely leave my room unless I have to. Once every few years and for a few months, I get the itch to be social. Then I realize how much drama it is being around people and I nope out of that.

Reply

[-]

chebster99@reddit

My PC is 10 years old. In the past 10 years, I’ve upgraded the graphics card twice, most recently about 3 years ago. It still runs great in 2024. It’ll be getting towards the end of its life in the next 5 years or so, but that’s a 15 year investment.

Reply

[-]

Mshalopd1@reddit

I've had mine with almost no changes for 4 years. They are pretty easy to upgrade part by part.

Reply

[-]

GreatKangaroo@reddit

The AM4 platform came out in September 2016. About 18 months ago I built my first PC (or rather gaming PC) in 20 years. I purchased a used AM4 motherboard, and used new CPU, GPU and RAM. I settled on a 5600X, 6750XT, and 32 gigs of RAM (likely overkill but alas). It's been a great performer at 1440p AA and AAA gaming. I plan to use it for at least 2-3 more years before upgrading to an AM5 system (new motherboard, CPU, RAM and likely video card) Since last summer AMD has released several more AM4 CPU's including the well regarded 5700X3D gaming CPU in January 2024, so AMD is still supporting the platform. The AM5 platform game out in September 2022, so they announced it will be supported until at least 2027.

Reply

[-]

Tjingus@reddit

A PC itself isn't an 'investment', as it loses value. However, getting a good PC is an investment in oneself. It opens the doors to learning how to do graphic design, video editing, animation, coding, work with AI and a hundred other skills that could make you employable, or even earn you money. A good PC is an investment in your future. Having a decent PC or laptop in 2024 is incredibly important if you want any shot at all in growing a career that requires one.

Reply

[-]

Zangryth@reddit

I forgot to mention, this Acer 875-UR14 has a 300 watt power supply. A few office PCs have a PS big enough to do that - you have to use a lower wattage GPU too.

Reply

[-]

Slake45@reddit

You’re learning things while building computers. Math engineering electrical the learning potential is there sell your father on that. Sure anyone can slap together some parts and not really know much about it but if you geak out on the actual technology that goes into it he might change his mind

Reply

[-]

Zangryth@reddit

I’ve built a lot of PCs in the last 5 yrs ( I’m retired) and I absolutely enjoy my latest one I built 2 months ago - on eBay- I scored an Acer 875-UR14 (i5-10400 cpu-)$104 , gigabyte RX 6600 Eagle 3 fan gpu-$129. I replaced the hard drive with a 1tb M.2 ssd $55 ( Amazon Prime day). I needed a special motherboard 12v pcie power adapter and a 12v 8 pin gpu adapter to power up the gpu ($15 total) the factory gpu has worked fine with this setup. Plus I have a DVD RW drive and micro ssd card slot. I spent under $350. With this route you won’t worry about upgrading when you do build a new one- you can keep it for a backup.

Reply

[-]

bot_taz@reddit

decent pc will last you 5-7 years without upgrading. that is what you should tell him. dont get yourself in this rabbit hole of the need of having thousands of FPS :) 1000-1500$ per 5-7 years seems reasonable to me. if you will earn your own money you will understand your dad, why the word "upgrading" is bad to him ;) if you buy a decent rig all upgrading you should need for this time would most likely be just ram and disc space and that can be fairly cheap.

Reply

[-]

Unhappy_Tennant@reddit

Bruh haven't upgraded my pc since 2020 and I haven't had problems running anything, especially if your only playing at 1080p it'll last. Consoles force the game market to lag when it comes to performance enhancements. This has been the way for sometime.

Reply

[-]

neverOddOrEv_n@reddit

How old are u? How much are u asking for?

Reply

[-]

DatAssociate@reddit

"I built mine 5 years ago and I'm still using it"

Reply

[-]

KelsoTheVagrant@reddit

I mean, it depends on what specifically he dislikes about it. You’d want to address specific points that he dislikes with evidence. Realistically, since he’s your dad this won’t convince him. With parents it’s usually less of making a solid case for it and more their personal feelings on the matter. When I was a kid it was something I wanted and always got different reasons for not being allowed to build one. When I became an adult I realized it was more just my dad thinking I’d be holed up in my room all the time and he just disliked that. Nothing I could say could convince him otherwise Also, I don’t know what your family’s financials are like but computers are expensive. Even going bare minimum is a few hundred dollars which not everyone simply has at their disposal I sympathize with where you’re at, I was that friend for a long time but it simply

Reply

[-]

ecktt@reddit

Well kid there are many angles to consider. Maybe he cannot afford more than a basic PC. Maybe he doesn't see the point of play games on a PC. Maybe he doesn't want you to be distracted with gaming while you should be studding. I could go on, but you should be seeing the point. How about you approach the situation a little differently. Get a budget and go post in r/buildapcforme . Dread the rules first as it will help you make your post.

Reply

[-]

bobbo6969-@reddit

Tell him that the world is full of people who make more money than their parents ever did because they were allowed to build a computer when they were a kid. It’s step 1 in a journey to a very lucrative career.

Reply

[-]

bobbo6969-@reddit

Ok, better advice. Ask him to pay for your A+ certification exam (get one of the books that comes with the test voucher and practice tests https://www.totalsem.com/store/comptia-a-all-in-one-certification-exam-guide-e-book-totaltester-totalsims-voucherretake/). Then make him a deal that if you pass it, then he will buy you the parts you need for a bad ass gaming rig that you won’t need to upgrade for 5 years. Then you take that cert and get a job or internship right after you graduate (assuming you’re in hs since you’re trying to convince your dad to buy you a pc). Or, even better, you keep going with the certs and leave hs ready to enter the workforce making way more than anyone else your age.

Reply

[-]

BZJGTO@reddit

I used the same CPU/mobo/RAM/PSU from 2010 - 2020. That's a decade of use for almost the entire computer. One of my SSDs was an old school Samsung 470. A whopping $300+ for a mere 128gb SATA II SSD, and SSDs were only supposed to last a couple years back then. It was my primary drive, with over 60,000 hours runtime (so old it doesn't store other info like read/write). I used a 1070 from 2016 to 2024. That's eight years for a mid tier GPU. Finally replaced it with a 7900XT this year since I now had a 4K display and was ready to move on from 1080p. I replaced my CPU/mobo/RAM in 2020 with a R5 3600, a cheap B450 mobo, and 32GB of ram. I picked up a 5700X3D on sale this year so I could extend the life of my already four year old mobo/RAM even further. Technically, the newest component on my computer was only released about a year ago, but when the 5700X3D was released, its successor, the 7000 series CPUs (including the 7800X3D) had already been released the previous year. Ignoring that irregularity, the next oldest component is the 7900XT, which is already over two years old. And yet here I am, gaming in 4K at 60+fps, designing with SolidWorks, and 3D printing stuff with my "obsolete" PC.

Reply

[-]

JennyAtTheGates@reddit

*"What do you want for Christmas, son?"* *"Oh, I think $1000 of SPY would be a good investment, dad."* Some people's parents.

Reply

[-]

Obsidian_XIII@reddit

I built a mid- range PC in December 2020. I have not upgraded any components yet. It still runs all the games i want just fine. I really have to hold myself back from upgrading the GPU just because I want to. Granted, the most recent game I wanted to run well, BG3, wasn't crazy intensive, but all I would need is a GPU if I ran into problems.

Reply

[-]

redditor_no_10_9@reddit

Intel motherboard tend not to support new CPUs after just one generation so you can't upgrade without replacing CPU and motherboard.

Reply

[-]

Passiveresistance@reddit

I play games on a revamped 9 year old workstation with an equally ancient gpu. New, AAA games. (On low mostly lol) The only reason I may need to upgrade at all, is lack of windows 11 compatibility and ray tracing becoming more popular in games. Tell your dad this isn’t the early 2000’s anymore; computers aren’t making the sort of violent leaps forward in functionality that they were then. A well chosen build will stay relevant for years.

Reply

[-]

Bakevaren@reddit

I run a 4790k from 2014 and that thing is still going strong. Only excuse I can use to upgrade right now is that I'm afraid the tubes on the aio is getting to dry because of age and the pc eventually drown itself. Only upgrade i did was from gtx970(2014) --> gtx1080(2017)(still going strong as well) So if that 10 year old thing still works great, a modern cpu today will last you longer than you can imagine.

Reply

[-]

Alive_One_5594@reddit

You won't, star Saving and build it yourself

Reply

[-]

osbroo@reddit

I've had basically the same PC since 2014... only things that I've upgraded were: gtx 1080 asus turbo in 2018 850 power supply in 2020 SSD in 2022 Sure my PC is definitely old but I can still play games. Here is my build btw for those curious. -Intel Core I5 4690K Unlocked Quad Core 3.5GHZ/3,9GHZ Processor LGA1150 Haswell 6MB Cache Retail - Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H60 ( NCIX PC Only) - ASUS Z97-K/CSM ATX LGA1150 DDR3 2PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 3PCI SATA3 USB3.0 HDMI Motherboard for NCIX PC - Corsair Vengeance Blue 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Dual Channel Memory Kit for NCIX PC - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 Turbo 8GB GDDR5X Video Memory, DVI/HDMI 2.0 x2/ DisplayPort 1.4 x2, DirectX 12 & OpenGL 4.5 support - Thermaltake Chase A41 ATX Mid Tower Case Black 4X5.25 1X3.5 5X3.INT 5X2.5INT USB3.0 - Corsair CS750M CS Modular 80 Plus Gold-Rate 750W 12V Power Supply - Microsoft Windows 8.1 64Bit English DVD OEM for NCIX PC - Seagate ST2000DX001 SSHD 2TB 3.5in SATA3 64MB Cache Inter Solid State Hybrid Drive OEM - ASUS DRW-24F1ST 24X SATA DVD Writer Black

Reply

[-]

LukasL34@reddit

Show one of YY gpu in 202X videos.

Reply

[-]

Faalaafeel@reddit

Does your dad respond well to numbers? If so, pull up performance charts that feature 4-5 year old GPUs or CPUs and compare them to modern ones. A GTX 1080/ti is still fast enough for 1440p 60fps and was $400-$600 in 2018. That's a useful lifespan of over 6 years. Neither card is obsolete at this point for their intended usecases. Benchmarks will show this to be true.

Reply

[-]

marcsitkin@reddit

Maybe downplay the gaming and emphasize something new that would interest you and offer you personal growth.

Reply

[-]

Moldyshroom@reddit

My first custom built in 2012 (about 1200 dollars) lasted 5 years before I added a ssd, some ram, and a new gpu. My wife still uses it. It can run pretty much anything on high to max settings in 1080p. I'm currently playing in 2k with my build from 2019. Mostly high to max. Should be set for another 5 years. Might upgrade gpu sooner for more vram, only thing holding me back from max textures.

Reply

[-]

cb2239@reddit

Try to explain to him that building a PC and learning how they work can be beneficial in the future. Intimate knowledge of the inner workings of a computer can definitely help in the future. Especially if that's a field of study you're interested in

Reply

[-]

Idontknow107@reddit

You could build a PC in a wide variety of price ranges, from $300 to $3000 and so on. Besides, there are cheap (or cheap enough) combos that do well at that.

Reply

[-]

thcteacher@reddit

I built my PC in 2018 with a 1070 TI and I can still play almost everything that has been released - except some newer games requiring Ray Tracing (Indiana Jones).

Reply

[-]

groooooooooooooooovy@reddit

See if you can just get $ instead of a gift, so that you can get what you want

Reply

[-]

netscorer1@reddit

Are you building this PC for gaming only or do you have other goals that you want to achieve with it? It would be easier for your parents to justify the cost if they know that they invest into your development and not simply a very expensive form of entertainment that cost several times of a console yet does exactly the same thing. As for PC becoming obsolete after couple of years, console is again a great analogy to compare against. PS4 was released 11 years ago and one would argue it’s still a great console with the only thing that PS5 does better is play games at 4K resolution. The PC your gonna build in 2024 would still be able to play games competitively for many years and unlike consoles you can upgrade PC in parts, not the entire box. CPU and GPU can be upgraded independently, and you can pick up mobo, PSU, storage and RAM that would not require any upgrade for good 10 years.

Reply

[-]

BruteForceOverclock@reddit

If its his money its his decision.. A PC will depreciate very fast, unless you can convince him its primary use is to further your education and not just gaming then maybe. I would suggest saving your own money and building one yourself..

Reply

[-]

CatalystAbyssfr@reddit

We’re literally in the same situation, my computer has limited me so much for years

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

i didnt have a computer until i got the balls to ask my school for an old laptop lmao, and the the battery literally blew up

Reply

[-]

ChickenDenders@reddit

When I was helping to spec out my sister’s laptop for college and light gaming, my dad was *convinced* you needed at least 64GB of RAM to have a functional computer. Every single model I suggested, he would say he was worried about the RAM. This was like TEN YEARS AGO, when most high powered gaming PC’s only had 16GB in them. I had just built my computer the year prior, and had all that recent knowledge to work off of. There was definitely a “confused, confident, but still tech illiterate” mindset going on.

Reply

[-]

MeSSSeD@reddit

Show him the stats of hardware used on Steam. You'll see a LOT of hardware that is very old. If he can't ever be wrong though, and isn't a person who can take actual data to be proven wrong either, just deal with it and look forward to when you're old enough to get your own shit. Also, your name is CRAZY lmfao

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

thanks for the advice. free my man, he done nun wrong lmao

Reply

[-]

VastEmergency1000@reddit

I built my PC in 2016, slowly upgraded the RAM and GPU over the years, and it runs EVERYTHING. The only problem is it isn't compatible with Windows 11 so I'll have to upgrade sooner rather than later, but it works perfectly fine.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

about the windows thing. will all pcs with windows 10 installed that arent sufficient to run 11 become obselete, as in windows wont let you use them?

Reply

[-]

CoolITSupportGuy@reddit

You can still use them, you just won't get new features and (more importantly) security updates.

Reply

[-]

man_b0jangl3ss@reddit

I built my PC in 2019. It is still going strong. I built it with a 1080Ti, and the. Upgraded to a 2080Ti. Still works great! Going to start to build a new one in a year or so...

Reply

[-]

dripless_cactus@reddit

If your dad can't be convinced of things then "money" is what you really want for Christmas.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Problem with my parents, specifically him, is that he wont let me spend my own money, unless its on what he considers 'constructive'

Reply

[-]

HighPockets-@reddit

Where are you from? Is that a cultural thing?

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

US, nope, its just my parents thinking that 800 dollars is gonna be the difference between a good college and being a gas station clerk all my life

Reply

[-]

HighPockets-@reddit

Any chance you live in Washington? I’ve got a 3d printer with a punch of supplies I could donate

Reply

[-]

Elon__Kums@reddit

If you want to help this kid, donate some common sense to his dad

Reply

[-]

Bynar010@reddit

My son is playing on my old system which is a 7 year old 7700k and 6 year old 2080ti paired with a 1080p monitor and it plays everything without an issue and don't see him needing to upgrade for years yet.

Reply

[-]

Saiipaii@reddit

Go with modern mid tier, abt 700-1k for a solid rig if you get last gen's mid to high tier and will remain a power hosue for the next 5 years

Reply

[-]

Altruistic-Wind6257@reddit

Sounds like my dad, many winters ago. My first question, and something that could change the whole dynamic; how old is OP and his dad? So you are learning to code, want to learn AI, cool. A lot of that sort of thing can be done online. If your dad doesn't already know this, DON'T let him find out. You'll sink your ship in the harbour, especially if dad is computer savvy. Games? \[Dad\] "you can play games just fine on your laptop". \[You\] I need more power, memory and storage for coding, compiling and testing". There's a pretty good chance that your dad thinks games are a waste of time that would be better spent studying and bettering your skills. Try not to mention them in conversation. If you are over 16 (in the US), get a job and do it yourself. It might get you enough respect from dad that he'll pony up a bit to help. Just don't let it impact your school work. Don't play mom against dad, especially if he controls the bank accounts. Stick with Linux.

Reply

[-]

dixonjt89@reddit

Explain to him that you might be interested in IT tech ad repair and want to use it as a learning experiment building your own PC to see if it’s a career path you’d like. Then explain that a decent enough computer will last 4-5 years and you only really need to upgrade the GPU after that amount of time

Reply

[-]

LOLSOHARDLMAO@reddit

I mean if you're willing to compromise, you can go for a laptop instead of a PC. I'm sure convincing him that a laptop is a "better" investment than a 3d printer because clearly he's not the type of person to change his mind on a PC. With a decent enough laptop you can play most games anyways and when you are old enough to get a part time job, then you can build your

Reply

[-]

ChadHUD@reddit

I'm not sure how old you are exactly. When I was a teen... this is what summer jobs were for. I mean I don't know your situation. To defend your father a bit here. What it sounds to me like he is saying to you is... "I can't afford to do that for you son, video games are a want not a need." Sounds like you may well be old enough to work a weekend retail/fast food job. If not your clearly not far away from that either.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

As I have said to others, he offered to get something much more expensive (3d printer that is $1200)

Reply

[-]

ChadHUD@reddit

Well you sold it wrong then talk about AI not gaming. Your father doesn't want you playing video games all night. Show him what your coding, talk about AI. If he is willing to get you into 3D printing as he probably sees a future in that... show him what you can do with a GPU that isn't fortnight related. Having said that you are also clearly not 10. A job isn't a crazy idea. Buy your own gaming GPU. You talk about coding, your clearly intelligent. Turn something you know how to do into money if your opposed to flipping burgers a few nights a week. When I was a teen in the 90s... I made money building web sites, I helped a family friend with a trucking/warehousing company setup a database system. (paid me very nicely). I skipped the burger flipping phase, because I could. Sounds like you could as well. Having said that there is no shame in flipping burgers, folding shirts or working a cash till to make a little scratch. Set a budget. Make a plan to make that much money. Budget $500 for something reasonable. A smart teen with some basic coding skills, the ability to install Linux, and I'm sure other computer talents can find away to make a hun for a GPU. I really don't mean to sound like a get off my lawn old man... but ya your father isn't going to buy a video game machine. He seems to want to spend money on you, but he doesn't want to support the fortnight stuff.

Reply

[-]

loggywd@reddit

Well if parents don’t want to spend over 1000 dollars on Christmas and that’s understandable.

Reply

[-]

simagus@reddit

Just tell him it's pretty much like LEGO.

Reply

[-]

Molly_Matters@reddit

Stuff I have from 2015 still runs modern titles on med/high at 1080/1440. The days of regular upgrades being required are long gone. 4K is a luxury that most do not need. If you stay away from that you can stretch your hardware out for a long long time. I run in the middle on a 2560x1080.

Reply

[-]

DexRogue@reddit

He asked you what YOU wanted for Christmas and you told him. Explain to him that what he thinks would be a bad investment is not what you agree with. Think of all the money he's spent on toys through the years for you for Christmas, were those also bad investments? Sure but he still spent money on them. If you continue to follow through with programming you can land some pretty well paying jobs that are WFH. You could always look into programming jobs and show him the salaries to help convince him. Not only can you use it for gaming and programming but you'll also be able to use it for school. I am a parent as well and I don't understand how any other parent can say these things without knowing in their heart that they are doing nothing but holding their children back when it comes to technology. It's the future of the world, you either get on board or you get left behind.

Reply

[-]

mentive@reddit

What is anyone getting for Christmas that is an "investment" lol

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

a couple years ago, he opened a stock trading account in my name (and then last year used my money to invest without me knowing it)

Reply

[-]

Sakuroshin@reddit

I built a pc with a 9900k and a gtx 1080 in 2016, and it's still running fine and playing games 8 years later as my kids' PC. If you aren't pushing for the absolute best performance, you can use them for nearly a decade without much issue. I would price out a build or find a prebuilt that has what you need and show it to him, so he knows the exact price. He might think you are asking for a $2000 pc when you can get a decent enough gaming pc for well under $1000 if you don't need monitors and stuff

Reply

[-]

Burgergold@reddit

Pc is not an investment, its an expense When I build one, its for 5-7 years and I usually dom't upgrade anything except the gpu Pc were a mid 2013 i5-3570k with 280x Replaced in mi 2019 by a ryzen 5 3600 with a 580 8gb Replaced the 580 8gb by a 6650 xt in mid 2022 Now running a 7700x with the 6650 xt which might be replaced in a few years

Reply

[-]

veweequiet@reddit

Tell him that building a pc is a valuable learning experience and will save everyone money in the long run. Show him a Gamers Nexus review of a Dell pc. Any Dell pc.

Reply

[-]

Captain_of_Gravyboat@reddit

Tell him about my 4790k that I bought in 2014 and still run every day. It's now in a Frankenstein of a pc but it definitely still gets the job done.

Reply

[-]

Occams-Shaver@reddit

Great to hear that that still runs well. A couple years ago, I gave my friend a computer from work with a 4440 paired with my old R9 290. Obviously all ancient, but he and I both appreciate the ability to run so many (relatively) modern games on his TV, even if at lower specs. I've been wanting to give him an RX 580 I have lying around, but need to upgrade the CPU so that it's not bottlenecked. I have no intention to overclock (don't feel like investing extra money into cooling and stuff on a computer that old), so I think I'm gonna pick up a used 4790 on eBay.

Reply

[-]

Captain_of_Gravyboat@reddit

Thanks! It's without a doubt the best component purchase I've ever made for overall value. I've done some upgrades along the way to the rest of the pc and I've currently got it with a 3070. This is my dedicated flight sim rig and the cpu is probably bottlenecking about 20% of the ideal gpu performance but I still get between 60-100 fps at 1440 so I'm very happy with it. If and when there comes a time when it won't game anymore I plan on using it as a media player cpu.

Reply

[-]

Correct-Chapter641@reddit

Show him PC requirements for recent games. Minimum requirement for black ops 6 has a 1080ti which was release 2027. 7, almost 8 years ago. PC requirements on modern games should be a tangible example of longevity

Reply

[-]

Sere81@reddit

A PC is about as much of an investment as going to the movies is.

Reply

[-]

ShredGuru@reddit

You go to a movie once, you use a PC hours everyday for years.

Reply

[-]

buildapc-ModTeam@reddit

Hello, your comment has been removed. Please note the following from our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/wiki/rules): **Rule 3 : No piracy or grey-market software keys** > No piracy or so-called "grey-market" software keys. This is includes suggesting, hinting, or in any way implying to someone that piracy or the use of these licenses is an option. If a key is abnormally cheap (think $10-30), it is probably one of these, and is forbidden on /r/buildapc. --- [^(Click here to message the moderators if you have any questions or concerns)](https://www\.reddit\.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fbuildapc&subject=Querying mod action for this comment&message=I'm writing to you about %5Bthis comment%5D%28https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/1hk36qq/-/m3bej7b/%29.%0D%0D---%0D%0D)

Reply

[-]

RottenPingu1@reddit

Pure economics. From. 2008 I've maintained 2 laptops. One for travel and one for home, rotating them as one ages out and is replaced. This has come to be that roughly every two years I'm buying a new laptop. This year I decided to go with a PC for home with a build that was pretty great 18 months ago so see a long life ahead.

Reply

[-]

KillaCamCamTheJudge@reddit

I’m curious: why / explain the need to have a travel laptop v a home laptop? (I’m assuming one was possibly gaming / heavier duty compared to the travel one…)

Reply

[-]

RottenPingu1@reddit

I travel for months at a time so need a laptop rather than just a phone. Also, due to some places I travel to and situations, the laptop needs to be clean. Meanwhile back at home the laptop there is in the den and contains all things important.

Reply

[-]

malavock82@reddit

My 2015 pc on a 980ti still can run most games decently, including bg3, diablo4 and far cry 6 just to name some recent ones.

Reply

[-]

lolwatokay@reddit

So are you a teenager? Ultimately you're only going to have certain level of sway over your parents, even if you are making a logical argument. You also haven't mentioned a budget here, are we talking a serious gaming machine or what? Even $1,000 is a lot of money to most people, joe. I personally think unless you can sell them on this being the family computer (which reading some of your other comments I completely understand why you don't want that to be how this is) I think you're going to have a hard time. Maybe you could convince them to buy certain parts of a computer that you'll plan to finish out by making money somehow?

Reply

[-]

czaremanuel@reddit

That logic really doesn’t hold up. What’s the point of ever buying technology then since the cutting edge is unattainable? Are the Intel/AMD/Nvidia factories the only places that should own computers because they can just make themselves new ones instantly? Like, what? I’d ask if computers become obsolete every two years, does that mean your parents are willing to buy you a new laptop every two years instead? What about gaming consoles..? Completely illogical. It’s also worth understanding that a computer is not an investment because it does not grow in value. It is a depreciating asset that will be worth less tomorrow than it is today. However, so is a car, and I’m guessing your father owns a car because it’s utility and benefits outweigh the depreciation, RIGHT?

Reply

[-]

vaurapung@reddit

In 2 years the new pc will only be able to do what it does today, which in some people's mind makes it obsolete. As for upgradablitiy. At what cost? Your asking him to spend on a pc what many people pay for their first car. That's not a small chunk of change.

Reply

[-]

Whoevenareyou1738@reddit

You can use a PC for a variety of things other than games. But the act of building a PC develops problem solving skills and exposes yourself to planning and preparation. Skills that many young adults do not have. No different then restoring a car, building a piece of furniture or repairing things like your own car or a light fixture. At the end of the day, you get both a PC and develop core skills. Plus it can be a father/son endeavor.

Reply

[-]

Unintelligent-Agency@reddit

I built my first pc for $1000 in 2011, had it until 2020. During that time I spent a total of $500 to upgrade my ram, cooler, case, storage and GPU. I then sold the entire pc for $400 in 2020, so spent about 1.1k for a pc that I used daily for almost a decade. Gaming, school, hobby and later got a job because of everything it taught me.

Reply

[-]

fofalooza@reddit

Even if you're building with mid range components, you can have a good rig for many years. Outdated sure but that's a far cry from obsolete. Prior to upgrading last year, the computer i built in 2015 couldn't run Win11 pro because of something that wasn't physically built into the motherboard. Spec wise it otherwise more than cleared requirements but was functionally obsolete for running modern Windows. IIRC, I could've avoided that by getting the home version but that's on me. Targeted upgrades can extend its life for many years. The GTX 970 in my old rig made it a good 7 years but would still comfortably run games at medium settings on 1080p. Maybe you'd have an easier time convincing him for individual components?

Reply

[-]

Table-Playful@reddit

How do I explain to someone, **You can not**

Reply

[-]

deeeep_fried@reddit

Even buying last generation parts, a pc will not be obsolete after 2 years. You could easily build a pc that runs Fortnite that will last for like 5-10 years if you’re okay with lower settings for pretty cheap. Unless you’re playing new graphically intensive games you don’t need to put a ton of money into a pc that will last you a long long time. Lots of people go all out once and don’t upgrade their pc for 10 years and it still works great by the time they upgrade again

Reply

[-]

DanStarTheFirst@reddit

Had a 2005 dell with a q6700 and 8gb of ram. Thew my 980 into it and played ark on that thing no problem. Computer shop told my dad it was dead few years ago so he got a new one and he said it’s a slow pos vs his old one lol.

Reply

[-]

craigmorris78@reddit

I can’t think of a better investment for a young person. PC building is a valuable skill and PCs are great work work and play? What do you think your dad’s concerns are?

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

Im pretty sure its only the claim that a pc is obselete as soon as new parts come out.

Reply

[-]

craigmorris78@reddit

Hmm. It’s so much better value than a laptop as you can change out individual parts. My last PC gave me ten years.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

im gonna ss this thread and send it to him lmao. thanks, i tried to explain that, but he wont listen. maybe what he needs is someone else to tell him too.

Reply

[-]

craigmorris78@reddit

Maybe plan out a build with a reasonable budget so you can show how things might work and help him see the vision.

Reply

[-]

AncientPineapple1936@reddit

The only thing I would have you consider,and you don’t need to tell me or anybody else on Reddit what the answer is. But do you know your parents financial situation? While there is affordable gaming PCs, “affordable” is relative to your own personal financial situation. Keeping a roof over the head, food on the table and clothes on the back is not cheap. So if your parents are hesitant to buy something expensive maybe there is a reason why that they are just not comfortable talking to you about. Good news is, once you’re on your own making your own money, then you can buy what you want, or afford anyways. I grew up poor, now I have a great job and I buy what I want when I want. I was 30 when I finally bought my gaming PC rocking a 4090.

Reply

[-]

CapstickWentHome@reddit

The obsolescence cycle for PCs is a lot slower now than it was 20+ years ago, and maybe he doesn't realize this? My first PC in the 90s was top of line, but I was replacing everything a couple of years later. My current PC is still holding up ok, but is largely unchanged from when I built it in early 2018. I'm only now getting to the point of looking at what can be upgraded, or whether to build new again. That length of cycle would put you into your 20s, where you would be responsible for upgrades/replacements, not him. You may be able to convince him if he knows he won't be on the hook for paying for upgrades himself.

Reply

[-]

_Rah@reddit

Tell him it's not an investment. Unless it's for work if you look at PC as investments, you are never gonnna buy one. Maybe focus less on telling him you wanna play with friends and add something else like how it's going to help you understands computers better and help you in your life. It might not be your reason for getting it, but its true. Sell him in that idea.

Reply

[-]

Dr_Passmore@reddit

My last pc i was still gaming on it after 8 years. I finally replaced it with a high end gaming rig and ended up spending time replaying the original Doom series.... PCs can last a good number of years and if the newest graphics are important then you can follow upgrade paths

Reply

[-]

neuromorph@reddit

I alternate upgrading CPU/Mobo and GPU/PSU on another a 5 year cycle. Best mobo/cpu one cycle and it lasts a 5-10 year cycle and the GPU lasts the other 5 year cycle.

Reply

[-]

JohnThursday84@reddit

How old are you? How about a part-time job and by the time you have enough to buy a PC yourself.

Reply

[-]

diddys_favorite@reddit (OP)

14, even if i were older, my mom wouldnt let me get a job (or drive) until im liek 17. With the money thing, my dad wont let me spend my own money unless its something that he considers 'constructive'

Reply

[-]

Graxu132@reddit

Bought my PC in 2022 with 3080ti and i5 12600kf and while playing on 4k120 TV I would get, depending on the game ~120 fps on high-ultra settings. Now I upgraded my monitor from a 55" 4k 120hz tv to a 27" 1440p 180hz monitor and I'm getting even more fps due to the smaller resolution yet higher refresh rate monitor. Honestly a game changer if you ask me 👍 If you don't buy a shitty mini PC with nothing but integrated GPU then your PC will outlast 2 generations of consoles 💁

Reply

[-]

igg73@reddit

Show him how easy it is to build a rig from 3 years ago. Then show him the now released parts youd upgrayedd(cpu and gpu) and how easy a swap is. Then show him how easy a power supply swap is, and hopefully by then he starts to get it. Best wishes!

Reply

[-]

SilverKnightOfMagic@reddit

in addition to telling them verbally it's also nice to present them with some sort of visual or plan. I dunno what the budget is for present. for example a present that is 1k isn't usually given. at least wasn't for more ppl I know. have a plan of some options for them. a 400 PC or 500.

Reply

[-]

9okm@reddit

Just ask for money then.

Reply

[-]

FrankAdamGabe@reddit

If money is an issue for him, Costco often has decent builds for good prices. Especially on sale. I also just replaced a pc I built 13 years ago. It still ran most games at moderate to low but the cpu was fully upgraded and still maxed out at 100%. It is still used for gaming by my kids but I built a new one to game in 4k. A pc also has tons of uses outside of gaming. Mine provides me my livelihood, controls media for my entire house, and is what I learn new skills on.

Reply

[-]

SilentBobVG@reddit

Show him the release date of the AM4 platform, then the release date of the 5700X3D

Reply

[-]

CPOx@reddit

Show him some math Let’s say you spend $700 in parts And you use your computer 4 hours a day, 350 days a year = 1,400 hours a year It’ll last you 5 years minimum = 7,000 hours $700 / 7,000 =$0.10 per hour of entertainment And you can use the computer to help your studies and learn new skills too, not just purely for video games

Reply

[-]

Savings-Leading4618@reddit

It is not an investment, it is an expense. But boy, the best 3.000€ I've ever spend was when I bought my gaming rig (i7-7700k + 1080ti) with a 2k 144hz monitor. It is the best purchase I have ever made, and I don't plan on upgrading until at least the next console generation. So at least it will be around 9-10 years until I change my PC. So, that's what, 300€ a year? It is much less of what I spend on food a MONTH. And well, if you are not going to get much use out of it, then it might not be worth it. But for me my PC is my personal Haven. It is the place I go to de-stress from everyday life. I do enjoy a lot having a good, fast and reliable PC.

Reply

[-]

EffectsTV@reddit

Ryzen 5 7600 minimum B650 that has decent enough VRM to handle a 7800X3D / 9800x3d for future upgrades 750w Gold Rated PSU minimum (for future upgrade) Can save a bit on the case too, just get one that supports over 300mm and has good front intake Cheap air cooler.. I would actually look into a intel B850 16GB (never thought I'd say that) You would end up with a PC that's very upgradable, can easily get X3D cpu and any GPU you want up too. The X3D CPUs are beasts and even a 5800X3D will last a long time

Reply

[-]

dakrisis@reddit

Google the Steam Hardware & Software Survey. This will give you a better glimpse into the average gaming computer. Build a PC (virtually, obviously) with _as current-gen as you can possibly get_ within a budget you find reasonable (and hopefully your parents do, too). Then it's about making choices when it comes to upgradability: try to predict which items are going to need replacing and when. Adjusting the build might offer better upgradability but require a bit more money upfront. _Include everything you need_ such as peripherals, monitor, windows key and what not. Extra costs close behind might make them come back on their decision. Show them you're willing to go online, ask questions like you do here and come up with a plan that shows you know your stuff.

Reply

[-]

InterestingPoet8182@reddit

This is a great educational experience as you learn about all the parts, tradeoffs in money spent and hardware troubleshooting. It is totally worth it from that vantage point. However, they may worry you will waste time playing games instead of focusing on other priorities. All electronics lose value over time so I tend to buy the value parts today that meet my needs and upgrade later on. This is also a great time to buy in as it is earlyish in the AM5 cycle and Intel is just starting over(avoid). You can start with a 7500f or 7600x3d on AMD which is inexpensive but quite good and upgrade to a premium processor as you outgrow it without having to rebuy all the other parts. I did this woth AM4 in 2018 buying an x470 motherboard and Ryzen 5 2600 with DDR4 memory. Replaced it with a 5600x3d 5 years later with the mobo and ram reused. That is a lot of value over potentially an 8-10 year lifespan.

Reply