Building a pc in this economy?
Posted by Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 34 comments
Hey,
I've always wanted a decent pc but I never managed to get enough money together but now I got a job and managed to save up about 1500€ and figured it'd be time to finally get myself one but it seems like a bad time for it. Would y'all recommend getting a pc right now or should I wait until for example December? I don't want to spend that much money on something I will regret.
Particular-Abroad815@reddit
Get a prebuilt, before they go up to much. Prebuilts with a 5070 can be roughly 1200 pounds (1300 euros). Prebuilts can be cheaper than building one if you look in the right places.
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
It looks like prebuilds with a 5070 go for well over 1600€ here and they only get 16gb of ram
Particular-Abroad815@reddit
Might be different in europe then, for the uk it was, at least a month ago. Maybe buying used would be a good idea.
2raysdiver@reddit
Build now or wait is a question that is asked in all economies and at all times. And it is hard to say what will happen with prices in your market. The only thing we know for sure is what prices are right now.
It does seem that some of the AI memory demand has quietly diminished. And this should help ease prices on RAM, SSDs and eventually GPUs. But how quickly and by how much remains to be seen.
Organic_Ad3558@reddit
At €1500 the key is spending money in the right places — a decent mid-range GPU, a modern CPU platform with upgrade headroom, and not skimping on the PSU. Avoid prebuilts if possible, as they tend to use cheap PSUs and cut corners on components that matter for longevity. What country are you in? That’ll help narrow down what’s actually available and well-priced in your market.
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
Germany
Organic_Ad3558@reddit
Alternate, Mindfactory, and Computeruniverse are your go-to shops, and prices are generally fair compared to the rest of Europe.
CPU: Ryzen 5 7600 or Intel Core i5-13400/14400.
GPU: RX 7600 or RTX 4060.
RAM: 16GB DDR5 6000 MT/s CL 30.
Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD.
PSU: 650-750 Watt. Don’t cheap out — get a name brand.
Case: Need good airflow and good fans. I’ve used Musetex cases before as they are well made and affordable.
That should land well within €1500 with room to spare.
Organic_Ad3558@reddit
Perfect, Germany is actually a great place to build a PC — Alternate, Mindfactory, and Computeruniverse are your go-to shops, and prices are generally fair compared to the rest of Europe.
Organic_Ad3558@reddit
For 1080p/60hz with 4-5 year longevity, you honestly don’t need to go crazy on the GPU. Something like an RX 7600 or RTX 4060 will handle everything at 1080p for years. Take the rest of your money and spend it on a solid system.
CPU: Ryzen 5 7600 or Intel Core i5-13400/14400. Modern platform with good longevity.
GPU: RX 7600 or RTX 4060.
RAM: 16GB DDR5 (or DDR4 depending on the motherboard you choose).
Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD.
PSU: Don’t cheap out — a quality 650W is worth every euro.
Case: Needs good air flow and good fans. I’ve used Musetex cases a lot as they are well designed and are affordable.
absentlyric@reddit
You don't have to avoid pre-builts if you buy from reputable companies. The good ones will tell you exactly what components are being put in, and you can usually sub for better ones. I've been building for 30 years, and my last two builds were pre-built, I went with NZXT and they haven't steered me wrong yet in 7 years.
Blazed_Reaper@reddit
I think it may just be better to buy a prebuilt one right now
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
Yeah but would 1500€ be feasable with prebuilds?
Blazed_Reaper@reddit
I got a decent one for $519. RTX 4060, Intel Core 13th Gen i5-13600KF, 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB storage. Good for Mid 1440p gaming.
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
Thats a steal. Its insane over here, people often demand retail prices for 3 year old hardware, stating that they paid 1500€ for it and therefore they are convinced its still worth 1300€. I've noticed that places like the USA are usually cheaper with used stuff
jhaluska@reddit
It's not always cheaper than the rest of the world, I suspect more people are selling here and a few just don't know the value.
But I can attest there's plenty of people who are trying to reclaim 90% of the original price in the US as well.
Blazed_Reaper@reddit
That’s crazy
Murky-View-3380@reddit
Absolutely, scan facebook marketplace and do your own research into the parts listed and make a smart assessment if its worth your value
jhaluska@reddit
It's definitely not the best time. I the trick to buy the minimum computer that will make you happy. That might be a used 500€ machine.
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
Well I'm happy with something that can run basically everything at HD@60hz as my monitors cant even do more. But I need it to still do that after 4 or 5 years. I used to buy cheap stuff and end up replacing it after a year or so and I'm sick of that
jhaluska@reddit
Build an entry level AM5 system and upgrade the CPU/GPU in 4-5 years. It's about the best you can do without a lot regret.
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
Ok so basically just lets say a Ryzen 5, RX9070 and I suppose a 16GB RAM kit and hope that a 32gb kit will be cheaper in the future?
jhaluska@reddit
Well the RX9070 is more than enough. I'd probably recommend the 9060 XT 16GB.
But yeah, that's the hope. That should be the minimum that will give you 60 fps for 4 years and hope prices are better in the future.
AMD should release new processors in about a year. So in 4 years you could easily upgrade from like a 7000 series to that.
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
But wouldnt that mean I'll have to switch up the mainboard etc again?
WolfCorrect7973@reddit
500 for ram and 1k for gpu and you still need the rest
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
Where are you getting 500 for ram? It might be expensive but I can get 16GB for about 150€
WolfCorrect7973@reddit
Well, in my country everything seems to be extra expensive, but lucky you when 16 kit is 150 for you, then you might be able to get something for yourself with that 1,5k
jarow_@reddit
I think it's difficult to say. The main price issue right now is with RAM and not sure if it'll ever drop back down
Blazed_Reaper@reddit
And the SSD
RC_ADDICT_5B@reddit
Oh yeah, I was wondering? I thought I paied less than $100 for a WD black a couple years ago, what is up with SSD prices?
WillPill_@reddit
NAND shortages as production capacity is being diverted toward HBM for AI.
Blazed_Reaper@reddit
Not sure, I got a 990 Pro for $144.99 in 2023, that same one is $414.99
RC_ADDICT_5B@reddit
What would suck is if prices get even higher. I don't know common PC shopping places in Europe, but often if you wait and pull the trigger on the perfect Micro Center bundle, it may be worth it. I have steadily built mine from deals and I have no regrets so far.
Siuiuiuuuiuiuiu@reddit (OP)
Hardware is generally a bit more expensive here and sales arent as aggressive
Murky-View-3380@reddit
I bought my prebuild last year and the same listing is up 40% now. It really matters how long youd be willing to wait, if it came down it it and i had to purchase my computer now i would second guess myself but at the same time wonder if prices are just going to stay up here for some time if not go higher.