Should I even bother getting/building a pc right now?
Posted by Fabulous_Leading_686@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 42 comments
I’m a broke college student and will be trying to get a job fairly soon. I enjoy playing story based games time and again, but with most of the important components getting really expensive I was wondering if I should wait it out for a bit(say a year or two).
I would say right now I can probably afford to build a low end pc with most of the parts from Facebook marketplace. The only parts in my budget right now would be like ddr4 ram, rtx 3060ti and stuff like that(I would appreciate any suggestions about better parts).
So as the title of the post implies, should I go for it or should I get my money up and get better stuff later(hoping prices will go down)?
StudioSubstantial224@reddit
Yea I reckon stick to am4 and and get a 50 series card. Either 5060ti or something lower.
Bichaelcycle@reddit
what is your budget?
Fabulous_Leading_686@reddit (OP)
Like $750 usd, already got the monitor, headphones and stuff.
AzureBat@reddit
If you enjoy looking for deals, especially on used parts, I'd say go for it.
Let's say you find a used 3070 for $250, that leaves you with $500 to look for the rest of the components, which should be doable if you find someone selling their old PC.
Look for either AM4 or any of the previous intel CPU from gen 10-14.
psychocopter@reddit
Plus, you can get a very cheap mid size case with fans for under 50 on amazon, maybe even cheaper if you find someone's used system
KennySells@reddit
This is absolutely doable if you're willing to do some hunting my man. I'm also on a budget but needed to build a new PC, got it done for a bit above what you're looking to do but could easily have downgraded the GPU, cheaper CPU cooler, and if needed downgrading CPU+mobo so you can get DDR4.
Linking for reference
https://pcpartpicker.com/user/choccymilkcs/saved/4VZdrH
its_all_4_lulz@reddit
Around 2015 I picked a budget machine from a website and built it to their spec for around $800. It was mid range, GTX 960. I put her away this year, but didn’t even bother building. I tried, but it seemed impossible. In late March, I picked up one of those Ibuypower machines from BB instead, for 2k, and the price has since gone up to 2700. The markets crazy.
What I’m trying to say is I don’t think $750 is worth it anymore. What you could build at this price would probably be so bad that you would feel ripped off.
While others keep saying PS5, I’m thinking maybe a Steam Deck since it would give you all of steam for games.
Admirral@reddit
why not get a gaming handheld? pretty sure you can get something decent for that budget and you can easily plug that into monitors/mouse/keyboard. Plus you get mobility.
I been considering moving my gaming machine to a handheld for a while. I am a software engineer/home lab operator and honestly with the direction prices are moving, I only purchase parts for business/productivity use first. anything for gaming is the hand-me-downs. I actually recently bought two 5060 ti 16gb's and will be converting my current gaming machine (i9 14900k) into an LLM inference server while taking my less reliable (and older) ryzen 9 machine doing the gaming on it (with an older card I am retiring from ai use). Once this older rig dies, which it will, its replacemnt will be either a legion go or rog ally.
Bichaelcycle@reddit
yeah id suggest atleast 1k for the build itself
Zoenobium@reddit
Get a steam deck friend. That should serve you better as someone without much space for a PC setup and with the component prices as stupid as they are now a steam deck is an incredibly good value. Itäs also a full on PC in a tiny you can get a lot of use out of besides gaming if you really want to.
Remarkable-Sample273@reddit
What gives OP the idea that “prices will go down”?!! Odds are that Taiwan will be absorbed by China before Trump leaves office so buy what you want before then.
an80sPWNstar@reddit
Have you look at the local classifieds? Buying new right now is a joke until a major holiday. Facebook marketplace is a really good place to look
Fabulous_Leading_686@reddit (OP)
Yeah, but idk how to check if the stuff works, most of it is open box and there’s no proof of if the thing actually works
an80sPWNstar@reddit
You can ask to have them send you a video. You can also demand to try it at their house before you buy it. I've done that before
Fabulous_Leading_686@reddit (OP)
Might have to try that, my main focus is a good graphics card(I know very little about which ones good and which one not as good) Which one should I go for ? I see a lot of 30 series and rarely some 40series
an80sPWNstar@reddit
Depends on what you want to do. Don't go with anything lower than a 3060 if possible. 8gb vram minimum, aim for 12gb. You may also need to Frankenstein your build and buy each part separately.
Fabulous_Leading_686@reddit (OP)
Kk, I was thinking of going for either a 3060 ti or 3080.
an80sPWNstar@reddit
I had a 3080ti and it rocked for 2k gaming before DLSS become as crazy good as it is now. The 3060 can use DLSS 4.5 so if you are looking to save money, get that. If you want more vram, just look to see whatever fits your budget.
Sardonic29@reddit
I have a 1070 and I haven't found anything that maxes it out. But I guess I also don't really like realistic AAA games, but you could look at the system requirements for what you want to play.
Admirral@reddit
we are in that phase where gaming performance/quality hit a plateau. Its not really about the latest and prettiest graphics anymore. Your 1070 will literally last for as long as nvidia keeps supporting it. imo, "the best" graphics dont necessarily equate to better game at all. PS4-era graphics are kind of that point where you really don't need to get any better than that. Just doesn't make a huge difference for me.
Sardonic29@reddit
Well, I suppose it lasts as long as developers can't get away with highly inefficient games, if I want to play games from those developers. But yes, there's definitely a limit to how good of graphics the human eye and brain can process, and lower than that, a limit to what you can display on a 1080p monitor. And even lower than that, the level of graphics I care about. They're just one of many things you could include in a game (as I think you feel as well).
Admirral@reddit
agreed. im at that point where high graphics fidelity might be nice to look at for like 5 minutes, but then after that who really cares. maybe there are a few niche cases where it would be cool, like those videos of the photo-realistic shooter game (which I think was made to look photo-realistic through camera techniques and not actual crazy high graphics). but overall, graphics dont make a game for me. Good art does. Great gameplay. and that can be enjoyed on any hardware over the last 10 years or more imo.
The greatest limit will just be software. how long will they support driver updates. But then I see no reason to blast 5k on a 5090 when a $300 card today will do the trick no problem.
Sardonic29@reddit
I've definitely seen some cool graphics (of the type that require more processing power), they can be a nice feature in a game, but so can anything else. Minecraft, Tetris, and Stardew Valley are some of the highest selling games of all time. And as you pointed out, most nice graphics don't need a lot of rendering if you make them well in the first place. Superhot is one game I can think of that looks very visually interesting, but can run with just 1 GB of VRAM.
The only real gaming use case I've seen for something like a 5090 is being able to record or stream in 4k on the same computer that you're running the game on. Although I suspect a 4090 could do that just fine. Then regular consumers just want in on the hype. Same with an M4 iPad Pro, the M1 is so good you can barely tell a difference.
And obviously rendering in Blender or a video editor, but that's not really a gaming PC.
I still think some of the best games are run in emulators. :)
puregentleman1911@reddit
I spent $69 for a 1TB 990 Pro from Newegg last year. Now it’s over $300. The answer is hell no.
ecktt@reddit
If you want it, build it.
For the past 10 years, something has f'ked up the market.
TheOriginalKrampus@reddit
What’s your budget?
Honestly, gaming laptops are not a bad option. Upgradeability is limited, but they are very competitive in price right now compared to similarly priced desktop PCs. They’re also great if you’re a student, since you don’t need a separate machine to take to class/library/etc.
But if you already have a laptop, then it might make more sense to source used desktop PCs or components.
yahyahyehcocobungo@reddit
If you need it, just grab something from the store.
dulun18@reddit
worst time to buy a PC .. but you will get a good prebuilt system every now and then if you want though
even consoles are getting more expensive instead cheaper now a day
itchygentleman@reddit
for $750USD you could probably still find 16GB DDR4 decently priced. a 5600x and probably a 4060 ti or 6700xt. all used, though.
reddit_equals_censor@reddit
no, i'd recommend to wait for the memory nightmare to hopefully be over and hopefully decent graphics cards with rdna5 will be out then as well.
the 3060 ti is already a broken insult with just 8 GB vram, which is broken in 2026 massively.
as you already have some games on the ps5 and i freaking hate the playstation prison, you got sth to game on.
and then just build sth in 2 years or when rdna5 comes out and the memory bubble is over, that will be fine running ps6 games on your pc hopefully just fine and with enough vram and on am5 or the novalake platform (if novalake doesn't suck)
___
and the parts would be so sad, that the 3060 ti could NOT play games, that were made for the ps5. to match the ps5's unified 16 GB vram you need at least 12 GB vram on desktop. so 8 GB vram breaks and is a major issue and we are 2 years away from at least 30 GB unified memory ps6 consoles.
so yeah i'd say stick out with the ps5 for 2 years and then get sth, that will last you while and won't be shit and worse than the ps5 memory wise.
BehelitSkull@reddit
I'd say make sure you have the fastest internet available and subscribe to a cloud gaming streaming service like Geforce Now.
MrRainbowCow@reddit
Looks for bundle deals on Newegg or micro center if you have one nearby. Check Facebook marketplace for good deals on parts or whole pcs!
Searching4Buddha@reddit
It's always difficult to guess the direction of technology prices. I doubt PC componet prices will get any cheaper in the next year or two. However, if the datacenter/AI boom levels off, or declines, and manufacturing capacity increases there's a real possibility of a glut in computer hardware in a couple years. There's plenty of variables that could wreck havoc with that prediction, but historically it seems like there are cycles of shortages and over supply in computer hardware.
Jaded_Specific_7483@reddit
May be cheaper to buy a used pre-built or you’ll have to acquire some parts from eBay. Price wise you’ll probably be looking at AM4–5600/5600x, b550m, 3200/3600 16gb 2x8gb, Msi mag psu, Peerless Assassin cooler.
begginer_gooner@reddit
The new Xbox will be around $1000 and will blow whatever you build right now out of the water and it will have steam. Just wait 2 more years.
nickw1372@reddit
honestly, and i may get some flak for this but id just get a ps5 currently, unless there are games you really want to play that aren't on ps5. you might be able to get a used ps5 pro if you have the budget for it.
if a console is a no go and you really want a pc you could try and wait to see what the steam machine is gonna cost but i honestly cant really see it being a great deal cost wise.
you might be able to build something decent enough if you buy used parts but that can be a real pain in the ass.
pc market is pretty shit right now and imo cost of entry for something decently modern and new is about $1000 - $1200
pukeonbawls@reddit
Honestly I’d say a PlayStation and then get their version of gamepass and just do that. FYI the gamepass goes on sale during Black Friday time as well usually
Fabulous_Leading_686@reddit (OP)
Yeah I have a whole list of games I’ll probably buy around that time and save for later when I will have a good enough pc
Airstrict@reddit
I've been wheeling and dealing on Facebook marketplace myself for the past few weeks.
Managed to get a £2000 worth of parts for £1500.
Depending on your budget, I'd either say maybe look at a used pc on Facebook or save up with a new job, but if you can afford at least 1000, you can get something decent.
Prices probably won't go down for a while, which is why I bit the bullet.
If you're adamant on building one now, maybe prioritise CPU that'll last a few generations and save up for a better GPU later? You won't be playing modern AAA if you're broke. If you have the budget, get everything and then spend the rest of your budget on GPU.
Whatever you do, don't cheap out on your power supply. Make sure it's gold standard minimum.
Fabulous_Leading_686@reddit (OP)
That’s really helpful dude, thanks
NoDrama127@reddit
Broke student and you play mostly story based games. Just get a used PS5. It's incredible value and you save tons.
Fabulous_Leading_686@reddit (OP)
Sorry didn’t word it right in the post, I like playing story based and offline fps games. I did get a PS5, but I grew up playing on computers so it’s not as much fun playing offline fps games on the thing.