2010 - built PC - ~$500 - Phenom II X4 + onboard graphics
2015 - added GTX 960 to play games - <$300
2017 - replaced w/ Ryzen 1700 build - ~$800 - new mobo, CPU, RAM, PSU - kept boot drive from OG build
2018 - upgraded to NVMe drive - $200 - repurpose old Phenom II x4 build as NAS w/ older drive (SSD) - ~$200 (doesn’t count NAS drives)
2022 - upgrade CPU to 5600, GPU to 6650XT - $430
2024 - moved to ITX case - ~$400 - new mobo and case, kept same PSU - upgraded NAS to old 1700 CPU, better case, etc
So, in 14 years, I’ve done 5 upgrades, each of which took something like 30 min. Total spent, $2700, so <$200/year. That’s less than many pre-builts, which are often replaced after 5 years. Idk about you, but this is a really good tradeoff for time vs money.
so many other hobbies have costs that sneak up on you too. You know what you’re getting into when you build a computer. When I first started getting into photography I learned lenses can be significantly more expensive than the actual body.
And how much do you value your time?
Here’s the history of my PC:
So, in 14 years, I’ve done 5 upgrades, each of which took something like 30 min. Total spent, $2700, so <$200/year. That’s less than many pre-builts, which are often replaced after 5 years. Idk about you, but this is a really good tradeoff for time vs money.
PC gaming is a really cheap hobby as far as hobbies go. A good experience is only a few thousand dollar a decade
so many other hobbies have costs that sneak up on you too. You know what you’re getting into when you build a computer. When I first started getting into photography I learned lenses can be significantly more expensive than the actual body.