If you're an avid gamer, you've probably noticed a significant increase in the cost of gaming PCs in recent years. Rising component ...
If you're an avid gamer, you've probably noticed a significant increase in the cost of gaming PCs in recent years. Rising component prices have become a hot topic, with many wondering why enjoying your favorite hobby is getting more and more expensive.
WHAT ARE THE TRENDS
In the past, PC gaming was often viewed as a more affordable alternative to console games. However, in recent years, the cost of building and maintaining a gaming computer has skyrocketed, leaving many gamers feeling frustrated. High-end graphics cards, RAM, storage — the costs associated with gaming have become a barrier for many enthusiasts.
In addition, there is a noticeable lack of optimization in new games in the absence of significant progress in the quality of graphics. Despite this, new games are becoming more and more picky about PC hardware requirements, which leads to the need for users to regularly upgrade to more powerful devices. This increase in requirements also affects the overall cost of gaming components.
WHAT ABOUT THE PRICES OF VIDEO CARDS
The average price of video cards increased the most. With regret, I remember the time when the GTX 680, 780Ti, 980Ti and 1080Ti were released. These cards were considered almost top-end and cost about $600. For comparison, the pre-top cards of the previous generation have been replaced by new mid-range models such as the GTX 770, 970 and 1070, which cost about $350. Pre-top cards provided a performance boost of 50-60% over the previous generation. The arrival of the RTX series graphics adapters in the fall of 2018 marked the end of an era. The RTX 2080Ti, which boasted new technologies, was only 25-30% more efficient than the 1080Ti, but cost twice as much -$1200. The RTX 2070 was priced at $500, which still fell short of the 1080Ti, while the RTX 2080 was priced at $700. These high prices have become the new standard, to the disappointment of many.
In the past, we could get an RTX 4080- level graphics card for as little as $600. However, now for this price we get 3070/3070Ti, which are only 40-50% faster than the top cards from six years ago. The price of the RTX 4070, for example, is $600, but in Russian rubles it sells for about $800-850, which makes it less attractive to buyers. The recently released RTX 4060Ti costs $399, but retails in Russia for around $540. Its performance is slightly better than the RTX 3060Ti.
Overall, it looks like the GTX 1080Ti was the last graphics card to strike a good balance between price and performance. As the price of new models rises, it becomes increasingly difficult for consumers to justify the cost for the performance gains they offer.
AMD followed in the footsteps of Nvidia and is also no longer considered a budget alternative. And, for example, the RTX 4090 from MSI last November cost about 154 thousand rubles. At present, its price has increased to 176 thousand rubles.
Also, a representative of Merlion, one of the major IT distributors, said that retail prices for some models of video cards range from 155 to 165 thousand rubles.
The cost of gaming video cards has really grown due to the adjustment for the dollar exchange rate and prices in rubles. Rising prices for video cards and other components due to the rise in the dollar is a topic that deserves a separate discussion. It is known that Russian retailers tend to raise prices when the dollar rises, but are reluctant to lower prices when the ruble strengthens. They argue that the components were bought at high prices and they don't want to sell at a loss. However, it is not clear why prices rise instantly when the national currency falls, if everything was bought at the old rate. This question is rhetorical, and the answer to it is clear to everyone.
HOW DID THE PRICE OF OTHER COMPONENTS INCREASE?
Here are some more examples of price increases for various components over the past couple of years:
Metallic Gear NEO Air case. A couple of years ago, its price was about 4,500 rubles, and now it costs 7,000-8,000 rubles;
PSU Cougar STX 700W. 1-2 years ago it cost 2,700 rubles, but now it is sold at a price of about 4,200 rubles;
PSU AeroCool AERO WHITE 700W. A little over a year ago, the price of this power supply was 3,000 rubles, and now it is about 4,500 rubles;
cooler ID-COOLING SE-224-XT Basic. Previously, it cost 1,200 rubles, and now - 1,800 rubles;
case fans Arctic P12 PWM PST. These fans cost 400 rubles apiece, but now they are sold for about 700 rubles.
These and other examples clearly demonstrate the increase in the prices of components and a gaming PC by an average of 50% or more.
