Why do people think computers are expensive?

hatefulpeace · March 2017

I was thinking while I went snowmobiling yesterday, I have a really old low end snowmobile 1998 xcr 600, it's worth like a grand. People went by me on the trail with 10 to 15 grand machines. Now where I live snowmobiles are useable like 1s to 2s a year maybe. Some times not at all. Yet here are people who have 15 grand machines for thier hobby.

I don't understand why people think a computer like a 7700k 1080ti are expensive. It's like 1400 if you make it your self, or most 2000. Maybe 2500 if you buy a higher end 4k monitor. A computer is usefully 24 7 , most people who have one use it 5 through 14 hours a day. They last up to 5 plus years.

So are the majority of gamers just generally more poor compared to every one else? Or what is it. I mean snowmobiles are just one. Race cars, 4 wheelers, sports cars, hunting, intact almost every hobby is 10 times more expensive than pc gaming.

flizzer · March 2017

Computers are expensive, that's why. Not everyone can build their own. I spend $4,000 or so whenever I want the latest and greatest and considering doing that yet again.

Katilla · March 2017

There are those of us who can not afford a snowmobile who would still love to have one. There are those of us who can not afford a 1080Ti that would love to have one.
There are those of us who work hard for a living, but have to spend money on bills and rent and food and car insurance and possibly children who love gaming but can not always afford the best parts. Personally I work retail and can't afford everything I want, so while you are basically insulting the majority of the PC community for not having disposable incomes, you are insulting the average person like me who work hard for what they can get.

Entitled much?

eruexe · March 2017

I quit pc building just because I won't be able to cope with with how fast the industry is going. Instead opting to probably squeeze what I could with my pc.

Friend told me I spend a lot on computer games, ironically though, he spends a lot on his car and IDGAF about that.

Priorities I guess.

hatefulpeace · March 2017

Katilla said:

There are those of us who can not afford a snowmobile who would still love to have one. There are those of us who can not afford a 1080Ti that would love to have one.
There are those of us who work hard for a living, but have to spend money on bills and rent and food and car insurance and possibly children who love gaming but can not always afford the best parts. Personally I work retail and can't afford everything I want, so while you are basically insulting the majority of the PC community for not having disposable incomes, you are insulting the average person like me who work hard for what they can get.

Entitled much?

It has nothing to do with entitled. I didn't say anywhere that people got pc for free from the government. I guess you did answer the question though pc gamers are generally more poor, then people who pick other hobbies, and grumpy.

How am I insulting you. I didn't say people who couldn't afford computers are bad. I was trying to figure out why people think pc gaming is expensive. When compared to every other hobby everywhere minus a few like console gaming, it is cheap as dirt.

I gotta give the snowmobile community props though, even though I was rocking a 1000 dollar junker, no helmet, and garbage snowmobile cloths worth like 50 bucks, they were all nice to me. Offered to help me when my belt blew up.

The point was not to offend you, obviously I'm poor compared to all those people. I have the same cloths I've had for 10 years, my snowmobile is a junker I gotta fix every day, my house is a double wide from 20 years ago, I eat ramen noodles.

The point is computers when compared to other hobbies is not expensive as people make it look.

MagikarpsGhost · March 2017

hatefulpeace said:

I was thinking while I went snowmobiling yesterday, I have a really old low end snowmobile 1998 xcr 600, it's worth like a grand. People went by me on the trail with 10 to 15 grand machines. Now where I live snowmobiles are useable like 1s to 2s a year maybe. Some times not at all. Yet here are people who have 15 grand machines for thier hobby.

I don't understand why people think a computer like a 7700k 1080ti are expensive. It's like 1400 if you make it your self, or most 2000. Maybe 2500 if you buy a higher end 4k monitor. A computer is usefully 24 7 , most people who have one use it 5 through 14 hours a day. They last up to 5 plus years.

So are the majority of gamers just generally more poor compared to every one else? Or what is it. I mean snowmobiles are just one. Race cars, 4 wheelers, sports cars, hunting, intact almost every hobby is 10 times more expensive than pc gaming.

i work for IHSS (inhome support services) i take care of a disabled woman full time and only get 1k a month. that is LESS then a full time retail job. So my 780 dollar computer is the best i can get. It can't run everything on ultra but it lets me enjoy my games in the least.

hatefulpeace · March 2017

eruexe said:

I quit pc building just because I won't be able to cope with with how fast the industry is going. Instead opting to probably squeeze what I could with my pc.

Friend told me I spend a lot on computer games, ironically though, he spends a lot on his car and IDGAF about that.

Priorities I guess.

See how could he say that. I'm not sure was idgaf is , but cars are way way more expensive than pcs. A high end speaker system for a car is like 2 grand, the cars are 10 through a million. So again it makes pc gaming cheap. It is still one of the cheapest hobbies i can think of.

cameltosis · March 2017

Gaming PCs are expensive in comparison to other gaming platforms and for the average gamer.

So, before christmas I bought my brother an xbox 1 for his birthday. Cost me £250 for Xbox 1 S with Battlefield 1. That console will last him a minimum of 3 years.

If I wanted to buy him a gaming PC that would last him for the next 3 years, I'm looking at £750 - £1000 minimum, up to £2000+ for a top spec. So, the comparison is not good.

Similarly, you need to take into account the ages of gamers. Average age is now around 30 for gamers, so your average gamer has to pay for education, cars, rent / mortgage, maybe marriage and first / second child.....there are a lot of big expenses during this time of our lives, on top of shitty wages as we're waiting for promotions and the like. So, finding £1000 for a new computer is a lot.

So yeh, compared to a snow mobile, they're cheap, but in general they aren't.

hatefulpeace · March 2017

cameltosis said:

Gaming PCs are expensive in comparison to other gaming platforms and for the average gamer.

So, before christmas I bought my brother an xbox 1 for his birthday. Cost me £250 for Xbox 1 S with Battlefield 1. That console will last him a minimum of 3 years.

If I wanted to buy him a gaming PC that would last him for the next 3 years, I'm looking at £750 - £1000 minimum, up to £2000+ for a top spec. So, the comparison is not good.

Similarly, you need to take into account the ages of gamers. Average age is now around 30 for gamers, so your average gamer has to pay for education, cars, rent / mortgage, maybe marriage and first / second child.....there are a lot of big expenses during this time of our lives, on top of shitty wages as we're waiting for promotions and the like. So, finding £1000 for a new computer is a lot.

So yeh, compared to a snow mobile, they're cheap, but in general they aren't.

It's not just snowmobiling. Campers,cars,boating,atvs,collecting dolls,cloths as a hobby,eating at expensive restaurants as a hobby, drinking,smoking, almost everything.

Yeah console gaming is slightly cheaper. Not by much. Especially when you add in the 9.99 a month fee to just use it online. It is cheaper though. So your saying pc gaming is considered expensive because people generally compare it to consoles. That makes sense then.

Arkade99 · March 2017

You sound like someone who has never had to live check to check. For many people, 2k is a lot of money and spending it on a computer to play video games takes a back seat to paying the rent, buying food, buying clothes for their kids, etc. It's great that you have enough disposable money that you can afford all these luxuries, but many people can't.

laxie · March 2017

hatefulpeace said:
So are the majority of gamers just generally more poor compared to every one else?

I think it's this.

Even though it's a huge generalisation (there will be many exceptions), the average person playing video games is very different to the average person owning a snowmobile. Advertisers are interested in games because of the golden demographic - that is males 18-25, who represent a big chunk of gamers. My guess is that this golden chunk is actually the second biggest, following teenage males (12-18).

Teenagers have very little to spend. The possibility of spending 1000$ on a PC was completely out of reach when I was 15. I often buy video games and upgrade my PC. But this hobby represents the majority of my disposable income. It's the same of my friends - even if they have decent full-time jobs, upgrading a computer means spending the majority of money you have. If you were 21 and making enough not to feel 1000$ at all, you likely wouldn't have time to play games.

My father's hobby are cars and motorbikes. He has a group of 10 friends who often ride together around Europe. All of the people are small business owners, with above average income. Some of them also play games - but if they do, they have 1-2 favourite games. They won't be following latest trends. They also won't be of the main interest to the industry. The one exception are Free-To-Play mobile games. From what I understand, my dad's possy would be the ideal customer for Farmville.

CrazKanuk · March 2017

hatefulpeace said:

cameltosis said:

Gaming PCs are expensive in comparison to other gaming platforms and for the average gamer.

So, before christmas I bought my brother an xbox 1 for his birthday. Cost me £250 for Xbox 1 S with Battlefield 1. That console will last him a minimum of 3 years.

If I wanted to buy him a gaming PC that would last him for the next 3 years, I'm looking at £750 - £1000 minimum, up to £2000+ for a top spec. So, the comparison is not good.

Similarly, you need to take into account the ages of gamers. Average age is now around 30 for gamers, so your average gamer has to pay for education, cars, rent / mortgage, maybe marriage and first / second child.....there are a lot of big expenses during this time of our lives, on top of shitty wages as we're waiting for promotions and the like. So, finding £1000 for a new computer is a lot.

So yeh, compared to a snow mobile, they're cheap, but in general they aren't.

It's not just snowmobiling. Campers,cars,boating,atvs,collecting dolls,cloths as a hobby,eating at expensive restaurants as a hobby, drinking,smoking, almost everything.

Yeah console gaming is slightly cheaper. Not by much. Especially when you add in the 9.99 a month fee to just use it online. It is cheaper though. So your saying pc gaming is considered expensive because people generally compare it to consoles. That makes sense then.

Yeah, I tend to agree with him. Also, when you talk about the monthly, that's valid, but what about computer components? I mean if you want to have the highest performance possible, then you're switching our your graphics card like, what? Every 2-3 years? Also, consoles are just easier to use in general, so it makes them more accessible. The biggest problem facing PCs, as far as I see it, is convincing people of their value. I think you'd have difficulties selling a regular Joe on a $1000, top-of-the-line gaming PC. Most can't really tell the difference unless you give them side-by-sides.

Honestly, I think it depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for the cleanest, most realistic graphics, then PC is probably the way to go. If you want to pick up and play, then console is probably better. Actually, console is probably better for large-screen gaming, too. I say that tongue-in-cheek because I have my main gaming PC hooked up to a TV in my bedroom, lol. That's only because I use it primarily for games that aren't twitchy, so I don't much care about responsiveness.

[Deleted User] · March 2017

The user and all related content has been deleted.

flizzer · March 2017

I have always been a PC gamer but considering the cost of graphics cards and new ones each year, I wonder if I should switch to consoles. If the MMOs I played were on consoles I probably would at this point.

Sovrath · March 2017

hatefulpeace said:

I was thinking while I went snowmobiling yesterday, I have a really old low end snowmobile 1998 xcr 600, it's worth like a grand. People went by me on the trail with 10 to 15 grand machines. Now where I live snowmobiles are useable like 1s to 2s a year maybe. Some times not at all. Yet here are people who have 15 grand machines for thier hobby.

I don't understand why people think a computer like a 7700k 1080ti are expensive. It's like 1400 if you make it your self, or most 2000. Maybe 2500 if you buy a higher end 4k monitor. A computer is usefully 24 7 , most people who have one use it 5 through 14 hours a day. They last up to 5 plus years.

So are the majority of gamers just generally more poor compared to every one else? Or what is it. I mean snowmobiles are just one. Race cars, 4 wheelers, sports cars, hunting, intact almost every hobby is 10 times more expensive than pc gaming.

I think you are mixing up groups of people.

So, ok someone has a 15k snow mobile. Does that mean everyone has a 15k snow mobile? Are the people who own a 15k snow mobile also the same people complaining that computers are expensive?

Are the people who complain about expensive computers also people who own expensive snow mobiles or motor cycles or boats?

For some people computers are expensive. As well as snow mobiles, boats, cars, motorcycles, etc.

And, as some have indicated, "priorities".

I just spent 2k on a new computer and 5k on an Italy trip but don't really feel buying a car is worth it as I live in a city and don't need or want one.

hatefulpeace · March 2017

So it's consoles then, thanks for explaining. Sorry I made every one who is defensive of their income mad. I'm poor lol but I don't get mad if some one has more than me, or jealous. If I want it i go figure out how to make it happen. To get that snowmobile I had to trade some one on Craigslist my ps4 pro and psvr.

someforumguy · March 2017

You don't need a flawed analogy to understand that for people with a limited budget, a gaming PC can be expensive. This goes basically for anything that is seen as luxury product (gaming pc that is, not normal pc).

Gaming PC's also become outdated a lot faster then other electronic products.

Shavanna · March 2017

There are people who don't earn much money, but buy e.g. expensive cars (by saving money or by bank loans). The same thing happens for other hobbies, but for computers we're talking about how expensive they are. It may be a matter of the perspective where to put your money into, but it also has something to do with how acceptable a hoppy is in our society. Driving expensive cars may have apositive effect on your social status, but does pc-gaming has the same? Obviously not.

So, why should you put so much money into a hobby where you cant benefit socially?

redneckgamer · March 2017

To the op, you realize that you can spend 15k on a computer too and that will zoom past your 2k computer? Any hobby can be expensive of you have the money to spend on it.

timtrack · March 2017

Who are these "people" you speak of? Did i miss some poll or survey?

Rusque · March 2017

Here you go OP, pop in your annual income (gross) http://fusion.net/story/41833/wealth-gap-calculator-are-you-in-the-millennial-one-percent/ and see where you rank compared to the population of the US.

$50k a year puts you in the top 15% of earners.

$100,000 a year puts you in the top 2% of earners.

This is gross income. $2000 is not an insignificant amount of money at these income levels. Especially once you start looking at remaining discretionary income after normal expenditures. As others have said, people make their own priorities, but gaming PC's are expensive to most of the population.

hatefulpeace · March 2017

redneckgamer said:

To the op, you realize that you can spend 15k on a computer too and that will zoom past your 2k computer? Any hobby can be expensive of you have the money to spend on it.

Man it wont zoom past a 2k comptuer. A i7 7700k, with a 1080ti, vs a 6950x, with 4x 1080ti, would have such little difference in Gaming it is not worth talking about. Even a 6950x and 4x 1080tis dont equal 15 grand. In the majority of games, the i7 7700k with a single 1080ti, would get 10-20 percent better fps than a quad 1080 tis. I dont even know what 15 grand computer your talking about, there are no better gaming computer than a 7700k, and 2 1080 tis. You could prolly get up to 15 grand if your talking about a server computer, but that would not beat a 7700k in gaming.

hatefulpeace · March 2017

someforumguy said:

You don't need a flawed analogy to understand that for people with a limited budget, a gaming PC can be expensive. This goes basically for anything that is seen as luxury product (gaming pc that is, not normal pc).

Gaming PC's also become outdated a lot faster then other electronic products.

You guys totally missed the whole point, which was I hear people, who have 15k snowmobiles, 30k campers, 15k atvs, tell me 2k for a computer is too much, and its not. I didn't say hey guys, you think a guy who can only afford to just get by, would think a 2k computer is a alot of money.

Sovrath · March 2017

hatefulpeace said:

someforumguy said:

You don't need a flawed analogy to understand that for people with a limited budget, a gaming PC can be expensive. This goes basically for anything that is seen as luxury product (gaming pc that is, not normal pc).

Gaming PC's also become outdated a lot faster then other electronic products.

You guys totally missed the whole point, which was I hear people, who have 15k snowmobiles, 30k campers, 15k atvs, tell me 2k for a computer is too much, and its not. I didn't say hey guys, you think a guy who can only afford to just get by, would think a 2k computer is a alot of money.

I think it must have been your original post and that it wasn't as clear as what you just wrote above.

So to answer your question again (and the same as others) it's priorities and what people value.

A girlfriend of mine spends quite a lot per month on classes for yoga, circus arts, handstand class and the gym. We go to the same gym and I now spend $60 per month on the gym over what I used to spend ($10) as she belongs and it's easier to go with an exercise partner.

She now wants to take classes at the gym as well as personal training. I said "no" not because I can't afford it but because I don't want to pay it. Her priorities are physical fitness "all the time" and mine are physical fitness "not all the time".

As I said above, bought a new computer and went to Italy but feel a car is a waste of money. I'll go to Paris, and London next year and Vienna and Spain the year after that.

But I would never spend money on camping gear or, say, "having a family".

Other people would. It's all about what people value over other things. It's not how much money it's what that money is being spent for.

Rusque · March 2017

hatefulpeace said:

someforumguy said:

You don't need a flawed analogy to understand that for people with a limited budget, a gaming PC can be expensive. This goes basically for anything that is seen as luxury product (gaming pc that is, not normal pc).

Gaming PC's also become outdated a lot faster then other electronic products.

You guys totally missed the whole point, which was I hear people, who have 15k snowmobiles, 30k campers, 15k atvs, tell me 2k for a computer is too much, and its not. I didn't say hey guys, you think a guy who can only afford to just get by, would think a 2k computer is a alot of money.

But you didn't say that in your OP. That's an incredibly specific scenario. You're question was,

"So are the majority of gamers just generally more poor compared to every one else?"

If you wanted to know why people who buy other high ticket items think PC gaming is expensive, then just ask that. Which, btw, Sovrath has answered for you anyway.

Distopia · March 2017

hatefulpeace said:

someforumguy said:

You don't need a flawed analogy to understand that for people with a limited budget, a gaming PC can be expensive. This goes basically for anything that is seen as luxury product (gaming pc that is, not normal pc).

Gaming PC's also become outdated a lot faster then other electronic products.

You guys totally missed the whole point, which was I hear people, who have 15k snowmobiles, 30k campers, 15k atvs, tell me 2k for a computer is too much, and its not. I didn't say hey guys, you think a guy who can only afford to just get by, would think a 2k computer is a alot of money.

It's still about what one deems the worth of the purchase, just because a person has a 15k snowmobile, doesn't mean they think 2k isn't too much for a PC. As it really depends on what they want from a PC. Many in general have moved away from PC's because cheaper products fill their needs (tablets, etc). Not everyone looks at a pc as a gaming or production tool (the uses that drive the PC's price upward), the majority probably do not.

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