LogFAQs > #963722905

GameLord113 posted...

And how much did that gaming PC cost you? How much has it cost to upgrade it since you bought it years ago?

I can't speak for him, but mine cost about $1100 CDN when I built it in 2011 (at which point CAD and USD were roughly at par). In 2015, I spent another ~$500 (about 350 USD at that point) upgrading the PSU and GPU, and I've interspersed another $250 or so ($190) on QoL upgrades (SSD, replacement SSD when the first died, extra hard drive, that sort of thing) that don't really affect the game-playing ability and therefore don't really need to be included in the comparison. It's starting to show its age and I'll need to do some major upgrades to play Elden Ring (basically all the core components), but I'm in no rush for that and it's doing a fine job of playing pretty much everything else I care about.

It's more expensive than one or even two consoles would have been over that time frame, certainly, but I've saved more than the difference by capitalizing on Steam sales and bundles that have at least been more convenient and accessible than comparable bargains would have been on consoles, if not actually cheaper (note that PC gets Gamepass as well, so that's not a factor in the comparison). On top of that, I've spent just as much (if not more) of my time with this computer using it for non-gaming computer functions, including watching things, doing school work, keeping in touch with friends through Skype and later Discord, and making posts like this. If I went with an Xbox or Playstation instead of a PC, I'd still want a desktop to fill all of those needs (or at least a laptop that I configured like a desktop), and that would still add an extra $600-800(especially if I cheaped out on a prebuilt and had to replace it every few years) to what I've spent since 2011. Toss in the ability to play multiplayer games with my friends that predominantly play PC games and the better control options, and it's really a no-brainer.

Now, the inflated price of components amid the crypto craze and semiconductor shortage do throw a wrench into the comparison. It's quite a bit more expensive to get into PC gaming now than it was in 2011, which is a big part of why I'm not rushing out to do the upgrades I'll need to tide me over for another decade. To that end, in this moment, buying an XSX or PS5 might be the better option for those that can actually find one. Long-term, though? PC is still generally going to be the more cost-effective option.