Cynical rant.

There's 3 levels of how much people will tell you to spend on a gaming PC.

* Level 1: The budget they use when trying to convince you that PC gaming is the way to go, particularly if they're making an impassioned argument against console gaming. Typically about $400-600.
* Level 2: The budget they tell you you should set yourself to get a good gaming experience once they're convinced you want a gaming PC. Typically $800-1000.
* Level 3: The budget you're actually left with after you realise that you needed some peripherals and after they're done telling you to swap out X part for Y part several times over, usually because "it's just slightly more money and a lot better" or "that part is being phased out and a better version comes out next month". Typically $1200-1500.
* Secret Level 4: The actual amount of money they've spent on their own set up, all while unironically claiming that PC gaming is more cost effective: $2k+