The concept of a reasonable price for a gaming PC can be subjective, varying from person to person. Ultimately, what is deemed ‘reasonable’ for one may not be for another. However, some common rules of thumb still apply. In general, a gaming PC should provide the ability to play current generation games in high graphical settings, as well as have some headroom to upgrade in the future. Additionally, certain factors such as type of hardware, quality of components and the build configuration may all need to be taken into consideration when deciding a reasonable price.
Hardware Components
At the most basic level, a good gaming system will include several core components: a CPU, GPU, RAM, motherboard and storage. A general rule of thumb is to opt for high-end components when building a gaming PC, as these will perform better and last longer than their budget alternatives. While there are many different options available, Intel and NVIDIA offer top of the line CPUs and GPUs respectively. Additionally, a popular choice for RAM is 16GB of DDR4, although cheaper options such as 8GB DDR3 are available and still adequate for gaming purposes. When it comes to motherboards, an ATX form factor is the most usual.
Storage
When it comes to storage, one of the most important factors to consider is the type of drive. At a minimum, a gaming PC should have a solid state drive (SSD) for the operating system, as this will provide faster loading times for programs and games. For extra storage, a traditional hard drive (HDD) can be installed alongside the SSD, although this will not provide the same level of performance. Other options such as m.2 SSDs and PCI-E SSDs are also available, although they tend to be more expensive.
Build Quality & Configuration
The quality and configuration of the build can have a direct impact on the performance and reliability of the gaming PC, as well as its price. Generally, it is best to opt for pre-built configurations rather than building the system from scratch. This way, one can be sure that the hardware is compatible and that the system is built with quality components. When deciding on a configuration, it is important to take into account factors such as cooling, power delivery, case size and aesthetics. Additionally, certain components such as monitors, keyboards and mice may also need to be considered.
Price
The price of a gaming PC is ultimately determined by the components and configuration chosen. As a guideline, a gaming PC should generally cost between $1000-2000 USD. This should provide the necessary hardware and configuration to play the latest games on high settings. However, it should still be noted that prices may vary depending on the components and configuration chosen.
Future Upgrades
When it comes to gaming PCs, it is always important to have some room for future upgrades. For this reason, one should consider buying components that are of good quality and have some headroom for upgrades over the coming years. This can be done by opting for higher-end parts whilst still remaining in the $1000-2000 USD price range.
Conclusion & Summary
In conclusion, when deciding on a reasonable price for a gaming PC, one should consider the type of components, quality of components, build configuration and future upgrades. As a guideline, a gaming PC should generally cost between $1000-2000 USD and should provide the necessary hardware and configuration to play the latest games on high settings. Ultimately, however, what is deemed ‘reasonable’ for one may not be for another and the price can vary depending on the components and configuration chosen.
