Why tech is dead

[oldSock]

Hi everyone it has been a while.

 

So i figured it is time to write something about tech.

 

Is it "fair" to say tech is dead? If so, what prompted me to say that? 

 

First a confession, i am surrounded by budget tech stuff. i Cannot afford 99.5% of what is being reviewed on tech channels. I cannot even imagine buying anything they show without giving up  rent, food and toilet paper. It is simply that expensive. A core i9 looks awesome! But seriously... Who can really afford to buy a brand new i9 system in 2019? The other more important question is. "Do i need it?" 

 

Truth is i don't, i don't do online streaming, video processing, and isn't into photography or anything like that. What i really need is something i can use. Now to put it in perspective, where i live we deal with high import cost so the prices i give here will not reflect what is available to you. Our local PC store had a new 2019 booklet so i figured i will be brave and take a look. Well the most inexpensive system they have starts at $400.00 US "rounded number" For that one gets a last gen i3 4Gb of ram and everything else is onboard.

 

So for 2019 i will be turning my back on computers. No more 5 year old laptop, no more 10 year old desktop PC. Both outdated both still running. Yes i am actually very good at keeping old stuff going.

 

But i figured, my PS4 does a good job playing games. My phone does a good job at word processing and other office stuff like email and the like. So i got myself a second hand Samsung Tab E 9.6.

 

This will be replacing both my old devices and since my phone has already initiated me into the android world, i am already accustom to its functionality.

 

The upside of this change is, everything is mobile and everything uses mobile network and has Wireless. My keyboard and mouse is compatible and works well with both my phone and Tablet.

 

So here i am spending very little money on a office upgrade. Something i will be using every single day. To work, to communicate and so on.

 

So why is this important? Why read this at all? Here is the thing. Intel, Nvida and AMD lost the plot. For a long time now i have been screaming "Why are things so expensive". Now I don't care anymore. Then I realized my friends asked what I use and I helped them move away from the laptop/desktop life. I then realized that people i knew, and knew to be be extreme desktop users gave up on buying the next upgrade?

 

At one point, our local electronic store outright stated "there are NO PS4 systems in stock". What the hell! Seriously. That ALL there PS4 systems was sold out! 

 

Here are people with GOOD jobs earning GOOD money simply stating; "i am done with computers" People stating that they are literally in the market for a good second hand car, rather then spending a dime on computer equipment. People are literally using their "PC budget buying GOLD by the physical OUNCE! 

 

So is tech dead? Yes and it was the PC manufacturers that killed it. Once your product start to compete with actual gold prices, surly there had to be some warning. Last time i check the gold price is  $1,224.50 US Per Ounce. It might have changed already so please google it yourself.

 

Now ask yourself: What is your GPU worth right now? What did you pay for it? Depending on model, age and overall market desirability, you may find that your investment is worth a lot less. Gold on the other hand is reasonably stable investment wise.

 

So nothing i wrote here is new, i am reasonably sure i wrote this before... The new part is, it doesn't bother me anymore. Owning the newest laptop isn't all that wonderful, buying a new phone isn't really a priority. Doing water cooling on everything isn't really a good idea anymore. In short spending money on tech in general isn't what it once was.

 

So what are we witnessing? Simple truth? A disconnect... Don't get me wrong i love sleeper PCs with the best most over the top components. I love the idea of pure sound and 4k or even 8k video. The idea of running a super tripped out i9 IS something i would love to do. Still it is not just a question of "can i afford it" it is a question of "can i use it".

 

Truth is, there will probably be enough customers for Intel, Nvida and AMD. But for the average consumer, other aspects will take priority. Like investment, financial planning and so on and so forth. I haven't seen people spending crazy money yet... Now i repair old systems and keep them going. Truth is, more and more people are making a choice to use their old stuff. And yes there are people that CAN afford new top of the line stuff...

 

Sorry 2019, looks like you will be stuck with yesteryear's tech after all...

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KarathKasun]

Honestly entry level PC's have not gone up in price, there is just a wider performance range of systems to choose from.

 

For college I picked up a decent gaming laptop for ~$700 US over a year ago (1050 Ti, i5-7300HQ, 8gb of ram), and it can play every game at 1080p.  Overall quality settings range from "medium" to "ultra".

 

If you were in the PC rat race so you could say "I have the best parts", yes, costs have gone way up.  Thing is, you don't have to spend that kind of money to have a PC that does what you need.  A $500 system can play pretty much every game on the market at 1080p, in addition to being competent at pretty much every other task you would throw at it.

[FloRolf]

Can you make a TL;DR because that just looks like massive clickbait 

[Radium_Angel]

7 minutes ago, oldSock said:

What is your GPU worth right now? What did you pay for it?

nVidia GTX 660. But then again I"m not a gamer (much) I"m a photographer and tech is hardly dead, it's just not of any use to you.

[GoldenLag]

So tech isnt dead. Prices are just high on high end stuff like allways. 

[Cereal5]

12 minutes ago, oldSock said:

What is your GPU worth right now? What did you pay for it?

$550

$500

[KarathKasun]

Just now, GoldenLag said:

So tech isnt dead. Prices are just high on high end stuff like allways. 

No, a high end system used to cost ~$1500.  Now a high end system can cost $3000+++.

[iLostMyXbox21]

If tech was dead how could you post this on a forum? I’m sure you didn’t write it in papyrus and it suddenly appeared here

 

tech is still most certainly alive

 

Spoiler

/s obviously

 

[QuantumBit]

Quite a lot to read, but from what I did read you think that new fancy tech is "useless" since your ps4 can play games, and your phone can do "work"

But that doesn't apply for other people. Some people want better performance than a ps4 and like how customizable a PC, or any computer in general is. Sure your phone and tablet can do work, but not on the levels of a PC. You can type, but it will almost always be comfortable to be typing on a nice big 23" screen rather than a 5" phone.

 

Basically you're saying why get "better" tech when your phone/tablet/ps4 do all the "basics" of a PC, but for MANY people basic isn't enough.

[Cereal5]

2 minutes ago, KarathKasun said:

No, a high end system used to cost ~$1500.  Now a high end system can cost $3000+++.

A high end system could cost 3000 even if you built it 15 years ago. Just cause a 2080 Ti costs $1200 doesn’t mean it’s the most expensive thing since Trump got a small loan. Come on, don’t be ridiculous.

 

Can mods go ahead and lock this garbage?

[KarathKasun]

Just now, QuantumBit said:

Quite a lot to read, but from what I did read you think that new fancy tech is "useless" since your ps4 can play games, and your phone can do "work"

But that doesn't apply for other people. Some people want better performance than a ps4 and like how customizable it is. Sure your phone and tablet can do work, but not on the levels of a PC. You can type, but it will almost always be comfortable to be typing on a nice big 23" screen rather than a 5" phone.

 

Basically you're saying why get "better" tech when your phone/tablet/ps4 do all the "basics" of a PC, but for MANY people basic isn't enough.

Phones and tablets also have a very low productivity ceiling for what they cost.

[GoldenLag]

1 minute ago, KarathKasun said:

No, a high end system used to cost ~$1500.  Now a high end system can cost $3000+++.

A high end system today costs 1500-2200$ ( then to infinity)

 

Did you account for inflation? Cuz prices really havent changes all that much

[KarathKasun]

Just now, Cereal5 said:

A high end system could cost 3000 even if you built it 15 years ago. Just cause a 2080 Ti costs $1200 doesn’t mean it’s the most expensive thing since Trump got a small loan. Come on, don’t be ridiculous.

Err, not really.  High end CPUs were $500, high end GPUs were $350.  You could build a high end dual socket workstation for ~$1500 in 2004.

[KarathKasun]

1 minute ago, GoldenLag said:

A high end system today costs 1500-2200$ ( then to infinity)

 

Did you account for inflation? Cuz prices really havent changes all that much

Even with inflation the price should be ~$2000.  High end tech prices have more than doubled, value of money has not halved.

[iLostMyXbox21]

4 minutes ago, KarathKasun said:

No, a high end system used to cost ~$1500.  Now a high end system can cost $3000+++.

Uhh

Spoiler

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$164.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	ASRock - B450M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$63.98 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory	$55.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage	Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$36.00 @ Walmart
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Asus - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB TURBO Video Card	$359.99 @ Newegg
Case	Cooler Master - MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$49.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$33.98 @ Newegg
Operating System	Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit	$98.89 @ OutletPC
Monitor	AOC - E2260SWDN 21.5" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor	$79.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard	Redragon - S101 Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse	$39.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1048.58
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$1028.58
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-10 08:49 EST-0500

 

 

[Jurrunio]

Tech isn't dead, it's just not for you.

 

Spoiler

PS4 shares CPU and GPU tech from AMD's desktop lineup, they are related on a hardware level. This has been the case for some time and doesnt seem to change in the next gen consoles.

 

[KarathKasun]

Just now, iLostMyXbox21 said:

Uhh

  Hide contents

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$164.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	ASRock - B450M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$63.98 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory	$55.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage	Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$36.00 @ Walmart
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Asus - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB TURBO Video Card	$359.99 @ Newegg
Case	Cooler Master - MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$49.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$33.98 @ Newegg
Operating System	Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit	$98.89 @ OutletPC
Monitor	AOC - E2260SWDN 21.5" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor	$79.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard	Redragon - S101 Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse	$39.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1048.58
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$1028.58
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-10 08:49 EST-0500

 

 

That is a peasant level gaming PC. 

[iLostMyXbox21]

4 minutes ago, Cereal5 said:

Can mods go ahead and lock this garbage?

Agreed, it’s doing nothing but starting arguments

[Cereal5]

4 minutes ago, KarathKasun said:

Err, not really.  High end CPUs were $500, high end GPUs were $350.  You could build a high end dual socket workstation for ~$1500 in 2004.

And performance has gone through the roof in comparison. You think a 2004 workstation does anything today? In 2004, 4GB of RAM was a lot

[iLostMyXbox21]

1 minute ago, KarathKasun said:

That is a peasant level gaming PC. 

Uhm, could you explain how? I’m pretty sure it can run most, if not all games max settings 60fps, a peasant level is just a 2200g and no gpu or a 200ge

[Jurrunio]

Just now, iLostMyXbox21 said:

Uhh

  Reveal hidden contents

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$164.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	ASRock - B450M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$63.98 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory	$55.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage	Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$36.00 @ Walmart
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Asus - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB TURBO Video Card	$359.99 @ Newegg
Case	Cooler Master - MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$49.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$33.98 @ Newegg
Operating System	Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit	$98.89 @ OutletPC
Monitor	AOC - E2260SWDN 21.5" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor	$79.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard	Redragon - S101 Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse	$39.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1048.58
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$1028.58
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-10 08:49 EST-0500

 

 

That's still a mid range system if you ask me, just 8GB memory, DRAMless SSD, 1080p 60Hz TN panel monitor and a off-brand keyboard and mouse package.

[KarathKasun]

Just now, iLostMyXbox21 said:

Uhm, could you explain how? I’m pretty sure it can run most, if not all games max settings 60fps, a peasant level is just a 2200g and no gpu or a 200ge

60hz is for peasants at this point.

 

A high end system would be running games at 4k ~100hz. 

[Hiya!]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

That's still a mid range system if you ask me, just 8GB memory, DRAMless SSD, 1080p 60Hz TN panel monitor and a off-brand keyboard and mouse package.

When the OP meant high end..i think he meant to say balls to the walls build.

 

Also the PSU on that build isn't right in many ways tbh

[KarathKasun]

3 minutes ago, Cereal5 said:

And performance has gone through the roof in comparison. You think a 2004 workstation does anything today? In 2004, 4GB of RAM was a lot

In 2004, $1500 got you top of the top performance.  That's like saying a $3000 workstation is a bad deal today because performance will be higher in 5 years.

[GoldenLag]

1 minute ago, KarathKasun said:

Even with inflation the price should be ~$2000.  High end tech prices have more than doubled, value of money has not halved.

Yes and 2000$ is really high end.

 

Wages have gone up.

Research cost has gone up 

 

And tech in general is better for everyone. Budget things are better than ever and in case of phones. Sort of better than their flagship. 

 

The highest of highest end has probably gone up in price, because its the bleeding edge akd the market demans these products.