PC part cost become very unbalanced recent years

[dgsddfgdfhgs]

The most expensive and core parts to build a PC should be GPU>>CPU>> ram>mobo/psu etc.

I think this is still true for best performance.

However, I have seen so many builds allocated the cost much more to premium ram / mobo/ case rather than focusing on cpu/Gpu

I am not saying people should get cheapest parts though.

It just looks like cost of PC parts are so unbalanced or am I too far behind?

[vanished]

I thought this was going to take a different angle - that people are spending much more on GPUs and especially RAM lately - and I was going to say that's just because the prices are out of control, not because they're consciously choosing to balance their rigs differently.  In fact, if anything, I'd bet that due to this effect, people are on average choosing slightly lower end GPUs and smaller RAM amounts than they otherwise would have.  Well, that, and just upgrading less overall.

[Crunchy Dragon]

There's a NAND shortage, so RAM prices are pretty high.

 

People like aesthetics, it takes a fair bit to change someone's mind on what they should get for a rig in terms of looks. They want it to look nice.

 

Better motherboards are actually worth it a lot of the time, as you get more/better features than you do on a lower end one.

RAM is basically RAM, get whatever looks good in the speed you want.

Cases are a big part of aesthetics, after all they do make up most of a computer's look.

[TheSLSAMG]

I think some people have different priorities. The RAM, motherboard and case markets have changed a bit with the introduction of RGB parts, and aesthetics are more prominent than ever.

[Guest]

Some people have cash to burn on a case & it never really has to be replaced. As for ram, it’s the nand shortage for the past2~ years. 

[dgsddfgdfhgs]

3 minutes ago, fpo said:

Some people have cash to burn on a case & it never really has to be replaced. As for ram, it’s the nand shortage. 

I understand the price spike of GPU and Ram, but seems theres too many people like this.

Maybe its due to over advertised by youtubers?

[d3adc3II]

Yes, I agree pc part cost become abit unbalance nowadays. One of the reason is aesthetics. ( Desktop war is real)

Pure performance is no longer a main factor. For example :

- Ppl go for 4x8 GBs ram cuz it looks nicer to fill up all 4 ram slots with RGB.

- Buy gtx 1070 , and spend almost the same amount to cool it down with custom loop 

 

It's not a bad thing, btw.

[PlayStation 2]

Well, there's numerous reasons for it.

RAM you can just chalk up to it being incredibly expensive (throwback to when 8GB of DDR3 was $30 for some cheap 1600MHz sticks) and certain things are aimed more at aesthetics rather than just pure practicality.

Some build their rigs around what they need it for rather than caring much for aesthetics, like my rig; it's a boring ass box with a Ryzen 7 1700X and an MSI Radeon RX 580 with the reference cooler. It does what I want it to and I can't ask for more.

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, dgsddfgdfhgs said:

I understand the price spike of GPU and Ram, but seems theres too many people like this.

Maybe its due to over advertised by youtubers?

Gpu prices went up because NVIDIA didn’t have much competition and mining became a thing. Nothings really changed. There was a huge crash but i think it’s kinda equalizing now. 

 

Edit 

this means there’s no reason for gpu to go down in price. 

[Spotty]

21 minutes ago, dgsddfgdfhgs said:

However, I have seen so many builds allocated the cost much more to premium ram / mobo/ case rather than focusing on cpu/Gpu

You should consider that for most people an i5 8400 or a Ryzen 2600 with a GTX1050ti is going to be more than enough for their daily needs of browsing facebook, watching netflix & youtube and gaming at 1080p 60fps. If they have no intention of doing more intensive tasks, there's no need or benefit for them to spend more money on a more powerful Ryzen 7 2700x or i7 8700k, or shell out $700+ on a 1080ti - so they take some of the money they save by being more modest and reasonable with their CPU/GPU selection and spending it in other areas that they can appreciate, such as a nicer case that they intend to display on top of their desk.

 

But I definitely do agree that I have seen people spending - what I would consider to be - way too much on RGB lighting and fans. At the end of the day it is their system and as long as they are making an informed decision, they can do it however they please.

[Mooshi]

Unbalanced are people with i5's paired with an overpriced AIO - extra bonus points if underperforming RGB fans are tossed in.

[KarathKasun]

53 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

There's a NAND shortage, so RAM prices are pretty high.

 

People like aesthetics, it takes a fair bit to change someone's mind on what they should get for a rig in terms of looks. They want it to look nice.

 

Better motherboards are actually worth it a lot of the time, as you get more/better features than you do on a lower end one.

RAM is basically RAM, get whatever looks good in the speed you want.

Cases are a big part of aesthetics, after all they do make up most of a computer's look.

NAND =/= RAM.

NAND = SSD.

 

RAM fabs are currently supplying Mobile, Datacenter, Consoles, and PCs.  Datacenter upgrade cycle is currently at a high point and they have deep pockets in addition to wanting metric tons of memory capacity, so the RAM fabs are charging top dollar for chips.

 

This drives up cost to build any product using memory, GPUs included.

[Taja]

8 hours ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Better motherboards are actually worth it a lot of the time, as you get more/better features than you do on a lower end one.

I disagree with the mobo part. Unless you NEED the features, they are useless. You can spend a lot in a mobo and get features you will never use or should never use (like u.2 - why a normal consumer would buy an expensive ssd with almost no real world performance gain?)

 

Ofc if your usecase benefits from this type of technology or you are just an enthusiast who knows it does not make sense but still want it, go ahead.

 

I guess what OP is saying ia that people spend too much on stuff that is not neccessary, like a 1000w premium PSU for a 500w regular build. 

[porina]

I don't think there is a ratio or order to value.

 

People buy to get an adequate performance level within their budget. Take ram for example, 8GB is probably the minimum for a general gaming system on a budget, but more are going to 16GB. That stuff isn't cheap, and if you're still looking to build a lower cost box, it could be a significant proportion of the total. If you have a bigger budget, it doesn't mean you will stuff more ram into it if you don't need it.

[vanished]

20 hours ago, Mooshi said:

Unbalanced are people with i5's paired with an overpriced AIO - extra bonus points if underperforming RGB fans are tossed in.

How about a $300 motherboard running a CPU that could get by with half that, paired with a GT 1030?

[Crunchy Dragon]

9 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

How about a $300 motherboard running a CPU that could get by with half that, paired with a GT 1030?

That's just about as bad...

[Dylanc1500]

1 hour ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

How about a $300 motherboard running a CPU that could get by with half that, paired with a GT 1030?

Poor 7640x... and which GT 1030?

[kokakolia]

I remember several years ago when this guy on the channel called “Explaining Computers” put 16gb of ddr3 RAM in a very underpowered mini budget PC that looked like a NUC. That’s how cheap RAM used to be. Now the same kit of RAM would cost more than the PC.