How Much Does A Computer Cost?
(Edited)
Image Source Edited by Me
As an IT Guy and a Computer Enthusiast, I have always been asked this question by my family, friends and acquaintances so many times that I have lost count. People seem to think a computer as a simple device and would just ask how much it cost. The question should not be "How much it cost" but "How much are you willing to spend".
How Much Are You Willing To Spend?
Now if you are an average joe and you asked an IT guy this question. You will most probably get this answer 100% of the time. And when we ask this question most people would have a confused look at their faces. Like they don't understand what's happening. They only wanted how much a computer costs right?
Building a computer is easy and will depend on how much you are willing to spend. To be honest you can build a computer with almost any budget from very low budget to very high budget. There will always be a computer waiting to be bought for every budget, so the main question should be how much are you willing to spend? Computers are easy and complicated at the same time. Every component has a budget and the more you are willing to spend the higher the quality of components you are going to get. But that doesn't mean you can't get high quality components for low budget pc builds, for that you just have to sacrifice some parts that are not that important or parts that can be easily upgraded in the future.
Example if you are on a really tight budget then we can buy a high quality power supply first. This is probably the first time I would really suggest to anyone who would want to build their own computers. Most IT guys would say low budget computers doesn't need a high quality power supply, because it only needs a small amount of power but I don't believe the same thing.
For me personally the first thing I would buy for a low budget or any kinds of budget computer build is a high quality power supply. The main reason for that is the power supply is the heart of your computer. It is the one giving your computer all the power it needs to run. It regulates the current that goes into your computer for it to run safely. If the power supply goes bad then there is a high risk it can't regulate the current properly and will send more power than what your computer needs and thus toasting your computer, which means all of your investment in the computer will go down along with the power supply. So never cheap out in the power supply even for low budget builds.
You will know if a power supply is high quality if it is 80+ certified. Note there are a lot fake 80+ power supplies going around from untrusted brands, so only buy from trusted brands if you can. For my personal computer I am using Silverstone brand from the picture above. It is 80+ bronze and have been using it for 6 years now and it never gave me any problem at all. If I remember correctly I bought it for around $50 back then. It's expensive yeah but I never regretted buying it. For low budget builds there are budget 80+ power supplies from Corsair brand which I bought for my computer shop, it only cost me $30 each.
For the other parts we won't have to worry about their quality as most of them could last up to 10 years if maintained properly, well except for the RAM. I have both cheap and branded RAMs in my computer shop so I can definitely tell you guys this based on experience. The cheap RAM died on me after 1 year. So I had to buy new ones, I replaced them with branded ones after they died on me, all in all 10 RAMs died on me after 1 year as I had 2 RAMs for each computer. I have a total of 10 computers in my shop, 5 had cheap RAMs and the other 5 with branded RAMs. But that's not to say cheap rams are all that bad. If your budget doesn't allow you to get branded ones you can buy cheap ones right now and just upgrade it later.
As for hard drives, you really don't need a brand new one for this. As I said above hard drives can last up to 10 years and sometimes even 20 years. As long as it is not physically broken then there is nothing to worry about. There are a lot of cheap used hard drives on the 2nd hand market so you can definitely cheap out on this one.
How will you use the computer?
This is also a factor that we need to reconsider when building your computer for your budget range. As I said above you can buy a computer for almost any price but that doesn't mean buying it cheap and expecting it to run high end softwares/programs or watching 4k videos with it. That is just wishful thinking. So depending on how you will use the computer that you are planning to buy, it will greatly affect the cost of your computer. It is very easy to overspend when buying computers that is why it is very important that you ask an IT friend who knows a lot about computers. Or do your own research. There are so many quality information online which you can read but most of them are for high end computer builds which may not suit your needs.
Budget Suggestions
If you are just planning to surf online, like google, social medias, watching light youtube videos and for office and online classes. Then I would suggest a budget and build below. Please note that these are the prices I have researched at the time of writing this blog, they are not fixed and should not be taken at face value.
| Computer Part | Name | Used Price | Brand New Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Supply | Corsair CV 450 80+ Bronze | $20 | $40 |
| Processor | Athlon 200GE / 3000G | $30 | $60 |
| Motherboard | ASUS PRIME A320M-K | $30 | $60 |
| RAM | Cheapest DDR4 2400mhz 4gb RAM you can find | $25 | $40 |
| Hard Disk Drive/Solid State Drive | Cheapest 500GB HDD or 120GB SSD | $15 | $40 |
| Computer Case | Cheapest you can find | $5 | $20 |
| Monitor | Cheapest 18.5" you can find | $20 | $40 |
| Mouse and Keyboard | Cheapest you can find | $5 | $10 |
For $310 you can now have a brand new decent dual core computer that is great for use cases such as stated above. Again you can mix brand new ones with used ones so you can actually go much cheaper. If you managed to get a hold of all these parts in the second hand market then congratulations you just saved 50% of your budget. But honestly If I had a $310 budget and I got a hold of some used parts then upgrading the RAM and Hard Disk Drive/Solid State Drive would be my top priority.
For budget gamers I would still use the build above but instead of Athlon 200GE or 3000G I would go for Ryzen 3 3200G for just a $60 more. Ryzen 3 3200G has a more powerful integrated graphics than Athlon. Around 100% more I think as I'm getting 100% more FPS from my Ryzen 3 3200G than my Athlon 200GE computers. I have 5 Ryzen 3 3200G in my shop and my players can game and stream at the same time. Well there are some fps drops here and there but it never bothered them. Most of my customers here love to stream while gaming. Although the games they are playing are not AAA games. You can't really expect to run AAA games with just an integrated graphics. When you are just a budget gamer then better not expect a smooth game play experience.
For mid range to high-end computer builds with a budget of $1000 or more I would suggest using the percentage build below. Again this is not a fixed ratio but this is what I used when I built my own mid-range gaming computer
| Computer Parts | Budget Percentage |
|---|---|
| Graphics Card | 50% |
| Processor + Motherboard | 25% |
| RAM | 15% |
| Power Supply | 10% |
| Other Peripherals | 5% |
Again this ratio is not fixed and you can adjust it according to your needs specifically. Every gamer or computer enthusiast has their own way of mixing this ratio depending on what they prioritize but one thing is true for everyone. The graphics card should have the highest budget percentage of all the computer parts. I see some people use 70% of their budget into their graphics card. Which is fine in my opinion. That is their priority and it fits their budget.
Hello guys I am Pink Hub and I love all that is pink.
Show me pink and I'll show you a 😍
Living in the province of Cebu in the Philippines.
I graduated in Bachelors of Science in Information Technology Major in Programming.
I'm a Businessman, a Computer Enthusiast, a Gamer and a Programmer.
I love to learn new things so reading is one of my passions.
I'm an open-minded person so you can just go ahead and throw all your thoughts at me in the comments. I welcome all comments good or bad with open arms and legs 😁
Face your problems, but if the problem is your face. Worry not I can edit 😇
0
0
0.000
Naiisip mo ga kapatid na maging Hive witness in the near future?
Yeah I was asking about that but adamada just brushed me off 🤣. If only there was information on how high-end of a computer it needs to be a witness. Do you know of a blog on witnesses and how to become one?
I will msg you on discord
https://ecency.com/hive-160391/@gtg/hive-hardfork-25-jump-starter-kit
dual cores are dead even with hyperthreading and quad cores currently dying.
even with a cheap build I will never buy a single stick of ram and always use dual channel even if it's 2gbx2=4gb.
I will also always buy a brand new HDD due to spindle quality derioration and would promptly replace it after just three years or less if it's a master drive.
personally If I have to go cheap I'd get second-hand cpu, gpu, psu, and motherboard.
and always get brand new hdd/ssd, and rams.
!PIZZA
!LUV
@demotry(1/1) gave you LUV. | wallet | market | tools | connect | <><
Not really bro. Maybe if you are into gaming yes dual cores and quad cores are dying. But if you are only using the computer for office use dual cores are still A okay in my opinion. I even have a dual core laptop here rated at 1.9Ghz and it's doing fine browsing and watching youtube.
My Athlon 200GE computers are still holding on their own. But the ryzen 3 are the best ones here. Just like what I said in my post don't expect a cheap computer to run a high end software/programs. Also not everyone can afford a gaming computer especially during these times where computer parts prices are over inflated thanks to COVID19. So honestly dual cores still makes sense even now where core count means everything. Honestly the average joe doesn't care about such stuff. They just want their computers to run in the use cases they wanted it to be.
I didn't know this, thanks for sharing. But I have a master drive here that is still alive just like my power supply, it's over 6 years old and never got a problem with it. I researched that Hard Disk Drives could last up to 20 years, although I can't say for sure how much of it is true, I will try to use this drive until the day it dies and I'll see for myself how long a drive can really last.
They do!. They last for a very long time you are lucky with the silicon lottery.
This is interesting... I never had an HDD internal or external last more than 10 years.
My SDD is brand new they say it will last longer.
if any of co-workers ask me for a comp I will go with @pinkhub... most actually almost none of my co-workers play AAA games and if there is a gamer here onboard they would be on full Alienware, MSI or other gaming brands, just buying the stuff without regard for the specs.
SSD's life span depends on its TBW or Total Bytes Written so if you don't use the SSD as a main drive then it will probably last for years as well. But since SSD's cost much higher than your average hard drives I will still recommend hard drives for low budget computer builds. But for people who can really afford it, I will recommend SSD's
Well that's their hard earned money so they are pretty much entitled on how they would spend it but for me buying a full on computer set is just a waste of money. They are pretty much paying so much premium for brands and such. Then again just like what I said it's their hard earned money and if they want to burn in into dust then that's their choice.
Ghad, my Nitro came in with an SSD as a main drive the OEM id imbedded 🤣.
Don't worry too much about people here, it's more about showing off than being practical.
I think Ryzen 5 or I5 is the minimum requirement now and also don't buy HDD only SSD is also needed for windows. The Athlon chip will not be a good option in 2021 or 2022. it will be a waste of money as it only has 2 cores the multitasking performance will be laggy and unenjoyable with tasks getting freeze
I don't think so bro. I have a cyber/internet cafe business and I have 5 units of dual core athlons and 5 units of ryzen 3 quad cores. Athlons are still holding their own despite being only a mere dual core. For everyday use computer I think dual cores still makes sense. From what I have heard from my customers it's fine. Yeah it lags from time to time while gaming but for simple browsing, online classes, watching videos and video calls it's still good. Budget computers are there for a reason. Ryzen 5 and I5 is quite expensive, those 2 are already considered mid-range processors so I don't advice people who are only gonna use the computer for simple tasks. That is just a waste of money, especially if they are on a tight budget. That is why the main question should be "How much are you willing to spend" and not "How much does a computer cost"
Thank you for dropping by and sharing your opinion. I really appreciate that
I have been using computers for more than 18 years now and within that time I had to upgrade my computer 3 times. First I started with Pentium dual-core with 512 Mb GPU, which was fine at that time on windows 7 after that I upgraded to I3 4th gen and AMD r7 260 GPU considering the price was really affordable at that time. I thought it will satisfy all my needs for the next 5-6 years but in just 2 years everything changed and these specs were not even considered as a minimum spec for most of the games and software released at that time. So within just 3 years, I had to upgrade again to Ryzen 5 3500 and GTX 1060 and the old computer was of no use. turning them to E-Waste
The main goal in making a PC is to "buy the best in the market" that has at least a future of 5 years. Like ryzen 5 and I 5 and GTX 1050 and above. So that even after 2 years you don't feel that you need an upgrade.
Buy hardware that has good value and don't buy hardware that are cheap
Friend,
I agree with you whole heartedly.
I have a I5 10th gen, GTX 1650, 16gb ram, and SDD this will only last about 2 to 3 years before getting outdated by the massive uptrend of technology but this is for personal use.
I think @pinkhub was trying to go for a more "masses" approach as most users are fine with just Facebook, Google, and most games they play on mobile.
Tell you one truth, even here where I work... a Merchant Marine Ship LPG Tanker of 50,000 Gross Tonnage worth Millions of Dollars$ with an engine that can go on full electronic automation.
We use Windows XP 🤣. The ship is 5 years of age
@demotry, we use windows XP to run a sophisticated engine 🤣
That is true @khoola, well it also depends on what country you live in as computer parts prices depend on where you live and how much your average income is. For the masses who doesn't really know nor care about such stuff they won't even notice the lag. Especially here in the philippines now where so many people are asking how much does a computer cost and their children would lie to their parents to buy a ryzen 5 3600 with a rtx 3060 graphics card for a simple online schooling. OMG. I have seen that happen with my own eyes when I was scouting for my RTX 3060. That is just ridiculous to say the least. But since his parents doesn't know about computers nor never even bothered to do research then the child just got away with it like it was nothing.
RYZEN 5 3600 and RTX 3060 is one of best budget builds available in 2021. The only problem is due to mining GPU prices are very high right now and the only option to own a specification like that will be going for a Laptop with similar specs. example msi gf63 with i5 10th gen and rtx 3050 or msi gf65 with i5 10th gen and rtx 3060
Yay! 🤗
Your content has been boosted with Ecency Points, by @pinkhub.
Use Ecency daily to boost your growth on platform!
Support Ecency
Vote for new Proposal
Delegate HP and earn more
PIZZA Holders sent $PIZZA tips in this post's comments:
@demotry(1/9) tipped @pinkhub (x1)
Learn more at https://hive.pizza.
Really well made as always, informative and reliable information 😊.
P.S.
How are ya feeling? Better?
I still feel dizzy and cold to be honest, although its much better now I guess since I don't feel weak anymore and I can move properly now compared to yesterday. I was planning to sleep again for the whole day today but It felt like something was missing so I made a new blog just to keep my mind busy.
Thanks for reading man, really appreciate that
Congratulations @pinkhub! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):
Your next target is to reach 50 posts.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
Check out the last post from @hivebuzz:
If your question is about the full range of computer; you probably should start with the Raspberry Pi. Their entry level computer is $15. The Raspberry Pi 4 starts at around $35.
The key components of computers get created through a process similar to printing. So it is not surprising that the absolute lowest price units are similar to the cost of producing a high quality book
Oh yes I've heard of something like that but yeah I am talking about a desktop computer sorry. This question usually comes up to me since in our country we adopt online classes and so many people keep asking me how much does a computer cost and I have seen many kids lie to their parents just to get a full on gaming computer since their parents don't know a single thing about computers