Why is it so difficult to pull the trigger these days?

Associate
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13 Jul 2009
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Maybe its an age thing, i don't game as much as i use to.
Maybe its because all my games run fine.
Maybe its because im not bothered in overclocking for 3dmark scores like in the past. Overclocking cpu/gpus for benches use to be a real fun challenge.
Maybe its the chore of just starting again and maybe losing some current data.
Maybe its the cost.
Maybe its because i've waited so freaking loonnnnggg already to upgrade i can wait longer....

From 2001 -2015 i would upgrade all the time, especially the graphics cards, literally every year. Since RTX2000series that kinda got screwed cause of the prices.

But I have been waiting and waiting for years (not updated cpu 2500k/mobo for like 10 years, gpu 980ti for like 4 years) and now a pre build system (cba to build again and pre build pretty much the same as buying and making yourself right now) at a competitor has dropped in price and I am so close to pulling the trigger and its suddenly "hhmmm, its going to be warm this week, i dont like gaming when its hot" "hhmmmm Im likely away the weekend after so i may as well wait until i get back home" "hhmmm If i wait longer it may drop further in price?" "hhmmm i dont really need it, i mean it would be nice but its a load of money and i guess I could wait until perhaps the next cpu/gpu....hhmmm maybe late 2022, thats a long way away".

Anyone else gone/going through this.

Im half tempted to just do it next time im drunk (friday) and go "What the hell! *buy*" :)
 
Associate
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As a gamer I only ever upgrade when I need to, as in when my current hardware can't achieve the FPS required to keep my monitor supplied with enough FPS so that it doesn't dip below my refresh rate at all. I like to play all Ultra in game settings (otherwise what's the point in the whole pcmasterrace thing lol), so when I start seeing dips below my refresh rate as newer games come out that's when I start to think about the next upgrades. There's absolutely no point just upgrading every year everytime a new piece of hardware comes out unless bragging rights are extremely important to you.

Content creation is a different story though, new hardware could mean a faster workflow so I can see why some people would instantly jump on new hardware as it's released.

Horses for courses I guess.
 
Soldato
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I don’t think it’s an age thing though that may come into it. There’s just nothing to actually upgrade to! CPU development flatlined for years and has only increased incrementally in the past three. Same with graphic cards - incremental updates with huge price rises, more so now where even RRP prices are just plain stupid. So why bother upgrading? I have a Ryzen 2700 with a 1070Ti card and don’t play anything that it can’t handle. It’ll be years more before I consider an upgrade.
 
Soldato
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I think a lot of people are getting to that age, I do beleive, and I appreciate I am generalising a bit, but PC games will almost be a generational thing, particularly now having a "home PC" for other uses its a common thing anymore whilst in the late 90's I guess, if you could afford it a lot of people had one.

Now you can do everything on tablets, and phones etc - you dont really need a desktop PC. So more so, of a certain generation - having one is specifically for gaming as people grew up just having one. What I am saying is not as many kids these days will grow up just having one, due to tables/phones etc. I dont know anyone now that has a PC other than specifically to game on.

As the generation moves on and effectively "grows up" from PC gaming, few people will be gaming on PC's.

Also this awful graphics card shenanigans going on at the moment is a catalyst for that.

I dont think you are out of the ordinary at all, and dont forget this is a forum of PC hardware enthusiats so will always be swayed.
 
Man of Honour
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I don’t think it’s an age thing though that may come into it. There’s just nothing to actually upgrade to! CPU development flatlined for years and has only increased incrementally in the past three. Same with graphic cards - incremental updates with huge price rises, more so now where even RRP prices are just plain stupid. So why bother upgrading? I have a Ryzen 2700 with a 1070Ti card and don’t play anything that it can’t handle. It’ll be years more before I consider an upgrade.
I agree with this. It's a lot harder to justify because 1. it's really freaking expensive, 2. the upgrade isn't offering something dramatically different. Back then, it was a different story, you HAD to upgrade regularly just to keep up. Nowadays a high-end CPU and GPU easily stays relevant for 5 years or more.

I suppose if you really wanted to play at 4K for example, then it would be a meaningful upgrade.
 
Associate
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I'm pretty sure it simply boils down to whether you need an upgrade and then if so, where that upgrade sits in your priorities in life, that's it, simple.
 
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Soldato
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I've not upgraded much in a while because what I have works and I can't be bothered pouring money into gains that I don't put any value on.

When I felt it really mattered I did upgrade a lot more.

Competitive games for example in an organised group, I knew my fps in game was a limiting factor and bought a new computer just for more fps.

But having left that scene and not getting into new crippling graphical load games I don't actually give a damn.
 
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OP
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Yeah like some of you have said, in the past when some new games landed I guess we were almost forced to upgrade if you wanted to play with all the bells & whistles otherwise it was dropping settings and low frames and that was a no no :)
The GTX980ti is what, 6 years old? I have had it for 4 years or so and everything i play at 1440p (not that i play loads) seems to run fine, most recently Resident evil 2 & 3. Im sure Serious Sam 4 (when i buy that) will play fine to. If everything works fine why buy.

I genuinely kind of want my computer to just die on me so im forced to buy but alas, the psu, mobo, cpu, ram keep going 10 years strong now. Gpu over 4 years to, no issues. Only thing i had to switch of late was my water cooling loop when it broke after 4 years or so last summer. Then cheated and got a AIO.

Decisions to decisions....

P.S. - its a pity OCUK is no longer a competitive company, dam their pre builds are even more expensive with a lower tier card across the range than their main competitors. Honestly £2600 & £2800 (after a £200 drop) build with a RTX3070? Competitors have RTX3080ti for less than £2,500. or RTX3090 builds for sub £3,000. Horrible prices. :S
 
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Soldato
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Well, would be easier to buy say new monitor, if industry got their thumbs out of their butt and actually finally made monitor which would be at least as good in averything as 30" 2560x1600...
32 inch 100+ Hz 4K monitors have been hinted for years, but nothing has really come out.
Hence I'm still using monitor bought in 2013.

And my case is from 2008 and likely just going to keep racknig up usage years, because makers nowadays just imitate all the lamest fads of dysfunctionality.
 
Soldato
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Yeah like some of you have said, in the past when some new games landed I guess we were almost forced to upgrade if you wanted to play with all the bells & whistles otherwise it was dropping settings and low frames and that was a no no :)
The GTX980ti is what, 6 years old? I have had it for 4 years or so and everything i play at 1440p (not that i play loads) seems to run fine, most recently Resident evil 2 & 3. Im sure Serious Sam 4 (when i buy that) will play fine to. If everything works fine why buy.

I genuinely kind of want my computer to just die on me so im forced to buy but alas, the psu, mobo, cpu, ram keep going 10 years strong now. Gpu over 4 years to, no issues. Only thing i had to switch of late was my water cooling loop when it broke after 4 years or so last summer. Then cheated and got a AIO.

Decisions to decisions....

P.S. - its a pity OCUK is no longer a competitive company, dam their pre builds are even more expensive with a lower tier card across the range than their main competitors. Honestly £2600 & £2800 (after a £200 drop) build with a RTX3070? Competitors have RTX3080ti for less than £2,500. or RTX3090 builds for sub £3,000. Horrible prices. :S
You only just realised that the haribo isn't free? ;)
 
Associate
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Portsmouth
Maybe its an age thing, i don't game as much as i use to.
Maybe its because all my games run fine.
Maybe its because im not bothered in overclocking for 3dmark scores like in the past. Overclocking cpu/gpus for benches use to be a real fun challenge.
Maybe its the chore of just starting again and maybe losing some current data.
Maybe its the cost.
Maybe its because i've waited so freaking loonnnnggg already to upgrade i can wait longer....

From 2001 -2015 i would upgrade all the time, especially the graphics cards, literally every year. Since RTX2000series that kinda got screwed cause of the prices.

But I have been waiting and waiting for years (not updated cpu 2500k/mobo for like 10 years, gpu 980ti for like 4 years) and now a pre build system (cba to build again and pre build pretty much the same as buying and making yourself right now) at a competitor has dropped in price and I am so close to pulling the trigger and its suddenly "hhmmm, its going to be warm this week, i dont like gaming when its hot" "hhmmmm Im likely away the weekend after so i may as well wait until i get back home" "hhmmm If i wait longer it may drop further in price?" "hhmmm i dont really need it, i mean it would be nice but its a load of money and i guess I could wait until perhaps the next cpu/gpu....hhmmm maybe late 2022, thats a long way away".

Anyone else gone/going through this. Im half tempted to just do it next time im drunk (friday) and go "What the hell! *buy*" :)

You will find a range of differing definitions 1.Hitting the Wall, 2.gamers block 3.I've hit a wall, This is the complete lack of interest or urge to play video games, it is no joke—it drains your enjoyment from games because when we're young we spend too much of our free time play games and that is where Game addiction come in to play along with sleep disorders, and other health-related issues. But when we start getting older we slow down and time speeds up in life so we start losing interest very quickie on things we liked or used to do, and for those who have only experience this knows what it is.

Taking a long break and who knows you might come back.:)
 
Associate
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West Midlands
As others have said, with great age comes great responsibility :D. You end up spending on things that you need rather than what you may want. Personally, I have noticed that I dont get excited about buying things like GPUs anymore like I used to a few years ago. To try out new games or play with the settings etc. Just want something that will work, plonk it in and forget about it. Eg. recently bought a used quest but wasnt bothered and didnt get around to using it for a few weeks after, and even that was like 15 mins to try out something. Went back in box for another few weeks. Only tried it properly after a few months.
 
Soldato
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31 May 2005
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Location
Nottingham
I still like building rigs but now enjoy building rigs for a specific purpose but not gaming. File server, firewall, HTPC for example where "faster" is not always best so you have to think about it a little.

"Low power" systems can be surprisingly fun nowadays too.

Still enjoy the researching/building element.
 
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Permabanned
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Despite all the gamer hype, performance is mostly dropping away. Each generation now is showing only relatively small performance increases.
If you were around at the start of the PC thing then each generation brought at least a 100% performance increase. Now gamers get hyped about much less.
Back then it really was worth upgrading, you could easily tell the difference. Now you can only tell the difference by measuring it using a benchmark!
CPU's pretty much reached this point a while ago and each generation now shows on a comparatively small performance increase.
Sure, graphics cards are still leaping ahead but even the massive gains of the past are coming to an end.
The GPU's are reaching a point where they simply can not be made much smaller and the power consumption is about as high as possible. The emphasis will be shifting now to software, such as DLSS, rather than hardware.
But either way, the manufacturers are going to have to rely on sales talk and hype more and more because until someone comes up with something fundamentally new, there is nowhere left to go.
So yeah, the drive to upgrade these days is shifting from massive performance gains to moderate with a lot of hype!
 
Associate
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814
definately age. You become 'wiser' with spending and have more important priorities than gaming computers.

e.g. i want to rejig my rig only because i can rather than i need, and have a few parts lined up for it. I need to purchase a riser cable which costs just over £200, and everytime i put it in my basket to checkout, i ponder over it as to whether i should buy it or not, before i end up removing it from the basket and waiting till later. This has been going on for at least 3 months now, even though i have no reason to wait
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Jun 2013
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3,536
Its a waste to upgrade every year anyway IMO, When you buy now you will have a worthwhile benefit instead of gains you have to work out looking at benchmarks to see what the difference is roughly.

Im also going from 980 Ti and my plan to skip 2 generations of GPU would have worked out nicely if it had not been for this current nightmare situation.
 
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