Leave it friend. I have added 2 KC3000 NVMes when I noticed they were on sale because of that subreddit (the CAD one)
I had the same 2TB drive when I built my computer in May. I have 20ish games. I only play games.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I now have 5TB.
[Your wallet with this decision](https://media.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMzhiMTA2MDM5ZDg2M2IwZGYzNWQxY2UwMWUwNWNhNjliMWRjZjNiNCZjdD1n/Ru9sjtZ09XOEg/giphy.gif)
Same, it is such a pain in the A to install nvme when they are next to the video card and CPU cooler. I'm gonna do it this weekend but I'm just like fml. Getting to that stupid little tab lock without taking off the heatsink is beyond a pain
Applying your skills to successfully complete a complex task is very satisfying.
You can always find new kinds of tasks and expand your skills. You can try programming, Linux, CAD, 3D modelling, DYI electronics, 3D printing... Or you can do something entirely different, preferably something that involves spending time outside. Examples include geocaching, orienteering, team sports or even things like drone racing.
I actually really like this advice. You can learn coding and even take college grade courses online. Even if you don't end up with a diploma you can still do python classes and learn all the same stuff. Been wanting to do them myself because I'm relatively uneducated when it comes to anything complex involving computers. Geocaching is awesome and you feel like a treasure hunter when you finally find one.
Only problem with some of these is that it will lead to more buying of things. I've always wanted to get into Linux on the mid 2000s when I was in hs but was too lazy to learn the cli. Covid finally gave me the motivation and finally learned a good amount of the basics. Always OCD with trying to understand everything to a better degree...
Now I have a server, an Intel nuc, cheap laptop, and old pc all running Linux and learning to do as many things as possible. I actually like it a lot more than windows but still use my windows PC as it's my main build. Really liking it and hoping I can transition from my current field in chemistry to a Sys Admin but having ADHD I have limited executive function with figuring out a good plan to do so. I'm also still not great at scripting but will hopefully get better as I force myself to do it more.
It's also normal not to feel it, some people build their PC and feel no need to upgrade it. Upgrade or don't upgrade, as long as your machine gives you the performance you want.
Welcome to Western consumerism. This is what we've been tricked into doing. Was my 5600x and 3060ti enough to play hearthstone and use cemu - fuck yes! As a matter of fact so was my 3700x and 2070. For some reason, I needed a 7700x and a 4080 because Diablo is dropping. I lost my ability to reason long ago.
>Sorry if this is stupid just wanted to know if anyone else has a similar mindset.
It can be a habit loop to break.
That feeling is always there. But, do you remember how fast the high lasted when you finally got the upgrade?
For me, I try to "minimize" the upgrades by replacing PC upgrades with software tinkering. For example tinkering with Linux that appeases my boredom with new things... and these new things are nearly 100% free except considering my time.
It's an addiction. I hate it but it feeds my brain useless stuff. I have to stop looking on websites comparing specs and prices and do real activities.
I've already spent extraordinary amounts of money relative to the average in a few hobbies; I'm not even a "whale" in those few hobbies.
But hey! Your money, your choice. Frankly, spending too much is only a problem when you have to finance those purchases or you have to sell some of the nice things you've bought (hopefully not) because of an emergency that requires quick liquid cash from your savings or your drawer.
Except when you finance a super high-end components because you literally work in a data center or something that do make use extraordinary computing power. Then, it's a "good" loan.
I'm currently doing two builds, one for me and one for my wife. I'm on a pretty tight budget so used is the route I'm going. I was looking at everything from Intel 13th gen and ryzen 7000 series, down to 10th gen Intel and 3000 series ryzen. I couldn't make a decision and was constantly comparing benchmarks and specs and chips and, it was driving me insane. But, I bought two AM4 boards, I have my ram. Now, I just need the CPU's and nvme and I'm good to go.
Now, the sensible budget person in me wants to get the 5700x for me, and 5600 for my wife (hopefully new). But the other guy, the numbers guy, the benchmark comparison obsessive guy, wants the 5800x3D. So now I'm in another mind battle on what to get haha...
It's never ending. I want to build the things and be done for a long long time.
Same here. I got clean in 2019 from heroin and 2021 from alcohol. Tho I just upgraded my PC last week so not doing as well in that department heh. I have a bigger problem buying games than I do upgrading hardware.
Setting up a server for things like games, media hosting, and backups has satisfied my need to upgrade. Sure the server went through its hardware upgrade sequence as I learn until I got to a point where I don’t need to upgrade to accomplish what I want. Now I can bring any new VM online or install any docker container to mess with a new service. The server just “quietly” sits in a closet while I upgrade virtually.
Absolutely this. I have a server/nas that keeps 12tb of work data in sync, runs prowlarr, sonarr, transmission and Plex, home assistant with it's own ZigBee network for home automation, a Minecraft server to play with my kids, docker containers with pihole to block ads on my home network, another container with gphotosync to backup my Google photos to the nas, and backups of all the house computers.
I just upgraded the ram cos I'd moved home assistant from docker to a VM, and last summer set up 10gbe networking to my work computer to speed up file transfers.
None of this is strictly necessary but it's a fun hobby, and allows me to upgrade and tinker with server software (which is free) rather than gaming pc hardware.
I try to do something similar. Been wanting to upgrade badly but I just updated my mobo bios, tinkered with some new features (SAM), and then upgraded to Windows 11. Feels like a whole new machine now and is actually running games better than before.
It’s like wanting a new car. Get it detailed first and see how it feels. Will probably feel like a brand new car.
Same thing with me, I had to figure out how to do something with QGIS without any prior knowledge. And discovered this program is a Pandora’s box that keeps calling me in my sleep! Congrats on learning its secrets!
The desire for novel experiences leads to me considering learning how to program for the original Nintendo. I figure that should scratch the itch...
It probably won't... but maybe.
I am currently looking for ways to scratch that itch by learning how to reflash bricked motherboards.
There's numerous listings that I can gamble on for a perfectly good motherboard that is basically had been bricked. Probably going to be useful to build a server for NAS solution or something.
Its perfectly normal, I am constantly compelled to build computers. I found offering to build other folks rigs is just as satisfying - and I'll do it for a 6-pack of bud light. I've learned in the last few years a lot of folks want to build their own PCs but they don't know where or how to start. Maybe you can lend a hand to somebody to get that itch?
Take your time, organize your parts, and give yourself space to work with. Also, when pulling cables make sure to tug by the header not the cable itself. Oh, and for cable management there is no need to pull the cables tight - they should all have a little play in them.
I've got another question since I couldn't find s good answer. So I'm getting the Corsair 4000d airflow case and I was wondering how many fans I need. I chose to get 3 120mm fans at the front and keep the stock one at the back. Should I add more or keep the 2 that come with the case
Yes and no, you might in terms of if something goes wrong or the person doesn’t quite know something ex. Viruses, certain program usage, component compatibility, etc. but if you can build something physically plug n play like media centers, arcade cabinets, AIOs, then not so much.
This is correct - I don't bother with software or windows so they're on their own. I only do the hardware, but since hardware excites me I am usually quite happy to answer hardware related questions
Does your PC perform in the way you want it to for the tasks you use it for? If no, do you have the expendable income to upgrade?
If it does, you're a victim of marketing. Stop watching tech YouTube and play a game.
Tried deep rock galactic? I hear a lot about it lately and tbh I kinda feel why. God that game looks so fun, maybe one day I will get to experience it.
Yep, but it's very common for us to want to do things that don't actually make sense out of habit. It's called "addiction".
You lose track of why.
It's a lot less harmful than heroin or even Tiktok, but sometimes you have to take a step back and decide if it's healthy or you are going to far.
Unfortunately this sub is where all our fellow addicts hang out, so the top answers are all like "this is normal!", and the "it's OK to take a step back" answers are lower down.
Have the same symptoms, but luckily I am also a procrastinator. So most of the time by the time I wanted to make the move, the hardware either sold out or the I didn't like the price anymore.
THIS. I made a whole reddit post a couple weeks ago about how my 13600k was getting too hot and I still have not ordered anything to remedy it almost 2 weeks later, but my PC seems to be running fine if I don’t obsess over the most likely minor issue so I saved myself a decent amount of money so far LMAO
My 4080 doesn’t even seem significantly better than the 3090 before it because they both crushed 4K. Although I’m wondering if the frame generation feature helps more than I realize. Also hopefully not a mistake going from 24 to 16 vram (but it’s for gaming only so)
Dude don’t look at anything tech related unless you have to upgrade. That causes fomo and makes you wanna buy more. I’m planning on doing that once I finish building my pc
This. Every time I upgrade I start reading a lot and subbing to places like this, then I don't stop after the upgrade and keep shopping. God forbid you get hooked to on the Youtube tech influencers.
That's not really a goal, there's always a PC that's faster than yours. You buy ''better'' components in order to satisfy a certain goal, like a certain frame rate at a certain resolution and settings.
If your current pc isn't holding back your performance and enjoyment of games, there is no reason to waste money on upgrades.
I’ve found a lot of joy in building lower end systems using used parts. Scratches that itch of building without having to shell out a lot of money, and it feels good to keep old hardware running. I try to get by on the minimum hardware requirements I can for the most part.
Remember too that the companies are the ones driving you to buy the latest and greatest and so it’s all manufactured demand. That’s the marketing and they spend a ton of money to convince you of that. Takes a lot of discipline not to buy into it.
This is similar to what I was going to suggest. Building is fun, often more fun than using the PC. Why not scout FB marketplace or similar for second hand systems, clean them up, improve them at a budget, and resell? Even better, you could find somewhere to donate them, if money is not the object.
Welcome to capitalism, where they keep pushing for buying things we don't need. PC building is no exception either. Most people will be fine with the things they have, but here comes NVIDIA with some new useless gimmick.
I get the same feeling constantly.
My current rig handles anything thrown at it but I'm always wondering if I should go to 1440p 144hz and if I do I'd have to upgrade GPUs.
I'm at 1080p 75hz, I've been wanting to move to 1080p 120hz but if I'm buying a new monitor I might as well get 1440 144hz and a new GPU to handle and in 1-2 years when I plan to upgrade new GPUs that handle this better will be out or current ones will be cheaper
If you could find a taker somehow for your current one, a 1080p 120hz doesn't sound like a bad idea if at a reasonable price. 1440p 144hz seem to go for about 300$, and if that comes with a lot of other upgrades then I'd wait until you're unhappy with your whole setup to be honest. Take this with a grain of salt though I'm new to building
I'm very happy with my current one it's just that my current setup is killer for 1080p 75hz but not enough for 1440p 144hz so as long as I stay at 1080p I'm fine but as soon as I go to 1440p in a couple of years I'd change GPU as well.
There's no such thing as done. Technology changes daily. New products come out all the time. Just when you think you're done, someone makes a product that does what you do, but better. It never ends. I've spent $1500 over the last couple months on my PC and I have a cart in newegg that's around the $700 range lol
I think this is because the PC building is more of a hobby than the actual PC using. That’s it for me at least. It’s tough man. I’ve got a 3090 and I’m still eyeing the 4090. It honestly helps that everything is so freaking expensive now. Keeps me from impulse buying.
Just figure out a plan and stick to it. For me, now that I basically have my (used to be) dream PC, I know it will last me at least 5 years. So my current plan is to wait until the 6000 series gpus come out and I’ll get a 5090 to replace my 3090. I figure that timing is just about perfect to stay ahead of the curve. If that makes my 7900X cpu a bottleneck, then I’ll get the latest AM5 cpu to go along. That’s my plan and I’m sticking to it.
I have this same feeling. My 5800x and my 3080 10gb are performing great but I just can't help wanting a 6950xt and 5800x3d since I wanna start playing at 4k 144hz. Thank fudge for dlss
that feeling is very normal, i think majority of us here suffers from it lol. I constantly have to remind myself that my PC is enough for me and if i upgrade it i won't even be playing the games that i want to play anyways, I will be stuck playing the same game that is not very graphically demanding even after the upgrade.
It never ends. The nice excuse I have is that I maintain all the computers for my family and everyone has at least a gaming desktop and half my family also have gaming laptops as well. Also have a lot of stuff from gpu crypto mining.
Then you end up with multiple cpus, gpus, motherboards, cases, rams, psus, ssds, fans, coolers, and etc.
Sounds like you may just like building computers. Perhaps you can find friends and family to build for? If not, I’d recommend learning to do something new with the computer you already have. Maybe Blender? Programming? Unreal Engine? Photoshop?
It's because you have no other financial goals that are more important, most likely. Money spent arbitrarily and needlessly is costing you in other facets of your life.
I just stop paying attention to whats coming out until I actually need an upgrade. That's hard for people who like following tech news. I used to follow closely and would constantly upgrade, but I upgrade every 3 to 5 years now since Is topped following tech new so closely. That works for me, but is not for everyone.
I go through this with all of my hobbies. I go through stages where I’ll want to throw a little bit of money towards each specific hobby here and there and then I’ll rotate to the next one.
Speaking on PC gaming, I FINALLY just upgraded from the pc I built in like ~2012.
Went from a AMD FX 8350 w/ r9 390 to a Ryzen 5 7600 w/ XFX 6800 XT.
My mom has an R9-290x with an FX-8150 and I'm right now in the process of forcing her to upgrade. I just bought her a 5700xt off of ebay for $150 and I gave her a spare b450 motherboard with my old 5800x with 32gb of 3600 cl16.
I upgraded a little over a year ago from a phenom II X4 940 with a radeon 6970 to a 5800x3d and a 3080.
I built my last rig two and a half years ago and have been itching to upgrade for at least two years. It's absolutely stupid for several reasons. 1) It's a lot more fun building the computer than actually using it. 2) After the first boot, I realized that I didn't even need a new build. I could feel some improvement, but since I don't run any heavy games or applications, the performance for me was basically the same as my then 5-year-old build. 3) I can save the money or use it for something more important.
Just come to terms with the fact that you don't need to upgrade unless you're running into real bottlenecks. Even then, all you might need is a better GPU, CPU, or RAM. You might not need a full new build.
I got 32 gigs of Ramma, and I never use 80% of it, but another 32 gigs for a total of 64 would be sweet though.
I am always eyeing that 16* 2 kit and 4 tb hdd
You can resist it by enjoying the games you like to play. I ordered an open box 4080 the other day even though my 1080ti can still play any game I throw at it in 1440p (which is crazy to think about that card is 6 years old) but I imagine there will be games coming out in the near future that I will wanna turn on ray tracing and that the 1080 ti will struggle with in raster aka stalker 2. I could have waited longer for the 4080 to hopefully drop in price but my urge to upgrade got the better of me.
I think wanting to upgrade is normal. But be realistic about it. There’s really no need to upgrade a cpu mobo combination except for maybe once every 6-10 years. RAM , maybe upgrade once, If you haven’t maxed out your ram slots. The GPU and subsequently the power supply is where most upgrades should happen. I think saving money over the course of a few months to a year in anticipation for a new gpu launch is reasonable, assuming you sell the old one to recoup some of that money. With GPU prices as they are today, I think it’s crucial that you sell your old gpu.
Watching less tech news and new product reviews will definitely help reduce the feeling. Replacing the void with doing software tinkering can also help (like doing hackintosh if you’re interested in that)
I feel you. If you're getting the itch to build, you can ask people close to you if they need a PC to be built. The biggest con though is you will be forever their tech support.
For a long while I've had trouble escaping the itch to upgrade. Even now the itch is strong despite my system being about 2 years old. The best thing you can do is to distract yourself with actually using your computer. Think to yourself as well that the current generation is not as mature as the previous ones and there's space for improvement.
I think it's normal but you have to weigh up the cost vs benefits. For me I have an itch to upgrade my 2070 but I know it's pointless because it runs everything I want right now well enough that I can wait until a couple more years. It's a good hobby and it's ok to spend money on hobbies, but spend wisely
A bit esoteric here, but I wonder if it’s the same reason comic book super heroes carried on so long. The level ups, new abilities and powers. Let’s the human mind wonder about new possibilities in a tangible way.
Hard to find that in everyday life.
And it feels nice when ya find it.
I've got a 13900k paired with a 4070 ti. I crave the upgrading so much that I've started just building downgraded builds playing on them a little then selling them. Just built a am4 build, 5800x paired with a 6600xt.. it runs really well though. I'm thinking of selling the higher end one and using that money to do a high end AMD build. If you crave the build just build it doesn't have to be upgrades. If you crave the upgrades... RIP your wallet.
Me too after my first upgrade, addicted to pc building and even helped my friend to assembled one , and even further to look for a job at pc shops lol , luckily my brain stopped me because of the shitty wages in my country.
My problem is i was originally aiming for 3070ti but i had settled for 3060ti because of budget and great deal that i cant resist, also 3070ti is more commonly used for mining , now because its not the caed i wanted i always look for a change but going 3060ti to 3070ti is certainly a waste , now i can only wait for a better offer or new better value card release
When I get the itch to build, I buy an old optiplex or something similar and turn it into a budget gaming PC.
It’s relatively easy and pretty fun. Typically it just involves installing an SSD (if it doesn’t already have one), matching a GPU to the CPU it comes with, repasting the CPU, and possibly adding a stick of ram.
Then you can sell it or give it to a friend if you want them to get into PC gaming.
Once you get over that initial bump of "I feel like I need to upgrade X part" the desire to continue thinking like that about the same upgrade fades very quickly. It's normal though and it's ultimately how these component manufacturers want you to think since at the end of the day that mindset is driving more revenue into their pockets if you're a person who upgrades every gen or every other gen versus once every six years or so. The people who have the most difficult time with this are going to be graphical fidelity chasers who want nothing less than "insert high resolution and high refresh rate here at maxed graphics settings on the latest AAA titles" especially now more than ever since the recommended specs for many AAA games has catapulted since the Series X and PS5 were released. You can expect those spec requirements to become even more strenuous with the Pro versions of these consoles right around the corner too.
I've upgraded enough parts to build a second machine that can knock out 1080p. When the feeling hits again, I'm going to buy a case and gift the PC to someone in my family.
You want to keep up with the Joneses. I used to have that feeling too, but I shook it off when I stopped following tech once my rig was completed. The next time I looked at computer parts again would be when the system got old and actually needed an upgrade.
For me, my build is old enough that it's not even worth upgrading since everything is 2-3 generations ahead. So I take peace in the fact that my board can't use DDR5, or that if I got a 4090 it would have to run on PCIe 3.0. The only path for me is a fresh build in 2-4 years.
I fell into this trap for a few years.
I had a 3570k that I overclocked as much as I could and a gtx 1060 that suited my needs. I don't play anything too demanding, Dota 2 and final fantasy xiv, and my system was enough.
But I'm a tech hardware enthusiast and look at reviews, look at benchmarks. I'd benchmark the shit out of my PC and compare my results to that of new hardware and for a while, I just couldn't justify the cost to upgrade. My PC only lacked in multicore performance - which honestly didn't affect my use
But I fell in a rabbit hole and convinced myself that I needed new tech, and especially an m.2 SSD.
Years later, I can't say that I've ever benefitted from the 3600 I bought or even the 5800x that replaced it. I still play the same games and my needs haven't changed.
I essentially did a whole platform upgrade to AM4, bought DDR4 and upgraded my cpu twice, when I never needed to.
I've regretted my purchase/upgrade numerous times because it was a huge waste. And when people come to /r/buildapc listing ridiculously expensive hardware, I always ask "what do you play or do with your PC" and always get downvoted. Literally, some of us have no business upgrading when there literally would be no obvious benefit other than having a new system.
I find it helps to have something to use the PC build for afterwards.
A lot of time we upgrade or build a PC only to find out our last one was still covering 99% of our needs.
If you don't want to be thinking about it's best to stop following PC advancements and sales. Come back in 4-5 years when there's value for money again and reevaluate.
I feel you, just last night my 2070S was hitting frames in the 30s on my new ultra wide while playing destiny and I have been looking into 4080 all morning. It runs reasonably well, most games at 70-90 and I’ve only had it three years but the itch is real
Me suffers from same condition. And idk if it’s a good thing or bad thing that I can afford it bc I usually succumb to the desire and constantly upgrade. I have so many nvmes I don’t have enough slots to put them all in bc I moved from gen 3 to 4 and then larger capacity gen 4 got cheaper. Then deals will roll around and I be like. Urrr. Just picked up a 2 tb 980 pro bc it was $149 and a week later (the other day) picked up a 4tb sn850x! That’s on top of the 2tb p41 platinum and 2tb gammix s70! Also have a 1tb gammix and 2 other gen 3 nvme. Lol. Now I can switch out that 1tb in my ps5 for a 2tb. I also upgrad motherboards a lot and cpus. I’ve must have upgraded motherboards and CPUs at least 4-5 times in the last 3 years or so. I switch cases often as I get bored and that’s one of the cheapest ways to completely change the entire look of your build. Must have switched 5 times in the last 4 years. I also switch back and forth from custom loops to aios. Keyboards and mice;
Same deal! The urge is difficult and consumerism is a bitch!!! I’ve been fighting this a while. The only thing I held onto for a bit was my 2080ti and that was mainly bc of the market was so messed up and scarce when the 30 series gpus hit. I would not pay double or triple msrp and I would not support scalpers. I was also playing a lot of ps5 and series x during that time whereas now it’s shifted back to pc. So now I’m on a 7900x and 4090 and am going to try to stay as long as possible. This issue isn’t specific to just pc building in my case. Honestly if your hardware does what you need then there is little benefit to upgrading. It’s just for the sake of upgrading and tinkering at that point.
I usually do a deep clean when I get that feeling. Pull parts out, clean the dust behind them, maybe end up doing a bit of improved cable management and maybe even reapplying some thermal paste, then move on to software. Uninstall things I don't use, clean up my drives etc ... when all is said and done, I a) don't really feel like wanting to put another system together and b) usually find that my current system is running like its new again.
For me it helps to distance myself from the PC building hobby.
If I always watch reviews and am always up-to-date in every aspect of PC hardware then I also want the newest stuff.
It's better to stop taking in all of the info about new hardware components and then in a couple of years when you really need an upgrade you can start watching reviews again and refreshing your aged knowledge.
Maybe you need to find a game that will actually keep your interest. I upgraded 2 years ago to play the latest games and I haven't felt like I needed newer hardware since I get decent frame rates in everything.
Just think about the actual cost and what else you could do with that money to get ahead in life. This may help. I should know, I suffer from this. Always wanting better, smoother........oh look, MSI Suprim X 4090 is back in stock!
I swap out at least 2 parts a year motherboard or ram. It's been hard the last few years for big purchases like A graphics card. But when the prices dropped recently I grabbed a gigabyte rtx 3070
To replace my evga 1080 ti which is still an amazing card. I gave it to my daughter.
I understand. I have finally upgraded all my parts to where I want. I got a 6800xt, a ryzen 7 5800x, tons of storage and I find myself wanting to upgrade to AM5 and 7000 series gpus. Do I need it? No. The only thing stopping me is that it will run the astheics of my build. I'd have to get a new mobo after finally finding a white mobo.
Literally the only reason I'm not buying new parts right now is because I'm saving up for a car so I feel your "pain" bro idk how to move past it either fr but this addiction is a far better one compared to my old addiction so I'll take it lol.
The new shiny thing is always tempting. The best way I have found to deal with it is to follow the 2 year rule of thumb. If it's less than 2 years old, it's unnecessary and unimportant. Works like a charm.
That itch is exactly what I feel while reading the latest pc component released from a 280€ laptop that has an amd a4 9120e apu
I think many people can relate to that itch.
My addiction is so bad I convinced myself that I needed to build an "all AMD" pc to even out my 13700k/4090 daily driver. All deals or used parts. How do I stop this?
Have you considered doing smaller more affordable projects? The raspberry PI motherboard is like $60 and is strong enough to emulate gba games. Tons of chassis out there. Tons of rasberian software to get to do a great many different tasks.
I have one and a acrylic chassis that had a mini hdmi to full hdmi port extention thingy. Got retro pie OS. I can play fire emblem the sacred stones on my living room tv with a ps4 pro controller lol.
I mean, yeah, kinda stupid lol If you don't need an upgrade, why would you want to? But if you want to indulge, just keep getting the newest GPUs as they release. As long as your CPU is relatively new, it won't bottleneck much at all.
In music we call this GAS, Gear Acquisition Syndrome (my new 5 string bass was *totally* NEEDED!). It's a kind of addiction. Our brains run on chemicals and the new shiny gives us the happy chemicals.
You need to look at whats actually making you seek the dopamine. And going healthy alternatives. Maybe programming. Making things. Or another hobby entirely
Gonna be honest, I'm fortunate enough to have gotten a 4090 on release, I haven't felt the need of wanting an upgrade since. Im sure it will come back in a few years when 5090/6090 drop but Ill patiently wait.
It's just nice knowing I that I don't have to worry for many years, and I no longer need to keep reading PC building articles/watching spec videos. Can finally close that door and move on if that makes sense?
The whole point of this sub is to instill a feeling of pride and accomplishment at creating a successful build. Part of the success of a build is how long it can last, playing the games you want to play at the settings you want to use, before you have to upgrade it.
..at least that's what I keep telling myself.
Honestly, I'm glad I upgraded to a 5900x, NVMe 4.0 ssd, and rtx 3090 to see what 'top tier performance' felt like. It's not much different from mid-tier components for most things. The hype is fun, but that's it for me.
Time will tell how those components age. My 3570k system was in service for 8 years with only a GPU, ssd, and memory upgrade.
Yeah I had this same feeling just recently after the Cyberpunk demo with DLSS3 and showing the FPS difference between DLSS2 with RT on and DLSS3 with RT on (60 fps to 90+). I have a 3090 I bought RIGHT after release (for msrp!) in Novemeber 2020. Also, same with CPU and gaming. I have a 5900x but I keep seeing all the x3d variants of the AMD cpus (starting with 5800x3d and now the 7000 series x3d's) and how much better performance they get in a host of different games because of that expanded cache..... Makes me want to upgrade, but in all seriousness it's a stupid thought. This rig was supposed to last 4+ years (and it will) so upgrading now and spending a ton of money on new cpu, mobo, ram, and GPU is just a giant waste. If you're really rich, then who cares I guess. I'm stable, but spending another 3 or 4k after 2.5 years just to upgrade would be silly when this rig performs so well in everything, and I barely have the time to play that I did 2 years ago....
GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome. it's common in many hobbies. I've picked up and stopped many hobbies because of this. :) My table full of dusty synths, the 6 complete skateboards on my wall, a garage full of fishing rods and tackle and a closet of photography gear can attest to this. Although I was a professional photographer, so I did need some of it... but a lot is collection based. ADHD can be a bitch too
I just do full system upgrades every 2-3 years, and I usually buy high-ish end. Currently pretty happy with my system, the only thing I ever buy between my upgrades is storage.
Think of upgrading and playing games as consuming.
Think of building or making (doesn't matter the creative outlet) as creating.
The best way to break out of the consuming cycle is by creating. Once you start creating, you may find it's much more deeply fulfilling than consuming, and eventually consuming starts to feel shallow and empty by comparison.
Bro. I have been tinkering and upgrading my custom loop for like 4 months now. I’ve said “this is the last change” roughly 16 times. At this point, building/tinkering with the pc is just as much a hobby as gaming on the pc is.
It's some sort of addiction, I can sort of relate.
When I sat myself down and said what doesn't it do, I've stopped adding anything to my PC.
Perhaps have a look at other areas of your life, with all due respect of course. I feel like unnecessary upgrades are a distraction from real life.
After being constantly in the state of needing an upgrade for the past few years (new job wanting to replace my 980Ti with a new top card, then not being able to find a GPU to fit in the 2 slots I got for a GPU) I am now coming to terms with being set for a few years.
I am a bit upset that after getting a Threadripper Pro it seems like HEDT is coming back and looking great, the new Sapphire Rapids stuff looks really cool and cheaper than what I got (but definitely not cheap enough for me to just upgrade again, especially with needing to move to DDR5) and Zen 4 Threadrippers look like they will be awesome too. I just need HEDT for more lanes than on consumer platforms, so the less faster lanes with better single threads sounds perfect for me.
But I also have other big things I need to spend money on, namely my NAS needs new bigger drives. So the idea is it's fine to want the newest thing, but you just need to adjust the value for how much you will actually gain. A new GPU will perform better, but that upgrade is worth more if you are on a 7 year old card than a 2 year old card. So that card at $500 might be a great deal to replace your older card, but not so much for a newer one.
As long as your PC is performing at acceptable levels than it's okay to not update it. It's also acceptable to keep up to date with new stuff and a check on prices. You never know when you might spot an unbeatable deal somewhere. I was pretty set on waiting for new cards for my upgrade, but then I found the Acer A770 on Amazon for $350 and that was low enough for me to jump on it.
It's much easier to be "satisfied" with your current build when it is performing better. I was trying to get a 3090 for $1000 at the point (the only blower cooler one was still holding value quite well), now I am still keeping an eye one them, but my price limit for them are *much* lower. A 3090 would still be an upgrade from the A770 (plus I have another PC that could use a beefy modern card), but I now put a much lower value on it.
This is quite the ramble, but I like to do to combat it is think about the amount of you would spend on that upgrade and think what else you could spend the money on, if you find things that would make you more happy then you probably don't need the upgrade. I also like to put low bids and offers on things on eBay, it's kind of a win/win. If it goes through, then I got something at a great price, if not, I "saved" money.
Need to start enjoying the opposite, my PC and monitor are all 11 years old apart from the gfx card which is 6 or so. Still play everything fine! Fun to squeeze how long it will last.
Im same, you have to resist dont become consumer rat, waste or money, there will be something better in 1-2-3 years anyway, just always ask yourself do i want more this new gpu or would i like to more receive 2000$ from my friend, if you would chose 2k dont buy gpu And you have that 2k
I want to build more PCs but I'm satisfied with my build, it's doing what I need it do and that's enough for me, but I still want build more and I wish I could make a job out of it where I could PCs all day long every single day till I get extremely sick of doing that!
I finally succumbed to the itch and upgraded my cpu, mobo, and ram last month after about 5 or so years. The itch is still present and I have no money left LMAO. I scratch the itch by convincing my friends and family to let me build them new PCs and then I repair and upgrade them too, all while spending none of my own money, except I am always jealous of the builds I do for others.
The feeling never leaves.
Stop following what is coming out. For me it started 2 years ago with: "Let me check new case..." Now I have a new PC with only old hard drive to be from original PC.
If only I was patient and wait for lil bit I could have 3080ti for less than what I got 3070ti.
But I was hooked in upgrade mode and kept watching PC related YT videos and I couldn't resist not to get new GPU as soon as prices started to fall.
I am happy with my build, but I could have more for less money if only I waited for a bit.
A bargain is something you don't need at a price you can't resist
How I feel when I visit bapcs everyday. I end up getting so many things I don't need
Leave it friend. I have added 2 KC3000 NVMes when I noticed they were on sale because of that subreddit (the CAD one) I had the same 2TB drive when I built my computer in May. I have 20ish games. I only play games. . . . . . . I now have 5TB.
What's the Canadian one? Asking for a Canadian friend Edit: found it - buildapcsalescanada
[Your wallet with this decision](https://media.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMzhiMTA2MDM5ZDg2M2IwZGYzNWQxY2UwMWUwNWNhNjliMWRjZjNiNCZjdD1n/Ru9sjtZ09XOEg/giphy.gif)
Haha! Trying to make good choices. Current system is like 10 years old so it's time for an upgrade
Bought a 2TB nvme two weeks ago. It’s still sitting on my desk lol
I can beat this. I had a mechanical hard drive in my computer for 1 year while the NVME rested soundly in my couch pocket.
I think that's called masochism.
No that was installing cyberpunk 2077 off of a disk When I had a 1.2 gig cable connection.
Same, it is such a pain in the A to install nvme when they are next to the video card and CPU cooler. I'm gonna do it this weekend but I'm just like fml. Getting to that stupid little tab lock without taking off the heatsink is beyond a pain
“Such a pain in the A”. It literally takes 5-10 mins to do all that
Do you think SSD prices will go back up?
Prices will continue to go down on average
I agree with the technology that is coming soon NVME's will sink in Price. They are hoping to have consumer grade 100 terabyte NVMEs by 2030.
Big if true
SAME LOL. Unused SN770 just in a package because I can't be bothered to reinstall windows and move my games off my SATA ssds
Welcome to PC building; that feeling is entirely normal.
[удалено]
Ah, so that's what you use last gen thermal paste for
Applying your skills to successfully complete a complex task is very satisfying. You can always find new kinds of tasks and expand your skills. You can try programming, Linux, CAD, 3D modelling, DYI electronics, 3D printing... Or you can do something entirely different, preferably something that involves spending time outside. Examples include geocaching, orienteering, team sports or even things like drone racing.
I actually really like this advice. You can learn coding and even take college grade courses online. Even if you don't end up with a diploma you can still do python classes and learn all the same stuff. Been wanting to do them myself because I'm relatively uneducated when it comes to anything complex involving computers. Geocaching is awesome and you feel like a treasure hunter when you finally find one.
Only problem with some of these is that it will lead to more buying of things. I've always wanted to get into Linux on the mid 2000s when I was in hs but was too lazy to learn the cli. Covid finally gave me the motivation and finally learned a good amount of the basics. Always OCD with trying to understand everything to a better degree... Now I have a server, an Intel nuc, cheap laptop, and old pc all running Linux and learning to do as many things as possible. I actually like it a lot more than windows but still use my windows PC as it's my main build. Really liking it and hoping I can transition from my current field in chemistry to a Sys Admin but having ADHD I have limited executive function with figuring out a good plan to do so. I'm also still not great at scripting but will hopefully get better as I force myself to do it more.
Weird, i dont feel that way at all
It's also normal not to feel it, some people build their PC and feel no need to upgrade it. Upgrade or don't upgrade, as long as your machine gives you the performance you want.
My friend did this, I wound up having to buy him a 6700k for his birthday since his cpu was trash 10 years ago.
Welcome to Western consumerism. This is what we've been tricked into doing. Was my 5600x and 3060ti enough to play hearthstone and use cemu - fuck yes! As a matter of fact so was my 3700x and 2070. For some reason, I needed a 7700x and a 4080 because Diablo is dropping. I lost my ability to reason long ago.
My guilty pleasure is trying to encourage my friends to make new builds when I want to build something but not spend my own money for the build.
>Sorry if this is stupid just wanted to know if anyone else has a similar mindset. It can be a habit loop to break. That feeling is always there. But, do you remember how fast the high lasted when you finally got the upgrade? For me, I try to "minimize" the upgrades by replacing PC upgrades with software tinkering. For example tinkering with Linux that appeases my boredom with new things... and these new things are nearly 100% free except considering my time.
It's an addiction. I hate it but it feeds my brain useless stuff. I have to stop looking on websites comparing specs and prices and do real activities.
Or you can always look into developing other addictions; like gambling, pornography or tiktok. There are other things out there.
directions unclear, I am now a Tik Tok-Pornstar-gambler... Still waiting for the 7800X3D to drop, tho...
I've already spent extraordinary amounts of money relative to the average in a few hobbies; I'm not even a "whale" in those few hobbies. But hey! Your money, your choice. Frankly, spending too much is only a problem when you have to finance those purchases or you have to sell some of the nice things you've bought (hopefully not) because of an emergency that requires quick liquid cash from your savings or your drawer. Except when you finance a super high-end components because you literally work in a data center or something that do make use extraordinary computing power. Then, it's a "good" loan.
I'm currently doing two builds, one for me and one for my wife. I'm on a pretty tight budget so used is the route I'm going. I was looking at everything from Intel 13th gen and ryzen 7000 series, down to 10th gen Intel and 3000 series ryzen. I couldn't make a decision and was constantly comparing benchmarks and specs and chips and, it was driving me insane. But, I bought two AM4 boards, I have my ram. Now, I just need the CPU's and nvme and I'm good to go. Now, the sensible budget person in me wants to get the 5700x for me, and 5600 for my wife (hopefully new). But the other guy, the numbers guy, the benchmark comparison obsessive guy, wants the 5800x3D. So now I'm in another mind battle on what to get haha... It's never ending. I want to build the things and be done for a long long time.
As a recovering addict and a PC builder I can concur.
For real? I am too, not kidding. 
Yep got 4 almost 5 years clean off heroin. Bout 2 days off my last PC upgrade tho lol
Same here. I got clean in 2019 from heroin and 2021 from alcohol. Tho I just upgraded my PC last week so not doing as well in that department heh. I have a bigger problem buying games than I do upgrading hardware.
I've spent more time looking at hardware reviews than using my current hardware to game on in the past month 😂😂
I offer everyone to build them a PC to get rid of the itch.
Then next thing you know you're tech support
Setting up a server for things like games, media hosting, and backups has satisfied my need to upgrade. Sure the server went through its hardware upgrade sequence as I learn until I got to a point where I don’t need to upgrade to accomplish what I want. Now I can bring any new VM online or install any docker container to mess with a new service. The server just “quietly” sits in a closet while I upgrade virtually.
Absolutely this. I have a server/nas that keeps 12tb of work data in sync, runs prowlarr, sonarr, transmission and Plex, home assistant with it's own ZigBee network for home automation, a Minecraft server to play with my kids, docker containers with pihole to block ads on my home network, another container with gphotosync to backup my Google photos to the nas, and backups of all the house computers. I just upgraded the ram cos I'd moved home assistant from docker to a VM, and last summer set up 10gbe networking to my work computer to speed up file transfers. None of this is strictly necessary but it's a fun hobby, and allows me to upgrade and tinker with server software (which is free) rather than gaming pc hardware.
I try to do something similar. Been wanting to upgrade badly but I just updated my mobo bios, tinkered with some new features (SAM), and then upgraded to Windows 11. Feels like a whole new machine now and is actually running games better than before. It’s like wanting a new car. Get it detailed first and see how it feels. Will probably feel like a brand new car.
This is partially how I got into QGIS and eventually a Certificate in arcGIS
Same thing with me, I had to figure out how to do something with QGIS without any prior knowledge. And discovered this program is a Pandora’s box that keeps calling me in my sleep! Congrats on learning its secrets!
The desire for novel experiences leads to me considering learning how to program for the original Nintendo. I figure that should scratch the itch... It probably won't... but maybe.
I am currently looking for ways to scratch that itch by learning how to reflash bricked motherboards. There's numerous listings that I can gamble on for a perfectly good motherboard that is basically had been bricked. Probably going to be useful to build a server for NAS solution or something.
Its perfectly normal, I am constantly compelled to build computers. I found offering to build other folks rigs is just as satisfying - and I'll do it for a 6-pack of bud light. I've learned in the last few years a lot of folks want to build their own PCs but they don't know where or how to start. Maybe you can lend a hand to somebody to get that itch?
[удалено]
This is the way.
Exactly! I started building lower end PCs as a hobby then selling them. Then using the money to do another build.
I'm building my first pc this week. Any tips on how not to break the expensive parts?
Take your time, organize your parts, and give yourself space to work with. Also, when pulling cables make sure to tug by the header not the cable itself. Oh, and for cable management there is no need to pull the cables tight - they should all have a little play in them.
I've got another question since I couldn't find s good answer. So I'm getting the Corsair 4000d airflow case and I was wondering how many fans I need. I chose to get 3 120mm fans at the front and keep the stock one at the back. Should I add more or keep the 2 that come with the case
But won't you become their eternal it support after that?
Yes and no, you might in terms of if something goes wrong or the person doesn’t quite know something ex. Viruses, certain program usage, component compatibility, etc. but if you can build something physically plug n play like media centers, arcade cabinets, AIOs, then not so much.
This is correct - I don't bother with software or windows so they're on their own. I only do the hardware, but since hardware excites me I am usually quite happy to answer hardware related questions
Does your PC perform in the way you want it to for the tasks you use it for? If no, do you have the expendable income to upgrade? If it does, you're a victim of marketing. Stop watching tech YouTube and play a game.
But games don't feel as good to play anymore. Building a new PC or replacing parts is just more fun.
This is the way. Build a $3k PC to browse parts on Firefox to build another PC.
I feel attacked.
On Chrome so that it's justified
I put 4k rpm fans in my girlfriend's build. We started it yesterday and it sounded like a jet taking off. She looked at me and was like uuuh no
PC Building Simulator
Tried deep rock galactic? I hear a lot about it lately and tbh I kinda feel why. God that game looks so fun, maybe one day I will get to experience it.
Yep, but it's very common for us to want to do things that don't actually make sense out of habit. It's called "addiction". You lose track of why. It's a lot less harmful than heroin or even Tiktok, but sometimes you have to take a step back and decide if it's healthy or you are going to far. Unfortunately this sub is where all our fellow addicts hang out, so the top answers are all like "this is normal!", and the "it's OK to take a step back" answers are lower down.
Have the same symptoms, but luckily I am also a procrastinator. So most of the time by the time I wanted to make the move, the hardware either sold out or the I didn't like the price anymore.
You just described me lol. At least procrastination is useful somewhere
THIS. I made a whole reddit post a couple weeks ago about how my 13600k was getting too hot and I still have not ordered anything to remedy it almost 2 weeks later, but my PC seems to be running fine if I don’t obsess over the most likely minor issue so I saved myself a decent amount of money so far LMAO
Dude… I got a 4080 after owning a 6900xt and I’m still thinking I want the 4090. It’s ridiculous.
I got the 4080 after having a 3080TI and I’m over here thinking “Why did I even upgrade? My 3080TI was fine for 1440p!”
Thats such a weird upgrade route, would agree.
My 4080 doesn’t even seem significantly better than the 3090 before it because they both crushed 4K. Although I’m wondering if the frame generation feature helps more than I realize. Also hopefully not a mistake going from 24 to 16 vram (but it’s for gaming only so)
fomo maybe a creative hobby is all you need
Dude don’t look at anything tech related unless you have to upgrade. That causes fomo and makes you wanna buy more. I’m planning on doing that once I finish building my pc
It's even worse if you're subbed to r/buildapcsales or live near a microcenter.
This. Every time I upgrade I start reading a lot and subbing to places like this, then I don't stop after the upgrade and keep shopping. God forbid you get hooked to on the Youtube tech influencers.
Ask yourself this question. ''What's the goal?''
Better computer happy
Apparently not happy though lol
That's not really a goal, there's always a PC that's faster than yours. You buy ''better'' components in order to satisfy a certain goal, like a certain frame rate at a certain resolution and settings. If your current pc isn't holding back your performance and enjoyment of games, there is no reason to waste money on upgrades.
Yeah I felt that way until I looked at the price and stopped feeling that way
When I found that it's a year's worth of groceries. I just couldn't
I’ve found a lot of joy in building lower end systems using used parts. Scratches that itch of building without having to shell out a lot of money, and it feels good to keep old hardware running. I try to get by on the minimum hardware requirements I can for the most part. Remember too that the companies are the ones driving you to buy the latest and greatest and so it’s all manufactured demand. That’s the marketing and they spend a ton of money to convince you of that. Takes a lot of discipline not to buy into it.
This is similar to what I was going to suggest. Building is fun, often more fun than using the PC. Why not scout FB marketplace or similar for second hand systems, clean them up, improve them at a budget, and resell? Even better, you could find somewhere to donate them, if money is not the object.
This is why I’m exploring budget builds like APU only PCs or SFF PCs with used hardware.
Welcome to capitalism, where they keep pushing for buying things we don't need. PC building is no exception either. Most people will be fine with the things they have, but here comes NVIDIA with some new useless gimmick.
What useless gimmicks are we referring to?
Inb4 oc says "DLSS"
I get the same feeling constantly. My current rig handles anything thrown at it but I'm always wondering if I should go to 1440p 144hz and if I do I'd have to upgrade GPUs.
Lol don't do it I tried but Hogwarts only gets ~120 average with a 6950xt and I still fixate.
What are you playing at now, lower FPS or resolution or both maybe?
I'm at 1080p 75hz, I've been wanting to move to 1080p 120hz but if I'm buying a new monitor I might as well get 1440 144hz and a new GPU to handle and in 1-2 years when I plan to upgrade new GPUs that handle this better will be out or current ones will be cheaper
If you could find a taker somehow for your current one, a 1080p 120hz doesn't sound like a bad idea if at a reasonable price. 1440p 144hz seem to go for about 300$, and if that comes with a lot of other upgrades then I'd wait until you're unhappy with your whole setup to be honest. Take this with a grain of salt though I'm new to building
I'm very happy with my current one it's just that my current setup is killer for 1080p 75hz but not enough for 1440p 144hz so as long as I stay at 1080p I'm fine but as soon as I go to 1440p in a couple of years I'd change GPU as well.
Makes sense, glad to hear you're happy then, that's the goal for sure
Stop browsing this sub / buildapcsales
This is how most hobbies go. Nothing weird about it.
It's weird when it turns into mindless consumerism. Most healthy hobbies usually have more other stuff going for them
Block PC related subreddits. And stop viewing PC related news/articles/videos/posts elsewhere.
"Jensen" Huang reading OP's post: \* drools \*
Same. I just tell myself to wait for next gen CPU, GPU etc. So far seems to work.
There's no such thing as done. Technology changes daily. New products come out all the time. Just when you think you're done, someone makes a product that does what you do, but better. It never ends. I've spent $1500 over the last couple months on my PC and I have a cart in newegg that's around the $700 range lol
My addictive personality enjoys it and does the same.
I think this is because the PC building is more of a hobby than the actual PC using. That’s it for me at least. It’s tough man. I’ve got a 3090 and I’m still eyeing the 4090. It honestly helps that everything is so freaking expensive now. Keeps me from impulse buying. Just figure out a plan and stick to it. For me, now that I basically have my (used to be) dream PC, I know it will last me at least 5 years. So my current plan is to wait until the 6000 series gpus come out and I’ll get a 5090 to replace my 3090. I figure that timing is just about perfect to stay ahead of the curve. If that makes my 7900X cpu a bottleneck, then I’ll get the latest AM5 cpu to go along. That’s my plan and I’m sticking to it.
I have this same feeling. My 5800x and my 3080 10gb are performing great but I just can't help wanting a 6950xt and 5800x3d since I wanna start playing at 4k 144hz. Thank fudge for dlss
Yes this me. Every time. I'm on i712700k 3080 12gb 4000mhz cl14 ddr4 msi edge Every time something comes out I want it. Although I don't need it yet.
that feeling is very normal, i think majority of us here suffers from it lol. I constantly have to remind myself that my PC is enough for me and if i upgrade it i won't even be playing the games that i want to play anyways, I will be stuck playing the same game that is not very graphically demanding even after the upgrade.
It never ends. The nice excuse I have is that I maintain all the computers for my family and everyone has at least a gaming desktop and half my family also have gaming laptops as well. Also have a lot of stuff from gpu crypto mining. Then you end up with multiple cpus, gpus, motherboards, cases, rams, psus, ssds, fans, coolers, and etc.
This is called a craving and you are an addict Harry!
Sounds like you may just like building computers. Perhaps you can find friends and family to build for? If not, I’d recommend learning to do something new with the computer you already have. Maybe Blender? Programming? Unreal Engine? Photoshop?
*Me about to upgrade my motherboard just to go from pcie gen 3 to gen 4*
😂 Just bought a 4090.....
I’d get out of subreddits like this and exit the PC hardware arms race social media sphere completely.
The first step is admitting you have a problem. Good on you!
It's because you have no other financial goals that are more important, most likely. Money spent arbitrarily and needlessly is costing you in other facets of your life.
I have the same feeling then I look at my bank account and it quickly goes away
Spend my money else where so therefore there is no more itch to upgrade on something I don’t need because there is no more money
I recommend you another hobby. Try 3D printing. The number of upgrades, prints and things you can buy and update ridiculous.
To infinity and beyond, I'm with you buddy.
Upgrading your PC is the game.
Yeah and playing benchmark is the best game
I just stop paying attention to whats coming out until I actually need an upgrade. That's hard for people who like following tech news. I used to follow closely and would constantly upgrade, but I upgrade every 3 to 5 years now since Is topped following tech new so closely. That works for me, but is not for everyone.
i genuinely just want something that isnt outdated and can run warzone at 60-100 fps mid-high tbh.
I go through this with all of my hobbies. I go through stages where I’ll want to throw a little bit of money towards each specific hobby here and there and then I’ll rotate to the next one. Speaking on PC gaming, I FINALLY just upgraded from the pc I built in like ~2012. Went from a AMD FX 8350 w/ r9 390 to a Ryzen 5 7600 w/ XFX 6800 XT.
My mom has an R9-290x with an FX-8150 and I'm right now in the process of forcing her to upgrade. I just bought her a 5700xt off of ebay for $150 and I gave her a spare b450 motherboard with my old 5800x with 32gb of 3600 cl16. I upgraded a little over a year ago from a phenom II X4 940 with a radeon 6970 to a 5800x3d and a 3080.
I miss my 290x, that beast doubled as my space heater :').
I built my last rig two and a half years ago and have been itching to upgrade for at least two years. It's absolutely stupid for several reasons. 1) It's a lot more fun building the computer than actually using it. 2) After the first boot, I realized that I didn't even need a new build. I could feel some improvement, but since I don't run any heavy games or applications, the performance for me was basically the same as my then 5-year-old build. 3) I can save the money or use it for something more important. Just come to terms with the fact that you don't need to upgrade unless you're running into real bottlenecks. Even then, all you might need is a better GPU, CPU, or RAM. You might not need a full new build.
I got 32 gigs of Ramma, and I never use 80% of it, but another 32 gigs for a total of 64 would be sweet though. I am always eyeing that 16* 2 kit and 4 tb hdd
Let me know if you find out, I have four gaming PC's now.
Having 3 microcenter nearby with good open box deals is pretty hard to resist.
You can resist it by enjoying the games you like to play. I ordered an open box 4080 the other day even though my 1080ti can still play any game I throw at it in 1440p (which is crazy to think about that card is 6 years old) but I imagine there will be games coming out in the near future that I will wanna turn on ray tracing and that the 1080 ti will struggle with in raster aka stalker 2. I could have waited longer for the 4080 to hopefully drop in price but my urge to upgrade got the better of me.
I think wanting to upgrade is normal. But be realistic about it. There’s really no need to upgrade a cpu mobo combination except for maybe once every 6-10 years. RAM , maybe upgrade once, If you haven’t maxed out your ram slots. The GPU and subsequently the power supply is where most upgrades should happen. I think saving money over the course of a few months to a year in anticipation for a new gpu launch is reasonable, assuming you sell the old one to recoup some of that money. With GPU prices as they are today, I think it’s crucial that you sell your old gpu.
I have an Aorus 3080ti and I want a 40 series, doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it lmfao
Watching less tech news and new product reviews will definitely help reduce the feeling. Replacing the void with doing software tinkering can also help (like doing hackintosh if you’re interested in that)
I feel you. If you're getting the itch to build, you can ask people close to you if they need a PC to be built. The biggest con though is you will be forever their tech support. For a long while I've had trouble escaping the itch to upgrade. Even now the itch is strong despite my system being about 2 years old. The best thing you can do is to distract yourself with actually using your computer. Think to yourself as well that the current generation is not as mature as the previous ones and there's space for improvement.
I think it's normal but you have to weigh up the cost vs benefits. For me I have an itch to upgrade my 2070 but I know it's pointless because it runs everything I want right now well enough that I can wait until a couple more years. It's a good hobby and it's ok to spend money on hobbies, but spend wisely
A bit esoteric here, but I wonder if it’s the same reason comic book super heroes carried on so long. The level ups, new abilities and powers. Let’s the human mind wonder about new possibilities in a tangible way. Hard to find that in everyday life. And it feels nice when ya find it.
Bruh at least your games running, am over here with an acer predator helios 300 laptop piece a s**t 🤣🤣
Unsubscribe to this subreddit (and any other PC building subs) for a while. We'll take you back when it's time!
I've got a 13900k paired with a 4070 ti. I crave the upgrading so much that I've started just building downgraded builds playing on them a little then selling them. Just built a am4 build, 5800x paired with a 6600xt.. it runs really well though. I'm thinking of selling the higher end one and using that money to do a high end AMD build. If you crave the build just build it doesn't have to be upgrades. If you crave the upgrades... RIP your wallet.
Me too after my first upgrade, addicted to pc building and even helped my friend to assembled one , and even further to look for a job at pc shops lol , luckily my brain stopped me because of the shitty wages in my country. My problem is i was originally aiming for 3070ti but i had settled for 3060ti because of budget and great deal that i cant resist, also 3070ti is more commonly used for mining , now because its not the caed i wanted i always look for a change but going 3060ti to 3070ti is certainly a waste , now i can only wait for a better offer or new better value card release
When I get the itch to build, I buy an old optiplex or something similar and turn it into a budget gaming PC. It’s relatively easy and pretty fun. Typically it just involves installing an SSD (if it doesn’t already have one), matching a GPU to the CPU it comes with, repasting the CPU, and possibly adding a stick of ram. Then you can sell it or give it to a friend if you want them to get into PC gaming.
Once you get over that initial bump of "I feel like I need to upgrade X part" the desire to continue thinking like that about the same upgrade fades very quickly. It's normal though and it's ultimately how these component manufacturers want you to think since at the end of the day that mindset is driving more revenue into their pockets if you're a person who upgrades every gen or every other gen versus once every six years or so. The people who have the most difficult time with this are going to be graphical fidelity chasers who want nothing less than "insert high resolution and high refresh rate here at maxed graphics settings on the latest AAA titles" especially now more than ever since the recommended specs for many AAA games has catapulted since the Series X and PS5 were released. You can expect those spec requirements to become even more strenuous with the Pro versions of these consoles right around the corner too.
Play PC building simulator: https://store.steampowered.com/app/621060/PC_Building_Simulator/
I’m looking to downgrade
I've upgraded enough parts to build a second machine that can knock out 1080p. When the feeling hits again, I'm going to buy a case and gift the PC to someone in my family.
Idk I just build a new pc every 4-5 years lol
I really need to stay off r/buildapcsales. I just bought like four SSDs and I already have way more storage than I'll ever need.
Not just upgrade, but I feel the itch to build a whole new rig, for no good reason than to use the parts leftover from my old rig.
You want to keep up with the Joneses. I used to have that feeling too, but I shook it off when I stopped following tech once my rig was completed. The next time I looked at computer parts again would be when the system got old and actually needed an upgrade.
For me, my build is old enough that it's not even worth upgrading since everything is 2-3 generations ahead. So I take peace in the fact that my board can't use DDR5, or that if I got a 4090 it would have to run on PCIe 3.0. The only path for me is a fresh build in 2-4 years.
Just be poor, the itch won’t go away, but you won’t be able to fulfill it.
Yeah, I do too. I remedy it by being too poor to justify it lol.
I fell into this trap for a few years. I had a 3570k that I overclocked as much as I could and a gtx 1060 that suited my needs. I don't play anything too demanding, Dota 2 and final fantasy xiv, and my system was enough. But I'm a tech hardware enthusiast and look at reviews, look at benchmarks. I'd benchmark the shit out of my PC and compare my results to that of new hardware and for a while, I just couldn't justify the cost to upgrade. My PC only lacked in multicore performance - which honestly didn't affect my use But I fell in a rabbit hole and convinced myself that I needed new tech, and especially an m.2 SSD. Years later, I can't say that I've ever benefitted from the 3600 I bought or even the 5800x that replaced it. I still play the same games and my needs haven't changed. I essentially did a whole platform upgrade to AM4, bought DDR4 and upgraded my cpu twice, when I never needed to. I've regretted my purchase/upgrade numerous times because it was a huge waste. And when people come to /r/buildapc listing ridiculously expensive hardware, I always ask "what do you play or do with your PC" and always get downvoted. Literally, some of us have no business upgrading when there literally would be no obvious benefit other than having a new system.
I find it helps to have something to use the PC build for afterwards. A lot of time we upgrade or build a PC only to find out our last one was still covering 99% of our needs. If you don't want to be thinking about it's best to stop following PC advancements and sales. Come back in 4-5 years when there's value for money again and reevaluate.
Lmao Im the opposite, I keep holding out on upgrading, waiting for THE "opportune" moment. Now my gpu is 5 years overdue of an upgrade.
I feel you, just last night my 2070S was hitting frames in the 30s on my new ultra wide while playing destiny and I have been looking into 4080 all morning. It runs reasonably well, most games at 70-90 and I’ve only had it three years but the itch is real
Me suffers from same condition. And idk if it’s a good thing or bad thing that I can afford it bc I usually succumb to the desire and constantly upgrade. I have so many nvmes I don’t have enough slots to put them all in bc I moved from gen 3 to 4 and then larger capacity gen 4 got cheaper. Then deals will roll around and I be like. Urrr. Just picked up a 2 tb 980 pro bc it was $149 and a week later (the other day) picked up a 4tb sn850x! That’s on top of the 2tb p41 platinum and 2tb gammix s70! Also have a 1tb gammix and 2 other gen 3 nvme. Lol. Now I can switch out that 1tb in my ps5 for a 2tb. I also upgrad motherboards a lot and cpus. I’ve must have upgraded motherboards and CPUs at least 4-5 times in the last 3 years or so. I switch cases often as I get bored and that’s one of the cheapest ways to completely change the entire look of your build. Must have switched 5 times in the last 4 years. I also switch back and forth from custom loops to aios. Keyboards and mice; Same deal! The urge is difficult and consumerism is a bitch!!! I’ve been fighting this a while. The only thing I held onto for a bit was my 2080ti and that was mainly bc of the market was so messed up and scarce when the 30 series gpus hit. I would not pay double or triple msrp and I would not support scalpers. I was also playing a lot of ps5 and series x during that time whereas now it’s shifted back to pc. So now I’m on a 7900x and 4090 and am going to try to stay as long as possible. This issue isn’t specific to just pc building in my case. Honestly if your hardware does what you need then there is little benefit to upgrading. It’s just for the sake of upgrading and tinkering at that point.
I usually do a deep clean when I get that feeling. Pull parts out, clean the dust behind them, maybe end up doing a bit of improved cable management and maybe even reapplying some thermal paste, then move on to software. Uninstall things I don't use, clean up my drives etc ... when all is said and done, I a) don't really feel like wanting to put another system together and b) usually find that my current system is running like its new again.
For me it helps to distance myself from the PC building hobby. If I always watch reviews and am always up-to-date in every aspect of PC hardware then I also want the newest stuff. It's better to stop taking in all of the info about new hardware components and then in a couple of years when you really need an upgrade you can start watching reviews again and refreshing your aged knowledge.
Maybe you need to find a game that will actually keep your interest. I upgraded 2 years ago to play the latest games and I haven't felt like I needed newer hardware since I get decent frame rates in everything.
Just think about the actual cost and what else you could do with that money to get ahead in life. This may help. I should know, I suffer from this. Always wanting better, smoother........oh look, MSI Suprim X 4090 is back in stock!
I felt the same way in 2015 and I just never pulled the trigger on anything. Probably gonna upgrade around Black Friday this year though
I swap out at least 2 parts a year motherboard or ram. It's been hard the last few years for big purchases like A graphics card. But when the prices dropped recently I grabbed a gigabyte rtx 3070 To replace my evga 1080 ti which is still an amazing card. I gave it to my daughter.
Have you tried perfecting your cable management? That will keep you busy for a while. Lol
I understand. I have finally upgraded all my parts to where I want. I got a 6800xt, a ryzen 7 5800x, tons of storage and I find myself wanting to upgrade to AM5 and 7000 series gpus. Do I need it? No. The only thing stopping me is that it will run the astheics of my build. I'd have to get a new mobo after finally finding a white mobo.
Literally the only reason I'm not buying new parts right now is because I'm saving up for a car so I feel your "pain" bro idk how to move past it either fr but this addiction is a far better one compared to my old addiction so I'll take it lol.
The new shiny thing is always tempting. The best way I have found to deal with it is to follow the 2 year rule of thumb. If it's less than 2 years old, it's unnecessary and unimportant. Works like a charm.
That itch is exactly what I feel while reading the latest pc component released from a 280€ laptop that has an amd a4 9120e apu I think many people can relate to that itch.
My addiction is so bad I convinced myself that I needed to build an "all AMD" pc to even out my 13700k/4090 daily driver. All deals or used parts. How do I stop this?
Have you considered doing smaller more affordable projects? The raspberry PI motherboard is like $60 and is strong enough to emulate gba games. Tons of chassis out there. Tons of rasberian software to get to do a great many different tasks. I have one and a acrylic chassis that had a mini hdmi to full hdmi port extention thingy. Got retro pie OS. I can play fire emblem the sacred stones on my living room tv with a ps4 pro controller lol.
I mean, yeah, kinda stupid lol If you don't need an upgrade, why would you want to? But if you want to indulge, just keep getting the newest GPUs as they release. As long as your CPU is relatively new, it won't bottleneck much at all.
In music we call this GAS, Gear Acquisition Syndrome (my new 5 string bass was *totally* NEEDED!). It's a kind of addiction. Our brains run on chemicals and the new shiny gives us the happy chemicals.
You need to look at whats actually making you seek the dopamine. And going healthy alternatives. Maybe programming. Making things. Or another hobby entirely
Gonna be honest, I'm fortunate enough to have gotten a 4090 on release, I haven't felt the need of wanting an upgrade since. Im sure it will come back in a few years when 5090/6090 drop but Ill patiently wait. It's just nice knowing I that I don't have to worry for many years, and I no longer need to keep reading PC building articles/watching spec videos. Can finally close that door and move on if that makes sense?
That's GAS, Gear Acquisition Syndrome
The whole point of this sub is to instill a feeling of pride and accomplishment at creating a successful build. Part of the success of a build is how long it can last, playing the games you want to play at the settings you want to use, before you have to upgrade it. ..at least that's what I keep telling myself.
time to build an open loop .
Honestly, I'm glad I upgraded to a 5900x, NVMe 4.0 ssd, and rtx 3090 to see what 'top tier performance' felt like. It's not much different from mid-tier components for most things. The hype is fun, but that's it for me. Time will tell how those components age. My 3570k system was in service for 8 years with only a GPU, ssd, and memory upgrade.
Loved those Ivy Bridge CPU's. had both the 3570k and 3770k. both of them overclocked so well on a decent cooler.
Do what I did and get into custom keyboards. You'll despise me later.
Yeah I had this same feeling just recently after the Cyberpunk demo with DLSS3 and showing the FPS difference between DLSS2 with RT on and DLSS3 with RT on (60 fps to 90+). I have a 3090 I bought RIGHT after release (for msrp!) in Novemeber 2020. Also, same with CPU and gaming. I have a 5900x but I keep seeing all the x3d variants of the AMD cpus (starting with 5800x3d and now the 7000 series x3d's) and how much better performance they get in a host of different games because of that expanded cache..... Makes me want to upgrade, but in all seriousness it's a stupid thought. This rig was supposed to last 4+ years (and it will) so upgrading now and spending a ton of money on new cpu, mobo, ram, and GPU is just a giant waste. If you're really rich, then who cares I guess. I'm stable, but spending another 3 or 4k after 2.5 years just to upgrade would be silly when this rig performs so well in everything, and I barely have the time to play that I did 2 years ago....
GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome. it's common in many hobbies. I've picked up and stopped many hobbies because of this. :) My table full of dusty synths, the 6 complete skateboards on my wall, a garage full of fishing rods and tackle and a closet of photography gear can attest to this. Although I was a professional photographer, so I did need some of it... but a lot is collection based. ADHD can be a bitch too
I just do full system upgrades every 2-3 years, and I usually buy high-ish end. Currently pretty happy with my system, the only thing I ever buy between my upgrades is storage.
Think of upgrading and playing games as consuming. Think of building or making (doesn't matter the creative outlet) as creating. The best way to break out of the consuming cycle is by creating. Once you start creating, you may find it's much more deeply fulfilling than consuming, and eventually consuming starts to feel shallow and empty by comparison.
Bro. I have been tinkering and upgrading my custom loop for like 4 months now. I’ve said “this is the last change” roughly 16 times. At this point, building/tinkering with the pc is just as much a hobby as gaming on the pc is.
It's some sort of addiction, I can sort of relate. When I sat myself down and said what doesn't it do, I've stopped adding anything to my PC. Perhaps have a look at other areas of your life, with all due respect of course. I feel like unnecessary upgrades are a distraction from real life.
After being constantly in the state of needing an upgrade for the past few years (new job wanting to replace my 980Ti with a new top card, then not being able to find a GPU to fit in the 2 slots I got for a GPU) I am now coming to terms with being set for a few years. I am a bit upset that after getting a Threadripper Pro it seems like HEDT is coming back and looking great, the new Sapphire Rapids stuff looks really cool and cheaper than what I got (but definitely not cheap enough for me to just upgrade again, especially with needing to move to DDR5) and Zen 4 Threadrippers look like they will be awesome too. I just need HEDT for more lanes than on consumer platforms, so the less faster lanes with better single threads sounds perfect for me. But I also have other big things I need to spend money on, namely my NAS needs new bigger drives. So the idea is it's fine to want the newest thing, but you just need to adjust the value for how much you will actually gain. A new GPU will perform better, but that upgrade is worth more if you are on a 7 year old card than a 2 year old card. So that card at $500 might be a great deal to replace your older card, but not so much for a newer one. As long as your PC is performing at acceptable levels than it's okay to not update it. It's also acceptable to keep up to date with new stuff and a check on prices. You never know when you might spot an unbeatable deal somewhere. I was pretty set on waiting for new cards for my upgrade, but then I found the Acer A770 on Amazon for $350 and that was low enough for me to jump on it. It's much easier to be "satisfied" with your current build when it is performing better. I was trying to get a 3090 for $1000 at the point (the only blower cooler one was still holding value quite well), now I am still keeping an eye one them, but my price limit for them are *much* lower. A 3090 would still be an upgrade from the A770 (plus I have another PC that could use a beefy modern card), but I now put a much lower value on it. This is quite the ramble, but I like to do to combat it is think about the amount of you would spend on that upgrade and think what else you could spend the money on, if you find things that would make you more happy then you probably don't need the upgrade. I also like to put low bids and offers on things on eBay, it's kind of a win/win. If it goes through, then I got something at a great price, if not, I "saved" money.
Need to start enjoying the opposite, my PC and monitor are all 11 years old apart from the gfx card which is 6 or so. Still play everything fine! Fun to squeeze how long it will last.
Im same, you have to resist dont become consumer rat, waste or money, there will be something better in 1-2-3 years anyway, just always ask yourself do i want more this new gpu or would i like to more receive 2000$ from my friend, if you would chose 2k dont buy gpu And you have that 2k
I want to build more PCs but I'm satisfied with my build, it's doing what I need it do and that's enough for me, but I still want build more and I wish I could make a job out of it where I could PCs all day long every single day till I get extremely sick of doing that!
I finally succumbed to the itch and upgraded my cpu, mobo, and ram last month after about 5 or so years. The itch is still present and I have no money left LMAO. I scratch the itch by convincing my friends and family to let me build them new PCs and then I repair and upgrade them too, all while spending none of my own money, except I am always jealous of the builds I do for others. The feeling never leaves.
Stop following what is coming out. For me it started 2 years ago with: "Let me check new case..." Now I have a new PC with only old hard drive to be from original PC. If only I was patient and wait for lil bit I could have 3080ti for less than what I got 3070ti. But I was hooked in upgrade mode and kept watching PC related YT videos and I couldn't resist not to get new GPU as soon as prices started to fall. I am happy with my build, but I could have more for less money if only I waited for a bit.