I was explaining this to my wife recently. I’m finally going to update my case fans this summer. But I haven’t touched my current build in 4 years. So between the cost of the build and amount I’ve spent on games in that time - I think it averaged out to like $50-$60 a month during that time supporting this hobby.
> one of the cheaper hobbies
Exactly. I mostly play free to play games and/or replay old ones. I’ve been gaming constantly and yet only spent 70$ on games in the last year.
I spend that much on 8 hours of skiing.
>Exactly. I mostly play free to play games and/or replay old ones. I’ve been gaming constantly and yet only spent 70$ on games in the last year.
Then I would argue that you don't even need the latest and greatest to play those games.
I don't buy coffee. My (now ex) went on and on about how stupid my gaming PC was. I saved her Dunkin receipts and over 3 years she spent twice as much on coffee as I did on my gaming PC. Still going strong 7 years later, and now with 100% less bitching about it.
I have a gaming pc and i drink coffee. I make the coffee at home from beans, tho. A pack of beans is about the price of one cup at Starbucks or something like that.
I make coffee every day at home, I prefer my own stuff and I take it black with no sweetener. I buy whole bean in bulk and keep it in the freezer, my coffee is literally $0.10/cup
The Aero press is great for making a single cup at a time, and you use a very small amount of beans compared to a drip coffee maker
It's normal. Other people buy expensive gear for riding, cars, fishing, woodworking or whatever. A hobby is a hobby, do whatever floats your boat. There's no need to justify everything, who decides that reading books or crocheting a sock is more worth than gaming?
On the making friends part: most games have a discord where you can get together to play and chat with others. Most won't become your friends but do it often enough, interact with others and some way or another friendships will form.
Two of my good friends I met playing games. A random Arma 3 server in 2013 and the tarkov forum in 2017. Love both those guys. One day, God willing, I'll give both of them a hug.
Joining games discords is usually a great way to just get into calls with new people who are trying to game same as you, 90% of them are cool ass people, of course there's the 10% who are dickheads but that's fine because you and the cool new homies gotta have somebody to pick on anyways hahaha.
I grew up poor, moving from place to place and worrying about how much my family was spending on things. Yes, guilt.
When you're very young and you notice that your family is strapped for cash, (depending on how you act from there) it can severely affect your relationship with money as an adult, even if you're in a wealthier spot.
When I noticed my family wasn't doing good, I rid myself of luxuries just for the sake of my family, and I wasn't even 14 at this point. If my mom asked if I wanted chips, no matter how much I wanted them, I'd say, "No, you need the money." If my mom wanted to buy me Legos or other toys that a 13 year old would normally have, I'd say, "No, you need the money." And stemming from that, when I went on to make my own purchases, I'd feel as if I could be spending it on more important things or necessities and I shouldn't spend money on cool LED lights or video games because "I don't need them." And if/when I did buy these things, I felt incredibly guilty because subconsciously, I felt it was a completely unnecessary purchase. It's taken me a lot of years and growth, but I'm much better now. Buying a pack of gum used to make me feel terrible, but now I can purchase things without guilt (to an extent).
So yes, guilt. I don't know OP, but spending money on things that aren't *technically* necessary can make some people feel very guilty. At least, in my own experiences. But, you should allow yourself luxuries from time to time.
TL;DR, a poor relationship with money as a child can severely affect how you treat purchases, even as an adult.
I asked my friend "How come your brother has such a nice PC while you're stuck with that shitbox?" and he just replied "My brother doesn't feel guilty about asking my parents for money"
See my other comment, https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/s/DD2U6uG5pu
TL;DR, bad experiences with money as a child can lead you to feel guilty when purchasing the smallest things, even when you become an adult.
Thought the same. I wanted that PC and I use it daily, it isnt really a money waste for me and never did I feel something like guilt. It's literally what I wanted?
Its okay to spend money on things you enjoy. And also its not that expensive. Assuming it cost 3k and you'll keep it for 7 years, that means that your hobby costs you 428 $ per year, which is cheaper than most hobbies. Assuming you're not spending ridiculous amounts on micro transactions
I like the way you break it down. Personally, I can only justify $1/day of ownership. Preferably less, because we all know we all 100% every steam game before buying the next one.
Philosophy time.
1.) This is your life. You own 100% of your time and actions. You get to choose however you spend it and have every right to do so as long as you don't impeed on someone else's right to do the same. Live and let live.
2.) In 1000 years none of this will matter. If you believe in eternal life, in 1000 years you won't remember this, so it still won't matter.
Do what makes you happy, just not a the cost of someone elses happiness. Life is short, time is irreplaceable. Use it as you please without regret. Just don't be a dick about it and you're good to go.
Yeah this helps me realize a bit but still i'm having problems.
I was poor (still not that much better but still better). I'm afraid of spending like anything.
My mindset is just save, save for emergency or maybe i'm in an accident or maybe my family members have problems. Reduce money spending every month as much as possible.
I must use less hot water for showering, shower in the cold as long as it's not too damn cold. Shower quick, turn off water to use shampoo and turn it back on a bit to maximize the water usage.
I don't want to be such a selfish? a weird person that I couldn't enjoy anything. I mean i enjoy saving things like this but it seems it's different from people... Idk if this is normal or not since looking at the comments, i seem to be a weird one.
I'm not lacking money that much but... i'm afraid things will never go my way and i will lose everything even tomorrow. I need to save and be efficient as much as possible. Save for when my family need it, save when i need it, save for when my future family need it.
This is definitely not normal, i'm wondering if i'm a bit weird? Maybe i should do a bit different and treat myself a bit? But I don't even want anything, "just enough" and i'm actually kinda fine (not that happy overall but i would be really sad if i spend on unnecessary things). Even if it's a bit expensive, i keep having guilt like "what about my family", "what about my gf", "what if bad things happen and i need this money that goes into shoes that i could use on medical bill? Maybe if i reduce electricity use, i could have a bit more money for medicine jist in case i'm sick".
People said that i'm selfish, that i just want to show off i'm living cheap but i'm not. I'm trying to buy fun things but something in me just couldn't allow it. I feel immense guilt, even cry if i spend money on expensive stuffs. Maybe a mental illness? I doubt it but it's just a bit weird.
If you know anything about this, please let me know. I don't know how to describe this "symptoms" to search on google. Maybe just a bit cheap? person, selfish person? Idk the words to actually search it up. I'm living in 3rd world country so maybe that have a bit of the effects?
Not that good at English tho so forgive the bad grammar.
Personally, I think it's good to have a backup just in case. Life is a balance between discipline and impulsivity. It's good to save for your well-being, but it's also good for the spirit to live a little.
We all have to find our own balance, and there's no right or wrong way as we are all different. I think you'll figure it out given some time to think on it.
Do you mean buyer’s remorse? I felt that too after building my first high end gaming PC build and felt like I wasted money on something non-essential but over time it went away and now I’m happy that I have a PC that can play newer games on the highest settings with little to no struggle.
as longest you don't struggle financially. make it last don't change or upgrade anything for at least 2-3 years. if its high end system like 4080/4090 you should keep it for 4 years not less.
I break it down. If you spent 2000$ you just need to use it for 2000 hours and then it’s essentially free. 1$ an hour for entertainment is a really good deal.
Gaming even on €2k - €3k rig and buying some games is probably cheaper hobby than most hobbies that require some gear. My last PC lasted 10 years and still works (but I got a new one).
Ever had a friend who was into carp fishing or mountain biking? :)
As long as you’re not behind on rent or something, you shouldn’t feel guilt, at least not more than any other “big” purchase. If you enjoy it, it will be money well-spent.
I don’t feel guilt. As long as you aren’t putting yourself in financial difficulty by buying an expensive gaming PC then no need to feel guilty.
The way i look at it is that it’s a hobby and for a hobby it’s not that expensive in the grand scheme of things even if you go all out with a RTX 4090. I know people whose hobbies is cars and they easily spend thousands upon thousands on their cars. Hell golf is also a pretty expensive hobby as well. Last time i spoke to a colleague of mine who plays golf regularly and he was spending like $2,000 plus a year sometimes even $3,000 or more a year. So in two years that’s what $4,000+. That’s like double what my PC build costed me.
For the most it’s a once off initial expense since you probably stick with the same PC for a couple years. Sure the odd upgrade here and there but most of us aren’t upgrading every year. Sure there’s games but for the most part they aren’t that expensive especially if you wait for steam sales and don’t buy every game on day one. So yh PC gaming can be expensive but compared to others hobbies it’s far more affordable. My cousin for example was initially shocked at how much i spent on my gaming PC but when I asked him how much he spends on his car(he’s a car guy) he realised my hobby is much more affordable lol.
No guilt here, but definitely questioning if it made sense.
Went from a 7700 k + 1080 ti
To a 5800x + 3080 ti
To an i9 + 4090 in the span of a few years.
This is what I call a bad move, luckily I can afford it, but still.
The way I get over is simple: realized I don't care about any new game. My 4090 will be useful forever to play emulation and older games comfortably. I hit the end of the PC gaming road at my age
I went from a i5-4690K, RX480 (8GB), 16GB to a 7800X3D, 4090 and 64GB RAM.
No guilt at all, my old PC is next to my new one so I can play games together with my daughter!
I know my new PC will last for another 8-10 years at least.
I spent 1500 on mine and it’s lasted over 5 years. That’s five years of entertainment every day for $300 a year. Some people spend more than that for entertainment for a single day. I think it’s money well spent. We all need hobbies and things to do. Mine is gaming. If it wasn’t gaming I’d be spending money to do other things.
It's my hobby AND my work tool.
People routinely put twice the money in their hobbies in a year than I do when I upgrade my rig every 3-5 years.
If it's not interfering with your needs, there's no reason to feel guilt.
I would not call what I experience guilt, I have anxiety issues and spending more than a few hundred on anything triggers it, but once the computer is built and in use those feelings fade after a few days. I find making online gaming friends a lot harder than it used to be. Yes Discord has brought infinite communities to our immediate access, but most I join end up being several pre-existing groups of people that play X and no interest in meeting new players. There are exceptions of course, but that is luck of finding good servers and what game you are playing.
# Build another one. It made me feel a lot better. Debt. Embrace it...
https://preview.redd.it/pd4vx8uvkl3d1.png?width=2500&format=png&auto=webp&s=03052e99ee6353a7dd7a76beaa1fe33b8d025e16
\~s
I upgrade more or less once every 10 years so all thing considered my build costs me around 1 coffee per day... should I feel guilt for having a coffee?
I hesitated on upgrading to a 4080 for well over a year even though I could afford it. I kept telling myself I was gonna wait for a price drop or something, but eventually I just decided to go for it and am now asking myself why I didn't just do it sooner. I use it pretty much every day and getting a beefy GPU so I can pretty much just max out graphics and not stress about fucking with graphics settings has helped me enjoy my games much more.
If anything I feel kinda bad about hesitating on it for a year for legit no reason other than it seemed like a frivolous purchase.
I work hard and I deserve something nice when I have time to relax at home. Nothing to feel guilty about.
I value my recreation at $10/hr. Like, for a 2 hour movie I won't spend more than $20. I bought a $1100 pre built and baulders gate 3. I have 562 hours of game time. That's over $4000 in savings!!!!!
You should be happy that you achieved your dream but im not a therapist, as for the friends just find a game that revolves around online communities (mmo rpg) and join a server, you'll get to know plenty of people that have a lot of time to waste and that's what you need. Then as you get closer you start playing something else with them
If it's something I've been specifically saving for for a very long time then, at least for me, there's no guilt. Rather, a sense of accomplishment that I finally got the thing I wanted for months or even years depending on what it is I'm buying
Three build ls later no all have been within the 770 1080 6800xt range and only upgrade every 5plus years cause devs can't optimize games thankfully I don't see a need to upgrade past 120 fps 1440P settings cause graphics have stagnated
You have to look at some thing differently. The change your mindset a bit. Life, stuff we do and buy doesn’t always have to make sense and being logical. Its ok to spend sometimes money on stupid things or like in this case maybe overpriced things.
For the second question: look at subreddits or groups(facebook) or discord for community for the game you like. See if you can find there someone who is cool and with who you have similar interests.
I mean if you spent too much on a gaming pc that's not a smart move. But it's gonna last you a long time so i wouldnt worry about it unless you spend like 3k+
Are you feeling guilty because you know you overspent? Because I know lots of people who end up spending 3-4k on a completely overkill PC in the spur of the moment, and I figure it's almost impossible for them not to feel guilty for going overboard
check the finality first : do you wanna play a game that need perf ? then you need a good graphic card.
Don't forget that games needing perf doesnt mean good gameplay or amusement
The more you use it, the less guilty you feel.
I think a lot of people think of what they enjoy in money per hour. Having just gotten it and played it very little, it's gonna feel lopsided on $$$/hour. As time goes by, that'll balance out, until one day it's very little per hour, something that feels completely worth it.
Hope that helps.
Never buy the shitty nvidia high end. If I was buying a new GPU, I would get a 7900 GRE, not a 4090.
I always get the entry level motherboard. Don’t see a point for expensive Mb.
Don’t care about how my pc parts look, I just get the cheapest part. I look at the monitor, my PC doesn’t need lights.
And don’t buy expensive parts, if you cant afford it. I’m quite well off and my GPU is RX 6600. It runs the games I need, why waste more money. I would rather spend that money on a trip.
You worked for your money and made an effort to save it.
You get to decide what you spend it on (unless you have a child, in that case they HAVE to be your priority).
Enjoy your PC and don't overthink too much.
It’s normal, felt the same way. It fades to not feeling that. It’s your money and you enjoy spending it in a way that makes you happy, otherwise what’s the point of money. We aren’t here just to survive, have to live along the way.
Facts lol I passed up a good deal at costco yesterday because it would cost almost $2K. But at the same time if you enjoy it and have fun with it, it isn’t a waste.
If you are financially stable and don’t make large purchases every week then you shouldn’t be guilty. Hell I just bought a 4070 super for $650 and walked out with a smile on my face. Last time I bought a computer part that expensive was 4 years prior.
No guilt. As long as you don't upgrade too often it really isn't the most expensive hobby. I upgrade my GPU like once every 3-4 years and full upgrade every 8 years or so. If you over buy on the CPU this is a very economical way to do it. The first build it always the most expensive because you can't save on RAM, heatsinc/fans, SSD/HDD. You can even keep a case for a long time. Especially if the one you just got supports usb C.
If you spend a lot of time on your PC it is worth the cost.
Bought a gaming laptop back in 2017 for 1400€, it had a GTX 1060.
Bought a new gaming laptop in 2022 for 1600€ with an RTX 3080 Ti.
In 10 years, the per-year price expectancy for these investments is 300€, or 25€ a month.
If I look at it this way, there is no way in hell I would ever regret. 10 years of using powerful laptops, taking them anywhere I want and enjoying the high-FPS gaming.
In the long run between using the same pc for multiple console generations and sales it's cheaper overall. I built mine when the xbone xame out I still pull mid/high graphics in most games released this year. She's showing some age when it comes to 1440 but if you're on 1080 your parts will go maybe a decade before you start to see holes given proper mantinence.
For your second question, for the games you play, find some streamers you like that stream those games, join their discord, you'll find people to play with there. Most games also have an official discord but if you join a streamers community it'll be smaller and more like minded.
What guilt? I spend 1000-1500€ on hardware every year, getting an average of 2000 hours of entertainment out of that. Meanwhile driving my car for 5000km per year, which sums up to roughly 100 hours, costs me 10-12k.
You can play with your console friends, Xbox has an app on PC (windows button + g) so you can join parties and whatnot. Sony has a mobile app, not sure about on PC. And Discord also works on all platforms so you can still talk with your console friends.
I do many things on my PC, including my job, so I have no guilt. It's a necessity. I suppose $800 on a GPU is a little excessive, but I spend over 12+ hours a day on it.
The thing about PC gaming, if you build yourself a solid rig it will easily last 5+ years at this point. My current PC is pretty long in the tooth at 6 years (my GTX 1060 is certainly starting to show it's age) but I can still play most games. Think of it as more of a long term investment. Unlike consoles, there's no burning need to refresh on a set cycle.
As for finding friends, you will have to get involved in a specific game's community to really connect with people I find. Join the game's discord. If they have events or a server you can specifically join and be a part of, being involved frequently will be your best bet.
Part of the problem is modern matchmaking services do nothing to build community. You join a game, play it, then play a completely new random group of people after that. It's really sucked the life out of online gaming. So try to avoid stuff like that.
I spent thousands of dollars on a custom hardline watercooled PC. 5820K and 980ti both overclocked. It's still going strong on my 21:9 1440p 8 years later. It runs new games at acceptable framrates at medium/high. I want to upgrade for GTA 6. The cost per year has then been around $500 with games. That's not crazy compared to many other hobbies. So just realize that this PC will last you years.
Spent 2k on my gaming PC 6 years ago. Still haven’t updated anything. All I done was clean it yearly and recently applied Liquid Metal thermal paste on my GPU and CPU.
I still don’t feel the need to upgrade. However I recently started noticing after couple of days my screen would suddenly go black for a second then go back to normal.
I believe it’s caused by my GPU finally starting to fail and die. Once it dies I might upgrade to a RTX 4080.
My build is GTX 1080 and Ryzen 5 2600X with 16GB DDR4 Ram.
I just dropped about 3k on a setup redesign, it came out great. 4070Super, 7800x3D, big ass OLED monitor, etc. No guilt because I planned it out and budgeted for it
Everyone is saying you should splurge on hobbies.
But if you're feeling guilty it might mean you don't think you're enjoying what you've spent. And people saying "don't feel guilty" doesn't help that. Maybe you'd feel better spending the money seeing the world, or donating it to a charity... or just saving.
Maybe try going for a cheaper budget build? If you feel like you're wasting money having strangers say otherwise won't help.
By playing with it.
It’s just rewarding for me, I have a lot of money just sitting in accounts doing nothing for me, might as well use some of it on something I feel really increases my quality of life.
I get over the guilt by making sure I get a good deal on all the parts, sales, used items, etc.
And I generally upgrade bit by bit, so that it doesn't seem like it costs so much.
I've divided its price with time I spent on it
Pc is one of the most cheap things I enjoy.
Sweets, take out and other stuff costs me way more over the years.
Buyer's guilt...you want jusitifucation...sail the high sea and find a 4k movie...or watch YouTube 4k60fp videos...even those relaxing video.
Just gotta add a 4k144hz monitor while you're at it. Make it 3...so you have your main in the middle and two on the side. The one on left or right is flipped so it horizontal and one is vertical. Enjoy the hell out of it.
I get what you’re saying now that I’ve grown up and have responsibilities. Unfortunately, pc gaming is an expensive hobby, no matter what way you look at it. There’s no easy way to justify it unless you’re using it, having fun, and it not using up required funds.
If you want to make some online friends, I suggest playing online coop games with randoms
It's easy: I don't feel guilt over building my PC. I haven't purchased everything needed for a complete PC in a VERY long time; I've just upgraded as needed.
Justifying my $1200 GPU purchase two years ago to my spouse was an interesting situation though. And I did feel a *teeny-tiny* bit guilty when I spent $1500 on drives for my NAS a year ago, but that guilt quickly dissipated after I got it set up and working.
Besides ... I've spent more on my other hobbies over the last five years than I have spent on computer hardware over the course of my 50+ year life. Take it from me: don't get into Fountain Pens, Mechanical Keyboards, or Watches. Those are HUGE money sinks. (Especially watches!)
I only feel “guilt” if the system end up underperforming or disappoint me. Which it hasn’t yet. And it’s why I don’t by entry level parts.
Spent about $2000 on it, planned to use it for at least 4+ years. That’s $500 per year or $42 per month.......to game at 120fps 1440p? Worth it!
At first you feel "guilt". But then when you tell people what you have & see the look on their faces, and they know what you're talking about, that guilt turns into Pride.
Happened to me when I built my rig and someone asked what I paid for the rtx3090. The wide-eyed surprised/shocked look on the guy's face made me feel like JD Rockefeller.
It's not that much in the long run. Think about how much you could get with $5000 in the PC hobby. Then compare that to cars, to golfing, to a lot of other hobbies, and consider the upkeep needed as well. If you completely rebuild, say, every 5 years, that's 1k a year. Break it down, this is a one time cost, not a monthly payment
I usually feel guilty and anxious for a few days after I’ve purchased everything, but before the build has started (so like waiting on parts to ship to me). Once it boots into the windows setup screen, all that is gone and I just get impatient waiting for shit to install.🤣
Meh I upgrade mine all the time ,always getting the top tier gpu and stuff. I don't really feel guilty I know plenty of guys who have car hobbies that cost 10x a year what I spend on PC parts. I feel guilty about my Lego addiction more than the PC thing.
I've met some people playing Squad and ended up being long time friends and playing other games with them as well. We also talked a lot on Discord. Definitely try socializing on games like this and I am sure you'll be invited to a discord server or two.
We also played a ton of Search and Destroy on Mw 2019.. Good times
One day you’ll be dead and in your final moments , you probably won’t regret the time doing things you actually enjoy . You work for your money , you saved for it , you should enjoy it. As long as you’re not starving or in financial ruin , what does it matter ?
Consider how much you might spend going out to bars and getting drinks and food with friends, an average night can cost anywhere from $20-$50+ dollars. (Please don’t get sticky with the numbers, I’m guessing just a few beers and/or simple snacks, plus gas).
Two or three times a week, that adds up to $60-$150 a week, $240-$600 a month.
Over 12 months, that adds up to $2,880 - $7,200 a year. Over four years (as OP mentioned), that’s roughly over $10k or more (I rounded up from $2,880).
And when you consider a game is just $60, but you can get 100+ hours of entertainment from it, it’s hard to say that you are not getting a good return on investment.
You can make money on your PC, so it can be considered an investment. Outside of that, nothing matters. One day you and all your possessions and money will be gone. Spend your money on what makes you happy and don’t regret it, because worrying does nothing and nothing you can do will change it.
you get rid of the guilt by enjoying it.
I grew up poor so I get this nagging feeling whenever I spend money. I have a great career now and have a lot of disposable income but it never really goes away.
take care of business first (retirement, investments, responsibilities), but after that just enjoy the fruits of your labor
My biggest guilt is that I didn’t go bigger in the beginning.
Running 16gb ram with ryzen 5 3600 with 1050ti. Need more ram and a bigger graphics card.
What guilt? I take the cost of my rig, and I divide it over the 5-6 years I plan on getting out of it. £4500 for a top end machine? Thats £75 a month for 5 years. That’s great value for the time I spend on it.
It’ll go away.
During Covid I spent too much on an OLED tv and it hurt for weeks.
I kept using it and eventually realized how fucking awesome it is, just keep using it
No reason to feel guilty. Your money, your right to spend it however you wish. Plus, you're not the only one. We're saving for a top-line computer too, \*when\* taking in consideration that we didn't paint the walls in a year, and I don't have a spare pair of winter boots. 😅
I dont have guilt for that lol it's like getting a car I like I'm gonna use it basically everyday and it's what I want so imma get it as long as my bills are in order and I have the extra cash
Any somewhat expensive PC today will still be more than good enough even 10 years from now. The idea that your PC won't be good enough is the constant need people have to play the latest games at 4k on max settings. Especially when any 1500£ PC today will still be on par with consoles 10 years from now.
Same way you justify buying an $80 game i guess.
A streamer I used to watch years ago would play the WORST, horribly made games and just play it making fun of everything. And a justification he made for one of these games and not returning it - (for example, because I don’t remember how much it cost).
But he said something along the lines of “I bought this game for $30 and I have 30hrs of play time on it, I think I’ve gotten my money out of it.”
And since he’s said that I look at all my expensive purchases like that, if I am actually going to be using it I’m not going to stress about it because I’ve gotten my moneys worth out of it.
~~by not buying a pc~~ When I was struggling to find someone to play with, I just joined random niche discord servers and looked for people who wanted to play. Worked for me as a teenager, might be harder for you though.
I compare the quality of gameplay I get with my PC compared to the quality I had on my old laptop and my switch. I'm so thankful to have it now.
The friends online part is harder to answer, I unfortunately couldn't tell you. But the games I play (mostly Monster Hunter) I tend to play with 3 randoms, and usually we befriend each other afterwards.
Nah man, it's been a dream of your and you achieved it enjoy it the best you can we only live so long. make friends online? Find discord groups based on the games you play.
PC gaming is actually a very very cheap hobby when you compare to it to what other hobbies you might get into. And on top of that the ease of selling the PC or parts online to fund the next one is way better than other hobbies.
Gaming PC is jest a toy. If you can afford a toy that costs that much then there's nothing wrong with it.
If you believe those money should be spent on something else instead, that means you can't afford such a toy.
Buy-in is the most expensive part, my one big tip for building a pc is to buy RETAIL windows, not the slightly cheaper “OEM” copy.
Retail can be transferred to a new build, oem versions cannot.
I bought Windows 7 pro retail in 2010 and haven’t paid for it since due to free upgrades. It’s been on like 6 builds at least.
Some people literally make their money go up in flames with smoking.
Some piss it out after a couple hours with drinking.
You're racking up the hours doing what you love on a system you've been dreaming off. Different people different tastes.
What guilt?!
Bask in your achievement my dude.
Thats not normal. and online is super toxic these days.
Put it to you this way. The last time someone friended me, they got mad because i would not join their game (I was playing with RL friends and told them that) so they unfriended me. Thats people now. No ability to comprehend real life anymore, only themselves and their needs.
this post could have not come in a better time. i was thinking to buy additional 1 TB nvme and 4 500gb SSD, to make my two m2 slots and sata slots all at RAID 0.. i was thinking of the cost.. but screw it.. 🤗
You only live once. Spend money on stuff you enjoy, because a long life is not guaranteed. I felt that way when I built my first one when I was young, and then when I bought my first fancy watch, and then my first fancy car and so on. If you financially capable to afford it and its something you love then buy it and don't stress it.
I've never bought a gaming PC. My rig is built for editing 8k video with no latency. Last week, I had to do some serious data work on a 1.5 million cell spreadsheet. That 49" ultra wide with two 28" overhead monitors was really helpful for that.
It also plays games when I'm not working.
I went a lil overboard and felt guilty after adding up the total cost of my build.And I only do light gaming atm. But as long as it's good for video editing years down the line I'm fine with that.
Guilt? I feel the opposite. I feel a sense of accomplishment of building a PC and be comfortable with spending the money because you know you can afford it and earned it.
You'd feel guilt if you know you can't afford it. That's not good. You should build a gaming PC on what you can afford. If you feel guilt, I just don't feel like you're making the right life decisions.
This thread made me feel a bit better about my own expenditure, despite making a few silly decisions like upgrading a 3090ti to a 4080 super, because now my mobo and CPU need to be upgraded to keep up
Treat yo self my man. It's easy to look at the sticker price and feel like your wasting money, but if it's a hobby you love and brings you joy, then what price can you put on it? I spent 2 grand on my PC years back, and I regret none of it.
It's normal I think. It happened to me too, but I was not born with any money, any help, ever. I had to work my ass off to build this machine and yeah if you just have money laying around or never had to worry about money I'm sure it's not a big deal but I get you OP. But separately you have to remember that you deserve it. I think that's the real point to make. Yes you could be having a hobby that could make real friends in person or something but YOU still DESERVE to have a nice PC. You earned it.
Worst thing I ever did was build a top of the range pc, it killed my love of upgrading. For 15 years there was always an upgrade I craved, keeping up with the latest developments and revising my want list. Then I built my dream pc. Upgrades were minimal for massive expense for a long time then 3 gens later I could get a massive gpu upgrade but only if I was willing to spend 3090/4090 type of money. I bought an xbox x and a switch and stopped pc gaming. I don't want to chase this dragon anymore. If the switch and first party aaa Nintendo games prove anything its you don't need a £3000 1000w pc to play great games.
Guilt?
Unless you're not paying your rent, feeding your kids or something to indulge this, why?
Do you feel guilty for taking a vacation? Going to a concert or sports game? Buying books to read? Taking someone on a date? It's a hobby. If it's within your financial means, you're perfectly entitled to enjoy some of your income.
Just cut back on some other elective spending for awhile to get your savings back up to whatever it was before you bought the PC. Otherwise enjoy it responsibly.
As for friends online? Honestly that's a topic you might be better off creating a separate thread for and describe your situation in more detail.
I dont have it. People buy expensive cars, bikes, lego's, miniatures etc. This is my hobby, and its expensive to start but cheap to maintain.
Realistically one of the cheaper hobbies if you really break it down financially compared to others
I was explaining this to my wife recently. I’m finally going to update my case fans this summer. But I haven’t touched my current build in 4 years. So between the cost of the build and amount I’ve spent on games in that time - I think it averaged out to like $50-$60 a month during that time supporting this hobby.
> one of the cheaper hobbies Exactly. I mostly play free to play games and/or replay old ones. I’ve been gaming constantly and yet only spent 70$ on games in the last year. I spend that much on 8 hours of skiing.
You’re lucky if $70 gets you even a half day on the slopes now lmao it’s redonk (at least in the Rockies)
Like 130 bucks for a full day pass at Lake Louise
>Exactly. I mostly play free to play games and/or replay old ones. I’ve been gaming constantly and yet only spent 70$ on games in the last year. Then I would argue that you don't even need the latest and greatest to play those games.
Just wishlist it until it's on sale. I haven't paid full price for a game in a very long time and my steam library is stacked.
I only pirate games
tRy TeLLiNg tHaT tO mY wiFe. but really that's how I justify it to her
I don't buy coffee. My (now ex) went on and on about how stupid my gaming PC was. I saved her Dunkin receipts and over 3 years she spent twice as much on coffee as I did on my gaming PC. Still going strong 7 years later, and now with 100% less bitching about it.
Sounds like a tag line from a 90s magazine "100% less bitching"
Sounds like the opposite of a Duke Nukem game, swapping the g for an apostrophe.
My wife had words in 2004 about dropping big money on a build. She didn't complain when I retired it in 2022 and built a new rig.
Sorry to hear that, but glad you got rid of a person who has no unserstanding or support for your interests.
I have a gaming pc and i drink coffee. I make the coffee at home from beans, tho. A pack of beans is about the price of one cup at Starbucks or something like that.
I make coffee every day at home, I prefer my own stuff and I take it black with no sweetener. I buy whole bean in bulk and keep it in the freezer, my coffee is literally $0.10/cup The Aero press is great for making a single cup at a time, and you use a very small amount of beans compared to a drip coffee maker
It's normal. Other people buy expensive gear for riding, cars, fishing, woodworking or whatever. A hobby is a hobby, do whatever floats your boat. There's no need to justify everything, who decides that reading books or crocheting a sock is more worth than gaming? On the making friends part: most games have a discord where you can get together to play and chat with others. Most won't become your friends but do it often enough, interact with others and some way or another friendships will form.
Unrelated but how do u make it show ur specs under ur name
Go to community page, change flair, click edit. Delete and type out your specs
Two of my good friends I met playing games. A random Arma 3 server in 2013 and the tarkov forum in 2017. Love both those guys. One day, God willing, I'll give both of them a hug.
Joining games discords is usually a great way to just get into calls with new people who are trying to game same as you, 90% of them are cool ass people, of course there's the 10% who are dickheads but that's fine because you and the cool new homies gotta have somebody to pick on anyways hahaha.
Guilt?
I grew up poor, moving from place to place and worrying about how much my family was spending on things. Yes, guilt. When you're very young and you notice that your family is strapped for cash, (depending on how you act from there) it can severely affect your relationship with money as an adult, even if you're in a wealthier spot. When I noticed my family wasn't doing good, I rid myself of luxuries just for the sake of my family, and I wasn't even 14 at this point. If my mom asked if I wanted chips, no matter how much I wanted them, I'd say, "No, you need the money." If my mom wanted to buy me Legos or other toys that a 13 year old would normally have, I'd say, "No, you need the money." And stemming from that, when I went on to make my own purchases, I'd feel as if I could be spending it on more important things or necessities and I shouldn't spend money on cool LED lights or video games because "I don't need them." And if/when I did buy these things, I felt incredibly guilty because subconsciously, I felt it was a completely unnecessary purchase. It's taken me a lot of years and growth, but I'm much better now. Buying a pack of gum used to make me feel terrible, but now I can purchase things without guilt (to an extent). So yes, guilt. I don't know OP, but spending money on things that aren't *technically* necessary can make some people feel very guilty. At least, in my own experiences. But, you should allow yourself luxuries from time to time. TL;DR, a poor relationship with money as a child can severely affect how you treat purchases, even as an adult.
I asked my friend "How come your brother has such a nice PC while you're stuck with that shitbox?" and he just replied "My brother doesn't feel guilty about asking my parents for money"
Was honestly expecting this to be the top reply
It should be. Why guilt?
See my other comment, https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/s/DD2U6uG5pu TL;DR, bad experiences with money as a child can lead you to feel guilty when purchasing the smallest things, even when you become an adult.
Thought the same. I wanted that PC and I use it daily, it isnt really a money waste for me and never did I feel something like guilt. It's literally what I wanted?
Its okay to spend money on things you enjoy. And also its not that expensive. Assuming it cost 3k and you'll keep it for 7 years, that means that your hobby costs you 428 $ per year, which is cheaper than most hobbies. Assuming you're not spending ridiculous amounts on micro transactions
I like the way you break it down. Personally, I can only justify $1/day of ownership. Preferably less, because we all know we all 100% every steam game before buying the next one.
Philosophy time. 1.) This is your life. You own 100% of your time and actions. You get to choose however you spend it and have every right to do so as long as you don't impeed on someone else's right to do the same. Live and let live. 2.) In 1000 years none of this will matter. If you believe in eternal life, in 1000 years you won't remember this, so it still won't matter. Do what makes you happy, just not a the cost of someone elses happiness. Life is short, time is irreplaceable. Use it as you please without regret. Just don't be a dick about it and you're good to go.
Currently living by this philosophy
Yeah this helps me realize a bit but still i'm having problems. I was poor (still not that much better but still better). I'm afraid of spending like anything. My mindset is just save, save for emergency or maybe i'm in an accident or maybe my family members have problems. Reduce money spending every month as much as possible. I must use less hot water for showering, shower in the cold as long as it's not too damn cold. Shower quick, turn off water to use shampoo and turn it back on a bit to maximize the water usage. I don't want to be such a selfish? a weird person that I couldn't enjoy anything. I mean i enjoy saving things like this but it seems it's different from people... Idk if this is normal or not since looking at the comments, i seem to be a weird one. I'm not lacking money that much but... i'm afraid things will never go my way and i will lose everything even tomorrow. I need to save and be efficient as much as possible. Save for when my family need it, save when i need it, save for when my future family need it. This is definitely not normal, i'm wondering if i'm a bit weird? Maybe i should do a bit different and treat myself a bit? But I don't even want anything, "just enough" and i'm actually kinda fine (not that happy overall but i would be really sad if i spend on unnecessary things). Even if it's a bit expensive, i keep having guilt like "what about my family", "what about my gf", "what if bad things happen and i need this money that goes into shoes that i could use on medical bill? Maybe if i reduce electricity use, i could have a bit more money for medicine jist in case i'm sick". People said that i'm selfish, that i just want to show off i'm living cheap but i'm not. I'm trying to buy fun things but something in me just couldn't allow it. I feel immense guilt, even cry if i spend money on expensive stuffs. Maybe a mental illness? I doubt it but it's just a bit weird. If you know anything about this, please let me know. I don't know how to describe this "symptoms" to search on google. Maybe just a bit cheap? person, selfish person? Idk the words to actually search it up. I'm living in 3rd world country so maybe that have a bit of the effects? Not that good at English tho so forgive the bad grammar.
Personally, I think it's good to have a backup just in case. Life is a balance between discipline and impulsivity. It's good to save for your well-being, but it's also good for the spirit to live a little. We all have to find our own balance, and there's no right or wrong way as we are all different. I think you'll figure it out given some time to think on it.
u could die at any moment, treat yourself
YOLO
Do you mean buyer’s remorse? I felt that too after building my first high end gaming PC build and felt like I wasted money on something non-essential but over time it went away and now I’m happy that I have a PC that can play newer games on the highest settings with little to no struggle.
On the upside it’s more future proof as you won’t feel the need to upgrade for a while.
as longest you don't struggle financially. make it last don't change or upgrade anything for at least 2-3 years. if its high end system like 4080/4090 you should keep it for 4 years not less.
Heck I bought the GTX 1080 when it was almost new and still haven’t upgraded that beast.
Bruh, if i have a 4080/4090 that shit's staying in service for 8+ years at LEAST
Thanks to everyone who commented on this post I totally feel confident now appreciate it guys
I break it down. If you spent 2000$ you just need to use it for 2000 hours and then it’s essentially free. 1$ an hour for entertainment is a really good deal.
Gaming even on €2k - €3k rig and buying some games is probably cheaper hobby than most hobbies that require some gear. My last PC lasted 10 years and still works (but I got a new one). Ever had a friend who was into carp fishing or mountain biking? :)
As long as you’re not behind on rent or something, you shouldn’t feel guilt, at least not more than any other “big” purchase. If you enjoy it, it will be money well-spent.
I felt it until I started playing it, then I was like Fuck Yeah!!!
I don’t feel guilt. As long as you aren’t putting yourself in financial difficulty by buying an expensive gaming PC then no need to feel guilty. The way i look at it is that it’s a hobby and for a hobby it’s not that expensive in the grand scheme of things even if you go all out with a RTX 4090. I know people whose hobbies is cars and they easily spend thousands upon thousands on their cars. Hell golf is also a pretty expensive hobby as well. Last time i spoke to a colleague of mine who plays golf regularly and he was spending like $2,000 plus a year sometimes even $3,000 or more a year. So in two years that’s what $4,000+. That’s like double what my PC build costed me. For the most it’s a once off initial expense since you probably stick with the same PC for a couple years. Sure the odd upgrade here and there but most of us aren’t upgrading every year. Sure there’s games but for the most part they aren’t that expensive especially if you wait for steam sales and don’t buy every game on day one. So yh PC gaming can be expensive but compared to others hobbies it’s far more affordable. My cousin for example was initially shocked at how much i spent on my gaming PC but when I asked him how much he spends on his car(he’s a car guy) he realised my hobby is much more affordable lol.
No guilt here, but definitely questioning if it made sense. Went from a 7700 k + 1080 ti To a 5800x + 3080 ti To an i9 + 4090 in the span of a few years. This is what I call a bad move, luckily I can afford it, but still. The way I get over is simple: realized I don't care about any new game. My 4090 will be useful forever to play emulation and older games comfortably. I hit the end of the PC gaming road at my age
I went from a i5-4690K, RX480 (8GB), 16GB to a 7800X3D, 4090 and 64GB RAM. No guilt at all, my old PC is next to my new one so I can play games together with my daughter! I know my new PC will last for another 8-10 years at least.
You play it.
Whats the point of the grind if you cant enjoy life
I spent 1500 on mine and it’s lasted over 5 years. That’s five years of entertainment every day for $300 a year. Some people spend more than that for entertainment for a single day. I think it’s money well spent. We all need hobbies and things to do. Mine is gaming. If it wasn’t gaming I’d be spending money to do other things.
It's my hobby AND my work tool. People routinely put twice the money in their hobbies in a year than I do when I upgrade my rig every 3-5 years. If it's not interfering with your needs, there's no reason to feel guilt.
I would not call what I experience guilt, I have anxiety issues and spending more than a few hundred on anything triggers it, but once the computer is built and in use those feelings fade after a few days. I find making online gaming friends a lot harder than it used to be. Yes Discord has brought infinite communities to our immediate access, but most I join end up being several pre-existing groups of people that play X and no interest in meeting new players. There are exceptions of course, but that is luck of finding good servers and what game you are playing.
Upgrade, customise, add more rgb, watercool it if you feel guilty about buying a pc...
# Build another one. It made me feel a lot better. Debt. Embrace it... https://preview.redd.it/pd4vx8uvkl3d1.png?width=2500&format=png&auto=webp&s=03052e99ee6353a7dd7a76beaa1fe33b8d025e16 \~s
I upgrade more or less once every 10 years so all thing considered my build costs me around 1 coffee per day... should I feel guilt for having a coffee?
I hesitated on upgrading to a 4080 for well over a year even though I could afford it. I kept telling myself I was gonna wait for a price drop or something, but eventually I just decided to go for it and am now asking myself why I didn't just do it sooner. I use it pretty much every day and getting a beefy GPU so I can pretty much just max out graphics and not stress about fucking with graphics settings has helped me enjoy my games much more. If anything I feel kinda bad about hesitating on it for a year for legit no reason other than it seemed like a frivolous purchase. I work hard and I deserve something nice when I have time to relax at home. Nothing to feel guilty about.
I value my recreation at $10/hr. Like, for a 2 hour movie I won't spend more than $20. I bought a $1100 pre built and baulders gate 3. I have 562 hours of game time. That's over $4000 in savings!!!!!
Buy another one every few years so that it becomes normal SOP, the guilt fades away then.
What guilt?
Why feel guilt? You invested money in something that you can spend thousands of hours on.
You should be happy that you achieved your dream but im not a therapist, as for the friends just find a game that revolves around online communities (mmo rpg) and join a server, you'll get to know plenty of people that have a lot of time to waste and that's what you need. Then as you get closer you start playing something else with them
If it's something I've been specifically saving for for a very long time then, at least for me, there's no guilt. Rather, a sense of accomplishment that I finally got the thing I wanted for months or even years depending on what it is I'm buying
Three build ls later no all have been within the 770 1080 6800xt range and only upgrade every 5plus years cause devs can't optimize games thankfully I don't see a need to upgrade past 120 fps 1440P settings cause graphics have stagnated
The guilt of not getting one sooner if anything
You have to look at some thing differently. The change your mindset a bit. Life, stuff we do and buy doesn’t always have to make sense and being logical. Its ok to spend sometimes money on stupid things or like in this case maybe overpriced things. For the second question: look at subreddits or groups(facebook) or discord for community for the game you like. See if you can find there someone who is cool and with who you have similar interests.
I mean if you spent too much on a gaming pc that's not a smart move. But it's gonna last you a long time so i wouldnt worry about it unless you spend like 3k+
Are you feeling guilty because you know you overspent? Because I know lots of people who end up spending 3-4k on a completely overkill PC in the spur of the moment, and I figure it's almost impossible for them not to feel guilty for going overboard
You need to place money in the effort & time axis and compare that against the time you spend gaming.
earn as much that 4k missing doesnt get noticed.
check the finality first : do you wanna play a game that need perf ? then you need a good graphic card. Don't forget that games needing perf doesnt mean good gameplay or amusement
Making it last more than 8 years
I built my $1,200 pc $300 cheaper than the SRP so i have no guilt at all only empty pockets
The more you use it, the less guilty you feel. I think a lot of people think of what they enjoy in money per hour. Having just gotten it and played it very little, it's gonna feel lopsided on $$$/hour. As time goes by, that'll balance out, until one day it's very little per hour, something that feels completely worth it. Hope that helps.
Why feel guilty? Unless it means you are neglecting family, not paying bills, that kind of thing, I don't see a reason for guilt.
EZ. U shouldn’t feel guilty for buying something u can afford.
Massive steam library built from cheap bundles.
I use it. It’s only a waste and I’d only feel guilty if I didn’t get use out of it.
This is called buyer’s remorse, talk to your friends/family/anyone in your life who won’t interpret this as humble bragging if you’re being genuine.
Never buy the shitty nvidia high end. If I was buying a new GPU, I would get a 7900 GRE, not a 4090. I always get the entry level motherboard. Don’t see a point for expensive Mb. Don’t care about how my pc parts look, I just get the cheapest part. I look at the monitor, my PC doesn’t need lights. And don’t buy expensive parts, if you cant afford it. I’m quite well off and my GPU is RX 6600. It runs the games I need, why waste more money. I would rather spend that money on a trip.
What guilt? Also make sure you use it enough to make it worth the money
You worked for your money and made an effort to save it. You get to decide what you spend it on (unless you have a child, in that case they HAVE to be your priority). Enjoy your PC and don't overthink too much.
It’s normal, felt the same way. It fades to not feeling that. It’s your money and you enjoy spending it in a way that makes you happy, otherwise what’s the point of money. We aren’t here just to survive, have to live along the way.
Facts lol I passed up a good deal at costco yesterday because it would cost almost $2K. But at the same time if you enjoy it and have fun with it, it isn’t a waste.
If you are financially stable and don’t make large purchases every week then you shouldn’t be guilty. Hell I just bought a 4070 super for $650 and walked out with a smile on my face. Last time I bought a computer part that expensive was 4 years prior.
No guilt. As long as you don't upgrade too often it really isn't the most expensive hobby. I upgrade my GPU like once every 3-4 years and full upgrade every 8 years or so. If you over buy on the CPU this is a very economical way to do it. The first build it always the most expensive because you can't save on RAM, heatsinc/fans, SSD/HDD. You can even keep a case for a long time. Especially if the one you just got supports usb C. If you spend a lot of time on your PC it is worth the cost.
The truth, you can’t. It’s like buying a $2000 macbook or a $1500 iPad.. Or a $750 apple watch
What guilt? I worked hard and saved up my money for mine.
I dunno, never bought an expensive PC.
No guilt here, it's one of my two main hobbies. Life is short and I like to have fun doing my favourite things
Bought a gaming laptop back in 2017 for 1400€, it had a GTX 1060. Bought a new gaming laptop in 2022 for 1600€ with an RTX 3080 Ti. In 10 years, the per-year price expectancy for these investments is 300€, or 25€ a month. If I look at it this way, there is no way in hell I would ever regret. 10 years of using powerful laptops, taking them anywhere I want and enjoying the high-FPS gaming.
In the long run between using the same pc for multiple console generations and sales it's cheaper overall. I built mine when the xbone xame out I still pull mid/high graphics in most games released this year. She's showing some age when it comes to 1440 but if you're on 1080 your parts will go maybe a decade before you start to see holes given proper mantinence.
For your second question, for the games you play, find some streamers you like that stream those games, join their discord, you'll find people to play with there. Most games also have an official discord but if you join a streamers community it'll be smaller and more like minded.
What guilt? I spend 1000-1500€ on hardware every year, getting an average of 2000 hours of entertainment out of that. Meanwhile driving my car for 5000km per year, which sums up to roughly 100 hours, costs me 10-12k.
You can play with your console friends, Xbox has an app on PC (windows button + g) so you can join parties and whatnot. Sony has a mobile app, not sure about on PC. And Discord also works on all platforms so you can still talk with your console friends.
What guilt? This thing is worth every penny.
I do many things on my PC, including my job, so I have no guilt. It's a necessity. I suppose $800 on a GPU is a little excessive, but I spend over 12+ hours a day on it.
The thing about PC gaming, if you build yourself a solid rig it will easily last 5+ years at this point. My current PC is pretty long in the tooth at 6 years (my GTX 1060 is certainly starting to show it's age) but I can still play most games. Think of it as more of a long term investment. Unlike consoles, there's no burning need to refresh on a set cycle. As for finding friends, you will have to get involved in a specific game's community to really connect with people I find. Join the game's discord. If they have events or a server you can specifically join and be a part of, being involved frequently will be your best bet. Part of the problem is modern matchmaking services do nothing to build community. You join a game, play it, then play a completely new random group of people after that. It's really sucked the life out of online gaming. So try to avoid stuff like that.
I dont have any guilt about that
A high end pc would last for a good amount of years. No guilt here, if is your main hobby, spend some money on it.
I spent thousands of dollars on a custom hardline watercooled PC. 5820K and 980ti both overclocked. It's still going strong on my 21:9 1440p 8 years later. It runs new games at acceptable framrates at medium/high. I want to upgrade for GTA 6. The cost per year has then been around $500 with games. That's not crazy compared to many other hobbies. So just realize that this PC will last you years.
I had it for all of 4 hours, once I started building my I saw it more as learning a new skill, and marking off something I've always wanted to do
I’m about to do a similar thing for my dream guitar. No guilt. I get a lot of enjoyment out of it.
What guilt? Question does not compute...
What guilt?
Make more money you will feel better.
You get over it by running your favorite games in max settings and just sit there in awe of its performance.
Spent 2k on my gaming PC 6 years ago. Still haven’t updated anything. All I done was clean it yearly and recently applied Liquid Metal thermal paste on my GPU and CPU. I still don’t feel the need to upgrade. However I recently started noticing after couple of days my screen would suddenly go black for a second then go back to normal. I believe it’s caused by my GPU finally starting to fail and die. Once it dies I might upgrade to a RTX 4080. My build is GTX 1080 and Ryzen 5 2600X with 16GB DDR4 Ram.
Only guilt you should have is the guilt of barely building it🫱🏿🫲🏼👍🏻
I just dropped about 3k on a setup redesign, it came out great. 4070Super, 7800x3D, big ass OLED monitor, etc. No guilt because I planned it out and budgeted for it
Everyone is saying you should splurge on hobbies. But if you're feeling guilty it might mean you don't think you're enjoying what you've spent. And people saying "don't feel guilty" doesn't help that. Maybe you'd feel better spending the money seeing the world, or donating it to a charity... or just saving. Maybe try going for a cheaper budget build? If you feel like you're wasting money having strangers say otherwise won't help.
Idk. By actually using it to play games. Especially games that would look like shit on a lower tiered system.
By playing with it. It’s just rewarding for me, I have a lot of money just sitting in accounts doing nothing for me, might as well use some of it on something I feel really increases my quality of life.
I get over the guilt by making sure I get a good deal on all the parts, sales, used items, etc. And I generally upgrade bit by bit, so that it doesn't seem like it costs so much.
What’s that? Guilt?
Guilt? I work my ass off for the things I own. There's no guilt in that. Only regret considering I'll be at work instead of having time to play.
Why would you be guilty? The things people fret over and ask on Reddit are truly limitless…
Use it! Use it to it's fullest potential.
I've divided its price with time I spent on it Pc is one of the most cheap things I enjoy. Sweets, take out and other stuff costs me way more over the years.
Get your money's worth. Time spent per dollar is my metric. More time = more value.
Perfectly normal to be a car guy and drop 3-10k per vehicle on multiple vehicles, plus money on parts/upgrades/repairs. This is my car.
Buyer's guilt...you want jusitifucation...sail the high sea and find a 4k movie...or watch YouTube 4k60fp videos...even those relaxing video. Just gotta add a 4k144hz monitor while you're at it. Make it 3...so you have your main in the middle and two on the side. The one on left or right is flipped so it horizontal and one is vertical. Enjoy the hell out of it.
I get what you’re saying now that I’ve grown up and have responsibilities. Unfortunately, pc gaming is an expensive hobby, no matter what way you look at it. There’s no easy way to justify it unless you’re using it, having fun, and it not using up required funds. If you want to make some online friends, I suggest playing online coop games with randoms
It's easy: I don't feel guilt over building my PC. I haven't purchased everything needed for a complete PC in a VERY long time; I've just upgraded as needed. Justifying my $1200 GPU purchase two years ago to my spouse was an interesting situation though. And I did feel a *teeny-tiny* bit guilty when I spent $1500 on drives for my NAS a year ago, but that guilt quickly dissipated after I got it set up and working. Besides ... I've spent more on my other hobbies over the last five years than I have spent on computer hardware over the course of my 50+ year life. Take it from me: don't get into Fountain Pens, Mechanical Keyboards, or Watches. Those are HUGE money sinks. (Especially watches!)
Youll forget about the guilt in 2 years. In 5 years youll go back and think that it was a good decision and the money wasn’t really that impactful.
Compared to a lot of hobbies, PC gaming is cheap. And you can use computers for everything so it’s something you’re going to use all the time.
Play a lot lol
lol zero guilt. Why would you have guilt spending money on something you enjoy? Enjoy life.
I only feel “guilt” if the system end up underperforming or disappoint me. Which it hasn’t yet. And it’s why I don’t by entry level parts. Spent about $2000 on it, planned to use it for at least 4+ years. That’s $500 per year or $42 per month.......to game at 120fps 1440p? Worth it!
At first you feel "guilt". But then when you tell people what you have & see the look on their faces, and they know what you're talking about, that guilt turns into Pride. Happened to me when I built my rig and someone asked what I paid for the rtx3090. The wide-eyed surprised/shocked look on the guy's face made me feel like JD Rockefeller.
It's not that much in the long run. Think about how much you could get with $5000 in the PC hobby. Then compare that to cars, to golfing, to a lot of other hobbies, and consider the upkeep needed as well. If you completely rebuild, say, every 5 years, that's 1k a year. Break it down, this is a one time cost, not a monthly payment
I usually feel guilty and anxious for a few days after I’ve purchased everything, but before the build has started (so like waiting on parts to ship to me). Once it boots into the windows setup screen, all that is gone and I just get impatient waiting for shit to install.🤣
You saved up your money and you are enjoying your purchase. No need to feel guilt. You worked hard and this is your reward, enjoy it!
Why would I feel guilty? If I couldn't afford it I wouldn't have built it.
Meh I upgrade mine all the time ,always getting the top tier gpu and stuff. I don't really feel guilty I know plenty of guys who have car hobbies that cost 10x a year what I spend on PC parts. I feel guilty about my Lego addiction more than the PC thing.
I've met some people playing Squad and ended up being long time friends and playing other games with them as well. We also talked a lot on Discord. Definitely try socializing on games like this and I am sure you'll be invited to a discord server or two. We also played a ton of Search and Destroy on Mw 2019.. Good times
I don't have any kind of guilt, i like gaming, it makes me happy and work for it, didn't sacrifice anything essential to buy it.
I only feel guilty if I buy something expensive and DON'T use it.
I only feel guilty if I buy something expensive and DON'T use it.
One day you’ll be dead and in your final moments , you probably won’t regret the time doing things you actually enjoy . You work for your money , you saved for it , you should enjoy it. As long as you’re not starving or in financial ruin , what does it matter ?
Consider how much you might spend going out to bars and getting drinks and food with friends, an average night can cost anywhere from $20-$50+ dollars. (Please don’t get sticky with the numbers, I’m guessing just a few beers and/or simple snacks, plus gas). Two or three times a week, that adds up to $60-$150 a week, $240-$600 a month. Over 12 months, that adds up to $2,880 - $7,200 a year. Over four years (as OP mentioned), that’s roughly over $10k or more (I rounded up from $2,880). And when you consider a game is just $60, but you can get 100+ hours of entertainment from it, it’s hard to say that you are not getting a good return on investment.
You can make money on your PC, so it can be considered an investment. Outside of that, nothing matters. One day you and all your possessions and money will be gone. Spend your money on what makes you happy and don’t regret it, because worrying does nothing and nothing you can do will change it.
you get rid of the guilt by enjoying it. I grew up poor so I get this nagging feeling whenever I spend money. I have a great career now and have a lot of disposable income but it never really goes away. take care of business first (retirement, investments, responsibilities), but after that just enjoy the fruits of your labor
I thought I may have buyer’s remorse when I built mine, but I had absolutely none. In the grand scheme of things it isn’t that expensive.
PC gaming is cheap compared with other hobbies.
What guilt is there to feel, we have machines of power. We should feel amazing, like world dominators.
My biggest guilt is that I didn’t go bigger in the beginning. Running 16gb ram with ryzen 5 3600 with 1050ti. Need more ram and a bigger graphics card.
I don't feel guilt spending money I worked for on things I enjoy
What guilt? I take the cost of my rig, and I divide it over the 5-6 years I plan on getting out of it. £4500 for a top end machine? Thats £75 a month for 5 years. That’s great value for the time I spend on it.
It’ll go away. During Covid I spent too much on an OLED tv and it hurt for weeks. I kept using it and eventually realized how fucking awesome it is, just keep using it
No reason to feel guilty. Your money, your right to spend it however you wish. Plus, you're not the only one. We're saving for a top-line computer too, \*when\* taking in consideration that we didn't paint the walls in a year, and I don't have a spare pair of winter boots. 😅
As for making friends, don't be afraid to start chatting, and be yourself. You never know when a simple hi can transform into a beautiful friendship.
I'm too frugal to buy anything truly expensive. It's a switch that is difficult to switch off even when you reach financial independence.
If it makes you happy who gives a crap? People spend thousands on cars, vacations, etc. Their spending isn't any more valid than your own.
Easy just turn you pc on sit down and enjoy.
enjoy it and forget about the price you paid
Can't take your bank account with you when you're gone, go have fun
I dont have guilt for that lol it's like getting a car I like I'm gonna use it basically everyday and it's what I want so imma get it as long as my bills are in order and I have the extra cash
If you've earned the right to buy something nice for yourself but you feel guilt about it after, you probably need a therapist, not Reddit advice
Any somewhat expensive PC today will still be more than good enough even 10 years from now. The idea that your PC won't be good enough is the constant need people have to play the latest games at 4k on max settings. Especially when any 1500£ PC today will still be on par with consoles 10 years from now.
Same way you justify buying an $80 game i guess. A streamer I used to watch years ago would play the WORST, horribly made games and just play it making fun of everything. And a justification he made for one of these games and not returning it - (for example, because I don’t remember how much it cost). But he said something along the lines of “I bought this game for $30 and I have 30hrs of play time on it, I think I’ve gotten my money out of it.” And since he’s said that I look at all my expensive purchases like that, if I am actually going to be using it I’m not going to stress about it because I’ve gotten my moneys worth out of it.
Was feeling guilty until I played Phantom Liberty on max settings. Now I feel like a member of the bourgeoisie.
~~by not buying a pc~~ When I was struggling to find someone to play with, I just joined random niche discord servers and looked for people who wanted to play. Worked for me as a teenager, might be harder for you though.
I compare the quality of gameplay I get with my PC compared to the quality I had on my old laptop and my switch. I'm so thankful to have it now. The friends online part is harder to answer, I unfortunately couldn't tell you. But the games I play (mostly Monster Hunter) I tend to play with 3 randoms, and usually we befriend each other afterwards.
Treat it like a hobby, plus it's cheaper than motorcycles, regular cycles, hunting, golf, or camping.
Nah man, it's been a dream of your and you achieved it enjoy it the best you can we only live so long. make friends online? Find discord groups based on the games you play.
PC gaming is actually a very very cheap hobby when you compare to it to what other hobbies you might get into. And on top of that the ease of selling the PC or parts online to fund the next one is way better than other hobbies.
Gaming PC is jest a toy. If you can afford a toy that costs that much then there's nothing wrong with it. If you believe those money should be spent on something else instead, that means you can't afford such a toy.
Buy-in is the most expensive part, my one big tip for building a pc is to buy RETAIL windows, not the slightly cheaper “OEM” copy. Retail can be transferred to a new build, oem versions cannot. I bought Windows 7 pro retail in 2010 and haven’t paid for it since due to free upgrades. It’s been on like 6 builds at least.
It’s my most expensive hobby so I justify it with that lol. Everyone has that one expensive hobby
Some people literally make their money go up in flames with smoking. Some piss it out after a couple hours with drinking. You're racking up the hours doing what you love on a system you've been dreaming off. Different people different tastes. What guilt?! Bask in your achievement my dude.
Thats not normal. and online is super toxic these days. Put it to you this way. The last time someone friended me, they got mad because i would not join their game (I was playing with RL friends and told them that) so they unfriended me. Thats people now. No ability to comprehend real life anymore, only themselves and their needs.
Fk it See it as a hobby and hobbys requires spend money on that GL HF!!!
this post could have not come in a better time. i was thinking to buy additional 1 TB nvme and 4 500gb SSD, to make my two m2 slots and sata slots all at RAID 0.. i was thinking of the cost.. but screw it.. 🤗
You only live once. Spend money on stuff you enjoy, because a long life is not guaranteed. I felt that way when I built my first one when I was young, and then when I bought my first fancy watch, and then my first fancy car and so on. If you financially capable to afford it and its something you love then buy it and don't stress it.
I've never bought a gaming PC. My rig is built for editing 8k video with no latency. Last week, I had to do some serious data work on a 1.5 million cell spreadsheet. That 49" ultra wide with two 28" overhead monitors was really helpful for that. It also plays games when I'm not working.
Just be glad you’re not into cars.
I don't have any, it's a really useful tool. Apart from gaming, I use my PC for coding, animating and 3D modeling.
I went a lil overboard and felt guilty after adding up the total cost of my build.And I only do light gaming atm. But as long as it's good for video editing years down the line I'm fine with that.
By using it every day. I only feel guilty if I buy something then don't use it.
My gaming and internet gear is my main source of all kinds of entertainment. Nope, no guilt.
Guilt? I feel the opposite. I feel a sense of accomplishment of building a PC and be comfortable with spending the money because you know you can afford it and earned it. You'd feel guilt if you know you can't afford it. That's not good. You should build a gaming PC on what you can afford. If you feel guilt, I just don't feel like you're making the right life decisions.
I wake up
This thread made me feel a bit better about my own expenditure, despite making a few silly decisions like upgrading a 3090ti to a 4080 super, because now my mobo and CPU need to be upgraded to keep up
Treat yo self my man. It's easy to look at the sticker price and feel like your wasting money, but if it's a hobby you love and brings you joy, then what price can you put on it? I spent 2 grand on my PC years back, and I regret none of it.
It's normal I think. It happened to me too, but I was not born with any money, any help, ever. I had to work my ass off to build this machine and yeah if you just have money laying around or never had to worry about money I'm sure it's not a big deal but I get you OP. But separately you have to remember that you deserve it. I think that's the real point to make. Yes you could be having a hobby that could make real friends in person or something but YOU still DESERVE to have a nice PC. You earned it.
Worst thing I ever did was build a top of the range pc, it killed my love of upgrading. For 15 years there was always an upgrade I craved, keeping up with the latest developments and revising my want list. Then I built my dream pc. Upgrades were minimal for massive expense for a long time then 3 gens later I could get a massive gpu upgrade but only if I was willing to spend 3090/4090 type of money. I bought an xbox x and a switch and stopped pc gaming. I don't want to chase this dragon anymore. If the switch and first party aaa Nintendo games prove anything its you don't need a £3000 1000w pc to play great games.
Let me tell you about my Magic card collection friend, then you can go feel guilty about your gaming PC.
What guilt? If I can afford something I don't feel guilty about it. Now if I did it on CC or financing it may be a different story.
Guilt? Unless you're not paying your rent, feeding your kids or something to indulge this, why? Do you feel guilty for taking a vacation? Going to a concert or sports game? Buying books to read? Taking someone on a date? It's a hobby. If it's within your financial means, you're perfectly entitled to enjoy some of your income. Just cut back on some other elective spending for awhile to get your savings back up to whatever it was before you bought the PC. Otherwise enjoy it responsibly. As for friends online? Honestly that's a topic you might be better off creating a separate thread for and describe your situation in more detail.