Reflecting on My Expensive Gaming PC Experience

The powerful PC build provides an enjoyable experience, but the cost may outweigh its benefits for casual gamers.

### Reflecting on an Impulsive $4,000 PC Build: Worth the Investment?
* 🖥 In August 2023, I made an impulsive decision to build a high-end PC, driven by a need to **uplift my spirits during a mental low** and the excitement around **AI advancements**.
* 💸 My previous system was still functional, but I passed it down to my brother, leading me to invest in a **powerful new build** featuring a **Ryzen 9 7900X**, **64 GB of DDR5 RAM**, and an **RTX 490**, totaling around **$4,000**.
* 🎮 The performance of this PC has been outstanding, allowing me to **play current and future games effortlessly** at high settings and frame rates, which felt **akin to console gaming**.
* 🔇 Surprisingly, the PC operates quietly, with the RTX 490 maintaining a **maximum temperature of 70°C**, a **significant improvement** compared to my previous setup.
* ⏳ While I appreciate the longevity this build offers, I often ponder whether a **less expensive system** would have sufficed for my gaming needs, especially since I prioritize **frame rates over high-end graphics**.
* 🤔 Reflecting on my experience, I realize that while the PC has been enjoyable, I might have opted for a **mid-range build**, like a **4070 TI super**, instead of spending excessively for **minimal gains**.
* 💡 Ultimately, this journey has taught me valuable lessons about gaming hardware, and while I enjoyed the experience of owning **top-tier components**, I likely won't repeat such an **expensive purchase** in the future.
* 👍 I encourage viewers to consider their gaming priorities before making significant investments in high-end hardware, as **personal satisfaction can often be achieved with more modest setups**.

[Music] back in August of 2023, I possibly made one of, if not the most impulsive purchases I've ever done in my life, and that was building a ridiculously powerful PC. I was in sort of a mental low and needed something to do with my life to keep my mind off of that. Coupled with the entire AI stir that was going on at the time, I said, screw it, let's just upgrade my 3-year-old system at the time to something that was incredibly overkill. Now, my old build wasn't a bad system, actually quite the opposite, but I passed it down to my brother as his system was getting really, really old, and he needed an upgrade. So, I decided, why not? Now, this new build I made was almost balls to the walls in terms of specs: the Ryzen 9 7900X, 64 gigs of DDR5 RAM, and most importantly, the all-powerful RTX 490. Coupled that with a brand new OLED Ultra-wide monitor from Alienware, and you got yourself basically

a $4,000 setup with everything combined. So, was the purchase worth it? That was something I had to ask myself a lot, given how much I had to spend for it. And I got this thing before the China band inflated the 49s cost it even more. So, in this video, I want to give some insights on using the PC and what I learned from playing games with some of the best of the best hardware you can currently buy, and comparing it specifically to lower-end stuff, and especially things like the Steam Deck, for example. Now, before we begin, I do want to clarify that I will not be going over very specific specs or benchmarks or any details concerning that. This video is more about my experience using the PC over the benchmarks. So, without further ado, let's get into it. Now, there are a couple of things that I like about using this PC. First of all, the PC is very, very quiet. Surprisingly, even though there's a little bit of coil whine, none of the parts really make a lot of noise, and

that was something that I wasn't expecting. I was expecting this thing to like roar like a jet engine, like a PS4, but fortunately, it doesn't. Like, these coolers are over-engineered, and for the most part, the PC also runs relatively cool as well. Like, my 490 barely hits 70° C, which was something I cannot say for my previous build, which could go up to 75 or 80 Celsius. But all of that aside, let's just go straight into the best thing about owning this PC, which is the performance. Now, flexing on PC part picker aside, this isn't going to be the typical oh, look at my games at 4K Ultra settings kind of deal, but instead, it's the concept of peace of mind that I found the best part about this computer. And what I mean by that is that this system will play any current and future game without much hassle at high settings and high frame rates. It ironically feels like a console in a sense where I can basically throw any game at it, and for the most part, I can.

play the game at really, really good frame rates and good settings without having to tinker with the settings that much. Even in poorly optimized scenarios like Starfield or recent Unreal Engine 5 titles, I can still get above 60 FPS at max settings without much effort. The incredible fast performance of this PC also will help in terms of longevity. Obviously, sure, the card is overkill now, most likely for the games that I play, especially that I play in 1440p ultrawide for the most part. But looking at the next four to five years, especially if the recent Unreal Engine 5 titles are anything as an indicator, I can confidently say that for the most part, I'm basically set and don't need to bother upgrading the system within the next half-decade, which is something I wasn't able to say with some of my previous PC builds. Now, you can easily say the same for lesser cards, given that if you want to lower settings, but it's more so of a guarantee that you should.

absolutely be able to play any games in the next five or so years without major compromises. For the most part, I have been really pleased by this PC for what I intended it for, which was gaming and some productivity stuff. And for the resolutions and frame rates that I was targeting, it runs every game I throw at it without a hassle. But even so, thinking about it in hindsight, there is this nagging feeling of me asking myself on whether or not I should have spent less for a slightly worse computer but also get mostly the same satisfaction. Let's not kid around the bush here. First of all, this type of PC is expensive. Over $3,000 for my build specifically is not an easy pill to swallow. Is it really worth that much just to play my games with no fuss for the next couple of years? That was something I had to really ponder about, especially if you consider a much more modest system with, say, a potentially 4070 TI super and 7700x build, could total to around basically

half the price and play the same games at slightly lower settings just completely fine with good enough frame rates. I'm someone who, for the most part, doesn't really care about the high-end graphics. I mainly prioritize frame rate, even at the cost of visuals. I also don't play at 4K or higher, where these types of graphics cards and, you know, PCs are typically designed to play games at. It even becomes more confusing to me as someone who has played games on significantly worse PC hardware, like the Steam Deck, over the past year. I was absolutely fine playing the more demanding games on that system with much lower settings and below 60 FPS without much complaint. For the vast majority of folks, that basically is sufficient enough to have a great gaming experience with the vast library of games that Steam has to offer. So, at face value, when looking back at it, I do sort of regret paying so much for this type of system, though I'm not really the target audience for it. I will admit that clearly the 4090 and just paying this

much for a PC isn't that much worth it for me, but I can understand if someone is visual like heavy, or maybe they play a lot of VR games, you know, VR AR experiences. Perhaps there's someone who has a simulation rig and wants to play like Microsoft flight simulator at like the highest possible resolution to get this kind of like VR experience kind of deal, you know, those types of Gamers who absolutely prioritize Fidelity to give you kind of like a simulation experience. I can see this PC being worth the price tag, but for me specifically, who is not really big on the visuals as much, I probably wouldn't have gotten this PC, to be honest with you. If I could go back, I would probably go to a 470 TI super kind of Base build instead. Now wrapping up everything here, while I do admit that I kind of regret getting this kind of PC, I am grateful that I ended up getting it anyway just because of the experience, you know, getting that taste of what it feels like to own some of the best of the best.

hardware that the current industry has to offer is such a surreal kind of experience for me, who has dealt with having to go with like middle to mid-high-end hardware, and even before that going from low, you know, from low-end hardware. So, being at the top of the food chain is such an interesting experience, but for me, I'm probably not going to be here for long. Whenever my new PC, whenever I want to upgrade to a new PC, I most likely probably will not go for the best of the best next time around. And yeah, you know, you live and you learn. This 490 build has been an experience for me, and I thoroughly have enjoyed it, but I probably won't repeat the same mistake again. So, yeah, hopefully, you guys enjoyed the video. If you did, make sure to leave a like, and I'll talk to you guys in the next one. Later.

The costly reality of owning a RTX 4090 gaming pc. (Long term review)

FrozenVayne

In August 2023, I made an impulsive decision to build a powerful PC, upgrading from my 3-year-old system.

The new setup included a Ryzen 9 7900X, 64GB of DDR5 RAM, and an RTX 490, along with an Alienware OLED Ultra-wide monitor, totaling around $4,000.

The video focuses on my experience using the PC and playing games, rather than specific specs or benchmarks.

The best part of owning this PC is the peace of mind it provides, effortlessly handling current and future games at high settings and frame rates.

Its fast performance ensures longevity, making it unnecessary to upgrade for the next four to five years.

The author's $3,000 gaming PC has been effective for their needs, running games smoothly at targeted resolutions and frame rates.

They question whether the high cost was necessary, considering a more modest system could have provided similar satisfaction at half the price.

The author prioritizes frame rate over high-end graphics and has had a great gaming experience on lower-spec hardware, like the Steam Deck, leading to feelings of regret for their expensive PC purchase.

The PC's high price tag may be justified for gamers who prioritize visual fidelity, such as those playing VR games or using a simulation rig.

The speaker, not focused on visuals, regrets the purchase and would have chosen a more budget-friendly build instead.

Despite the regret, they are grateful for the experience of owning a top-tier PC.

The Surreal Experience of Upgrading Hardware

The speaker reflects on their journey from low to mid-high-end hardware to now experiencing top-of-the-line equipment.

They express that they likely won't repeat the same mistake of going for the best next time they upgrade their PC.

The 490 build has been a valuable experience, and they encourage viewers to like the video and stay tuned for future content.