technology Are lower end gaming PCs worth it?

[joanro 247]

My question is do you think lower end budget gaming PCs are worth building? Or no? Just to give you an example of what I am talking about, I mean builds like this;

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by joanro

[Splashee 28,537]

I would say it is worth having both a budget PC and a crazy expensive one. Both being able to play games on, as then you can see the difference between them.

 

PCs are not really built for gaming, if you ask me. There are almost always trouble or issues with one component. I have had super expensive fast PCs that have not delivered a smooth gameplay because of a single faulty component, often too expensive to replace, that it takes away the joy.
With a cheaper build, you might be able to address that one component problem for a lower price, and maybe get a good result from it.

[Pentium100 2,056]

Well, if you cannot afford a high-end PC, then a cheaper one would be worth it, since you would be able to play games on it. Maybe not with the highest settings, but still. 

1 hour ago, Splashee said:

PCs are not really built for gaming, if you ask me.

They may have more troubles than a console, but, at least for me, keyboard + mouse is much better than a game pad for everything except fighting games and flight simulators (in which case I'd use a joystick). Playing a FPS game with a gamepad ... no. Also, a newer PC can run older games up to a point, while a console will likely not run a game made for the previous model.

[Twilight Dirac 720]

One of the great advantages of PC gaming is the near infinite backwards compatibility of the platform.  With a PC, you basically have access to the entire catalog of PC games going all the way back to the DOS era, and there are a great many classics that are still worth playing:  Deus Ex, Master of Magic, Heroes of Might and Magic, Ultima, Baldur's Gate, Civilization, etc.  As long as you are not insistent on playing the most recent titles at the highest graphics settings, a budget PC should serve you well.

Edited January 22, 2020 by Twilight Dirac

[Nightfall Gloam 18,236]

I think it depends on what you plan on doing and what you want out of your PC mostly when it comes to picking parts, obviously compatibility matters too.

I'd say a lower end gaming PC is worth it if you only plan on playing older games and smaller, usually independent games that aren't as demanding as nearly every AAA game hopes to be.

[Brony Number 42 9,928]

This point has been made, but there are so many good old games, a super cheap. Too many to play in 10 life times. That's a good way to get cheap entertainment. Don't try to play the latest titles with low settings. Have fun with old games.

[Celli 4,332]

7 hours ago, Splashee said:

There are almost always trouble or issues with one component. I have had super expensive fast PCs that have not delivered a smooth gameplay because of a single faulty component, often too expensive to replace, that it takes away the joy.

If you're having that many issues I doubt it's the components issue. You're probably not doing something right, or the game you're trying to play is poorly optimized on PC.

 

On the topic, I'd say budget PCs are decent but you won't get long term use out of them. Usually you end up having to upgrade the second year on a $350 PC. This is coming from someone who's main platform is PC. People need to stop propping budget builds as these "console killers". They aren't.

[Pentium100 2,056]

You can also get used parts, which may be cheaper, and an older, but higher grade video card is usually better than a newer, but lower grade (for example, a GTX780 would be better than GTX960).

[Cash In 21,512]

It really depends on what you intend on using them for. If you plan on mostly playing older games or ones with not particularly high requirements, a lower end PC will generally do the trick, though it is likely that the PC won't last as long. You get what you pay for.

[The Historian 515]

Nothing wrong with not having a multi-thousand dollar gaming rig. There are many excellent experiences to be had on lower end hardware. Unless you need maximum fidelity on the latest titles, lower end hardware can suffice perfectly.