[SOLVED] How long will it take for a $2000 gaming PC to become outdated

[rappermcflapper]

So basically a question that has been boggling my mind here lately is if i bought an expensive gaming computer how long would it take for it be outdated and not perform as good anymore. This kind of sits upon whats the point of buying a computer if its going to be outdated in a few years because of hardware advancing and software becoming more demanding too quickly.

 

[jankerson]

Doesn't matter what you get.

The MB and CPU will be fine for a long time, as in 5 to 7 years, PSU, if you get a good high quality one will last 10+ years.

The Graphics card will need to be replaced after about 3 years or so depending for performance needs etc. Less time if you don't get a high end GPU, and you aren't with that budget since the high end RTX 2080Ti are running about $1,300+.


The issue is if you blow the whole budget on a GPU the rest of the system will be lower end, that's not good.

It's better to have a good solid stable platform as in higher end CPU, MB, PSU to start with so it will last and upgrade the GPU as needed over the years. That way the system will last for a long time with only having to upgrade the GPU as needed.

An important note, don't cheap out or cut corners on any of the core components if you want to run the system for a long time.

As far as prebuilds go, well it will vary greatly as most of them cheap out on core components so it's a crap shoot.

 

[cryoburner]

A lot of it depends on what you consider "good performance" to be. If you demand high resolution and refresh rates at maximum graphics settings, the hardware might potentially not live up to your standards even a couple years from now. Even one of today's $700+ graphics cards can already struggle to maintain 60+fps at 4K resolution with max graphics settings in some of the most demanding games. 1440p is a lot more practical to run on high-end hardware, but with RTX reflections enabled in Battlefield V, a 2080 can't even maintain 60fps at that resolution. And if you want high frame rates on a high refresh-rate screen, even today's fastest hardware can struggle to stay over 100fps in some games. On the other hand, if you're willing to run some games at slightly less than maximum settings, or at a resolution like 1080p, that hardware could maintain good frame rates quite a bit longer.

And are peripherals like a monitor, keyboard, and so on included in that cost? If it's just the PC itself, in my opinion, one might be better off not spending that much on such a system, since past a certain point, you start to see diminishing returns in terms of value. As an example, a 2080 Ti is not even twice as fast as a 2060, but it costs well over three times as much as that card. Unless you feel you need that performance in the short-term, it might be better to target a somewhat lower price level, like under $1500, and save the rest to put toward upgrades a few years down the line. Or maybe you'll find you want a VR headset or something.

 

[rappermcflapper]

A lot of it depends on what you consider "good performance" to be. If you demand high resolution and refresh rates at maximum graphics settings, the hardware might potentially not live up to your standards even a couple years from now. Even one of today's $700+ graphics cards can already struggle to maintain 60+fps at 4K resolution with max graphics settings in some of the most demanding games. 1440p is a lot more practical to run on high-end hardware, but with RTX reflections enabled in Battlefield V, a 2080 can't even maintain 60fps at that resolution. And if you want high frame rates on a high refresh-rate screen, even today's fastest hardware can struggle to stay over 100fps in some games. On the other hand, if you're willing to run some games at slightly less than maximum settings, or at a resolution like 1080p, that hardware could maintain good frame rates quite a bit longer.

And are peripherals like a monitor, keyboard, and so on included in that cost? If it's just the PC itself, in my opinion, one might be better off not spending that much on such a system, since past a certain point, you start to see diminishing returns in terms of value. As an example, a 2080 Ti is not even twice as fast as a 2060, but it costs well over three times as much as that card. Unless you feel you need that performance in the short-term, it might be better to target a somewhat lower price level, like under $1500, and save the rest to put toward upgrades a few years down the line. Or maybe you'll find you want a VR headset or something.

I don't care about 4k gaming though and just the pc i got everything else.

 

[USAFRet]

1. There is no "futureproof"

2. It depends on what you buy with that $2000..
It's easy to spend $2000 on junk parts that is outdated as it comes out of the box.

3. Build a balanced system, and enjoy it. Update as needed. There is always something new on the horizon.

"a few years ago", NVMe drives weren't on the table.
"a few years ago", AMD CPU's were pretty sucky.
"a few years ago", DVD was still a major content delivery device.
"a few years ago", an 11GB GPU was unheard of.

 

[jankerson]

Here are two of my machines that I am currently running to give some ideas. I don't expect to have to upgrade either one for a long time except maybe the GPU's as needed down the road.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($529.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370 AORUS Gaming 5 (rev. 1.0) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($77.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($82.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB FTW3 GAMING iCX Video Card ($804.98 @ Newegg Business)
Case: Cooler Master - MasterCase Pro 5 ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Ultra Titanium 750 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($163.10 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus - DRW-24D3ST DVD/CD Writer ($21.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($124.79 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.95 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.95 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.95 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer - Predator XB1 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor ($499.99 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Kingston - HyperX Alloy Elite RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech - G Pro Wired Optical Mouse ($49.17 @ Amazon)
Total: $2987.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-12 00:24 EST-0500


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8086K 4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($449.00 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-U12S 55 CFM CPU Cooler ($57.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming (rev. 1.0) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($129.84 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 8 GB FTW2 Gaming iCX Video Card
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($55.66 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Titanium 650 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus - DRW-24D3ST DVD/CD Writer ($21.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($124.79 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus - VG245H 24.0" 1920x1080 75 Hz Monitor ($189.19 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Corsair - K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard
Mouse: Logitech - G Pro Wired Optical Mouse ($49.17 @ Amazon)
Total: $1329.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-12 00:29 EST-0500