The sad reality is that the general price of a computer keeps going up year after year. The price of processors and graphics cards skyrocketed, which negated the decline in the price of RAM and SSD. That motherboards have also increased is clearly a symptom that something is wrong.
Having a computer is a necessity, not a whim
While this is most evident in graphics cards, processors have also become quite expensive. These are two crucial components in any system. The user is forced to revise his expectations downwards to enter into tight budgets. Additionally, the time it takes for the average user to extend the life of their system increases due to this price increase.
He mental factory report He tells us about the average price of motherboards. Note that the increase is mainly in the medium and high end, which are those that have become the most expensive. We also note that he comparesn November 2020 data with March 2023 data. The increase is reflected in those developed for Intel processors and for AMD processors.
According to the report, in November 2020 the average price of motherboards with chipsets AMD It was from 120.5 dollars. On the other hand, this component based on the chipset of Intel had an average price of $140.78.
Let’s go now with the current average data, more precisely, the data comes from March 17, 2023
This means that the drop in SSD and RAM memory prices, which are around 15-20%, do not serve as a palliative. Plus, they’re cheaper components, so that doesn’t make up for it either. If a 1 TB SSD went from 100 dollars to 80 dollars, thanks to a 20% drop, it really does not cover the average increase between 40 and 60 dollars for motherboards.
Sony and Microsoft are rubbing their hands
Those who benefit the most from this situation are undoubtedly Sony and Microsoft. Faced with this situation, users will choose to abandon PC gaming and buy a console. They will keep the computer for everyday tasks like studying, browsing or working and the console for entertainment.
Whenever I think the thought I have of a hardware rental model makes more sense. That we end up not buying computers, but renting them for a period of time with a monthly subscription. This model, ecologically speaking, is not sustainable, but much more profitable for companies.
And while cloud gaming seems abandoned, that could really be another aspect. A user could buy a “basic” computer and use one of these platforms to play. NVIDIA GeForce Now is the clearest example, who is there, latently waiting for its own moment to blossom?
