The Reddit community is divided when it comes to whether $400 is enough for a gaming PC. (Image: Stock.adobe.com – Ljubko Smokowski)
With such a response, a Reddit user has Ok story 7241
Maybe it doesn't count: his article is titled »My son wants a gaming PC, is $400 enough?« Not only did it attract more than 1,700 comments, but according to the update it also gave away a free RTX 3080.
According to the father, this graphic card from the end of 2020 comes from a generous community member who wishes to remain anonymous.
It's only worth about $400 if you buy it used. Despite the cheaper alternatives, this shows just how tight the budget for gaming PCs is.
So the discussion on Reddit revolves primarily around two crucial questions:
- Can $400 really be enough to buy a gaming PC?
- How advisable is it to switch to a console like Xbox or a portable gaming device like Steam Deck instead?
As is often the case in life, from our point of view there are no comprehensive answers to these questions, but there are many important aspects to take into account.
Is $400 enough for a gaming PC?
A budget of $400 or just under 370 euros is enough for a PC you can play with, but not for a PC that we in the GameStar editorial team call Tech Gaming computer
will describe.
It's no coincidence that our advice for buying the best self-build PCs currently starts with a budget of just €580, and in the past our minimums were usually much higher at €500.
But it all depends on what and how you want to play.
Should titles not be technically required in Full HD, and do you have no problem reducing graphical detail and resolution if in doubt to ensure enough frames per second? So, a cheaper PC with an integrated GPU in the processor is sufficient instead of a PC with a dedicated graphics card:
But in the comments on Reddit, the father mentioned that his son wants to play Starfield – and this title, like many other current games, clearly imposes higher requirements on the hardware.
This inevitably leads to this With the most discussed comment in this postWho advises his father to buy an Xbox.
The creator edited it four times because he received too many responses criticizing his recommendation. But is criticism also justified?
Should Dad buy the console instead?
Some PC gamers may describe the Xbox as a toaster compared to gaming PCs, but depending on your budget, intended use and preferred games, a console can be a better (and above all cheaper) alternative.
A PC is obviously more flexible in terms of application than a console because software can be installed on it for almost any purpose, opening up many possibilities when operated with a mouse and keyboard.
In our opinion, a console can still be a better option compared to a similarly priced PC when it comes to just playing games.
In the end, choosing the right hardware is always a matter of budget as well as your own requirements and habits, which was once again made clear by the discussion that broke out on Reddit.
We recently had another discussion with a similar background:
Gamer switches from controller to mouse after ten years – this is his conclusion after just one “night”.
What do you advise the father to do? With this budget, would it be better to get a console? On the other hand, is it advisable to wait a little longer before purchasing so that you can save more money or stretch your budget? Or can you get a computer for $400 if you lower your requirements accordingly? Feel free to write it in the comments!
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