The flaw in the article is that it doesn't take into account the often astonishingly high prices that are attached to console games. The cost of a gaming console and the cost of a gaming PC should also include games and any online play costs incurred (especially since I've never seen online PC play that wasn't free). When those are factored in, you find out that the console isn't nearly as inexpensive as its selling price would suggest. The console itself is a loss-leader, the games themselves are where Sony and Microsoft's profits lie.You pay the same amount of tax on a $500 prebuilt as you do on $500 of individual components. And if you order on Amazon shipping is often free. And as the article mentioned, you can get really cheap Windows keys in a lot of places, but you don't even have to activate Windows to use it. As far as prebuilts giving you a better value, unless you're buying from a small shop like Cyberpower or Maingear, you're going to get the cheapest motherboard, CPU cooler, and power supply the OEM can source, which means your future upgrade options are basically zero. They do get bulk pricing on parts, but you still end up paying more for the same specs because you have to pay them to put it together and set it up for you. And any prebuilt in the $500 range is going to have integrated graphics too, as well as single channel memory (which will severely hamper integrated GPU performance) and likely only one storage device, either a hard drive or a small SSD. But yeah, if you're going to be gaming $500 isn't going to get you very far. Bump it up to around $700-800 and you get a lot more performance.
Agreed. Consoles are always better value at release and they get worse over time until the point when PCs become better value. Then the whole cycle starts again.If you're planning on playing esports titles and older games forever then this could work. If you see a new title and you want to play it then you will have to upgrade which makes it not inexpensive anymore. And a console while more powerful will also be supported for a few years at least so it will definitely outlast that PC.
I have been selecting Win 10 key resellers at allkeyshop.com for like 8 years now and I only had 1 key that didn't work, though I got a new one from the reseller in about 15 minutes. All in all, these cheap keys worked for me and I recommend it to anyone on a tighter budget.As Noted: Good news that a 'Kinguin' supplied key now over 3-years ago worked for the many. My luck was not so good as I thought that a major US PC magazine sponsored reseller (June 2020) was the way to go. Even Carey Holzman in Phoenix approved. Carey noted that the US magazine store offer was a far better alternative then purchasing straight off the Internet and doing business with a company with no association nor pedigree. Bottomline the key was not accepted. Did not work. No recourse. No follow-up response nor the supply of a replacement key. I was not happy and purchased a Win 10 Home OS download on Amazon...and of course it worked. Will I ever buy a so-called bargain grey-market key again in the future! Of course not I learned the hard way.
I bought a few Windows 10 Pro and Office keys on Ebay for like 3 euros each. All of them are working to this day.I have been selecting Win 10 key resellers at allkeyshop.com for like 8 years now and I only had 1 key that didn't work, though I got a new one from the reseller in about 15 minutes. All in all, these cheap keys worked for me and I recommend it to anyone on a tighter budget.
I wonder though why Microsoft is not offering a subscription based license for Win 10.
Even my boxed, retail Win 10 key that I bought for 120USD once in my life was useless once I upgraded my motherboard. I was told it should work when I upgrade my mobo, but it simply didn't. That was $120 down the toilet. I have only bought these cheap offers ever since and had no issues.
It's good to see both sides of the coin here! I do understand that the purchase of a "full retail version" will be regocnized by talking directly with a Microsoft service representative in case of a Mobo upgrade! As to the cheap offers I do see your point, but for this item I am on the other side of the coin...at least for now .I have been selecting Win 10 key resellers at allkeyshop.com for like 8 years now and I only had 1 key that didn't work, though I got a new one from the reseller in about 15 minutes. All in all, these cheap keys worked for me and I recommend it to anyone on a tighter budget.
I wonder though why Microsoft is not offering a subscription based license for Win 10.
Even my boxed, retail Win 10 key that I bought for 120USD once in my life was useless once I upgraded my motherboard. I was told it should work when I upgrade my mobo, but it simply didn't. That was $120 down the toilet. I have only bought these cheap offers ever since and had no issues.
I thought to be extra smart with almost exclusively buying from the "Amazon Warehouse" and parts either returned and or refurbished. Or better yet a few generations behind. And all with full no quibble Amazon return support. But you with a 'business box approach' are the smartest here and for starters totally forgoing the separate purchase of an OS and thus saving big bucks, all the while when people like me are dreaming about a $500 gaming rig. I tip my hat to you with deep bow.For $200, you can get former buisness box with an i7, OS, HD, RAM etc. Drop in a $150 GTX 1650
and a $25 SSD for good 1080p performance. Most boxes have proprietary PSUs, so you are either locked at 75W or have to figure out adapters if you want to run something better.
Yes of course Tetris...but please allow a poor soul like me a little bit more of longer lasting entertainment. Will settle for Wolfenstein 3D in a pinch.You can build a gaming rig for even less money.
After all, Tetris is a game, isn't it?
Tom's Hardware just ran an article about this... Comments section hated it. Also, looking at modern games even with an i7, you are taking a big hit with the less than 6 cores and slower RAM. Maybe this approach is best for $300 gaming boxes with something like a GTX 950/1050 or RX 460/560.I thought to be extra smart with almost exclusively buying from the "Amazon Warehouse" and parts either returned and or refurbished. Or better yet a few generations behind. And all with full no quibble Amazon return support. But you with a 'business box approach' are the smartest here and for starters totally forgoing the separate purchase of an OS and thus saving big bucks, all the while when people like me are dreaming about a $500 gaming rig. I tip my hat to you with deep bow.