3 mistakes to avoid when shopping for a new gaming PC

When browsing online for a new gaming PC you need to look out for these three sellers’ tactics, so that you won’t make any mistakes and will get the best value for your money.

1. The inflated estimated price

Some sellers employ a deceptive tactic of inflating the estimated price of a PC to make the discounted price look more appealing. This practice can mislead buyers into thinking they are getting a great deal when, in reality, the discounted price may actually reflect the true market value of the PC.

To avoid falling for this scheme, it’s essential to compare the price of the PC of interest with those of PCs from other sellers that have similar specifications (especially CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage; check also display type in the case of laptops).

By shopping around and assessing different sellers, you can ensure that you’re paying a truly discounted price for your PC.

2. The 5-star deception

You often see this in online stores. A gaming PC received several positive reviews and now sits at 5 stars. These are undoubtedly gaming PCs that were excellent at the time of their release. However, upon closer inspection of the reviews dates, it may become apparent that these ratings are years old.

While the PC might have been top-notch when it came out, its components may now be outdated compared to newer models available for the same price.

Because of the very positive reviews, people are still buying this PC and consequently the seller is not decreasing its price, even if for that money you could now buy something much better.

So, don’t fall blindly for the 5-star reviews, always check their date and explore other options to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money.

3. The 512 GB trap

In the past, gaming laptops with 512 GB of storage were common. However, with modern games requiring substantial storage space, opting for a gaming laptop with such limited storage capacity is now impractical (here we covered the recent trend of games requiring massive storage space to install).

Many sellers still have plenty of these small-storage laptops, and they regularly try to clear their stock by offering enticing discounts. It’s important to resist the temptation of these “deals” because upgrading a laptop’s storage drive is often challenging or impossible.

Purchasing a laptop with insufficient storage will result in constant game uninstalls to make room for your new games. To avoid this inconvenience, ignore laptops with less than 1TB of storage space.

In summary, it’s always good to be a well-informed customer before making any purchase, so that you won’t fall for a product that you will regret buying shortly after. Look around, compare sellers, compare prices and specs, and most importantly, keep reading our posts for more tips and advice. Remember, knowledge is power!