Buying guides
Short, sourced buying advice. Updated when prices move.
32GB DDR5 kits went from about $100 to $350+ in a year. What happened, whether to wait, and how to spend less on memory right now.
Updated Oct 12, 2026
The RAM shortage flipped the old rule. When a prebuilt beats DIY on price, when it doesn't, and how to check a prebuilt before you buy.
Updated Oct 12, 2026
AMD's X3D chips are the fastest gaming CPUs you can buy. Whether the newer 9850X3D is worth the extra money over the 9800X3D.
Updated Oct 12, 2026
Box-only listings, mining cards, wrong models and bait prices. A checklist for buying a graphics card on eBay safely.
Updated Oct 12, 2026
What the 50–99 value score on every deal means, how it's calculated, and how to use it to pick parts.
Updated Oct 12, 2026
Which graphics card to buy at every budget, ranked by performance per dollar, plus why 8GB cards are a trap above $300.
Updated Oct 15, 2026
A complete ~$800 1080p gaming PC that dodges DDR5 prices: Ryzen 5 5600, RX 9060 XT 8GB, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe, with upgrade options.
Updated Oct 15, 2026
A ~$1,200 1440p gaming PC with an X3D CPU, 16GB GPU and 32GB RAM, plus an AM5 alternative if you want an upgrade path.
Updated Oct 12, 2026
A quick formula for PSU wattage, recommended sizes for popular GPUs, and why ATX 3.1 and 12V-2x6 matter for new cards.
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Used CPUs and RAM are great value. Used PSUs and SSDs are not. A part-by-part guide plus what to test the day it arrives.
Updated Oct 12, 2026
