In a year marked by significant price increases across the PC gaming hardware market, one PC Gamer hardware writer found their most impactful upgrade wasn't a new GPU or more RAM, but a simple cushion for their gaming chair. The year 2026 has seen component prices soar, making substantial hardware upgrades financially unfeasible for many, including those who write about them.
The author highlights that personal cash spending on upgrades has been minimal due to inflated costs. This has led to a reliance on existing hardware and performance-boosting technologies like DLSS or frame generation for demanding games. The price of 64GB of DDR5 RAM, for instance, exceeds $800, a steep increase from the $100 paid for a 32GB kit just three years prior. Similarly, a 2TB SSD, once purchased for $130, is now dwarfed by the upwards of $400 cost of a 4TB drive.
Even graphics card prices remain a point of contention. While cards like the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB and RX 9070 GRE are noted as offering decent value relative to their performance in the current market, the RTX 5070 is cited as an example of rising costs, with its cheapest available variant costing $779.
This challenging market has led to a situation where, for many, making do with current setups is the most sensible approach. The upcoming sales season, including October Prime Day and Black Friday, offers a glimmer of hope for potential discounts on hardware, though the author remains cautiously optimistic given the industry's current trajectory, influenced in part by high AI server demand impacting consumer markets.
In contrast to the soaring prices of core components, peripherals like gaming monitors, mice, keyboards, and controllers have largely escaped significant price hikes. These items are also expected to see substantial discounts during the major sales events, providing a more attainable avenue for upgrades. The author suggests that while a new GPU or memory kit might be out of reach, improving the experience with new peripherals is a realistic goal for many.
The narrative underscores a broader trend of PC gamers holding onto their current rigs longer than anticipated due to economic factors. The personal anecdote of finding significant comfort from a relatively inexpensive cushion—costing around £40 in the UK, which included an unnecessary lumbar support – serves as a relatable, albeit humorous, reflection of the current state of PC hardware accessibility.