Hardware prices Memes

The eternal GPU upgrade cycle: a tragicomedy in four acts. First, you couldn't get an RTX 3080 because of COVID shortages. Then the 4080 was unobtainable thanks to crypto miners. Now the 5080 is being devoured by AI companies with bottomless pockets. Meanwhile, your ancient GTX 1080 is wheezing through another year while you progress through the five stages of GPU grief—from hopeful patience to the final acceptance that even if they made enough GPUs, your bank account would still say "insufficient funds." The wojak's increasingly haggard face is basically what happens when you check Newegg prices every day for half a decade.

Ah, the sweet delusion of the elderly PC builder. Remember when $1000 could get you a beast of a machine? Now that same budget barely covers a decent graphics card after you've sold a kidney on the black market. The chip shortage, crypto miners, and "gamer aesthetics" tax have turned PC building into a luxury hobby that requires a financial advisor. Meanwhile, the younger generation just pats us on the back and humors our ramblings about the good old days when we weren't choosing between rent and a new CPU.

The classic bait-and-switch from Valve! Everyone thought the Steam Deck competitor "GabeCube" (named after Gabe Newell, Valve's founder) would be reasonably priced at $500-600, competing with consoles like PlayStation and Xbox. But nope! Valve decided they're "competing with PC" instead – which is corporate speak for "we're charging you $1000+ for this tiny box." It's like going to buy a Honda and the salesman says "Actually, we compete with SpaceX." The PC gaming tax strikes again – miniaturization doesn't come cheap, folks!

The eternal struggle of PC building in 2023. You're all excited about that shiny new PC upgrade, maybe even drooling over those fancy PCMRs (PC Master Race setups), until DDR5 prices show up and grab you by the wallet. It's like going to a restaurant, checking out the menu, and then flipping it over to see they charge $15 for a side of fries. Suddenly your enthusiasm gets body-slammed by economic reality. The dream of 128GB DDR5 RAM running at light speed? That'll be one kidney, please. No wonder we're all still rocking DDR4 while pretending we're "waiting for the technology to mature."

Remember when you paid a small fortune for that DDR5 RAM last year? Now you're standing there in your fancy aristocratic outfit watching the peasants buy the same memory for half what you paid. The smug expression perfectly captures that mixture of regret and superiority—"Yes, I overpaid dramatically, but I've been running Chrome with 47 tabs open for months while you plebeians were still struggling with DDR4." The early adopter tax hits hardware enthusiasts harder than a recursive function without a base case.

Remember when gamers could actually afford GPUs? Yeah, me neither. First it was crypto miners turning graphics cards into digital gold pans, now it's AI companies hoarding them like digital dragons. Meanwhile, Nvidia's over there counting cash while gamers are checking if kidneys are still selling well on the black market. The circle of tech life: gamers get distracted by a shiny new game trailer, turn around, and find their GPU budget has been mugged in a dark alley by corporate interests.

The AUDACITY of the universe to take my wish so literally! 😭 Our poor Baby Yoda PC gamer makes a completely reasonable wish upon a shooting star for GPU prices to "go down a bit" and what happens? THE STAR ITSELF PLUMMETS! Meanwhile, GPU prices remain stratospherically high, causing our little friend to cry actual tears. The cosmic betrayal! The astronomical disappointment! It's like asking for a raise and your boss hands you an elevator button. DEVASTATING.

Remember when NVIDIA politely asked you to upgrade your graphics card? Those were the days. Now they sit on their silicon throne, looking down at us mere mortals with contempt. "Buy our $2000 GPU or continue living in your pathetic low-polygon world, peasant." The transformation from humble tech company to aristocratic overlord is complete. And we just keep throwing money at them like the desperate frame-rate addicts we are.

Corporate: "Can you spot the difference between a gold bar and a high-end GPU?" Developers in 2024: "They're the same picture." With GPUs costing as much as precious metals these days, training that fancy ML model might require a second mortgage. Remember when we just worried about RAM prices? Those were simpler times.

Guy wakes up from a decade-long coma excited about his "powerful" 8GB graphics card, completely unaware that GPU prices have gone full circle. In 2013, an 8GB card was high-end. Then came the crypto mining apocalypse, scalpers, and chip shortages that made buying any GPU require a second mortgage. Now he's about to discover his ancient dream card costs more than it did when he went under. The circle of GPU life continues.