PC hardware prices are brutal, so I’m upgrading everything else

The 2020s have been brutal for PC gamers, as the furious rise of AI sent graphics card prices skyrocketing. In 2026, AI’s insatiable hunger has affected seemingly everything with a microchip, as the cost for memory, storage, and even CPUs are making even the laptops and phones you buy more expensive, to say nothing of desktops.

So what’s a PC enthusiast with upgrade eyes bigger than their budget supposed to do? I found my solution: Embrace the parts of the PC that aren’t actually inside your PC with the fervor you usually dedicate to poring over GPU and SSD specs.

I think my compadre Alex was on the right track in last week’s column, where he described how a security penetration tool called the Flipper Zero is teaching him new things and reminding him of why he fell in love with PCs to begin with.

I love it! (Honestly, I may pick up one of those Flipper Zeros for myself). But there’s still a lot that PC enthusiasts looking to tinker can coax from their existing setups, even in this cursed nightmare of a year for the PC. You just have to look outside the box. Literally!

PC monitors have never been in better shape. I’ve recently been testing Alienware’s $350 OLED monitor, and a GSync Pulsar monitor from Asus. The Alienware finally drags OLED down to a mass market price point and performs like a champ, while the GSync Pulsar monitor provides crystal clarity for fast-moving, text-heavy games like Civilization, Crusader Kings III, League of Legends, and Dota 2. But even if you can’t afford those sort of setups, you can find 1440p monitors with blistering 240Hz refresh rates for under $200 now.

It’d be a great time to go all-out with a retro emulation build and a sick CRT monitor, too! Seriously: This is the year you should upgrade your display.

Or your keyboard!

On last week’s episode, tech wrangler Glenn Mah (son of former PCWorld executive editor Gordon Mah Ung) said his friends fell hard into custom keyboards during the pandemic. After that, I started tinkering with the programming and customization options on my Keychron Q5, and it’s been a blast. You can find solid customizable keyboards for $200 or less — though be warned that this rabbit hole goes deep once you start digging.

Heck, if you really want to scratch the PC building itch, I’d recommend upgrading your case. PC cases have gone up in price since tariffs took effect, but they’re still an affordable way to give your PC a completely new look and feel (especially if you swap out your monitor and keyboard at the same time). Hauling your PC’s innards between rigs gets you elbow-deep in hardware, too — albeit the same hardware you already owned.

Even if you don’t have free cash to throw at your hobby — those gas and grocery prices are insane y’all — you could always attack your Steam backlog or experiment with overclocking and undervolting if you’re feeling feisty.

I’ve recently been reading a book called The Obstacle is the Way, one beloved by athletes and other high-performance pros, that talks about turning obstacles into opportunities. Yes, the PC pricing nightmare of 2026 sucks. But don’t despair. We have options. You have options.

In 2026, your best options exist outside of your PC, not in it. Embrace the chaos and make your desk setup sing!

In this episode of The Full Nerd

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Alaina Yee, Michael Crider, and horizontals-and-verticals-handler Glenn Mah wade deep into talk about Game Pass on Linux and Noctua’s warning that your case’s cooler-size tolerance could be lies (or at least very loose manufacturing tolerances), before dropping some key Full Nerd lore for the future of the show in the Q&A section.

But the absolute best part of the show comes in the beginning, when Adam and Alaina discuss the results of a charity drive they’ve helped organize at a local San Francisco flea market in honor of Gordon Mah Ung, our departed and beloved Full Nerd cofounder.

Between what we rounded up in the office and some insanely generous contributions from the wider industry, Adam and crew managed to raise an astounding $13,500+ for TechExchange, a local Oakland charity that provides computers and digital access to underserved communities in the Bay Area. Combined with what they made the month prior, we’re talking at least $18,000, with even more flowing through direct donations to this very worthwhile cause.

It was a blast seeing everybody show up and nerd out. Shout-out to Adam, Alaina, former TFN-er Will Smith, PCWorld facilities manager Luis Ibarra, and Glenn Mah — Gordon’s son — for helping to make this all happen. This was a grassroots campaign that had nothing to do with PCWorld proper — none of the money flows through us, it’s all going straight to TechExchange — and it couldn’t have happened without everyone throwing in their personal time, effort, and gear collections.

Love ya, Gordon. You may be gone but you’re still making your mark on the world. Thanks for making it a success, everyone!

See you next week!

I’m going to skip the nerdy news of the week because I’m filling in for Alex and getting married *checks watch* this weekend, so I have to split. For more, be sure to subscribe to the PCWorld YouTube channel and our separate Full Nerd Network channel. Want this newsletter to come directly to your inbox? Sign up on our website!

This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld.