hi there i stated pc gaming it over a year now since i started and im wondering when is it a good time to upgrade your hardware. I mean at what point does it come where you have to upgrade i have a friend rocking a Intel core 2 quad and is still able to run games fine at what point are we going to be force to upgrade.I know for my rig it going to be a long time before i am force to upgrade specially whit mantel expanding my GPU life cycle (7850).
also where is the sweet spot when it come to upgrading time
i only upgrade GPU if Cpu need's upgrading just sell the PC and build a new one. If a normal PC lasts 4 years you upgrade the GPU to last another 2 years
This is a good question, and lets take a different look at it. When do people get a new computer? And even better why?
Most computers today are not mechanical, they have SSD's, they arnt tube processors... so in theory they are going to last longer than most of us... lol And if something on your computer breaks, its almost always cheaper to fix it than to get a new one. So getting a new computer because yours broke, isn't a valid reason. Like wise, who gives a flying fuck how "old" your computer is? What matters is how well off it is? Your friend has a Intel Core 2 Duo, but he could also have a Celeron that is the same age or even the newest Celeron and he would be better off with the C2D. So the age old bullshit of "My computer is too old" doesn't matter either.
So when do we get a new computer? You get a new computer when you are finally tired of the one you have. With the exception of crazy games like Star Citizen and Crysis, we really don't have that HIGH of hardware requirements. The last game I bought was Minecraft and all it ask for is a 2Ghz dual core and any GPU from the past 6-7 years. Before that was StarCraft II and it doesn't require that much power either. The point I am trying to make, is if you will turn down some details (most of which don't make that big of a quality difference anyways) in your games, and you are okay with doing that to maintain a playable framerate, then don't get a new machine. Buy a new machine the second it doesn't do something you want it to do.
For example, I am going to be getting a new machine for 2014 that has a NZXT Phantom 820, A10-7850k, and a stock R9 290. Not because of the horsepower, I am fine with my 6 core Phenomn and 6870 when it comes to my games, not a single one drops frames. I want it for 1) power saving 2) I have a non reference video card and I want a reference one so I don't have to deal with driver conflicts anymore 3) I want a quieter system 4) I want a SSD in my build and 5) I want the function of my fan and temp monitoring software in Windows 8.1. Notice that the reasons I am upgrading have nothing to do in the way of performance.
In conclusion we buy new computers when we feel like our computer isn't enough anymore. If you just bought a new machine, or if you have a older one, don't say things like "I want to upgrade but I just don't need it"... Just go ahead and upgrade and be happy. Get exactly what you need and more importantly want, and if you want something more than others don't feel guilty or anything just because you have a higher standard than everyone else. And don't feel like you have to get the latest and greatest to game either just because you are more tolerant of game play. JUST BE HAPPY!!!
(To answer you actual question tho, I built my current rig in the middle of 2010 and I just started to consider a new machine about 2-4 months ago)
This kind of question, unfortunately, is mainly subjective due to the fact that it depends on the users needs. So if i'm someone who wants the best possible FPS in games or want the latest and greatest, every 6 months would be a good idea for me to upgrade, even though it's marginal. To others, it could be that you're still running on a 9800 GT and want a reasonably good card for your money.
Well from a cost perspective, Mid year( judging from last year) or generally avoiding anytime when companies are releasing new products or hyping the next gen something or another. So if you purchase during the slow times when people do not purchase as much. You will have good chance for better deals. Its not completely true but for the most part it is.
I try to set a time limit on myself. There is always going to be something new and awesome that gets released or announced. For me its just not feasible to upgrade so often. For me I always plan on waiting at least 2 years between builds. Personally, I find it more satisfying waiting a little bit so that I actually notice the difference in performance. Upgrading every few months is so marginal it seems like you wouldn't ever feel the difference.