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| An internet user managed to score a powerful gaming PC with a Core i9-14900KF, 64 GB DDR5 memory, and a RTX 4070 Ti Super at a 80% discount. |
In the world of PC building, 2025 has been a year of painful realities. What began with supply chain woes has exploded into a full-blown component crisis, with memory prices skyrocketing and GPU costs remaining stubbornly high. Yet, in this bleak landscape, a story of astonishing luck has emerged from an unlikely place: a local pawn shop.
A Redditor’s post about finding a top-tier gaming PC for a mere $600 has ignited a mix of awe, envy, and disbelief across the community. If the specifications are true, this isn’t just a good deal—it’s a legendary score that defies current market logic.
The Perfect Storm: Why PC Parts Are More Expensive Than Ever
To understand why this deal is so shocking, you need to understand the market. The primary culprit is the insatiable demand from the AI sector, which is consuming the production capacity for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in servers. This has created a severe shortage of the commodity DDR5 DRAM that goes into our gaming PCs and laptops.
The numbers are staggering. According to industry reports, a 64GB kit of DDR5-6000 RAM, a common spec for high-end builds, now retails for approximately $750. To put that in perspective, just a few months ago in mid-2025, the same kit could be found for around $210. That’s a price increase of over 250% in half a year.
This isn't a short-term blip. The general manager of memory maker TeamGroup has warned that DRAM and NAND contract prices nearly doubled in just one month (December 2025) and that the supply situation is expected to worsen through 2026. Analysts predict shortages and high prices could last until late 2027 or even 2028.
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| u/uneektnt scored a stunning deal at a pawn shop. |
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| The gaming PC rocks 64 GB of DDR5-6000 memory, worth more than the entire system. |
The $600 Beast: Breaking Down an Impossible Deal
Enter u/uneektnt, who claims to have walked into a Portuguese pawn shop and walked out with a system worthy of a professional streamer or a hardcore enthusiast. Here’s what the PC reportedly contains:
- CPU: Intel Core i9-14900KF (24 cores, 32 threads)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super
- RAM: 64GB of T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-6000
- Storage: Likely an SSD (specifics not listed)
Let’s break down what this system should cost in today’s climate, even with savvy shopping.
Table: Component Cost Breakdown (December 2025)
The math is absurd. The RAM alone is worth more than the entire pawn shop asking price. Even during major sales events like Cyber Week, a pre-built system with similar modern components (like an RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT) would easily cost between $1,500 and $2,000. A custom-built version with these exact high-end parts would push well over $3,000.
The most plausible explanation is that the pawn shop employee had no idea about the current apocalyptic state of memory and GPU pricing. They might have used outdated price guides or simply valued it as a used, generic desktop computer.
A Modern Fairy Tale (With a Dose of Reddit Skepticism)
Naturally, a story this good invites skepticism. "This being Reddit, the story might prove to be nothing but a big fat lie later on," as the original tip wisely noted. The community is dissecting the original photo, looking for clues. Is the components list accurate? Could it be a cleverly staged photo?
For now, the post stands as a captivating "what if." You can see the original claim and join the discussion for yourself on Reddit: Got this beast at the pawnshop today!. The story has also been picked up by other tech outlets, adding another layer to the tale.
What This Means for the Rest of Us: Navigating the High-Cost Era
For the 99.9% of us who won’t stumble upon a goldmine in a pawn shop, the current market demands a shift in strategy.
- Pre-builts Are Surprisingly Competitive: Many experts now argue that with RAM prices so high, buying a pre-built gaming PC can sometimes be more cost-effective than building your own, as large manufacturers secure components at better rates.
- Consider Last-Gen or Mid-Range: The used market for previous-generation components (like Intel's 13th/14th Gen or AMD's AM4 platform) has become more attractive. Building a new, modest mid-range system for 1440p gaming can still be done in the $1,000 to $1,800 range by focusing value on the GPU and accepting less RAM.
- Patience is the Ultimate Upgrade: If you can wait, the consensus is that relief will come—but not soon. Planning an upgrade for late 2027 or beyond might be the most budget-friendly move of all.
The story of the $600 pawn shop PC will live on as a beacon of hope and a source of frustration. It highlights just how distorted the component market has become while reminding us that unbelievable deals can—theoretically—still be found in the most unexpected corners.
Looking for a legitimate deal on components? While we can't promise a pawn shop miracle, you can check current prices for DDR5 memory kits on retailers like Amazon.
What do you think? Incredible luck or an internet tall tale? Would you roll the dice on a used high-end PC, or are you waiting out the price storm?