Famous YouTuber spends 10,000 Euros on the best gaming PC in the world and finds that he cannot buy the most important thing

Linus Tech Tips has built the best gaming PC available right now. But does that make you a better player? Linus Sebastian quickly realizes that there is one thing you cannot buy when building a gaming PC.

Linus Tech Tips is one of the most well-known tech channels on YouTube. In a video, Linus Sebastian wanted to find out how far one can go with a high-end PC. There is always the discussion that better hardware makes you a better gamer.

The following components he uses (long list follows, click to expand):

Processor: Intel Core i9-13900F ($599.98)
Graphics Card: RTX 4090 ($2,599.97)
Case: Fractal Torrent ($189.99)
CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H170i ELITE Capellix Liquid CPU Cooler ($199.99)
GPU Cooling: Noctua NF-A14 iPPC-3000 PWM ($209.65 + $77)
CPU Contact Frame: Thermal Grizzly CPU Contact Frame ($36.86)
Power Supply: Seasonic Prime PX-1300 1,300 Watts ($438.00)
Motherboard: EVGA Z970 Dark Kingpin ($815.99)
RAM: 32 GB RAM (G.Skill Trident Z6 RGB 2×16 GB) ($289.99)
Internal Storage: 10 TB M.2.SSDs ($1,399.98)
Keyboard: Wooting 60H2 ($174.99)
Mouse: Zaunkoeing MK2 ($324.96)
Mouse Pad: From Glass ($129.00)
1st Monitor: Acer Nitro 390 Hz Gaming Monitor (Full HD) ($376.70)
2nd Monitor: ASUS ROG Swift 360 Hz PG27AQN ($1,049)
Accessories: Elgato Stream Deck Pedal ($96.65)
Microphone: Electro-Voice RE20 Broadcast Microphone ($199.99)
Microphone Cable: DM1 Dynamite Preamplified ($97.23)
Audio Interface: Audient EVO 8 Audio Interface
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 800S ($1,799.99)
Router: ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 ($649.99)
Chair: Hermann Miller Embody Gaming Chair ($1,795)

What limitations are there? Since the video is no longer very new, there are now two faster processors available: the Intel Core i9-14900KS and the Ryzen 7 7800x3D. In terms of pricing, it’s about 100 euros more or less. According to Geizhals.de, the Core i9-14900KS currently costs 689.99 euros and the Ryzen 7 7800x3D is available for 429.99 euros as per Geizhals.de. The Intel Core i9-13900F he mentioned costs $599.98.

How are the costs broken down? It should be noted that he includes not only the gaming PC and accessories in the price, but also the chair and other accessories. If you only consider the gaming PC, monitor, and peripherals, it amounts to about 10,000 euros (minute 6:51 in the video).

However, the video lists many more components; this includes the chair but also items such as the “Stream Deck Pedal” from Elgato and a so-called “gaming router.” In total, he arrives at $13,396.24 at minute 7:18 in the video. This even translates to about 12,000 euros.

The video from Linus is embedded here for you:

Skill and Ability Can’t Be Bought

What is the problem? Linus then plays several games on the high-end machine and explains that having a gaming PC with high-end components does not make him a better player. Despite the great hardware, he loses to other players.

Because the most important thing needed for competitive gaming cannot be bought, and that is “skill.”

What does Linus recommend? Linus therefore recommends that one should consider whether they really want to invest thousands of euros in a beefy gaming PC or if they would rather spend it on training or coaching. Because the latter would ultimately make the difference in whether one can play well.

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He also adds: A good player can easily outplay a player with high-end equipment, as they can compensate for their weak hardware with their skill.

What are the benefits of such a high-end PC? Aside from superior graphics, a modern gaming PC offers significantly better latency. This means your inputs made with your mouse and keyboard register faster on the computer and thus in the game, and with a high Hertz rate of the monitor, you can react faster. However, an experienced player benefits more from these advantages than a player who only rarely engages in competitive play.