For years, the ritual of building a personal computer has been a rewarding, often budget-conscious, passion project. It's the ultimate blend of engineering, research, and gratification. But lately, the process has felt less like a fun assembly line and more like a high-stakes auction. The dream of an affordable, custom-built rig is slowly becoming a painful financial stretch, and no one is feeling the pinch more acutely than the PC building hobbyist.