Except inflation... &quot;The same price as it has always been&quot; over a long period (like, say, the 90s) is actually a substantial price <i>drop</i>.<p>$1500 in 1995 is about $2300 today. A $1500 computer today is ~35% cheaper than the &quot;same price&quot; computer from before.<p>Having been a gaming rig builder since around that time, high-end performance desktops have gotten <i>way</i> cheaper, with more realistic performance tiers to boot.