13 year old wants a gaming computer (has money parents won't let him use

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Jason0303132

Commendable
Oct 1, 2016
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I am 13, I get mostly A's and I am in one of the best private school in my region. I have a gaming laptop, but it isn't enough anymore. It is 13 years old and it is unable to run most of the newer games. I have 1500 dollars saved up from birthdays, jobs and holidays. And when I asked my parents if I could use it to buy myself a gaming PC, they said no, because its unnecessary. I have not bough a single birthday present and been saving up my allowance for this 1500 dollar, and now they tell me I can't buy my PC? Tell me your opinion?
I don't even want to use all of the 1500 dollars. I just want a 1000-1200 pc. Is it that much to ask for?

Edit: I live in Canada, so 1000 dollars CAD would be $760 US and 1200 dollars CAD would be $910 US


 
Solution
genthug
Just as a small input to the discussion... Go take a look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJPmAO7LEro
Now, I'm not suggesting those specific parts for a build, but a budget build can give you what you want. I'd certainly change a few of those pieces in the build he did, but a budget gaming PC can still pack a punch, especially with the newer GPUs. (This is me agreeing with the above that possibly a midpoint can be agreed upon, $1500 is a large undertaking, and while yes you have that money saved up for now, you'll want it later when you no longer have your parents to rely on).
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Jason0303132

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Oct 1, 2016
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1,510


Thanks for the reply
 
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COLGeek

COLGeek

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Apr 6, 2009
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You are welcome. Seriously though, other than moral support and folks offering you advice on how to possibly convince your parents to change their minds, this is a problem you can only resolve with them.

A mature discussion about the matter is the only way you have even a chance of doing this.
 
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E

Emanuel Elmo

Reputable
Mar 21, 2014
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I couldn't have said it any better than GOLGeek. You have to have a mature conversation with your parents and present some well founded evidence on why you should be able to build a gaming PC.

At the end of the day you should respect your parents decision because at the end of the day they are your parents and only want the best for you.
 
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Jason0303132

Commendable
Oct 1, 2016
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About the Mature conversation thing, its not like I haven't tried. I ask them to talk about it but they just brush me off and ask me something else to distract me. And when I get through to them, they get really mad and say we are not financially stable...(which we are, we have the new ipad Pro, apple watch and 3 iphone 6s in the family). And my mother said I could buy a gaming computer when I graduate, which is in 5 years...
 
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jsmithepa

jsmithepa

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Jun 14, 2014
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Be thankful they are spending money for you in a private school with good teachers. Parents are there to guide you and they are setting you up for future success, you have to look it the big picture. Kids nowadays already spend lots of time with their mobiles, perhaps your parents want you more outside, spend time on other pursuits and generally learn the value of money.
 
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T

tycho68

Reputable
Sep 17, 2014
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To be honest, you shouldn't be asking such things on this forum. I fully agree with them that you shouldn't waste your money on a gaming pc when you are 'just' 13. You should be playing outside.
 
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-HH-

-HH-

Dignified
Oct 20, 2014
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My simple answer is parents always win.

I'd never go behind their back on it, it backfires badly.

My advice is wait a while. Maybe if you're in school and want to game and have no way of doing so, a gaming laptop could be a good compromise, ya'know for study reasons? Just talk to them and find something you agree on. If you can't find that then don't go behind them, just wait a while.

Don't do a goof :p
 
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G

gaijin_dave

Distinguished
Mar 8, 2011
11
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18,510
I don't think you will be able to convince your parents to let you spend that much and continuing to ask might just make them more resistant.
Perhaps you could reach a compromise?

You could...
- Ask if you could spend slightly less on the computer, like 800-1,000 and try to compromise on price
- Explain buying the computer in way that it doesn't sound so frivolous to your parents, like how it could benefit your studies
- Ask about building a desktop and explain that you can buy parts one by one rather than getting a laptop. You will spread the cost and learn a skill in building it. If they agree, you can get the parts which don't date as quickly to start off and end with the graphics card and CPU, that way you can build it over a longer period without it becoming outdated.

As other people have said, you need to have a mature conversation and ultimately respect their decision, but trying to see it from their point of view and negotiate might help.
 
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J

JohnDR

Reputable
Jan 3, 2015
21
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4,510
You know, if you really want to have a mature conversation with your parents about having a gaming PC, perhaps you should discuss with them some of the hazards and or benefits of playing video games online. This opens up a relevant conversation about gaming as it applies to multiple devices (there are some fun iPhone games too) and could bring both your own and parents awareness of spending resources/time pursuing this endeavor to a better understanding. Topics you could discuss could range from computer hardware to cyberbullying or software intrusion prevention.
In my opinion, a gaming PC for a 13 year old is a really big deal from a financial as well as time perspective. Might be more efficient to just get an XBox console. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll spend any money you don't use for a computer on a car or girlfriend once when those become available.
 
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turkey3_scratch

turkey3_scratch

Expert
Ambassador
Jul 15, 2014
22,630
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Maybe it's because your family already seems to have a good amount of technology in it. But there is nothing wrong with a $600 gaming PC. $1200 is an awful lot of money. I see where your parents are coming from. You say you got some of it from jobs, but I'm unsure what job you could have had at your age. But once you get into the workforce, you'll maybe become as hesitant to spend that much on a gaming PC as your parents are. I think if you discuss lowering that budget with them, you'll be much better off.
 
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genthug

genthug

Honorable
Mar 20, 2016
1,649
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Just as a small input to the discussion... Go take a look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJPmAO7LEro
Now, I'm not suggesting those specific parts for a build, but a budget build can give you what you want. I'd certainly change a few of those pieces in the build he did, but a budget gaming PC can still pack a punch, especially with the newer GPUs. (This is me agreeing with the above that possibly a midpoint can be agreed upon, $1500 is a large undertaking, and while yes you have that money saved up for now, you'll want it later when you no longer have your parents to rely on).
 
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Solution
R4DIO4CT1VE

R4DIO4CT1VE

Honorable
Feb 1, 2016
1,276
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12,240
i would suggest pushing more of a "I want to learn about computer and how to build them" approach, as well as lowering your budget and getting parts that you could upgrade later. In reality your parents aren't really being unfair, gaming is a distraction as well as a money hog, you will also probably want money available in the next few years.
 
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