The PC hardware market in 2025 is an ecosystem of incredible innovation, driven by high-stakes competition between Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA. We have access to blistering fast PCIe 5.0 SSDs, CPUs pushing high clock speeds and core counts to previously impossible levels, and GPUs enabling true ray-traced 4K gaming.
Yet, amid the genuine progress, a specific class of product continues to emerge: the Phantom Upgrade—components that offer marginal utility or value, often masking a heavy price premium under the guise of “premium features” or “next-gen readiness.” (Are they even features you wanted?) These are the components that, upon closer technical inspection, beg the question: Which PC Component is the Biggest Scam of 2025?
If you know of another PC component that you consider to be a “BIG SCAM” in 2025, leave a comment below and let us know!
1. The Micro-Increment: GeForce RTX 5070 Ti SUPER
The Component: The upcoming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti SUPER (Positioned between the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080).
- The Claimed Value: In the past, “Super” cards from NVIDIA have been interim cards released mid-cycle to provide a small bump in CUDA cores, occasionally VRAM buffer, and memory bus width to fill a perceived price/performance gap.
- The Technical Reality: “SUPER” refreshes often cannibalize the performance of the non-refreshed card above them (in this case, the RTX 5080) without offering a revolutionary price reduction over the original model (5070 Ti). The performance uplift is typically only 5% to 10% at most, which is often imperceptible at high frame rates or can be achieved simply by optimizing game settings.
Value Analysis
| Value Proposition | Evaluation | Technical Perspective |
|---|---|---|
| As an Upgrade (From an RTX 5070 or older RTX 4080): | Terrible. The performance jump from a standard RTX 5070 is too small for the cost. Upgrading from a previous generation’s high-end card (like an RTX 4080) to a 5070 Ti Super is a massive waste of money for such a marginal gain. | The tiny gains in efficiency, architectural changes such as multi frame gen, and improvements from larger VRAM buffers typically do not justify the cost. |
| As a New Purchase (for a New PC): | Poor. These refreshes are a stepping stone that wastes money. The truly wise buyer should either save money with the standard RTX 5070 (generally about 80-85% of the performance for nearly half the price) or save up slightly for the full-fat RTX 5080 for a much more substantial performance leap. | These refreshed cards are designed to maximize silicon binning profits for the manufacturer and generate more interest in products, not to deliver optimal value to the consumer. |
The Better Value Alternative: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
The high-value alternative continues to be AMD’s direct competitor, the Radeon RX 9700 XT. For a lower MSRP, the RX 9070 XT often offers superior raw rasterization performance and competitive VRAM configurations, making it the undisputed price-to-performance champion for 1440p and entry-level 4K gaming. While NVIDIA maintains an edge in RT performance and DLSS/Frame Generation efficiency, the cost savings of the RX 9070 XT usually represent a better use of a fixed budget.
Check out the wide variety of custom-built PCs with various GPU options, including the Radeon RX 9070 XT, here at our ArsenalPC Newegg store!
2. The Aesthetic Touch: Custom High-Current 16-Pin Modular Cable Kits
The Component: Third-party, custom-sleeved 16-pin 12V-2x6 modular cable kits for ATX 3.1 PSUs.
- The Claimed Value: Superior aesthetics, flexibility, and a more secure connection than the stock cable or an extension cable, often citing high-quality terminals and wire gauge.
- The Technical Reality: While custom sleeving is an aesthetic improvement, the electrical necessity is heavily overstated. Modern, reputable ATX 3.0/3.1 power supplies come with a high-quality, manufacturer-designed 16-pin 12V-2x6 cable that is engineered to meet the full 600W specification. Spending up to $100USD for a purely cosmetic replacement is an extravagance, not a performance upgrade. Its claimed importance for safety is practically non-existent.
Value Analysis
| Value Proposition | Evaluation | Technical Perspective |
|---|---|---|
| As an Upgrade (From the Stock PSU Cable): | Non-existent. There is no functional or electrical performance gain. The power supply’s primary cable is already matched to the unit’s rating. This is a purely aesthetic purchase. | The difference in electrical resistance between a high-quality stock cable and a premium aftermarket one is negligible in a properly engineered system. The focus should be on proper seating of the 16-pin plug, not the cable’s brand. |
| As a New Purchase (for a New PC): | Poor but justifiable for aesthetic enthusiasts. The cost of a full premium custom cable kit can equal the price of a high-end 2TB NVMe drive. This is budget misallocation, unless the system is being showcased professionally. | Cable extensions (which plug into the stock cable) offer the same aesthetic benefit for a fraction of the cost, but add an extra point of failure and higher resistance, which is a technical drawback. Arsenal PC never uses aesthetic cable extensions. |
The Better Value Alternative: Quality PSU with Stock Sleeved Cables
The best value is to originally purchase a high-quality ATX 3.1-certified, 80+ Gold or Cybenetics Gold-rated PSU (e.g., from Seasonic, Corsair, or Lian Li) that includes cables which match your aesthetic desires in the box in the first place. This eliminates the need for any aftermarket cable purchases, guarantees full compatibility, and allocates the cost savings toward a higher-tier CPU or GPU, which offers a tangible performance boost.
Note: ArsenalPC does not use aesthetic cable extensions in its builds as they only serve to increase electrical resistance, and in the high-end PCs offered by ArsenalPC, this increases risk of electrical fire due to heat caused by that resistance.
3. The Platform Tax: Ultra-High-End Z890 Motherboards
The Component: ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme or equivalent $500+ Z890 E-ATX Motherboards.
- The Claimed Value: These types of motherboards advertise unrivaled power delivery (e.g., 24-phase VRM with 110A power stages), extreme overclocking potential, six or more M.2 slots, dual 5Gb/10Gb Ethernet, and integrated Thunderbolt 5.
- The Technical Reality: A standard mid-range Z890 board (e.g., MSI Tomahawk, ASUS TUF) costing $250-350USD already provides far more VRM power than even the most extreme new-generation Intel Core Ultra CPU can possibly utilize outside of sub-ambient cooling (LN2). Keep in mind that the Core Ultra series of CPUs are considerably more power-efficient than their LGA1700 predecessors. The $500+ tier gives features—like a built-in display or an extra 10Gb Ethernet port - which 99% of the user base will never need.
Value Analysis
| Value Proposition | Evaluation | Technical Perspective |
|---|---|---|
| As an Upgrade (From an Older AM4/Z690/Z790 Platform): | Poor. If you are simply moving to the newest Intel CPU generation, an MSI Z890 Pro-A or equivalent is sufficient. The VRM capacity on a $300 Z890 is already overkill. | Upgrading for Thunderbolt 5 is niche. The performance bottleneck for 99% of users is the GPU or CPU, not the number of VRM phases or their fourth M.2 slot’s bandwidth. |
| As a New Purchase (for a New PC): | Extremely Poor. The new builder is functionally wasting hundreds of dollars that should be funneled into a better GPU. The difference in gaming or stock application performance between a $300 board and a $1000 board is statistically zero. | The enormous heatsinks, 24-phase power delivery, and multi-Gigabit networking are engineering marvels, but they are utility overkills for a gaming or even a heavy workstation PC. |
The Better Value Alternative: Mid-Range Z890/B860 or AMD B650E Platforms
For a new Intel build, the best value is the MSI Z890 Tomahawk or similar, which offers robust 14 phase VRMs, PCIe 5.0 readiness, and all necessary connectivity for under $350USD. For platform value overall, the AMD B650E motherboards provide excellent PCIe 5.0 features and rock-solid VRMs at an even lower entry point, offering longevity and performance that is extremely difficult for the ultra-premium Intel motherboards to justify for the price.
Note: ArsenalPC builds feature motherboards which strike a balance between utility and cost. Each motherboard is individually stress-tested when the build is assembled, so that we can ensure the VRMs and Mosfets are doing a good job with power delivery. Most of our systems include 2.5Gb Ethernet or higher, and plenty of bandwidth for the GPU and SSD included. For more technical data about a particular system’s motherboard, contact us directly through our Newegg store page!
4. The Gimmick Luxury: Portable SSD with Integrated Essential Oil Diffuser
The Component: Apacer AS712 Portable SSD with Essential Oil Diffuser (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1TB)
- The Claimed Value: A “sensory storage solution” that combines fast external data transfer (up to $1000 \text{ MB/s}$) with the relaxing properties of aromatherapy via a bamboo and diffuser stone casing.
- The Technical Reality: The underlying hardware is a standard 1TB external SSD utilizing a 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. While 1000MB/s is fast enough for most users, it is a well-established baseline for external storage. The entire price premium—which pushes this device well beyond the cost of comparable drives—is for the novelty of a built-in fragrance dispenser.
Value Analysis
| Value Proposition | Evaluation | Technical Perspective |
|---|---|---|
| As an Upgrade (From an Older Portable HDD/SATA SSD): | Poor. While the performance is an upgrade over older drives, you pay a massive “scent tax.” If you’re upgrading for performance, the scent diffuser offers zero performance gain. | The 10Gbps limit is a bottleneck inherited from the USB controller, so you’d want to ensure your system has a Gen2x2 port to maximize the speed. |
| As a New Purchase (for users without existing external storage): | Very Poor. You are buying a highly niche external drive when budget could be allocated to faster internal storage or a larger external backup. | It uses standard 3D NAND and a common controller. The cost difference is better spent on a PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive for primary use, which offers 5,000MB/s or more performance. |
The Better Value Alternative: Standard 10Gbps Portable SSD
The value champion in this space remains any reputable 1TB portable SSD from a major manufacturer (e.g., Samsung T7, Crucial X8) that strictly adheres to the 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard. These alternatives offer identical or near-identical 1000MB/s speeds for less cost, and the savings can be used to purchase a dedicated, more effective room diffuser.
We would love to be your next PC’s boutique custom builder! Check out our broad selection of custom-built gaming PCs here, at our Newegg store front!
Got any questions? Contact us here through our Newegg store for product inquiries, or comment below with questions about this article!
