I was an early adopter of Zen 3, switched from Intel Core 4th gen. It wasn't as expensive to upgrade to Zen 3 because of the very good DDR4 and MB prices. Already on the market for some time.
Inflation of current prices is insane. New DDR5, AM5 MB, CPUs are too expensive and not worth the upgrade, unless you badly need/wish to buy new computer or upgrade 4+ years old computer for some reason.
Zen 3 medium and top CPU lines are more than enough for gaming and creative work for next 3-5 years for most people.
It's not because of inflation dude. Not at all. Inflation is about 10% right now. It's down to greed.
Even if I shaved 10% off that ugly ass board above it would be £270. For what looks like an entry level, shaved TF board.
Now some of this is because it needs so many layers, etc. However 90% of it? is just plain, downright greed. And utter stupidity. It just smacks of politicians. IE - not living in the actual real world. But even they have no excuse with the internet now, it is very easy to see the reaction of people in a lower class bracket than you.
However that said? I have NEVER paid £300 or more for a board. The most expensive I have ever bought was my TR4 Aorus, and it was about £280, and I was peed off by that. Mostly because I paid half of that for the 1920x I bought. However, that did need tons of VRM and so on. As basically it was a server board in disguise.
It's just getting really silly. Until a couple of years ago £300 was a top end board. Like, ultra high end. Most cost under £100. Now? that has doubled and or tripled in the space of 2-3 years. So it's not inflation at all.
In a recession? the best thing to do is cut your prices. That way people will still buy from you. A sale is a sale and all that. But that isn't the way they are treating it and that will cost them big time.
I collect BMX bikes and expensive high end parts. Mostly 90s, so prices can vary. However, I also still ride BMX and have a modern bike. For 19 months? I bought nothing, as Covid was pushing prices beyond stupidity. I just mainly worked with what I had, and if I needed a modern part I would just pay RRP.
Now? haha, those prices have fallen off a cliff. So I am buying again. That said if the prices were still high? I wouldn't be able to buy anything right now.
That is how it works. Like, the Tories announced tax cuts for the rich the other day right? well the stupidity in that is that rich people get their money from the poor. And if you make the poor have to pucker up and stop spending? then as a rich man you are totally screwed. So serving yourself is a really bad idea at the moment.