Despite of recent uptick of prices for high-end graphics cards, enthusiasts are more than enthusiastic about pricey graphics boards based on the latest chips from companies like ATI Technologies and NVIDIA Corp., says recently conducted poll by X-bit labs web-site.

Roughly 60% of respondents said the most expensive hardware in their computers was their graphics card; in contrast, only 22% named their central processing unit the most expensive part. Quite surprising, but 6% of surveyed spent largest part of their PC budget on memory, while only 5% and 4% invested heavily into hard disk drive(s) and mainboards, respectively. The poll only asked about internal hardware of a PC.

Top graphics cards from makers affiliated with ATI or NVIDIA usually cost $400 - $550, while the most powerful processors are typically quoted from $700 to over $1000.

Another poll shows that more than 50% of X-bit labs readers spend from $1000 to $2000 on their gaming personal computers, 9% and 6% of respondents spend up to $2500 and $3000 on their PCs, while only 5% of X-bit labs can afford a computer that costs more than $3000 and up to $6000. 7% answered their budget on PC is unlimited, but they are interested in speed. However, about 21% of respondents said their budget was within $999 range.

X-bit labs believes that the results of both polls indicate that average enthusiasts typically buy systems with pretty advanced graphics cards and processors, but do not pay great attention on feature-set and capabilities of other components, namely mainboards and memory modules. Still, X-bit labs thinks that systems with the price of more than $2000 typically features very high-end parts, probably top-of-the-range graphics cards, premium mainboards and memory modules, but not the fastest microprocessors. Keeping in mind that loads of enthusiasts typically do not upgrade components like DVD-ROMs and audio-cards, it may be assumed that even those, who spend around $1500 on PCs get finest hardware from leading makers.

The X-bit labs’ polls have surveyed more than 8 thousand of respondents among technology enthusiasts in November, 2004.