Mateo Alvarez

Procurement analyst turned keyboard bargain hunter tracking price cycles and testing budget-first build stacks.

Smarter spending beats bigger spending.

At a weekend LAN, I brought a sub-$100 build with plate tape, case foam, and sensible linears. Next to a $250 flexy custom, our timers and sound meters favored the cheap rig. Friends asked for the parts list; I spent the savings on a pad and practice server time.

I bias toward boards with strong upgrade paths and against overpriced boutique builds.