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Here's a perspective from a 5+ year player and self gun tech.

Between my team and I, we've owned a good mix of brands over the years from JG/Cyma to TSD/SRC to Classic Army/Tokyo Marui. The big differnce in performance is not necessarily FPS or Mosfets but the consistency and accuracy that can be achieved through tight tolerances and better fit & finishes.

Here's a good example, I did a recent chrono reading on a stock JG and a stock Classic Army (both about 3 years old and well used). The JG had a deviation of 16fps over a 10 shot string. The Classic Army had a deviation of 4 fps over 10 shots. I have seen this same trend with other 'higher end' brands (tighter fit & finish of air seal parts & quality spring = more consistency).

There are three factors that significantly impact the decision:

1. Can you do your own upgrades/repairs? If so, fixes and upgrades can be performed relatively cheaply, marginalizing the risk and expense associated with brand reliability/performance out of box.

2. How often do you realistically expect to play? A person who games multiple times per month puts much more wear and tear on their equipment than a casual gamer (1 game per month or less). If you only expect to play 6 times a year, will you ever use a "chinese" brand to the point of failure? Possibly, but the potential is far less than with a weekend warrior.

3. What is your financial situation? How much do you have to spend and what is your personal opinion of "expensive" for a hobby? A sizable 'hobby purchase' is more substantial for someone with less disposable income and cost will most likely play a limiting factor for their next purchase.

One thing that you should absolutely NOT skimp on is the quality of battery. It is potentially the single largest thing that can negatively impact the performance of an AEG and in my experience, often neglected when people plan upgrades for their guns.

It's kind of like cars now a days. A Ford can be plenty reliable and get you from A to B. Will a German Sports Saloon out perform the Ford and feel more 'special' to you while doing it? Probably.