February 2017 Gaming PC Builds of the Month

February 2017 – Monthly Gaming PC Builds

Jump to a specific budget gaming pc build below

February 2017 Gaming PC Builds of the Month

Introducing the February 2017 Gaming PC Builds of the Month

*New: Due to Intel’s most recent launch of cpus, this month now include a batch of Kaby Lake PC Builds. That’s right, we now have a fresh batch of brand spankin new cpus included in our builds and with new cpus come new chipsets and motherboards.

The new Kaby Lake cpus are built to give you approximately 300-400 more MHz clock rates than the previous Skylake cpus- now if you want to read a full awesome review of Kaby Lake, please visit Toms Hardware’s Intel Kaby Lake Core i7-7700K, i7-7700, i5-7600K, i5-7600 Review by Igor Wallossek (who did a bang up job writing this one).

Included below are three separate gaming pc build budget categories with many options in between – these include a $600, $1000 and $1300 / $1500 PC builds. There are also suggestions for peripherals (monitors / keyboards / mice) and operating system suggestions.

Happy building and enjoy the February 2017 Newb Computer Build’s Gaming PC Builds of the Month.


Gaming PC Builds 2017 - High End Level

February 2017 PC Build (1440p to 4K) – $1300 – $1500

Capability: Game with Extreme settings and High FPS at resolutions of 1920×1080 (1080P) & 2560×1440 (1440p) + playable at 4K

(*Note: All prices are in USD, but URLs go to your local Amazon store)

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price : $1290 (*using the GTX 1070 Graphics Card) – (February 2017)

OR

$1495 (*using the GTX 1080 Graphics Card) – (February 2017)

Processor

Intel  7600K 7th Gen Core Desktop Processors

*New 7th Gen. Kaby Lake CPU!

$235.00
Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan $34.93
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z270X-Ultra Gaming LGA1151 Intel 2-Way SLI ATX DDR4 Motherboards $164.99 Gigabyte GA-Z270X for Kaby lake PC Build
Graphics Card GTX 1080: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW GAMING ACX 3.0, 8GB GDDR5X, RGB LED, Graphics Card

*Note: Use this for an $under $1500 Gaming PC Build for a a more powerful graphics card
Performance: Good 4K & Best VR


GTX 1070: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition, 8GB GDDR5, LED, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC) 08G-P4-5173-KR
*Note: Use this for an under $1300 Gaming PC Build
Performance: Best 1440p & Good VR

$594.89


$389.89


 

 

RAM

$112.99
SSD Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E500B/AM) $169.99
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2, 80+ PLATINUM 750W , Fully Modular , EVGA ECO Mode, 10 Year Warranty Power Supply $119.99
Computer Case be quiet! BGW05 SILENT BASE 600 WINDOW ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $109.84

Overview: Gaming PC Build ( Under $1500 or $1300 )

This build has a budget of $1300 to $1500 because the only thing in the way of the two differing budgets is the graphics card choice – you either choose a GTX 1070 or a GTX 1080. Your choice depends on both budget and at what resolutions you see yourself gaming at.

Here is the highest end gaming pc build, which will rock a 1440p (2K) resolution gaming, able to play comfortably into 4K (even more so should you get the GTX 1080 graphics card). If you look a little further below there are hardware upgrades for this build that all increase performance a step further to either further solidify those higher resolutions or future games should you have a higher budget for you pc build this February 2017.

*New for this month is a change in CPU as Intel recently release its 7th Generation Kaby Lake (learn more in this wikipedia article) cpu line. So replacing the previous 6600k, we now have a slightly higher clocked Intel 7600K processor included in this pc build. This processor still has an LGA 1151 socket and is compatible with the new Z270 chipset motherboards.

To pair with the cpu we have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 cpu cooler, which is still very compatible with the new Intel CPUs and is probably the best bang for your buck air cooler there is.

Now the ultimate driver behind those high demanding games in this build  is either the GTX 1080 OR a GTX 1070 (choose one or the other). Now if you want the highest possible performing gaming pc in this build, then go with the GTX 1080 otherwise go with the GTX 1070 for great QHD (1440p) gameplay or the GTX 1080 for beyond that. Both are great cards and the GTX 1080 may be more for those who want to play the highest demanding of games at the highest frame rates easily at 1440p resolutions and do quite well at 4K.

Now with the New Intel Kaby Lake CPUs, come new motherboards. This month for this build we have a Gigabyte GA-Z270X-Ultra Gaming – that is a Z270 chipset board boasting the following specifications (learn more Gigabyte.com):

  • Supports 7th/ 6th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors
  • Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
  • Fast USB 3.1 Gen 2 with USB Type-C™ and Type-A
  • 3-Way Graphics Support with Dual Armor and Ultra Durable™ Design
  • Dual NVMe PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 Support
  • NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 U.2 Connector
  • Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA interface
  • Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
  • ALC1220 120dB SNR HD Audio with Smart Headphone Amp
  • Intel® GbE LAN with cFosSpeed Internet Accelerator Software
  • USB DAC-UP 2 with Adjustable Voltage
  • RGB FUSION LED Light Show design
  • Swappable Overlay for Accent LED
  • Smart Fan 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors and Hybrid Fan Headers
  • Lightning-Fast Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 AIC Support
  • GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™
  • APP Center Including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ Utilities

The included RAM, we have 16GB (two 8GB sticks) with the included Kingston HyperX Fury DDR4 RAM, which is plenty enough memory for most of any gaming pc build.

The storage is a Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD – which has simply been a quality SSD leader for a while now and if you do want a bump up in storage speed you will need to check out a more expensive PCIe SSD (see alternatives below).

For the Power Supply Unit (PSU), we have an efficient EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2, which is a Platinum rated more efficient PSU, compared to the previously included EVGA gold rated psu I had included in this gaming pc build previously (learn more at evga.com)

We have another new pc case for you this February 2017 with the be quiet! Silent Base 600 PC case and as described by bequiet.com

  • Outstanding performance thanks to an innovative construction that assures excellent cooling efficiency and a perfect air-circulation at well-known whisper-quiet operation
  • Excellent usability with simplest mounting and tool-free fitting of drives, an intelligent and adaptable cable solution, and air intake filters that are easily accessed for cleaning
  • Ample space and cutouts are provided for high-end components of today and tomorrow, including space for water cooling radiators
  • Two pre-installed Pure Wings 2 fans feature nine airflow-optimized fan blades and are decoupled from the case to circulate air with a minimum of vibration and the quietest possible operation
  • Side panel with adjustable vent that can be closed for silent operation, partially open for increased air intake or open with an additional fan for higher cooling performance
  • Professional cable management is supported with generous space for organizing cables, silicone rubber grommets, and carefully placed pass-throughs
  • Form follows function principle maximizes performance; the look of the case is based upon its intended function and purpose

If you want a quick overview of this case, then check out HardwareCanucks overview video “be quiet! Silent Base 600 Case Review – TOO QUIET??!!!”


You Can View All The $1300 2017 Gaming PC Builds Here


February 2017 (Under $1300 or $1500) PC Build Upgrade Suggestions

The hardware upgrades you see here are recommendations for the above PC build for February 2017. You can choose one or all of the hardware and it will be compatible with the above build and improve it’s performance in some way.

With the new Intel Kaby Lake CPUs we now include the new Intel i7 7700K cpu. This could also be a worthy upgrade for those wanting to further “future-proof” their high-end build or for those that want to do some media work involving rendering – such as with graphics and video work.

The above gaming pc build a regular SATA SSD, which is perfectly suited for most gamers, although below is a faster Samsung 950 PRO PCIe SSD, which has faster read / write times and also 500GB of storage – a real premium PCIe Solid State Drive.

If you want more than the included air cpu cooler included in the main build, then below is the Corsair Hydro Series H100i V2 liquid cpu cooler. This cooler would be a substitute for the above included Hyper 212 EVO air cpu cooler and would provide a quieter, more efficient / more customized cooling experience. This option would be best purchased now rather then later so as to save on buying only one cooler for your PC (learn more at corsair.com).

Now for the ultimate increase in graphics performance and for those who have a huge chunk of change, one could consider the NVIDIA TITAN X. This graphics card would be fore 1 those with money; and two those who want to maximize their gaming performance in the 4K resolution realm. The TITAN X has a nearly 30% increase in performance over the GTX 1080, but it comes at a price premium of $1200+.

CPU UPGRADE *New
Intel 7700K Kaby Lake CPU PC BuildIntel 7th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor i7-7700K – Do more then gaming? Then perhaps an Intel i7 might be the right choice ($349.89)

GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE

NVIDIA TITAN X – For the best possible 4K gaming experience  –  ($1200 – geforce.com)

CPU COOLER UPGRADE

Purchase a liquid CPU cooler (instead of the included air cooler):Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler CW-9060025-WW ($102.99)

STORAGE UPGRADE

PCIe SSD: Samsung 950 PRO Series – 512GB PCIe NVMe – M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V5P512BW) ($369.99)

Peripheral Ideas (Monitor Keyboard & Mouse) for the February 2017 Under $1500 PC Build

Here are some peripheral ideas for our under $1300 – $1500 February 2017 PC build. Below is a monitor that would go best with this build since it is capable of pumping games with high settings at 1440p into frame rates able to match its 144hz refresh rates. Also included is a premium mechanical keyboard and premium gaming pc mouse.

Monitor

Acer Predator XB271HU bmiprz 27-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) NVIDIA G-Sync Widescreen Display ($795.00)

A high performing G-Sync 1440p monitor at 144Hz (165Hz overclockable).

 

Keyboard


Corsair Gaming K70 RGB RAPIDFIRE Mechanical Keyboard, Backlit RGB LED, Cherry MX Speed RGB ($153.99)

Full RGB illumination with 100% Cherry/Brown/Blue MX Keys and a lot of customization.

Mouse

Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB Tunable Gaming Mouse, FPS Mouse ($57.84)

Textured grip and a ton of features including programmable buttons in a very easy to use layout, this would be my top choice and is the current mouse I personally use.


Gaming PC Builds 2017 - Mid Range Level

February 2017 $1000 PC Build (1080p to 1440p)

Capability: Game with Extreme settings at 1920X1080 resolutions up to Higher Settings at 2560×1440 (2K)

(*Note: All prices are in USD but URLs go to your local Amazon)

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price: $940 (February 2017)
Processor Intel  7600K 7th Gen Core Desktop Processors

*New 7th Gen. Kaby Lake CPU!

$235.00
Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2) $34.99  
Motherboard $135.00
Graphics Card

XFX RADEON RX 480 8GB Graphics Card


OR – Choose either of these graphics cards – your choice!


PNY GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Graphics Card

$229.99



$246.68



RAM $59.88
SSD $98.00
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G1 80+ GOLD, 650W Continuous Power, Fully Modular 10 Year Warranty Power Supply 120-G1-0650-XR $79.99
Computer Case $66.99

 

Overview: $1000 2017 Gaming PC Build

Who might the $1000 gaming pc build be for you may ask – well it is for anyone who wants to get the most out of any game at 1080p into 2K resolutions for under $1000. This is a High-End gaming PC build, a gaming pc build that will probably cover most of any average gamer needs.

This month we have exciting news as Intel rolled out their Kaby lake CPUs, so we have now replaced the previous 6600K Skylake cpu with a newer Intel i5 7600K, which is clocked slightly higher. To pair with this cpu we have yet again a Cooler Master Hyper 212 cpu cooler as you need one and it is one of the best bang for your buck air coolers on the market capable of supporting overclocking quite easily.

We have again two choices in the graphics card department, as both the RX 480 and GTX 1060 are very viable options that perform very similarly. Int eh $1000 build above you have the choice between either a PNY GTX 1060 6GB graphics card or a XFX Radeon R9 480 8GB graphics card. Both of these cards can be similar in cost and performance they do differ in specific games so please do look up some benchmarks. A great benchmark overview can be found through hardwareunboxed.com GTX 1060 benchmarks in various games – this guy does a spot on job bench-marking, so I highly recommend watching this before deciding, or just go for it (like I said they do really perform similarly overall).

The motherboard included for the $1000 February 2017 PC Build is an ASUS PRIME Z270-P, a new Z270 chipset motherboard that we are pairing with the new Kaby Lake cpu included in this build. The ASUS PRIME Z270-P has gotten well rounded reviews – LegitReviews.com did a great massive review on the board calling it a great mother board that was able to easily overclock their i7 7700K cpu up to 5.0Mhz. The ASUS PRIME Z270-P is fitted with the following features (asus.com):

  • 5X Protection III: Multiple hardware safeguards for all-round protection
  • LED illumination: Lighting control for both PCIe slot and audio trace paths
  • Dual native M.2 and NVMe PCIe RAID support: Lightning-fast storage speeds
  • DDR4 memory support: Overclock to 3866MHz
  • Intel® Optane™ memory ready: Exploit the latest high-speed storage technology

The RAM included is the affordable kit of Ballistix Sport LT 8GB kit,which is enough memory for most standard gaming pc builds, and you always have the option to upgrade more in the future if need be with the extra couple of slots on the included motherboard.

The storage has switched back to the better Samsung 850 EVO 256GB SSD as it costs just the same as last months Hynix SSD now. If 256GB isn;t enough storage then you can also bump up to the 500GB version for about $60 more.

The included power supply unit (and for some time now in this build) used is the EVGA SuperNOVA G1 650W power supply, which is a great PSU with all modular cables and it provides the perfect amount of power for this build along with room for some upgrades. For it’s price, quality and the fact that it’s modular makes this a perfect choice.

The PC case has also stayed the same this month and for good reason. One, there has been little movement with reagrds to newly released cases and two, The NZXT S340 is a bang up case. This month again we have included the NZXT S340, a long standing quality modern case that provides all you need in most gaming pc builds and with a sleek look. comes in a few different color variations.

NZXT S340 Features (learn more at NZXT.com):

  • 360° of steel casing surrounding the all-steel chassis
  • Grommet-less cable management bar keeps cables tidy with ease
  • Full 280mm radiator support for the latest Kraken cooler
  • Compact form factor coming in two inches below competing mid towers
  • Detailed design and engineering with tons of small touches
  • Very easy to build in for new and experienced users alike
  • Integrated PSU shroud for an ultra clean build
  • Fully filtered intakes

You Can View All The $1000 2017 Gaming PC Builds Here


February 2017 $1000 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions

Here are some upgrade ideas for your under $1000 February 2017 pc build depending on your budget or future performance upgrade.

For a further boost in graphics you could consider going straight for a GTX 1070 graphics card, which could max those games out in 2K without a hiccup enabling higher frame rates in more demanding games.

If you want more than the included 256GB storage SSD in the main build, you could consider bumping your SSD up to the 500GB Samsung 850 EVO  giving you nearly double the space.

You could also go with a liquid cpu cooler such as the Corsair Hydro Series H80i V2 in place of the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO  air cooler already included in the above build. This could help keep things quiet and a tad cooler when overclocking and it offers a more customize cooling experience (learn more about the Corsair h80i GT at Corsair.com).

I have also included a PSU upgrade this month – that is the EVGA 650Watt P2, which is a Platinum rated Power Supply Unit giving you an extra boost in power efficiency, which could save a tad on power as it uses it more efficiently. To learn more about the EVGA P2 specifications please visit the EVGA P2 information page.

BUILD COST WITH ALL BELOW UPGRADES: $1356

Peripheral Ideas (Monitor Keyboard & Mouse) for the February 2017  $1000 PC Build

Here are some peripheral ideas for our under $1000 February 2017 PC build. These are optional to the above build, but are suggestions in case you are starting fresh and need them (as you will need a monitor, mouse and keyboard!).

Below is a monitor that would go best with this build since it is capable of pumping games with high settings at high FPS no problem at 1080p without a hiccup (keep in mind that you can go into 1440p if you wanted). Also included is a mechanical keyboard with cherry mx switches with plenty of features and a mouse catered to high precision FPS players.

Monitor

ViewSonic XG2401 24-inch 144Hz 1080p Gaming Display with 1ms, HDMI, DisplayPort and FreeSync Technology ($259.99)

A great 144Hz 1080p Monitor for those fast refresh rates at 1080p; also comes in a 27 inch model.

Keyboard

Razer BlackWidow Chroma Clicky Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Fully Programmable and 5 Macro Keys ($124.99)*New lower price.

A mechanical keyboard with a ton of macro keys with a crisp tactile feel.

Mouse

Corsair Gaming M65 FPS Gaming Mouse, Aircraft-Grade Aluminum, 8200 DPI ($49.99)

This is a great mouse built for comfort and precision, making it a great choice for those players needing to be as precise as possible (such as with high FPS gameplay).


Gaming PC Builds 2017 - Entry Level

February 2017 $600 PC Build (1080p)

Capability: Game at Smoothly with High settings and FPS at 1920X1080 resolutions in most games.

(*Note: All prices are in USD but URLs go to your local Amazon)

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price: $600 (February 2017)
Processor

*New 7th Gen. Kaby Lake CPU!

$119.99
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H270-HD3 LGA1151 $99.99
Graphics Card MSI GAMING Radeon RX 470 GDDR5 4GB $169.85
RAM Ballistix Sport LT 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) DIMM 288-Pin – BLS2K4G4D240FSB (Gray) $59.88
SSD SanDisk SSD PLUS 120GB Solid State Drive $44.99
Power Supply EVGA 500 W1, 80+ WHITE 500W, 3 Year Warranty, Power Supply 100-W1-0500-KR $39.99
Computer Case Corsair Carbide Series 270R – Mid-Tower ATX Case, Solid Side Panel Cases CC-9011106-WW $67.15 Carbide 270R February 2017 pc build

Overview: $600 Gaming PC Build

This is the most affordable budget build included in the monthly gaming pc builds of the month. Sure you can spend a little less and still get up and gaming, but this should be the baseline build for anyone looking to invest in a gaming pc – you’ll be able to crush a ton of games at higher resolutions playing at standard HD 1080p resolutions without a fret.

Yet again we have another new Intel Kaby Lake cpu also included in this $600 gaming pc build for February 2017. Included here is the Intel i3 7100, which now replaces the previous intel i3 6100. We don’t need an extra cooler for this build since the 7100 does come with a stock cooler and isn;t built for overclocking.

To pair with the Kaby Lake Intel i3 7100, we have an RX 470 4GB graphics card. This is a great card for pushing those 1080p games, however if you do want a slightly bigger bump you could consider and Rx 480 4GB graphics card for only $20-$30 more sometimes.

With the new cpu, comes a newer motherboard with a newer chipset. The motherboard included this month is the Gigabyte GA-H270-HD3 LGA1151 motherboard, which is a very affordable brand new H270 chipset motherboard from Gigabyte. This motherboard includes the following features (gigabyte.com):

  • Supports 7th/ 6th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors
  • Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
  • 2-Way CrossFire™ Multi-Graphics Support
  • Turbo B-CLOCK, Built-in Advanced Performance Tuning IC
  • Dual NVMe PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 Support
  • Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA interface
  • Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
  • Triple display interfaces including High Definition Multimedia Interface
  • High Quality Audio Capacitors and Audio Noise Guard with LED Trace Path Lighting
  • Intel® GbE LAN with cFosSpeed Internet Accelerator Software
  • Smart Fan 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors and Hybrid Fan Headers
  • GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™
  • APP Center Including Cloud Station™ Utility

For RAM we have a kit of Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 8GB which is plenty RAM for this build. And for storage included is a 120GB Sandisk Solid State Drive – I know this is not a ton of storage, but it is an SSD which is highly suggested and it is only a little more to bump up to a 256Gb SSD should you want to.

The power supply has been switched up again this month to the EVGA 500 W1, with enough juice to power this build.

Now for this months pc case we have the Corsair Carbide Series 270R, this case is a newer version of the 200R series of Corsair cases release late 2016 and provides a spacious enclosure that still feels compact. There is a great review over at guru3d.com if you are curious.


You Can View All The $600 2017 Gaming PC Builds Here


February 2017 $600 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions

These are the upgrade suggestions for specific hardware included in the above $600 / 1080p 2017 gaming pc build. You can choose to upgrade one of all of the hardware and each will provide a performance boost for this build.

If you want to dial down those cpu temps you could always opt for a non-stock cpu cooler, such as the infamous Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (included in both of the other builds for quite some time).

One of the more important performance upgrade solutions could be the Radeon RX 480 4GB graphics card, for not much more in cost – which would be highly recommended.

You can increase your storage space by going with a larger capacity Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD. This would be recommended if you think you will need more than 120GB as included in the SSD in the base build above.e

*New: Finally, included is a much better performing and brand new Kaby lake Intel  gaming CPU, the Intel i5 7500, which may be a worthy investment to solidify performance in those higher cpu demanding games.

CPU COOLER UPGRADE

Better CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO ($34.93)

GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE

ASUS Dual-Fan Radeon Rx 480 4GB OC Edition AMD Gaming Graphics Card ($189.99)

CPU UPGRADE

*New Kaby Lake CPU


Higher performing Processor – Intel Core i5 7500Processor (Price: $201.89)

STORAGE UPGRADE

Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E250B/AM)($98.00)

Peripheral Ideas (Monitor Keyboard & Mouse) for the February 2017 Under $600 PC Build

Here are some peripheral ideas for the $600 2017 PC build. Below is a 24-inch monitor that would go best with this build since it is capable of pumping games with high settings at 1080p standard HD resolutions. The included keyboard is a basic cherry mx mechanical keyboard without any special features, but everything most gamers really need. Also included is a basic gaming pc mouse with plenty of features.

Monitor

BenQ ZOWIE [New] 24-Inch Console eSports Gaming Monitor – LED 1080p HD Monitor – (RL2455) ($199.99)

This is BenQ’s new brand of monitors – this one is a 24 inch 60Hz 1080p LED monitor.

Keyboard

CHERRY MX-Board 3.0 Mechanical USB Keyboard with Cherry MX Red Switch (G80-3850LYBEU-2) ($80.75)

This is a sturdy basic mechanical cherry mx switch gaming keyboard – not a ton of customization, but in my opinion all you really need for a quality gaming keyboard with the tactile responsiveness of a mechanical keyboard.

 

Mouse

Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime MOBA Gaming Mouse ($29.99)

An affordable gaming mouse with lots of programmable buttons and on the fly dpi switching.

 


Operating System Options for the February 2017 Gaming PC Builds

If you don’t already have an operating system for your new gaming pc build, then you’re going to have to either invest in purchasing a standard OS such as Windows 10. Otherwise, there are some free alternatives that you could consider below as well. Keep in mind that it is recommended to purchase Windows online or as a USB stick and install it that way as optical drives are not included in any of these builds and nor would you generally need one for any modern gaming pc.

Included below is a USB copy of Windows 10, which is probably what most people need. I have also included two other operating systems that are both currently free. Ubuntu is a Linux based operating system. The last OS is SteamOS, which is also a Linux OS being developed by Valve Corporation and is being made to be used for a Steam Machine game console.

OS Link Price Image
Windows 8.1 Microsoft Windows 10 Home USB Flash Drive

*This is the USB version, you can also purchase the DVD (which requires an Optical Drive) or purchase a downloaded copy, which would require you to install on to a USB or hard drive from another PC.

$109.98  
Ubuntu Ubuntu – Desktop Free Ubuntu Logo
SteamOS SteamOS Beta “Build your own Steam Machine” Free Steam Operating System OS

February 2017’s Gaming PC Build Hardware Overview Video:

 

Comments 2

  1. Hi Corey,

    I was hoping to get a dual monitor setup in my gaming pc. I currently having an Asus VG24qe 144hz.Is it okay to buy a 60hz 1080p monitor like the rl2455. uses of 2nd monitor is for internet browsing/ console. Is that okay?
    Thanks!

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Joey,

      That is perfectly acceptable and I would encourage you to do that. I generally game with a 27″ right in front of me and have a 24″ positioned vertically to the side for chatting / internet stuff while gaming on my main monitor. Makes for much better multitasking.

      Thank you!

Leave a Reply