July 2017 Gaming PC Builds of the Month

The 5 Best July 2017 PC Builds for Gaming $600 $800 $1000 $1400 $1500

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July 2017 Gaming PC Builds of the Month

Gaming PC Builds of the Month: July 2017

Welcome to the 5 best gaming pc builds of the month for July 2017 that you’ll find for any budget between $600, $800 $1000 & $1400-$1500. These builds are all precisely chosen for four types of gamers – those who have $600 to spend and want to game smoothly in games at 1080p, those who have an $800 budget and want to future proof a tad more, those who have up to $1000 and want to gaming smoothly at 1080p into 1440p and those who have $1400 or $1500 and want to smoothly game at 1440p into decent gameplay at 4K.

Now for a major update / note from last months builds – if you were in the market for a build last month you may have noticed that if you were going for one of the newer / slightly older AMD graphics card (ie. RX 580 or RX 570) then you probably were not able to find one. Why? Well apart from being awesome cards, these cards are apparently super efficient at cryptocurrency / etherium mining (see this PCWorld article to learn more), and those into that sort of thing have wiped the supply of these card completely. So if you were wondering why you were either finding super inflated pricing or zero supply of these AMD cards, well now you know.

Enjoy this months top gaming pc builds of the month for July 2017,  I hope you enjoy and do feel free to comment if you have any questions.


Gaming PC Builds 2017 - High End Level

$1500 or $1400 PC Build July 2017

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

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price : $1483 (*using the GTX 1080 Graphics Card) – (July 2017)

or

$1384 (*using the GTX 1070 Graphics Card) – (July 2017)

Processor

Intel  i5 7600K 7th Gen Core Desktop Processors

$234.99
Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan $29.99
Motherboard ASRock Z270 KILLER SLI/AC LGA 1151 Intel Z270 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Motherboards $179.98
Graphics Card GTX 1080: ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Turbo Graphic Card TURBO-GTX1080-8G

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

OR


GTX 1070: MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5 SLI DirectX 12 VR Ready Graphics Card (GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G)
*Note: Use this for an under $1400 Gaming PC Build
Performance: Best 1440p & Good VR

$548.89


$449.99


 

 

RAM

$119.98
SSD SanDisk Ultra II 500GB SATA III SSD – 2.5-Inch 7mm Height Solid State Drive – SDSSDHII-500G-G25 $174.50
Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 750W 220-G2-0750-XR Fully Modular Power Supply $109.99
Computer Case Phanteks Enthoo PRO M Acrylic Window Black Edition Cases PH-ES515PA_BK $79.99

Overview: Gaming PC Build ( Under $1500 or $1400 )

**This gaming pc build can either be $1400 to $1500 depending on which graphics card you choose: The GTX 1080 vs GTX 1070.

The budget you choose ($1500 or $1400) for this gaming pc build depends on whether you choose the GTX 1080 or the GTX 1070. This is dependent both on budget and what performance you are expecting from your gaming pc build; such as at what resolutions you see yourself gaming at and at what settings. For higher resolutions (say max 1440p into 4k choose a GTX 1080 and for high-max 1440p resolutions choose a GTX 1070).

The cpu we have in this pc build is a part of the 7th Generation Kaby Lake cpu line. This cpu is an Intel i5 7600K processor. This processor still has an LGA 1151 socket and is compatible with the newer Z270 chipset motherboards. With the 7600K cpu we need a cpu cooler, so to pair with this we have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 cpu air cooler, which is still very compatible and is a very long standing quality air cpu cooler – there is no stock cooler with this cpu so this is definitely needed.

For our high-end graphics cards, we have a choice of two separate graphics cards: A  GTX 1080 OR a GTX 1070 (choose one or the other depending on what performance you are expecting – also search benchmarks for these cards for specific games you want to play). 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 July 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.

For the motherboard we have a newer highly rated Z270 chipset board – the ASRock Z270 Killer SLI/ac motherboard. This board is a rare one considering its price, in that it has on-board wifi & bluetooth, a good ability to overclock memory and overall a very efficient motherboard. The complete specification of this motherboard as provided by asrock.com include:

  • ASRock Super Alloy
  • Supports 7th and 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3/Pentium®/Celeron®Processors (Socket 1151)
  • Supports DDR4 3733+(OC)
  • 2 PCIe 3.0 x16, 4 PCIe 3.0 x1
  • NVIDIA® Quad SLI™, AMD Quad CrossFireX™
  • Graphics Output Options: HDMI, DVI-D
  • 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec), Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps
  • 6 SATA3, 2 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3)
  • 8 USB 3.0 (1 Type-C, 2 Front, 5 Rear)
  • Intel® Gigabit LAN
  • Intel® 802.11ac WiFi
  • ASRock AURA RGB LED

The included RAM/memory, we have 16GB (two 8GB sticks) of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM, which is a healthy amount of memory for this high performing gaming pc build.

There has been a change in storage this month to a SanDisk Ultra II 500GB SSD – plenty of space to get started with your build. If you think you want to milk as much speed and performance as possible you could also opt for a PCIe SSD (as shown in the hardware alternatives below).

For the Power Supply Unit (PSU), we have an efficient EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2, which is a Platinum rated power supply which essentially means that this PSU is roughly 92% efficient at 50% capacity.

The case we have chosen this month for this build is the Phantek Enthoo Pro M – a very highly regarded case that does it all at the right price. This case has a great design, supports water cooling, keeps cool and is extremely easy to build with. Learn more about this case at Phankteks.com.

July 2017 (Under $1400 or $1500) PC Build Upgrade Suggestions

The hardware upgrades you see here are recommendations for the above July 2017 PC Build. 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.

The included cpu in the $1500 / $1400 pc build is an i5 7600K, but should you be considering something like high-end video editing or graphics rendering, you could consider an Intel i7 7700K cpu.

The above gaming pc build does include an SSD, which is perfectly suited for most gamers and pc builder in general, but if someone were searching for the fastest and one of the most efficient methods of storage, you could consider a premium PCIe Solid State Drive, such as the Plextor 512Gb M.2 PCIe SSD below.

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.

The final upgrade you see below is an EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, which is a newly release card that now replaces the previous Titan X graphics card. The GTX 1080 Ti performs very similarly to the Titan X, but at a fraction of the cost!

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 ($329.00)

GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GAMING OC 11GB Graphic Cards N108TGAMINGOC-11GD *New– For the best possible 4K gaming experience  –  Performance of a Titan X at a fraction of the cost! ($699.99)

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 ($109.99)

STORAGE UPGRADE

PCIe SSD (faster): Plextor M8Pe 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid-State Drive with Heatsink (PX-512M8PeG) ($229.99)


Gaming PC Builds 2017 - Mid Range Level

$1000 July 2017 Gaming PC Build

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

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price: $1004 (July 2017)
Processor Intel  i5 7600K 7th Gen Core Desktop Processors

$239.99
Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2) $29.99  
Motherboard $139.99
Graphics Card

GeForce GTX 1060  *purchase from nvidia.com $299.99

 

RAM $64.99
SSD $94.97
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G1 80+ GOLD, 650W Continuous Power, Fully Modular 10 Year Warranty Power Supply 120-G1-0650-XR $74.99
Computer Case $59.99

Overview: $1000 2017 Gaming PC Build

The $1000 gaming pc build for July 2017 is for those who want to game at 1080p into 2K resolutions for under $1000. This pc build is the “mid-range” build, as it does sit nicely below the budget and high-end builds in this article, but don’t let that deceive you. This PC build that will probably cover most of any average gamers needs. Who is an average game you might say – well those who want an affordable pc that they get to custom build to play the most modern games at the highest settings on the most used resolutions (such at 1080p into 1440p).

Intel now has a newer Intel i5 7600K, which is clocked slightly higher, and is able to oveclock even higher.  To pair with this cpu we have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 cpu cooler as you do need one and it is one of the best bang for your buck air coolers on the market capable of supporting overclocking quite easily.

So we have had to switch up the graphics card for this build as the one from last month (The RX 580) is non-existant due to it along with other RX card being completely bought out by cryptocurrency miner (see article intro for more information). So now we have the GeForce GTX 1060 in its place, which can be purchased for a good price directly from nvidia themselves. You can also get other reference GTX 1060 cards on amazon etc. for a little more cash.

The motherboard has also been switched up this month to a MSI Pro Series Intel Z270 SLI PLUS, which is a solid newer Z270 chipset board with enough features for most general gamers. Here are the specifications as laid out by msi.com:

  • Supports 7th / 6th Gen Intel® Core™ / Pentium® / Celeron® processors for LGA 1151 socket
  • Supports DDR4-3800+(OC) Memory
  • DDR4 Boost with Steel Armor: Give your DDR4 memory a performance boost
  • VR Ready and VR Boost: Best virtual reality experience without latency, reduces motion sickness
  • Audio Boost 4: Reward your ears with studio grade sound quality for a true HI-FI experience
  • MULTI-GPU: With Steel Armor PCI-E slots. Supports NVIDIA SLI™ & AMD Crossfire™
  • EZ Debug LED: Easiest way to troubleshoot
  • Twin Turbo M.2 with Steel Armor: Delivering Speeds Up to 32Gb/s, Intel Optane Memory Ready
  • M.2 Genie: Setting up RAID for M.2 much easier and faster
  • Lightning USB: Double bandwidth, supports USB 3.1 Gen2 Type A + Type C
  • X-Boost: Great tool to boost your USB & Storage performance
  • Double ESD Protection: Double layer grounding motherboard mounting holes
  • Military Class 5, Guard-Pro: Latest evolution in high quality components for best protection and efficiency
  • Click BIOS 5: Award-winning BIOS with high resolution scalable font, favorites and search function

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 – so if you do want that ful 16GB memory in the feature just keep an eye out for RAM deals.

For this pc builds storage, we have a SK Hynix 256GB SSD, which is a great value SSD. Should you want more than the 250GB, then you can look at the high-end build for another SSD option as well or in the hardware alternatives table below.

The included power supply unit used in this months $1000 pc build 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.

Again, for the pc case, we have a second Raidmax cases included in this month gaming pc builds of the month article for July 2017 – for this build we have the Raidmax Delta gaming case that comes in either the profiles orange, blue or black. The reason why I love this case is that aside from its good looks, it’s actually a very simple case that Tomshardware (see the review here) even states as being “a reasonable case option for buyers who’ve spent most of their limited budget on graphics”. Learn more about the Raidmax Delta at raidmax.com. *Note: this case does come with 1 fan, but has plenty of space for up to 8 – so you can always add more to keep this case flowing nicely.


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


July 2017 $1000 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions

Below are the upgrade ideas for your under $1000 July 2017 pc build depending on your budget or future performance upgrades.

For the #1 gaming performance boost for this build, you could consider going straight for a GTX 1070 graphics card, which could max those games out in 2K without a problem, which will enable higher frame rates in more demanding games (also see the $1400 / $1500 gaming pc build, which also uses this graphics card).

If you want more than the included 256GB storage SSD in the main build, you could consider bumping your SSD up to the 500GB Sandisk Ultra II  giving you nearly double the space and a slight bump in your read/write storage speed.

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.

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.

STORAGE UPGRADE

Add a Larger Faster SSD:

SanDisk Ultra II 500GB SATA III SSD – 2.5-Inch 7mm Height Solid State Drive – SDSSDHII-500G-G25 ($174.50) –

GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE

MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5 SLI DirectX 12 VR Ready Graphics Card (GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G) Price: $449.99

PSU UPGRADE

Upgrade to a Platinum efficient power supply – EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2, 80+ PLATINUM 650W , Fully Modular , EVGA ECO Mode, 10 Year Warranty , Includes FREE Power On Self Tester, Power Supply 220-P2-0650-X1 ($99.99)

 

CPU COOLER UPGRADE

Corsair Hydro Series H80i v2 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler , Black- Add a liquid CPU Cooler for quieter, more customized and efficient cooling ($92.50)


Gaming PC Builds 2017 - Entry Level

$800 July 2017 Gaming PC Build – AMD Ryzen

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

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price: $731 (July 2017)
Processor
$189.00
Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-AB350-Gaming AMD RYZEN AM4 B350 SMART FAN 5 HDMI M.2 SATA USB 3.1 Type-A ATX DDR4 Motherboard $111.99
Graphics Card  

EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SC GAMING, 4GB GDDR5, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC) Graphics Card 04G-P4-6253-KR

 

$149.99
RAM Ballistix Sport LT 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) DIMM 288-Pin – BLS2K4G4D240FSE (Red) $64.99
SSD SK Hynix Flash Memory 2.5″ 250 GB Internal Solid State Drives HFS250G32TND-N1A2A $89.79
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G1, 80+ GOLD 650W, Fully Modular, 10 Year Warranty, Includes FREE Power On Self Tester Power Supply 120-G1-0650-XR $74.99
Computer Case ROSEWILL ATX Case , Mid Tower Case with Blue LED Fan / Gaming Case for PC with Side Window Panel & 3 Fans Pre-Installed , Computer Case 2 x USB3.0 Port – NAUTILUS $49.99

Overview: $800 Ryzen Gaming PC Build

This is a newer addition to our gaming pc builds of the month article – since the release of the new Ryzen 5 cpus there has been a ton of hype around how well they perform. The CPU included in this build is the Ryzen 1500x – which is a quad core Ryzen 5 CPU – an alternative cpu I would suggest as well is the Ryzen 1600 (a six core Ryzen 5 cpu) should you have an extra $30 or so to spend on this build. If you want a very well done review of the Ryzen 5 cpus with regards to gaming and in comparison to the higher end Intel CPUs then do check out techpowerup.com’s review of the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X cpu.

If you are looking for a significant bump up from he below $600 gaming pc build, then this under $800 Ryzen gaming pc build is the perfect solution –

The graphics card suggested above has changed this month to a GTX 1050 Ti as the availability of the previous RX 570’s is non existent, however since we have room to wiggle in this budget and you can find an RX 570, then you can go with that instead.

The motherboard is a GIGABYTE GA-AB350-Gaming board which includes some goodies (learn more: gigabyte.us) –

  • Supports AMD Ryzen™ & 7th Generation A-series/ Athlon™ Processors
  • Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
  • Fast 2 USB 3.1 Gen 2 with USB Type-A
  • 2-Way CrossFire™ Multi-Graphics Support
  • Ultra-Fast PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 with PCIe NVMe & SATA mode support
  • High Quality Audio Capacitors and Audio Noise Guard with LED Trace Path Lighting
  • Realtek® Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed Internet Accelerator Software
  • Smart Fan 5 features 6 Temperature Sensors and 4 Hybrid Fan Headers
  • GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™
  • APP Center Including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ Utilities

The RAM used in this build is similar to the other builds, which is a kit of Ballistix Sport LT 8GB ram – plenty of ram for now with room to grow later should you need. The Storage included is a SK Hynix Flash Memory 2.5″ 250 GB SSD, and the PSU provides a whopping 650W using the EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G1.

Finally, the pc case used for this build is a Rosewill Nautilus, which is a budget case with tons of room for most of any upgrades you’d ever need for this build. Some of the specifications include (learn more at rosewill.com):

  • Top-mounted I/O Ports: USB 3.0
    x 2, USB 2.0 x 2, Audio In/Out
  • Side Window Panel
  • Honeycomb Air Vent
  • Tool-less 3.5”/5.25” Installation
  • Pre-installed 3 Fans: 120 mm Blue LED Fan x 2 in the Front,
    120mm Fan x 1 in the Rear
  • Supports up to 154 mm CPU Cooler
  • Supports up to 380 mm
    Graphics Card
  • Supports 240 mm long Water-cooling Radiator on the Top

 

Gaming PC Builds 2017 - Entry Level

$600 July 2017 Gaming PC Build

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

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price: $604 (July 2017)
Processor
$117.00
Motherboard MSI Pro Series Intel H270 DDR4 HDMI USB 3 CrossFire ATX Motherboard (H270 PC MATE) $104.99
Graphics Card EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SC GAMING, 4GB GDDR5, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC) Graphics Card 04G-P4-6253-KR

 

$149.99
RAM Ballistix Sport LT 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) DIMM 288-Pin – BLS2K4G4D240FSE (Red) $64.99
SSD SanDisk SSD PLUS 120GB Solid State Drive (SDSSDA-120G-G26) [Newest Version] $59.99
Power Supply Corsair CX Series, CX500, 500 Watt (500W) Power Supply, 80+ Bronze Certified $57.00
Computer Case MasterBox Lite 5 ATX Mid-Tower Case with Dark Mirror Front Panel, Acrylic side panel, Customizable trim colors $49.99

Overview: $600 Gaming PC Build

Here is the most affordable pc build in the best July 2017 gaming pc builds of the month, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a quality build – in fact this gaming pc build will be able to game just fine at standard HD / 1080p resolutions smoothly at high settings. Most general gamers will most likely be gaming on a 1080p monitor and this will actually be all they need to play the games they want to play.

The cpu included is an Intel i3 7100. And since this particular cpu comes with a stock cooler,  we don’t need an extra cooler for this build.

To pair with the Intel i3 7100 we have switched the graphics card this month to a GTX 1050 Ti card. This card replaces the previous RX 570 as you may find it extremely hard to even get your hands on one, but if you can by all means you can go for the RX 570 instead.

We have kept with the same motherboard this month, which is the MSI Pro Series Intel H270 PC MATE, which comes loaded with the following features (to learn more visit: msi.com).

  • Supports 7th/6th Gen Intel Core/Pentium/Celeron processors for LGA 1151 socket
  • Supports DDR4-2400 Memory
  • Twin Turbo M.2
  • Military Class 5 Components
  • Double layer grounding mounting holes

For RAM, we have a 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 included is a 120GB SanDisk SSD. This may not b a ton of starting storage space, but does work for an OS and some games – so if you feel you need more storage for your gaming pc build right off the bat, then you could easily upgrade to the 256Gb or 500Gb versions of the SK Hynix SSD for a little more.

MasterBox Lite 5 Gaming PC Case - July 2017 Gaming PC Build

Cooler Master Masterbox 5 Customizable Trim

To actually power this pc build, the power supply unit has been switched up again this month to the Corsair CX Series, CX500, with enough juice to power this build and for a good cost.

The gaming pc case we have chosen this month for this $600 July 2017 pc build is the Cooler Master Masterbox 5. This is a newer slick case with a sleek DarkMirror front panel that has three custom trim parts. This case also has a side transparent acrylic window to show off your build and support for plenty of cooling (up to 4 cooling fans and a water cooling system should you ever need it). Overall this is a very versatile and customizable gaming pc case that I think would be great for any of the builds in this article. If you want to read and learn more please visit the coolermaster.com information page.

 

 

 


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


July 2017 $600 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions

Here you will find the upgrade suggestions should you have more to spend o want ideas for hardware upgrade when you have the need in the future for the $600 July 2017 PC Build.

If you want to dial down those cpu temp a tiny bit more, you could always opt for a non-stock cpu cooler, such as the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (also included in the high-end gaming pc builds in this article).

One of the more important performance upgrade solutions could be to the Radeon RX 580 8GB graphics card, for a little bit more than the included RX 570 already included in the above build.

You can increase your storage space by going with a larger capacity SK HYNIX 256Gb SSD or even the 500GB oneThis would be recommended if you think you will need more than 120GB as included in the SSD in the base build above.

Now if you want to bump up to a faster processor, then the suggest one thats fully compatible with this build is the Intel i5 7500, which July be a worthy investment to solidify performance in those higher cpu demanding games.

CPU COOLER UPGRADE

Better CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO ($29.99)

GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE

AMD RX 570 (if available) ($?)

CPU UPGRADE

 Higher performing Processor – Intel Core i5 7500Processor (Price: $199.99)

STORAGE UPGRADE

SK Hynix Flash Memory 2.5″ 250 GB Internal Solid State Drives HFS250G32TND-N1A2A ($89.79)

 


Operating Systems for the July 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 – so could be worth the time trying out. Ubuntu is a Linux based operating system. The last OS is SteamOS, which is also a Linux OS being developed by Valve Corporation.

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 – “Build your own Steam Machine” Free Steam Operating System OS

July 2017’s Gaming PC Build Hardware Overview Video:

*In creation!

Best of luck Building Your Gaming PC Build!

Thank you everyone for checking out the top 5 best gaming pc builds for July 2017. If you have any questions or comments do feel free to leave them below. Building a gaming pc build can be a fun and rewarding experience that pays off handsomely in fun high performing gaming – so what are you waiting for?

Comments 17

  1. Hey, for the $1,500 or $1,400 PC build, if I don’t want such a powerful computer because I may play some games that will not require that powerful of a computer, which components should I downgrade to make it less powerful? Also, the types of games I think I’ll be playing are CS:GO and Battlegrounds so could you please tell me how I can downgrade the $1,500 or $1,400 build that still runs those two games smoothly with high quality settings? Thanks!

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Josh,

      The first major cost savings would be in the graphics card – so if you look at the $1000 build, the GTX 1060 would still work. Also the ram could be downgraded to 8GB for now, as you can always add more later. Hope this helps!

      1. Sorry for bothering you again, but could you please list some monitors that could I buy that are 1440p 144hz and around the 26″ range (preferably 26″) that has a relatively cheap price? This is for the $1500/$1400 build using the GTX 1070? Right now, I am thinking about the AOC G257HU smidpx 25″ WQHD 144hz 1080p (around $200), but it’s 1080p and the GTX 1070 that I bought supports 1440p. Should I stick with this monitor or go with one of the monitors that you will recommend to me? Thanks! Sorry about all these questions… I’m new to all this computer stuff. 🙂

        1. Also, I don’t know what hz a gaming monitor should have, so please be free to list monitors with the same or higher hz! However, please do not list monitors with pretty high prices…maybe a price around the monitor I was about to buy earlier (AOC G2460PF 24″ 144hz around $200)? NOTE: In the comment above ^^, I meant to say the AOC G2460PF 24″ 144hz monitor, not the G257HU smidpx 25″ WQHD. Sorry about that! Thanks again!!

          1. Post
            Author

            Hi Josh,

            First, as per which you should get (1440p or 1080p and at what refresh rate – the “hz”). Well it all really boils down to what games you will play and how much performance your graphics card will pump out. Now if you wanted super high resolution and super high refresh rates for the crispest screen possible, you would go with something like a 1440p monitor with a 144hz refresh rate. However, these monitors will cost you – something in the $700ish range give or take. The refresh rate essentially boils down to at max FPS the monitor will show you at one time (ie. 144FPS).

            However, I would say your best option would be a 1080p monitor, at 144hz – you will be able to max games out at 144fps using the GTX 1070 and will have a very crisp screen. The monitor you chose would actually be a good choice. That or ones like the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411 or ASUS VG248QE as well. Hope this helps!

            1. Alright! So, it’s alright to use a graphics card that supplies 1440p on a 1080p monitor? Also, for games like CS:GO and Player Unknown Battle Grounds (PUBG), would I get 144 fps from this setup or higher? Thanks again!

              1. Post
                Author

                Hi Josh,

                Perfectly fine, graphics cards usually show what they support maximally. And at 1080- 144hz you should expect around there. I know Unknown Battlegrounds had some Nvidia driver issues that were affecting FPS for a while, not sure if its fixed yet, but yes the 1070 is more than capable!

  2. Love this site Corey Thank you!

    Question will a evga 600B be enough and safe for a
    Intel Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake Quad-Core 4.2 GHz Processor, GIGABYTE AORUS GA-Z270X-Gaming K7 Motherboard, CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Memory Kit, Gigi byte Aorus gtx1080 gv-n1080aorus-8gb, 2tb seagate 7500rpm hdd and a LG dvd/cd rw drive?

    Thanks Josh

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Josh,

      The 600w EVGA will work, I would suggest a 650W-750W for wiggle room though. But if the cost savings are significant, I wouldn’t worry about it. Sorry for the delay in response, been on VA for a bit.

      1. is there really a big difference with the evga 600b, other than it not being modular?compared to like the super nova? jw cuz i did a build a couple years back on here where i got that power supply (600b) been great, but im kinda spending all the money the old lady has let me use on the mobo cpu ram and gpu 😉 lol just tryn to use what i had.

        1. Post
          Author

          By all means if you own the 600b already and it’s still working use that, nonsense in Habib hardware go to waste. Minor differences in overal energy efficiency etc plus modularity are the pluses but not worth upgrading over I’d say. You’re doing the right thing putting your money directly into the performance components!

    2. Post
      Author

      Hi Josh in response to your comment above “Hey again! If you’re still here, is a hard drive necessary? If so, which one?”

      Have to post here since each thread caps at 8 comments lol.

      Yes you definitely need a hard drive, or an SSD or some sort of storage. Minimum 120GB SSD I would say.

  3. Hi Corey,
    Will my CPU last 6+ years if I oc it? it’s an i5 6600K OC to 4.4ghz at 1.275v temps are kinda low. 30-49C idle and 50-60 under gaming. Will it last for atleast 6 years?

    thanks!

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Justin,

      Congrats on the great OC. As per will it last 6 years, there is no way to guarantee this, but I don’t see why not . There are many factors, and OC generally does wear a cpu faster, but I’ve never experienced having to give one up because of burn out.

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi thank you for your comment. And you are correct in the sense hat in some cases the 1600 is doing quite well. For pure gaming though the argument is that the Intel 7600k is still technically the higher performer – gaining higher gaming fps still. Overall though, the Ryzen 1600 is a high contender that even beats the 7600k in games sometimes, is a better price and good at more than gaming.

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