This is the best possible $700 gaming pc build up to date for December 2018. The $700 pc build is for those wanting to get up and running with a budget pc build capable of playing games really well at 1920×1080 resolutions. This is would be the perfect build for those wanting to outperform any console out there without a hiccup with plenty of room for upgrades in the future.
$1000 Gaming PC Build – December 2018 Updates
The December 2018 $700 gaming pc build uses a Ryzen 5 2600 and pairs that with a GTX 1060 3GB graphics card. This build is for those wanting a simple, affordable gaming pc that will play any pc game on the market at 1080p resolutions with high settings.
Looking for a Different PC Build Budget?
Take a look at all of the December 2018 Gaming PC Builds of the Month
The Best $1000 Gaming PC Build | December 2018
Capability: Game with Extreme settings at 1920X1080 (HD) resolutions up to Higher Settings at 2560×1440 (2K)
Powered by the Intel i5 8400 and the GXT 1070 Graphics Card
| Hardware Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated Price: | $1071 (2018) | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8400
|
$205.00 |  |
| Cooler | Included | ||
| Motherboard | $90.29 |  |
|
| Graphics Card
|
GTX 1070: Gigabyte GV-N1070G1 GAMING-8GD REV2.0 GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Computer Graphics Card | $399.99 |  |
| RAM | $67.74 |  |
|
| SSD | $77.99 |  |
|
| Power Supply | EVGA Supernova 750 P2, 80+ Platinum 750W, Fully Modular ECO Mode, 10 Year Warranty, Includes Free Power On Self Tester, Power Supply 220-P2-0750-X1 | $89.99 |  |
| Computer Case | $69.99 |  |
Overview | $1000 Best Gaming PC Build 2018
December 2018 Update: Ok so the $1000 gaming pc build for December is actually slightly over $1000. This is because I really think it’s worth it to include a GTX 1070, because you’ll get so much performance mileage out of it for a slight increase in cost. However, if you do want to save roughly $70, you can still go with an RX 580 graphics card and still get really good performance at 1080p to 1440p gaming.
The included gaming CPU this December is the Intel i5 8400. This gaming CPU is a great choice and purchase for the cost. If you have a little more to spend on the CPU, check the alternatives tables below where we include the Intel i5 8600K, which gives you more performance potential.
This month we have officially changed the graphics card to a GTX 1070 — yes this increases the cost a bit for the overall build, but trust me, it’s worth it. As stated above, you can save some bucks if you are on a solid $1000 budget and go with RX 580 graphics card instead.
The motherboard that has been included in the under $1000 gaming pc build is the MSI Z370 GAMING PLUS CFX, which is fully compatible with the included Intel i5 8400 CPU and comes with the following specifications (learn more at MSI.com):
- Supports 8th Gen Intel® CoreTM / Pentium® Celeron® processors for LGA 1151 socket
- Supports DDR4 Memory, up to 4000+(OC) MHz
- Lightning Fast Game experience: 1x TURBO M.2, Intel Optane Memory Ready.
- AUDIO BOOST: Reward your ears with the studio-grade sound quality for the most immersive gaming experience
- DDR4 Boost: Fully isolated, shielded and optimized DDR4 PCB design to give your DDR4 memory a performance boost.
- GAMING LAN, powered by Intel®: The best online gaming experience with the lowest latency and bandwidth management.
- MULTI-GPU: With STEEL ARMOR PCI-E slots. Supports 2-Way AMD Crossfire™
- VR Ready: Best virtual reality game experience without latency, reduces motion sickness
- Military Class 5, Guard-Pro: Latest evolution with high-quality Japanese components for best protection and efficiency
- In-Game Weapons: Game Boost, GAMING Hotkey, X-Boost, WTFast
- EZ Debug LED: Easiest way to troubleshoot
- Click BIOS 5: Award-winning BIOS with high-resolution scalable font, favorites, and search function
- GAMING CERTIFIED: 24-hour on- and offline game and motherboard testing by eSports players
The RAM kit included is the affordable kit of Corsair LPX 8GB DDR4 RAM which is enough memory for most 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 gaming motherboard.
We have switched up the storage solution this month to a Western Digital Blue 3D Nand SSD 500GB SSD. This SSD is priced really well this month and is a solid performing SSD.
For the $1000 gaming pc build December 2018 build, there is a new pc case — the NZXT H500. This is a sleek all-steel constructed pc with great cable management and a minimalistic professional looking design. Learn about all of it’s features over at NZXT.com.
Upgrade Suggestions | Best $1000 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions 2018
| CPU UPGRADE | Add a Better CPU (This one can be overclocked for further performance. *Note: You will need to also purchase a CPU cooler like this Hyper 212 EVO): Intel BX80684I58600K 8th Gen Core i5-8600K Processor | $254.99 |  |
| GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE | RTX 2070: ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 2070 Blower 8GB GDDR6 256-bit Dual Slot Gaming Graphics Card – ZT-T20700A-10P | $499.99 |  |
| RAM UPGRADE | Add More RAM (16GB) – HyperX Kingston Technology Fury 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 2400MHz DRAM | $144.88 |  |
| CPU COOLER UPGRADE | Corsair Hydro Series H80i v2 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler, Black- Add a liquid CPU Cooler for a quieter, more customized and efficient cooling experience. |
$74.99 |  |
Above are the suggested upgrade ideas for the best December 2018 $1000 gaming PC build, these are recommended if you have a larger budget or want some upgrade suggestions later on.
If you wanted to easily upgrade your CPU, you could simply swap for the Intel i5 8600K. The 8600K gives you the potential to further overclock your CPU for a slightly higher cost. You do have to keep in mind though that if you go with the 8600K, you will need to add a CPU cooler (such as the Cooler Master Hyper 212).
The graphics card upgrade this month has also changed due to the actual card in our $1000 pc build being upgraded — the upgrade card is now the newer RTX 2070, so if you have the dollars to spend and want to upgrade what will give you the biggest boost in performance, this is what you should upgrade first.
Since the $1000 pc build above includes 8GB of RAM, you could bump this up further to 16GB with a kit of Kingston HyperX Fury RAM.
You could also go with a liquid CPU cooler such as the Corsair Hydro Series H80i V2 in place of the included air cooler already included in the above build above. This could help keep things quiet and a tad cooler when overclocking and it offers a more customize the cooling experience — this could also be used if you decided to go with the Intel 8600K CPU upgrade as it doesn’t come with a cooler.
Looking for a Different PC Build Budget?
Take a look at all of the December 2018 Gaming PC Builds of the Month