Here you will find the best possible $1000 gaming pc build up to date as of January 2019. The $1000 gaming build is for those who want the sweet spot in terms of performance per dollar spent. This build should get you great
$1000 Gaming PC Build – January 2019 Updates
Now for the $1000 gaming pc build, we again include an Intel 8500, paired with the very well priced, high performing GTX 1070, which has never been priced so well. This is a solid gaming pc build for those wanting to game on high-settings at 2K resolutions.
Looking for a Different PC Build Budget?
Take a look at all of the Best January 2019 Gaming PC Builds of the Month
The Best $1000 Gaming PC Build | January 2019
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: | $1004 (January 2019) | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8500 Desktop Processor 6 Core up to 4.1GHz Turbo LGA1151 300 Series 65W | $210.00 |  |
| Cooler | Included | ||
| Motherboard | $90.88 |  |
|
| Graphics Card
|
GTX 1070: Gigabyte GV-N1070G1 GAMING-8GD REV2.0 GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Computer Graphics Card |
$337.63 |
 |
| RAM | $62.99 |  |
|
| SSD | $72.99 |  |
|
| 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 | $139.76 |  |
| Computer Case | $89.99 |  |
Overview | $1000 Best Gaming PC Build 2019
January 2019 Update: We again include an Intel 8500, paired with the very well priced, high performing GTX 1070, which has never been priced so well. This is a solid gaming pc build for those wanting to game on high-settings at 2K resolutions.
The included gaming CPU this January is the Intel i5 8500. 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 — this is a fantastic graphics card and has never been this affordable, making it a perfect first for the $1000 gaming pc builds this January 2019.
The motherboard chosen for the $1000 pc build is a B360 board, the MSI B360PRO, which has the following specifications (learn more at MSI.com)
- Supports 8th Gen Intel Core/Pentium Gold/Celeron Processors for LGA 1151 socket
- Supports DDR4 Memory, up to 2666MHz
Multi-GPU : With Steel armor PCI-E slots. Supports 2-Way AMD Crossfire - PCI-E Steel Armor : Protecting VGA cards against bending and EMI for better performance, stability and strength
- X-Boost : Software that auto-detects and allows you to boost the performance of any storage, Optane or USB deviceA 1151 socket
- Supports DDR4 Memory, up to 4000+(OC) MHzEZ 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 and is a must for any pc build.
The power supply unit (PSU) included is the same as the $1500 build. Included is an EVGA Supernova 750 Pw 80+ Platinum PSU. You could definitely get away with the 650Watt version, however at this point in time the price difference is negligible, so if the price of the 650W one is less when you are purchasing, just go with that one.
The pc case included in the $1000 build this month is one of my absolute favorite, the NZXT H500i. This case is one of the best in terms of the combination of price, quality and look. This is a well below $100 case (at the moment) with all the premium features.
The BZXT H500i includes (See the full specifications at nzxt.com):
- CAM-powered Smart Device to simplify installation and manage use of RGB lighting and fans
- Premium, all-steel construction with the sleek H Series design; available in four color combinations
- Tempered glass panel showcases custom RGB lighting along with the vertical GPU mount
- System installation and expansion made easy with all-new cable management system
- Water-cooling installation simplified for both AIO and custom loop
- Adaptive Noise Reduction optimizes cooling and noise balance for best gaming comfort
Upgrade Suggestions | Best $1000 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions 2019
| Hardware Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU + COOLER + MOTHERBOARD UPGRADE |
Add a Better CPU (You will need to include a cooler and compatible motherboard for overclocking) CPU: Intel BX80684I58600K 8th Gen Core i5-8600K Processor + CPU cooler: Hyper 212 EVO + Compatible Motherboard: MSI PRO Series Intel 8th Gen LGA 1151 M.2 D-Sub DVI DP USB 3.0 Gigabit LAN CFX ATX Motherboard (Z370-A PRO) |
$259.89 + $34.99 + $104.33 |
|
| GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE | RTX 2070: EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 XC Gaming, 8GB GDDR6, Dual HDB Fans & RGB LED Graphics Card 08G-P4-2172-KR | $529.99 |  |
| RAM UPGRADE | Add More RAM (16GB) – Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz C15 Desktop Memory Kit – Black (CMK16GX4M2B3000C15) | $119.99 |  |
| 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 January 2019 $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) and you will need a compatible motherboard (such as the MSI Z370-A PRO above) to take advantage of the 8600K’s overclocking potential.
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 Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3000MhZ 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 Best January 2019 Gaming PC Builds of the Month