The Best January 2019 Gaming PC Builds of the Month

January 2019 Gaming PC Builds of the Month: ($700 – $1000 – $1500)

The Best January 2019 Gaming PC Builds of the Month

Browse through the following best January 2019 gaming pc builds of the month. The following are the best pc builds for $700, $1000, $1500 for gaming, with each and every budget having performance top of mind. Play any game out there at the best possible settings and get the most performance per dollar spent on your gaming pc.

January 2019 Gaming PC Builds of the Month

Happy new year! Welcome to the January 2019 gaming pc builds of the month, brought to you by Newb Computer Build. This is the first addition to the pc builds for 2019. The pc builds of the month have been around for well over 7 years, and we are still going strong, so here’s a big welcome to all you new gaming pc builders out there and all of you who keep returning.

2019 is off to a roaring start, as I can confidently say that every single build in this article is at the best possible price per performance value than it has been in a very long while. Last year was brutal in terms of graphics card, ram and power supply prices, and we are now seeing a normalcy to costs.

The $1500 gaming pc build still offers the solid power of the Ryzen 7 2700K CPU and is paired with the very new RTX 2070 graphics card. This build should rock the socks off pc games at resolutions of 2K into 4K. The RTX 2070 came out approximately 2 months ago and is quite affordable for a high-end graphics card outperforming a GTX 1080 (a previously high-performing graphics card in this range). If you want to get even more performance out of this build, then we have also included upgrades to an Intel i7 9700K cpu, or even an RTX 2080 – check out the hardware alternatives for this build below.

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.

Finally, the $700 gaming pc build has honestly never been this good — for January 2019 we have injected this budget build with some pure power. Included in the $700 build is a Ryzen 5 2600 cpu, and newly included is an RTX 580 graphics card, making this the most powerful $700 / high-end 1080p resolution pc build yet.

Happy new year and here’s to starting 2019 building the best possible gaming pc! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.


Bookmark our Best Gaming PC Builds for 2019 Page to Keep up to Date With the Monthly Gaming PC Builds, or subscribe here.


The 2019 High-End Gaming PC Build

The Best $1500 Gaming PC Build | January 2019

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

*This PC Build is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 2700K CPU and RTX 2070 GPU — Prefer to use an Intel i7 9700K? Then check out the hardware alternatives below.

  Hardware Link Price Image
Processor

AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Processor with Wraith Prism LED Cooler – YD270XBGAFBOX

$304.97 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X for budget $1500 gaming pc build
Cooler *Included: The cpu comes with a Wraith Prism RGB Cooler

Need more cooling? See the hardware alternatives table below.

-Included Wrath Prism RGB Cooler for Gaming PC Build
Motherboard GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING (AMD Ryzen AM4/ X470/ USB 3.1 Gen 2 Front Type C/ ATX/ DDR4/ Motherboard) $129.99 GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING for budget $1500 gaming pc build
Graphics Card RTX 2070 – EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 XC Gaming, 8GB GDDR6, Dual HDB Fans & RGB LED Graphics Card 08G-P4-2172-KR $529.99
RAM $119.99
SSD WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB PC SSD – SATA III 6 Gb/s, 2.5″/7mm – WDS100T2B0A $135.00
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 Corsair CC-9011101-WWCORSAIR Crystal 460X RGB Compact Mid-Tower Case, 3 RGB Fans, Tempered Glass – Black $109.99
Estimated Price : $1470 – (January 2019)

Overview | Best Gaming PC Build for $1500

January 2019 Update:  The $1500 gaming pc build still offers the solid power of the Ryzen 7 2700K CPU and is paired with the very new RTX 2070 graphics card. This build should rock the socks off pc games at resolutions of 2K into 4K. The RTX 2070 came out approximately 2 months ago and is quite affordable for a high-end graphics card outperforming a GTX 1080 (a previously high-performing graphics card in this range). If you want to get even more performance out of this build, then we have also included upgrades to an Intel i7 9700K cpu, or even an RTX 2080 – check out the hardware alternatives for this build below.

For the gaming processor this January, we have the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU, which comes with eight cores and 16 threads and comes with a decent Wraith Prism (with RGB lights) CPU cooler. And should you want to upgrade to something like a higher-performing liquid CPU cooler, you now have more funds to do so, which you could consider if you wanted to overclock the heck out of this thing.

The graphics card used is an RTX 2070 (an EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 XC Gaming 8GB GPU). This card outperforms a GTX 1080, which you can still purchase and is still a great card (so if you can find one cheaper you can still get yourself one and save a few bucks). The RTX 2070 utilizes GDDR6 memory, which is the new generation of memory and it does have a faster memory speed than either a GTX 1080 or 1080 Ti in some cases.

The motherboard included is an X470 chipset motherboard, the GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING mobo. Alternatively, if you have more moola to throw at a motherboard, you could consider the Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi instead, which is more pricey but has more features including built-in wifi and better audio. This motherboard basically has more than most gamers with probably utilize including (see the full list of features at gigabyte.com):

  • Chipset AMD X470
  • Form factor ATX
  • CPU support AMD Socket AM4
  • Memory support Dual-channel, four slots, max 64GB
  • Sound Eight-channel Realtek ALC 1220
  • Networking 1x Intel Gigabit Ethernet
  • Ports 1x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 32Gbps/SATA 6Gbps up to 22110, 1 x M.2 PCIe 2.0 x4 16Gbps up to 2280, 6 x SATA 6Gbps, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C header, 8 x USB 3.0 (4 via headers), 8 x USB 2.0 (4 via headers), 1 x LAN, audio out, line in, mic, Optical S/PDIF out
  • Dimensions (mm)305 x 244

Included in the high-end build is 16GB total in memory, a kit of two 8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000MHz RAM — which is plenty for this build and you always have the capacity to add more if need be in the future.

The storage included in this pc build is a 1TB Western Digital Blue 3D Nand SSD, which is an upgrade from the previous 500GB SSD included in this build. The Western Digital has sequential read speeds up to 560MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 530MB/s.

We have switched up the power supply in this build this month simply due to the previous version shooting up in prices. Included this month is the EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2, a gold rated power supply, did I mention that it’s fully modular, making this a clutter-free power supply.

There is a brand new pc case included this month — the Corsair Crystal 460X RGB Mid Tower case. This is a gorgeous two-panel tempered glass case with RGB lighting on the front fracing fans and direct Airflow cooling technology brought to you by Corsair. Learn more about the complete tech specifcations on the product page at corsair.com.

Upgrade Suggestions | Best $1500 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions 2019

  Hardware Link Price Image
Intel CPU + Motherboard + Cooler (Performance upgrade)

Intel Core i7-9700K

+

Asus ROG Strix Z390-H Gaming ASUS LGA1151

+

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

Simply substitute the $1500 pc build with the above hardware for an Intel build and better gaming performance.

$399.89 + $179.01 + $34.99

GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE

RTX 20180 GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 XC GAMING, 8GB GDDR6, Dual HDB Fans & RGB LED Graphics Card 08G-P4-2182-KR

$769.99
CPU COOLER UPGRADE 
Purchase a liquid CPU cooler: Corsair Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H100i
$138.89
STORAGE UPGRADE
PCIe SSD (faster): Samsung 970 PRO Series – 1TB PCIe NVMe – M.2 Internal SSD Black/Red (MZ-V7P1T0BW)
$347.99

The hardware upgrades you see above are recommendations for the best January 2019 gaming PC builds $1500 build. That is if you have more cash to spend or want upgrade ideas, here they are.

If you want a higher-performing cpu that will take you a bit further in pc games (in terms of frame rate performance), then you could consider upgrading to an Intel i7 9700K cpu. If you do want to go down this route, then you will also have to add in a CPU cooler and a compatible motherboard (such as those included in the table above).

If you are going to be serious about 4K resolution gaming, then you should seriously consider an RTX 2080 or 2080ti graphics card, such as the above EVGA GeForce RTX 2080. This may also be helpful with higher refresh rate monitors as well.

The above pc build does include a Solid State Drive (SSD), which is perfectly suited for most gamers and pc builders, 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 Samsung 970 Pro 1TB — one of the best PCIe solutions out there.

If you want more than the included air CPU cooler included in the main build, the above is the Corsair Hydro Series H100i liquid CPU cooler. This cooler would be a substitute for the stock AMD Wraith Prism CPU cooler, should you feel you need it.


The 2019 Mid-Range Gaming PC Build

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 1070Gigabyte 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

Intel i5 8600k for under $1000 gaming pc build 2018

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 Corsair Hydro Series H80i v2 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler for under $1000 gaming pc build 2018

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.


The 2019 ENTRY Gaming PC Build

The Best $700 Gaming PC Build | January 2019

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

  Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price: $686 (January 2019)
Processor
 
$154.99
Motherboard ASUS B450 AMD Ryzen 2 ATX Gaming Motherboard AM4 DDR4 HDMI DVI M.2 USB 3.1 Gen2 (Prime B450-Plus) $102.97
Graphics Card RTX 580 (8GB): XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX Edition 1386MHz OC+, 8GB GDDR5, VR Ready, Dual BIOS, 3xDP HDMI DVI, AMD Graphics Card (RX-580P8DFD6) $219.99
RAM Corsair LPX 8GB DDR4 DRAM 2133MHz C13 for DDR4 Systems 8 DDR4 2133 (PC4 17000) DDR4 2133 $62.99
SSD Kingston A400 SSD 240GB SATA 3 2.5” Solid State Drive SA400S37/240G – Increase Performance $39.99 Kingston Digital Inc 120GB $700 gaming pc build 2018
Power Supply Corsair CX Series, CX500, 500 Watt (500W) Power Supply, 80+ Bronze Certified $39.99 Corsair CX Series, CX500, 500 $700 gaming pc build 2018
Computer Case CORSAIR Carbide 275R Mid-Tower Gaming Case, Window Side Panel- White $64.99

Overview | Best Gaming PC Build for $700

January 2019 Updates: The $700 gaming pc build has honestly never been this good — for January 2019 we have injected this budget build with some pure power. Included in the $700 build is a Ryzen 5 2600 cpu, and newly included is an RTX 580 graphics card, making this the most powerful $700 / high-end 1080p resolution pc build yet.

The CPU this month is the Ryzen 5 2600 CPU is a superb value coming in with 6 CPU cores and 12 threads at 3.4Ghz. This is a solid gaming cpu that is priced really well.

The graphics card gets a major bump this month with the RTX 580 (8GB) (specifically the XFX Radeon RTX 580 GTS XXX). This card has so much potential when gaming at 1080p, and you should expect to max out most games at 1080p resolutions.

This months motherboard for the under $700 gaming pc build is a newer more compatible B450 board — the ASUS B450 Gaming (Prime B450-Plus motherboard. This motherboard has the following specifications (read the full specifications at asus.com):

  • AM4 socket: Ready for AMD Ryzen™ processors
  • Fast memory and storage: Dual-channel DDR4 3200MHz (OC) and NVM Express® RAID supported.
  • Aura Sync RGB: Synchronize LED lighting with a vast portfolio of compatible PC gear.
  • Gaming connectivity: Dual M.2 and USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A connectors.
  • Gaming networking: Intel Gigabit Ethernet, plus ASUS LANGuard and GameFirst technologies.
  • 5-Way Optimization: Automated system-wide tuning, providing overclocking and cooling profiles that are tailor-made for your rig.
  • Gaming audio: SupremeFX S1220A teams with Sonic Studio III to create an aural landscape that draws you deeper into the action.
  • Gamer’s Guardian: Pre-mounted I/O shield, ASUS SafeSlot and premium components for maximum endurance.

The RAM included is a kit of Corsair LPX 8Gb RAM (the same as in the $1000 pc build) 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 motherboard.

The storage included is a Kingston Digital 240GB solid state drive SSD. This is a great start in terms of storage speed and capacity, and is an increase in storage capacity compared to the $700 pc build in previous months. Should you want more storage space, check out the hardware alternatives below.

The included power supply unit in this pc build is the reputable and affordable Corsair CX Series, CX500, with enough juice to power this build and for a good cost.

The $700 gaming pc build PC case is the CORSAIR Carbide 275R mid-tower, and the one specifically featured is the white version (it also comes in black and a tampered glass version for a higher cost). This is a minimalistic case with plenty of features. Learn more and read the full list of specifications at CORSAIR.com.

Upgrade Suggestions | Best $700 PC Build 2019

  Hardware Link Price Image
CPU Upgrade  AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Processor with Wraith Spire Cooler – YD260XBCAFBOX $207.99
MOTHERBOARD Upgrade MSI X470GPLUS Performance GAMING AMD X470 Ryzen 2 (Recommended if you go with the Ryzen 5 2600X for smoother overclocking) $138.86
GPU Upgrade  GTX 1070Gigabyte GV-N1070G1 GAMING-8GD REV2.0 GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Computer Graphics Card $337.63
STORAGE UPGRADE WD Blue 3D NAND 500GB PC SSD $72.99

The above are upgrades to the $700 gaming pc build. That is if you have more to spend than the allotted $700 for this gaming pc build, these are some options for you to increase your overall gaming performance. There are some significant upgrades above including the CPU and graphics card – and even further, if you upgrade the CPU you could also upgrade the motherboard for an even more overclocking capability for even more of a performance boost for nothing.

The CPU upgrade suggested is an AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, this could be a slight upgrade in computing power and it overclocks quite nicely (in order to do so, please also upgrade the motherboard).

The motherboard upgrade suggestion is an AMD socketed X470 board — the MSI X470GPLUS Performance GAMING motherboard. This motherboard can further leverage the included Ryzen cpu by providing an easier overclocking experience.

If you are looking the simplest performance upgrade, then you could consider upgrading the graphics card to a GTX 1070, which are now much more affordable and are seriously powerful.

You could also increase your storage space by going with a larger capacity 500GB Western Digital 3D NAND SSD. This would be recommended if you think you will need more than 120GB as included in the SSD in the base build above.


Additional Gaming PC Components for January 2019

There are some additional PC components that you may or may not need for your gaming pc build, and below are some suggestions. Such as you may want to add WiFi functionality, which isn’t inherently included in the above builds, and you may not already have an operating system to install on your new pc.

More importantly, you will need to be able to actually interact with your PC, and to do so you will need the primary gaming PC peripherals, which are a monitor, mouse and keyboard.

Gaming PC Peripherals | How will you interact with your PC?

Below are some quick notes on how you can go about choosing the right gaming pc peripherals for your gaming pc build. Do note that included are limited options, but are definitely valid recommendations and examples of what you should be looking for.

Gaming Keyboards

You can use pretty much choose any keyboard you want, as these can sometimes be entirely preference based, however there are some things to consider for optimal gaming. Such as whether a keyboard is mechanical, or has the right look and feel you want (looking for some solid RGB lighting?).

Below are a couple of examples of some great gaming keyboards:

  Keyboard Link Price Image
Keyboard Example One Logitech G513 RGB Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Romer-G Linear Keyswitches (Carbon) $129.99
Keyboard Example Two HyperX Alloy Elite RGB – Mechanical Gaming Keyboard $139.99

Gaming PC Mice

Gaming mice are probably the easiest of the peripherals to purchase as it can really just boil down to preference and feel. You can look out for other quality indicators like Dots per inch (DPI), the higher being the more precise and most sensitive and other features like the ability to sign functions to buttons or change your DPI on the fly.

See below for a couple of gaming mice examples, the first is the Proteus, which I have loved for years and the second is a solid budget example.

  Mouse Link Price Image
Mouse Example One Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB $49.95
Mouse Example Two Logitech G300s Optical Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse $19.99

Gaming PC Monitor

The main thing to keep in mind is that when choosing the right monitor to take note of the resolution and the refresh rate, as these are important performance indicators. The higher the resolution and the higher the refresh rate will require higher-end gaming hardware.

For example: In the gaming pc builds of the month you could get something like a 1920×1080 resolution monitor at 60Hz for the $700 pc build. For the $1000 build you could get a 1920×1080 resolution monitor at 120hz, or a 2460×1440 resolution monitor at 60h. And for the $1500 gaming pc build, you could get a 2560×1440 resolution monitor at 120hz or a 4K resolution monitor at 60hz for the $1500 pc build.

One last thing to keep in mind is that monitors with G-Sync are best suited for builds using an NVIDIA graphics card and monitors with Freesync are best suited for monitors using AMD graphics cards.

Below you’ll find several examples of monitors of various resolutions and refresh rates:

  Monitor Link Price Image
Monitor (2560X1440 at 155Hz) Dell S2719DGF 2560 x 1440 Resolution with 16:9 Aspect Ratio, 1ms Response time $399.99
Monitor (2560X1440 at 60Hz – Widescreen) LG 25UM58-P 25-Inch 21:9 UltraWide IPS Monitor with Screen Split $176.98

Monitor (4K at 60Hz)

Acer Predator XB281HK bmiprz 28-inch UHD (3840×2160) NVIDIA G-SYNC $551.28
Monitor (1920×1080 at 75Hz) $129.99
Monitor (1920×1080 at 144Hz) ViewSonic XG2401 24 Inch 1080p 1ms 144 Hz Gaming Monitor with FreeSync $267

Operating System | What will you run Your Gaming PC Build With?

You will need an operating system (OS) for your gaming pc build. If you don’t already have one laying around, then you’re going to have to purchase a standard OS such as Windows 10 or check out some other free alternatives that you could consider. 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 and is open source. The last OS is SteamOS, which is also a Linux OS being developed by Valve Corporation.

  OS Link Price Image
Windows 10 Microsoft Windows 10 Home USB Flash Drive $109.99  Windows 10 for best gaming pc build 2018
Ubuntu (Linux OS) Ubuntu – Desktop Free (open source) Ubuntu Logo
SteamOS SteamOS – “Build your own Steam Machine” Free Steam Operating System OS

Network Card/USB | Add Wireless Internet to Your PC Build

Not all gaming pc motherboards have wifi, in fact not many do unless you are willing to purchase a more expensive board. So if you want wireless internet (wifi), then you will need to either purchase a wireless PCIe card or USB dongle. Whichever you choose is up to you, but essentially a wireless PCIe card plugs directly into your motherboard and usually has antennas that come out of the back of your PC case, and a USB dongle simply plugs directly into your PC case via a USB port.

Here are a couple examples:

  Link Price Image
PCIe Card TP-Link TL-WN881ND N300 PCI-E Wireless WiFi network Adapter card $17.99  TP-Link TL-WN881ND N300 for best gaming pc build 2018
USB Adapter Linksys AE1200 Wireless-N USB Adapter $14.99 Linksys AE1200 Wireless-N USB for best gaming pc build 2018

January 2019 Gaming PC Builds of the Month Overview Video

*Coming soon

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