Gaming PC Builds – March 2018
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March 2018 Gaming PC Builds of the Month
You are here because you are in search of the best possible gaming pc build for the cheapest cost possible. This is the monthly gaming pc build article for March 2018 here at Newb Computer Build, where you will find gaming pc builds for several budgets ($700 – $1000 – $1600) that serve several different performance capacity gaming pc’s.
If you have been keeping up-to-date once so ever with pc hardware lately, you may have noticed that high-end graphics cards are simply just not affordable or even in stock at the moment / and past several monthly moments. This dramatically effects the build a pc market since graphics card are one of the more pieces of hardware needed and given their limited availability means prices that are way higher than they should be.
So what can you do to affordably build a pc right now? Well You can try setting up price or stock alerts for higher end graphics cards, and one such tool to do this is with a tool such as nowinstock.net and set an alert for the card you’re interested in. You can also try buying directly from NVIDIA and have them alert you for some of the cards included in this article, such as with the GTX 1080 or GTX 1070 or 1070ti: Nvidia allows you to also set e-mail alerts.
Don’t let the lack of graphics card limit you though as they should come back into supply given a little time (a little more at least) and if you are building a budget pc build (like say the $700 build), you can get away without a graphics card for the moment as the integrated graphics isn’t bad as it can play 1080p games on lower quality.
If you have any questions about the pc you’re planning to build or to spark a conversation, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
Visit the Best Gaming PC Builds for 2018 Page to Keep up to Date With the Monthly Gaming PC Builds
$1600 Best Gaming PC Build 2018
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 Intel Coffee Lake i7-8700K CPU and GTX 1080 GPU
| Hardware Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | $338.99 |  |
|
| Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan | $29.99 |  |
| Motherboard | ASUS TUF Z370-PLUS GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 HDMI DVI M.2 Z370 ATX Motherboard | $129.99 |  |
| Graphics Card | From NVIDIA.com: GTX 1080
*Note: There is a current shortage of graphics cards, so if the card above is not available sign-up on that page to be notified when it is available.
|
$549.99 |  |
| RAM | $171.99 |  |
|
| SSD | SanDisk SSD PLUS 480GB Solid State Drive (SDSSDA-480G-G26) [Newest Version] | $124.65 |  |
| Power Supply | Corsair RMx Series, RM750x, 750W, Fully Modular Power Supply, 80 PLUS Gold Certified | $129.89 |  |
| Computer Case | NZXT S340 Mid Tower Computer Case, Glossy Black (CA-S340W-B1) | $69.99 |  |
| Estimated Price : | $1545 – (2018)
|
Overview: Best Gaming PC Build for $1600
March 2018 Update: Most of the hardware stays the same in the $1600 gaming pc build, some of the costs do change and you may need to set up alerts for GTX 1080 availability.
The high-end gaming pc build is for those who want to expose the limitless potential of their gaming rigs FPS — that is those gamers who want to game comfortably at 1440p on high refresh rates monitors while gaming at the highest settings. The included CPU is probably the biggest change as of a month ago as we have now included Intel Coffee Lake i7 8700K CPU.
The graphics card recommended for this gaming pc build is the GTX 1080, however due to recent supply, it may be tough to get this card at the moment. So looking at the pc build table above, you can try to procure this card directly from NVIDIA themselves or set up price alerts (NVIDIA has some on their site for each of their graphics cards). If you think you have a little extra to spend you could also consider the GTX 1080 ti graphics card as well, which would also give you more of a performance punch.
The motherboard we have for the high-end gaming pc build is the Asus TUF Z370-PLUS GAMING board, which is a solid Z370 motherboard with Aura Sync RGB lighting and at a reasonable price for these newer boards. The Z370-PLUS GAMING board has the following specifications (Learn more at Asus.com – Z370-PLUS GAMING):
- ASUS OptiMem: Careful routing of traces and vias to preserve signal integrity for improved memory overclocking
- Exclusive DTS Custom audio: Delivers positional cues to stereo headphones, helping you to pinpoint enemies and action
- TUF Protection: SafeSlot, ESD Guards, DDR4 overvoltage protection, Digi+ VRM, and stainless-steel back I/O for long-term reliability
- TUF Components: TUF LANGuard, TUF Chokes, TUF Capacitors, and TUF MOSFETs for maximum durability
- Fan Xpert 4 Core: Ensures every fan achieves the best balance of cooling performance and acoustics
- Onboard M.2 heatsink: Cools your M.2 drive, delivering consistent storage performance and enhanced reliability.
- Aura Sync RGB: Synchronize LED lighting with a vast portfolio of compatible PC gear.
Included in the high-end build is 16GB total in memory, a kit of two 8GB sticks of Ballistix Sport LT memory. RAM prices have been and are all over the place due to an assumed apply and demand issue. But we do have to accept this for now.
Our storage solution, is a SanDisk Plus 480 GB 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, for a bit of a premium (as shown in the hardware upgrades/alternatives below).
For months I have included the EVGA Supernova G2 750W psu, however due to a recent price surge with those PSUs I have switched to an equally reputable psu at a more affordable price. In ths above you build you will find the full modular, gold rated Corsair RMx series RM750x psu.
The included pc case the well reputed the NZXT S340 (specifically, the Matte Black — this case also comes in blue or red color options). I absolutely love the aesthetic of this case (and all the S340’s), one that just boasts confidence in style and quality. To learn more please visit the product page at NZXT.com.
2018 Best $1800 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions
| PSU UPGRADE | EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2, 80+ PLATINUM 750W , Fully Modular , EVGA ECO Mode, 10 Year Warranty , Includes FREE Power On Self Tester, Power Supply 220-P2-0750-X1 – Higher Efficiency Power Supply |
$178.19 |  |
| GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE | GTX 1080 Ti: Gigabyte AORUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Graphic Cards GV-N108TAORUS-11GD *For the best possible 4K gaming experience | $699.99 |  |
| CPU COOLER UPGRADE | Purchase a liquid CPU cooler (*Highly recommended for Overclocking the CPU to it’s potential): 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 |
$266.98 |  |
The hardware upgrades you see above are recommendations for the best 2018 $1600 gaming 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.
For those who are concerned about or want a highly efficient power supply, you could go with the Platinum rated EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2 — it costs more than the included psu but is more power efficient.
The above pc build does include an 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 Plextor 512Gb M.2 PCIe SSD above.
(*Highly recommended for high-end overclocks). If you want more than the included air cpu cooler included in the main build, then above 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 above is a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (you can purchase directly from nvidia.com), which perform really well for those high-end resolutions, and is said to have epic 4K performance (search benchmarks for specific games to see how it performs at the resolutions you want to play at).
$1000 Best Gaming PC Build 2018
Capability: Game with Extreme settings at 1920X1080 resolutions up to Higher Settings at 2560×1440 (2K)
Powered by the Intel i5 8600K and the GTX 1060 6Gb Graphics Card
| Hardware Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated Price: | $967 (2018) | ||
| Processor | Intel BX80684I58400 8th Gen Core i5-8400 Processor
|
$204.99 |  |
| Cooler | Included | ||
| Motherboard | $109.99 |  |
|
| Graphics Card
|
GTX 1060 6GB: GTX 1060 6GB From NVIDIA
*Note: There is a current shortage of graphics cards, so if the card above is not available sign-up on that page to be notified when it is available. or from Amazon (PNY GeForce GTX 1060 6GB XLR8 Gaming Overclocked Edition – $411) |
$299.99 |  |
| RAM | $94.99 |  |
|
| SSD | $87.38 |  |
|
| Power Supply | EVGA 650 GQ, 80+ GOLD 650W, Semi Modular, EVGA ECO Mode, 5 Year Warranty, Power Supply 210-GQ-0650-V1 | $99.89 |  |
| Computer Case | $69.99 |  |
Overview: $1000 Best Gaming PC Build 2018
March 2018 Update: The $1000 build now includes an Intel i5 8400 cpu along with a compatible Z370 motherboard. This replaces the previous AMD Ryzen cpu.
The best gaming pc build for $1000 is for those who want to game at high FPS with resolutions of 1080p to 1440p. This budge 2018t PC build that will probably cover most of any average gamers needs, those pc gamers who want an affordable pc that they get to custom build and play the most modern games at the highest settings on the most used gaming resolutions.
The included processor is an Intel i5 8400, which replaces the previous AMD Ryzen cpu that held this spot for the last little while. This is a great choice now as the cost for this cpu has come down a tad along with more budget conscious Z370 motherboards. 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.
As with every build right now, the graphics card is the tough piece of hardware to track down. Above you will notice that there is a GTX 1060 6GB included this month, and it is linked to nvidia.com directly. This is because most high-end graphics card are hard to get these days and Nvidia has a notification sign-up if their cards are out of stock, or the ability to purchase direct from them. Otherwise if you can find a GTX 1060 6GB graphics card for near the same cost on amazon, go for it!
The motherboard included in the $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 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 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 included is the affordable kit of Kingston HyperX Fury 8Gb kit, 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. RAM prices are a little unpredictable these days due to supply and demand issues (or so I’ve heard), so you can try to look for the best deal on a 8GB kit of 2X 4Gb sticks of ram and you will be fine.
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 was the EVGA SuperNOVA G1 650W power supply but for some reason the cost shot up this month. What we instead have for a psu this month is the EVGA 650 GQ, 80+ GOLD, which has a similar quality, however it is only semi-modular, which means some of the cords are permanently attached to the psu (rather than detachable). If you can find the EVGA G1 for a similar or lesser cost then my suggestion would be to go with that.
We have a brand new PC case this month, which is the Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 5 RGB. This spiffy case brings affordable style with customizable trim colors, great case cooling performance and plenty of room for all of your gaming pc hardware. Learn more about the Cooler Master Masterbox 5 RGB on the coolermaster.com website.
2018 Best $1000 PC Build Upgrade Suggestions
| CPU UPDGRADE | Add a Better CPU: Intel BX80684I58600K 8th Gen Core i5-8600K Processor | $239.99 |  |
| GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE | GTX 1070 Ti: GTX 1070 Ti Graphics Card (NVIDIA.com) | $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 | $129.99 |  |
| 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 experience. |
$94.99 |  |
Above are the upgrade ideas for the best 2018 $1000 gaming PC build, these are recommended if you have a larger budget or want some upgrade suggestions later on.
There is a CPU upgrade included this month to act as an upgrade to the above Intel i5 8400, with the upgraded cpu being the Intel i5 8600K. The 8600K gives you the potential to further overclock your cpu for a slightly higher cost.
For the best in terms of a performance boost, you could consider going straight for a GTX 1070 or GTX 1070 ti graphics card, which could max those games out in 2K without a problem, which will enable higher frame rates in more demanding games.
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 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.
$700 Best Gaming PC Build 2018
Capability: Game at Smoothly with High settings and FPS at 1920X1080 resolutions in most games.
| Hardware Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated Price: | $700.84 (2018) | ||
| Processor |
AMD Ryzen 5 1400 Processor with Wraith Spire Cooler (Comes with Wraith Spire CPU Cooler) |
$154.99 |  |
| Motherboard | GIGABYTE GA-AB350-Gaming AMD RYZEN AM4 B350 SMART FAN 5 HDMI M.2 SATA USB 3.1 Type-A ATX DDR4 Motherboard | $94.89 |  |
| Graphics Card | GTX 1050 Ti: PNY GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Graphics Card (VCGGTX10504PB) | $209.99 |  |
| RAM | Kingston HyperX FURY Black 8GB Kit (2x4GB) 2133MHz DDR4 Non-ECC CL14 DIMM Desktop Memory (HX421C14FBK2/8) | $94.99 | |
| SSD | Kingston Digital, Inc. 120GB A400 SATA 3 2.5 Solid State Drive | $49.99 |  |
| Power Supply | Corsair CX Series, CX500, 500 Watt (500W) Power Supply, 80+ Bronze Certified | $44.99 |  |
| Computer Case | VIVO ATX Mid Tower Computer Gaming PC Case w/ Glass Window, 4 Fan Ports, USB 3.0 (CASE-V10G)BitFenix Computer Case Cases BFC-NEO-100-KKWSK-RP Black | $51.99 |  |
Overview: Gaming PC Build 2018
March 2018 Updates: The graphics card changed to a different GTX 1050 Ti 4GB card.
The best $700 gaming PC build for 2018 is able to game smoothly at 1080p resolutions in most games on higher 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. Plus this is a great build to consider if you are new to the pc building community. *Please note that the entry level gaming pc build slot used to be considered a $600 build, however to keep up with price fluctuations and providing performance expected out of a gaming pc, the budget had to increase a little.
The CPU for the 2018 $700 PC build to a Ryzen 5 1400. This is currently the best cost per performance solution for this budget and if you want a cpu upgrade you can get a Ryzen 5 1600 for about $30 more.
As mentioned earlier, graphics cards are at an extremely low supply right now, so do try and shop around if you have trouble finding the one linked in the table above. For the graphics card we have a GTX 1050 Ti graphics card. This is a great gpu that provides you with good 1080p game play. If you need to further boost your graphics performance, check out the alternatives tables below where we include an AMD RX 580 4GB graphics card, likewise you could also get a GTX 1060 3Gb card if you don’t have as much to spend.
For the motherboard we had to include a new one to accommodate the inclusion of our Ryzen CPU, so this month we have gone with the plain GIGABYTE GA-AB350-Gaming. This motherboard is a variant of the one included in the $1000 pc build above and has the following specification (Gigabyte.com):
- 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 included is a kit of Kingsten HyperX Fury (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 120GB solid state drive SSD. This is a great start in terms of storage speed and capacity, however if you do think you’ll need more storage right away, you could consider a 256Gb or larger SSD as well (look at any of the builds in this article or in the hardware alternatives table for suggestions).
To actually provided power in this pc build, we have the reputable and affordable Corsair CX Series, CX500, with enough juice to power this build and for a good cost.
For the gaming PC case we have a brand new budget case that was just released, the VIVO V10G. This is a surprisingly great value new case that has three blue 120mm LED fans. Learn more about this case’s specifications on VIVO’s website:
- ATX Mid-Tower
- Supports ATX, Micro ATX, and Mini ITX motherboards
- Color – Matte black with tented tempered glass front and side (full black interior)
- SPCC 0.5T steel with plastic front bezel, tempered glass front and left side panels
- Top mounted ATX power supply (not included)
2018 $600 Best PC Build Upgrade Suggestions
| CASE UPGRADE | Upgrade your case: BitFenix Enso Black, ATX/mATX/Mini ITX Mid Tower Case – Tempered Glass Window, Alchemy 3.0 Addressable Asus AURA SYNC RGB LED Design with Controller -BFC-ENS-150-KKWGK-RP | $79.00 |  |
| GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE | GTX 1060 6GB: GTX 1060 6GB From NVIDIA | $299.99 | |
| CPU UPGRADE | AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | $189.00 |  |
| STORAGE UPGRADE | SK Hynix Flash Memory 2.5″ 250 GB Internal Solid State Drives HFS250G32TND-N1A2A |
$87.36 | |
Here you will find upgrade suggestions should you have more to spend or want ideas for hardware upgrade when you have the need in the future for the best 2018 $600 gaming PC build.
If you are wanting a different style to your pc case we have included yet another newly released PC case, the BitFenix Enso. This case can be a worthy upgrade that has RGB lighting functionality, a windowed side the view your superb hardware and it is painted black inside and out.
If you are looking for one piece of hardware that will boost the speed of your gaming pc the most, it would be to upgrade your graphics card to a GTX 1060. Do note that at the time of writing this article you do have to head on over to nvidia.com to get your hands on one.
You could also increase your storage space by going with a larger capacity SK HYNIX 256Gb SSD or even the 500GB one. This would be recommended if you think you will need more than 120GB as included in the SSD in the base build above.
Operating Systems for Your 2018 Gaming PC Builds
You will need an operating system (OS) for your gaming pc build and 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 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. 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. |
$99.99 |  |
| Ubuntu | Ubuntu – Desktop | Free |  |
| SteamOS | SteamOS – “Build your own Steam Machine” | Free |  |
Comments 5
Never built a pc before. All i want is a good PC to play games on and I want to get a good keyboard, mouse and monitor that go well with the PC. Say i were to buy all the parts for the $1000 PC build from amazon. Where do I go from there as far as putting it together and picking out the keyboard, mouse and monitor? Thanks
Putting it together is easy. Just look up guides on the internet, there are probably way better ones nowadays than there were back when I first learned how to build PCs. I mean heck, you have YouTube now, there are surely tons of great video guides on there. For keyboard mouse and monitor, just pick whatever you want mate, and whatever you can afford.
Author
Hi Teddy,
Glad to hear you’re into putting together a PC! Mavis is correct, there are a ton of resources through YouTube that can help you piece it together, but honestly it really isn’t too difficult and you’ll get the hang of it no problem. As for a keyboard, mouse and monitor it all really depends on budget. Even though the following article is posted late 2017, it can probably give you a general idea on what you can get: https://newbcomputerbuild.com/gaming-pc-peripherals-2017/best-gaming-pc-mice-keyboards-monitors-september-2017/
For the $1000 build I would get either the mid rand or budget monitor in the linked article, the difference being the potential refresh rate. Mouse and keyboard can really be to each their own, but these days I’ve been using the Logitech G502 mouse and a small Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire (love it!).
Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi Corey, would you recommend any bluetooth or wifi devices ?
Author
Hi Nick,
For bluetooth, all you need its cheap USB type solution, so if you were on amazon just search for “bluetooth usb adapter” and chose one that’s around $7-12 and you’ll be fine. For WiFi, I’m a fan of the pci-e type wifi adapter, only because they are a little more discrete than USB solutions (but either is fine). Something affordable like a TP-Link N300 would do just fine.