August 2016 $1300 Budget Gaming PC Build of the Month

$1300 August 2016 PC Build (1440P – 4K Performance)

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August 2016 $1300 Budget Gaming PC Build of the Month

Introducing the $1300 Gaming PC Build for August 2016

The third gaming pc build instalment for August 2016 is here – welcome the $1300 August 2016 gaming pc build of the month.

If you have been keeping up with this months builds, then you know that unlike the usual monthly build articles, this month I have split them into three separate articles. For those of you that are here for the first time though, this build is meant for those who are looking to game at the higher of resolutions and are wanting great performance anywhere from 1440p into 4K no problem at all. If you are not needing to or looking to game at these higher resolutions, then you can still save money on you budget build by checking out this months $1000 gaming pc build or $600 gaming pc build.

 

What so very exciting about these latest builds is the inclusion of the new very well performing graphics cards from NVIDIA. Included in this build is a GTX 1070, which you can expect fantastic frame rates at 1440p / 2K resolutions should you have a compatible monitor and even good frame rates into 4K in some games – if you want to push this even further then you could consider a GTX 1080 graphics card included in the alternatives section at the end of this article.

If you have any questions or comments on this build or a build you are considering, please feel free to leave a comment below and until next month, best of luck building!

Extreme 2016 Gaming PC Build

August 2016 PC Build (1440p to 4K) – $1300

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

Hardware Link Price Image
Estimated Price : $1269.35 (August 2016)
Processor Intel Boxed Core I5-6600K 3.50 GHz, 6 M Processor Cache 6 for LGA 1151 (BX80662I56600K) $219.99
Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2) $33.88
Motherboard MSI Performance Gaming Intel Z170A LGA 1151 DDR4 USB 3.1 ATX Motherboard (Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon) $159.99
Graphics Card

ASUS GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Turbo Edition 4K & VR Ready (*Newer Graphics card, see alternatives section below for GTX 1080 option as well)

$409.99
RAM $73.99
SSD Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E500B/AM) $158.55
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2 80+ PLATINUM, 750W ECO Mode Fully Modular NVIDIA SLI and Crossfire Ready 10 Year Warranty Power Supply $114.97
Computer Case Fractal Design Define S Gaming Case with Window FD-CA-DEF-S-BK-W $89.10
Optical Drive No optical drive included in base build cost – *This should be considered optional

Overview: Gaming PC Build ( $1500 )

The Extreme Gaming PC build has evolved over the last few months and in a super awesome way. Since NVIDIA released their new cards, prices have fluctated and have allowed us to pack so much more gaming performance into our builds at even more affordable costs for the overall build. For example, only a few months ago we were expecting lower gaming performance for around $1500 and it is now around $1300 for even more gaming potential.

This $1300 August 2016 gaming pc build is for those who want to game smoothly in most games at monitor resolutions of anywhere from 1440p (2K) all the way into 4K. Also if you look a little further below there are hardware upgrades for this build that all increase performance a step further.

For the CPU, we have an Intel i5 6600K cpu and paired with it is a Cooler Master Hyper 212 cpu cooler. With the affordable Hyper 212, you should be able to overclocking the 6600K processor with no problems at all.

As you have probably heard of over and over about how fantastic this graphics card is, included is an Asus GTX 1070. This graphics card has so much potential and bang for your buck that you won’t regret including it as your main performance driver in this build for gaming. To give you an idea of some benchmarks of the GTX 1070 you can check out any of these fantastic reviews: Guru3DThe TechReport  – TomsHardware

For a motherboard we have the MSI Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard that includes everything you need with a few neat additions like Mystic Lighting, Gaming LAN and more. See the motherboard specifications below or learn more at MSI.com.

  • Socket1151
  • CPU (Max Support)i7
  • Chipset Intel® Z170 Chipset
  • Memory Channel Dual
  • DIMM Slots 4
  • Max Memory (GB) 64
  • PCI-Ex16 3
  • PCI-E Gen Gen3
  • PCI-Ex1 4
  • RAID 0/1/5/10
  • LAN 10/100/1000*1
  • TPM 1
  • USB 2.0 ports (Rear) 4
  • Audio ports (Rear) Realtek® ALC1150 Codec
  • HDMI 1
  • DVI 1
  • DirectX DX12
  • Form Factor ATX
  • SLI Y
  • CrossFire Y

For the included RAM, we have 16GB (two 8GB sticks) with the included Ballistix Sport LT memory kit, which is plenty enough memory for most of any gaming pc builds.

The included storage is a Samsung 850 EVO 500GB Solid State Drive “SSD”, which will perform much better helping with those load / boot times and reading speeds. This is a major bump in solid state storage as the builds budget now allows for this (as previously only 256GB SSD was included in this build). If you want an even greater boost in read / write speeds check out the Storage Upgrade solution in the hardware upgrades below for this pc build, as included there is an even faster PCIe SSD option.

For a power supply unit, we now have a higher efficiency EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2 80+ PLATINUM instead of the previous EVGA 750W G2, and it is currently listed at the same price, which made it a no brainer to include instead – should the Platinum P2 go up in price, you will still be fine going with the previous EVGA 750W G2.

The case included in the August 2016 Extreme PC build (for another month) is the Fractal Design Define S. This is a reputable, quality, sound dampening, modernistic pc case well worth the purchase. The key features as laid out by fractal-design.com for the Define S case are –

  • Optimally designed for silent computing, while not compromising on airflow and cooling capabilities
  • Innovative internal layout, providing a perfectly straight airflow path to the CPU heatsink for air cooling set ups or extensive radiator mounting possibilities for water cooling set ups
  • Extensive water cooling support for a case of this size; housing radiators up to 420mm in the top and 360mm in the front
  • Including smart reservoir brackets; featuring drill-free reservoir mounting on the front of the motherboard tray and pre-drilled pump mounting holes on the bottom panel
  • Equipped with ModuVent™ fan slot covers providing the option of additional cooling or maximum sound absorption
  • Including two Fractal Design Dynamic GP14 140mm fans developed for superlative airflow while still maintaining low noise levels
  • Maintaining a dust-free interior with dust filters that cover the front and bottom air intakes
  • Introducing newly designed hard drive trays placed vertically behind the front partition of the motherboard tray; Three sturdy steel trays with vibration-dampening grommets allowing for installation of one 3.5″ or 2.5″ drive on each tray, without disrupting the airflow or interfering with the radiator mounting possibilities
  • An additional 2 dedicated steel SSD trays cleanly placed behind the motherboard tray
  • Long motherboard tray extending to the front panel contributing to an extremely clean build, hiding both hard drives and cables
  • Define S model is also available with a large window on the side panel

If you still want to learn a tad more about this case, then check out the Fractal Design Define S Review by HardwareCanucks in this video:

August 2016 (1440p to 4K) PC Build Upgrade Suggestions – ($2000 if all upgrades were included)

The hardware upgrades you see here are recommendations for the above 1440p – 4K PC build for August 2016. 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. Should you purchase all of the hardware upgrades instead of the alternatives already in the main build, then this becomes a $2000 gaming pc build (or less).

You can get an Intel i7 6700K cpu if you do things like video work, graphics work etc. since this isn’t really needed for pure gaming – plus this cpu is much cheaper than it used to be. This could also be a worthy upgrade for those wanting to further “future-proof” their high-end build.

The above gaming pc build includes a Samsung EVO 500GB SSD for storage, which is perfectly suited for most gamers, although below is a faster Samsung 950 PRO PCIe SSD, which has faster read / write times and also 500GB of storage.

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 (learn more at corsair.com).

For a huge bump in gaming performance and graphics potential there is the brand new GTX 1080 graphics card included as an alternative option to the GTX 1070 included in the main build for August 2016. The cost of this card is finally starting to come down, so it’s definitely a better time to purchase.

BUILD COST WITH ALL BELOW UPGRADES: $2000

CPU UPGRADE

Intel Boxed Core I7-6700K 4.00 GHz 8M Processor Cache 4 LGA 1151 BX80662I76700K ($345.99) – Do more then gaming? Then perhaps an Intel i7 might be the right choice ($319.99)

GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition –  ($729.99)

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 ($104.99)

STORAGE UPGRADE

PCIe SSD: Samsung 950 PRO Series – 512GB PCIe NVMe – M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V5P512BW) ($327.99)

Comments 13

  1. Hello Corey,

    I’m a computer builder rookie.

    1. I intend to play World of Warcraft in a raid environment. Do you think this computer would be able to handle this type of game without FPS drop on the highest settings.

    2. I’d also be interested in a duel monitor system. Would playing World of Warcraft and watching Youtube be viable on this build.

    Here’s a link the the current build, it’s your set up with two of the optional upgrades. http://pcpartpicker.com/list/YNrwcc

    If you think this build works do you have any monitor recommendations.

    Thanks,
    Tim

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Tim, with that build and the 1070 you would be smooth sailing in Word of Warcraft. This would be either at 1080p or 1440p. From the July edition of the peripherals of the month I posted, a couple of good monitors could be either: Acer Predator XB271HU bmiprz (1440p 144hz) or the LG Electronics Gaming 24GM77 (1080p 144hz). I hope this helps!

  2. Hi Corey I am a first time pc builder and completely lost. Should I go with the June high end build or August high end build . I like the June case and would probably want to put the parts in that case but don’t know what parts to pick. And which ever one is better ( August or June Build) what upgrades would you most recommend. PLEASE HELP. thanks

    1. Never mind I can see that the august build is better, my only other questions is that which case would be better the high end june or august and for upgrades for the build. I am a gamer and would the i7 be worth it and would liquid cool be a good option rather than air. Thanks and I am probably getting the august build. budget is $1500

      1. Post
        Author

        Hi Jacob,

        No problem! They are both great cases, the Silverstone is a tad larger but also a different design. I wouldn’t necessarily say one is better than another and both are just as compatible. What I would do is youtube some videos on each and see which looks better visually to you. An i7 probably isn’t worth it for most gaming, so I would say you are fine just going with the i5 and if you want to go with an air cooler that’s a little cheaper you can consider the Corsair Hydro Series H80i GT, which is a little cheaper and will still do the trick.

        Let me know if you have any further questions!

        1. Processor: Intel Boxed Core I7-6700K 4.00 GHz 8M Processor Cache 4 LGA 1151 BX80662I76700K

          Cooler::Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler CW-9060025-WW

          Motherboard: MSI Performance Gaming Intel Z170A LGA 1151 DDR4 USB 3.1 ATX Motherboard (Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon)

          Graphics Card: ASUS Geforce GTX 1070 8GB Turbo Edition 4K and VR Ready

          Ram: Ballistix Sport LT 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) DIMM 288-Pin – BLS2K8G4D240FSE

          SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E500B/AM)

          Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2 80+ PLATINUM, 750W ECO Mode Fully Modular NVIDIA SLI and Crossfire Ready 10 Year Warranty Power Supply

          Computer Case: Fractal Design R5 black window

          Keyboard: Logitech RGB G810 Orion Spectrum

          Mouse: Razer Mamba tournament edition

          Pad: Razer firefly

          This is my final build i started ordering the parts i’m pretty sure i’m gonna have a great experience with it and with the power supply will it be able to handle all the power. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP ON MY FIRST PC BUILD

          1. Post
            Author

            Hi Jacob, the build looks very awesome! And you bet that power supply will be perfectly fine for all of that power 🙂 No problem and best of luck I hope the building process goes smoothly.

  3. Awesome, it looks like I’m going to be pulling the triger this month. Question tho, the previous build you had the ZOTAC GTX 1070 and in August you changed it to ASUS. I’m really confused with all these manfacturer making the same cards.. What made you change the Video card to ASUS? What make a GTX 1070 better than another GTX 1070 from different manufacturer?

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Rolando,

      Mostly due to cost to be honest, most different manufacturers differ in terms of how they cool the cards, display ports, design, and sometime how much they are overclocked stock. The difference between those two are the clock rates, but those can always be overclocked / also the Asus one is quite a bit cheaper at the moment.

  4. Hey Corey,

    I finally pulled the trigger and ordered my parts for the high end build. I went with most of your upgrade suggestions – I want to future-guard, and money isn’t too much of an issue, within reason – I doubled the RAM to 2×16, and got the 1 TB option on the SDD you put in the general build. The only part that is making me leery is the motherboard. The reviews on Amazon are okish, but they are decidely mixed on Newegg. I went with it, but now I’m of course second guessing it. Are MB just a part that often fails – the one you list has far more reviews than any other I saw listed, too? Thanks again for your great work on the site.

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Matt,

      Awesome stuff going with the high-end build! As per your question on the motherboard, they generally don’t often fail / or if anymore than any other piece of pc hardware. Sometimes hardware can malfunction upon delivery )not often) and in that case the manufacturers generally have an RMA process (or return policy) where you can return it for a new one relatively easy, so I wouldn’t worry about that. The board provided is a good board that I chose because essentially it has more than most need in terms of features (especially gamers), also there are tons of positive reivews out there as well to put yourself at ease. For example: http://www.guru3d.com / pcpartpicker / http://www.overclockers.com

      I hope your build goes well and let me know how it goes!

      1. Hey Corey,

        My rig is up and running, it works great! I am running games my old rig struggled through on max settings – living the dream. I only had difficulty in assembly with the water cooler, it wasn’t sitting right the first time I installed it, and I was seeing some high temps until I was able to readjust and reapply the paste. Temps are happily all under control now. Thank you for all of your help – I am loving my new rig!

        1. Post
          Author

          Hi Matt,

          Super to hear that you got the build up, running and functioning as it should. Yeah sometimes the coolers can be a pain as they are made for so many different cpu socket types, but glad you figured it out, it’s all in the process! I hope you enjoy playing games on much more appealing settings now 🙂

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