Best $700 Gaming PC for 2020: VR-Ready 1080P-Killing Build

With a GTX 1660 Ti 6GB graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a Ryzen 5 processor, this $700 gaming PC build will handle any game you throw on it on higher settings.

Would you like to max out games on a 1080P monitor with no problems? Do you want a gaming PC that will give you the room to upgrade to a higher-end system that can handle higher-resolution gaming in the future? Do you want to get into virtual-reality gaming?

Well, for just $700 you can build the perfect mid-range gaming computer that will have no trouble playing games on a 1080P monitor, will meet the minimum requirements of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and that will give you the ability to easily upgrade to a system down the road that will be able to handle 1440P or 4K gaming.

And, for that matter, this system is powerful enough to run games on a 1440P monitor right now, as well as serve as an entry-level 4K gaming system.

In this guide, we’re going to give you a list of components that you can use to build a $700 gaming computer that can accomplish everything listed above. (We’ve also linked to a similarly priced pre-built desktop as well if you aren’t up for building a computer.)

For more affordable gaming PC builds at various price points, check out our Budget Gaming PC Build guide.

I. $700 Gaming PC Build Overview

In reality, this $700 build is very similar to our $600 PC build. The main difference between the two builds is that this $700 build comes with a higher-end graphics card (a GTX 1660 Ti vs an RX 590) and a semi-modular power supply.

The upgraded GPU will offer better overall performance and the modular power supply will help the build process go more smoothly.

Ultimately, this is a more powerful system than our $600 build. Along with the upgrade to a GTX 1660 Ti and the semi-modular power supply, this $700 gaming computer comes with a Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, 16GB of memory, a 480GB SSD, and a tempered glass mid tower case.

In terms of performance for this build, you can expect it to run any game on max settings at at least ~60 FPS or higher. For more demanding titles, like the Division 2 or PUBG, this build should deliver 60+ FPS on max settings. For non-demanding games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, League of Legends, and Rocket League, this build will easily be able to handle them on max settings and average over ~100+ FPS.

The specs in this system also make it a VR-ready PC build, too. So, if you want to pair it up with an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive you definitely do so.

The bottom line is that, if you’re looking for a powerful system to run all of your favorite games on higher settings, this $700 PC build will do the trick for you.

*NOTE: If you’re not up for building your own computer, click the “Shop Pre-Builts” button to see a similarly priced pre-built gaming computer.

Part List for $700 PC Build

CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 2600	VIEW
MOBO	MSI B450-A PRO	VIEW
GPU	ZOTAC GTX 1660 Ti	VIEW
RAM	Crucial Ballistix 16GB	VIEW
SSD	ADATA 480GB	VIEW
CASE	Cougar MX330-G	VIEW
PSU	Corsair CX 650M	VIEW
ODD	Install O.S. from USB
OS	Windows 10	VIEW

Grand Total: $670-$730

PRICE ON AMAZON »

SHOP PRE-BUILTS »

*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here to check current pricing.

**Price includes the components that make up the tower only. You’ll need an operating system and Windows 10 costs ~$100 for an activation key. However, you can still install Windows 10 for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it with no problems—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your desktop asking you to activate it.

Watch Me Build This PC

Benchmarks

II. $700 Gaming PC Build FAQ

The list above is our choice for the best gaming PC builder under $700. However, there are different routes you can go with this build. And, in fact, at the time of writing this guide, the list of parts in this build actually come in quite a bit lower than $700. So, there is flexibility in what you can do with this build and how you can maximize your budget. We’ll discuss all of the other options you have for this build below, as well as what kind of performance you can expect, how to avoid the high cost of buying Windows, and what upgrade paths this system will offer you.

1. How Will This $700 Gaming Computer Perform?

With a GTX 1660 Ti 6GB graphics card and a Ryzen 5 2600, this system will deliver optimal performance in most games on a 1080P monitor:

• For less-demanding games like Fortnite, Rocket League, League of Legends, expect ~100+ frames per second on max settings on a 1080P monitor
• For more demanding games like PUBG, The Division 2, The Witcher 3, etc. expect ~70+ FPS on high settings on a 1080P monitor

Unless you have a 4K monitor or a 1440P 144Hz monitor, you won’t have to worry about a having a low framerate with this build.

2. Why Doesn’t This Build Have an Intel CPU in it?

If you prefer Intel CPUs over AMD CPUs, you can definitely go that route with this build. We felt that, for the price, the Ryzen 5 2600 offered the best value. However, that doesn’t mean that it is the absolute best option for every individual with a $700 budget.

There are many reasons why you might want to consider an Intel CPU over the Ryzen 5 2600 that we have chosen for this build.

But, for our processor choice, the Ryzen 5 2600 offers better price for the performance than the Intel alternatives at similar (or lower) prices.

Of course, Intel’s more expensive options aren’t bad chocies. It’s just that with the money saved by choosing the Ryzen 5 2600 over the newest Intel Core i5 is that you can use that extra money to spend on your graphics card, which is where the real in-game performance gains come from. And, while a similarly priced option like the Intel Core i5-9400f isn’t that much more expensive, it still costs about ~$30 more, and it won’t let you overclock.

The Ryzen 5 2600 is also a good option for anyone who can utilize the extra cores in multi-threaded applications. (Streamers and content creators, programmers, designers, etc.)

*NOTE: While AMD has released their 3rd generation Ryzen processors and the Ryzen 5 3600 is an upgraded option over the Ryzen 5 2600, it comes in at a significantly higher price-tag than the Ryzen 5 2600. The difference in price would require us to downgrade the graphics card in this build and that would result in less overall in-game performance. There are also issues with budget-friendly B450 chipset motherboards working right out-of-the-box with AMD’s 3rd generation Ryzen CPUs, so you’d have to pair an R5 3600 with an X570 motherboard (which will cost you even more) to guarantee that they would work correctly without needing a BIOS update.

3. This Build Costs Well Under $700! What Should I Spend the Extra Money On?

In some instances, this build actually comes in at a price that is under $700. If that’s the case for you at the time you read this guide, you can either keep that extra money, or you can upgrade other components in this build.

That extra $50 could be put towards upgrading the graphics card. You could also spend more money to get a better computer case, or, if you want to future proof it and prepare it for a higher-end graphics card upgrade in the future, you could opt for a more powerful power supply.

Ultimately, though, prices do often fluctuate on any given day and so it is very possible that when you go to read this guide that the total price is actually closer to (or even over) $700.

4. Why Isn’t Windows 10 Included in the Price?

We leave the price of Windows 10 out of our builds because there are different ways to get an operating system for less than the $100 that Windows 10 costs. Not all of these methods are ideal, but we figured we’d let you decide which operating system and/or method for getting a copy of Windows is the best option for you. Here are three alternatives to paying ~$100 for a copy of Windows 10:

First, you could install a free Linux-based operating system. You won’t be able to play certain games that aren’t compatible with Linux, but you will save $100.

Second, you could buy a Windows 10 key from a third party marketplace for ~$30. I’ve had good success purchasing Windows keys from Kinguin.net in the past, but there is definitely some risk involved in purchasing a Windows license from a third party source, as it is not technically a method of purchasing Windows that is approved by Microsoft.

Finally, you could just install Windows 10 for free and not activate it. In my opinion, this is probably the best route to go if you’re working with a tight budget. The $100 that Windows 10 costs could be the difference between running your games at max settings and running them at medium-or-lower settings. Essentially, though, Microsoft allows anyone to install Windows onto their computer without forcing them to activate it. And, for the most part, you can still use Windows normally even when it’s not activated. The only thing you will lose out on is some customization options like setting a custom background for your desktop and you also won’t be able to access Microsoft for support (although this isn’t that big of a deal—I’ve used Windows-based systems for nearly 20 years and I’ve never once called Microsoft to ask them for help with Windows). But, I think in order to save $100, that is not a bad trade-off cost. And, at the very least, you could run the non-activated version of Windows for the time being until you can afford to purchase an activation key for it.

5. How (and When) to Upgrade This $700 Gaming PC

The cool thing about this $700 gaming computer build is that, if your main goal is to play games on higher settings on a 1080P monitor, you won’t need to upgrade its graphics card for a long time.

So, in my opinion, your best upgrade path for a system like this would be the following:

• Add more storage

This system comes with a 480GB SSSD. While that should be enough storage to hold you over for the time being, in this day and age, it probably won’t be enough for the majority of users over the long run. So, the first thing I’d do with this build is add another SSD. That can be another SATA SSD, or a newer and faster NVME SSD.

• Upgrade to a Ryzen 3000 processor

While the Ryzen 5 2600 processor will be fine for gaming in 2020 and beyond, AMD has just released their new Ryzen 3000 lineup of processors. After you’ve upgraded your graphics card, you could bump up your processor to a Ryzen 7 3700X or Ryzen 7 3800X processor for even more cores and CPU performance (note, though, that you’ll want to bump up to an X570 chipset to fully utilize the higher-end processor).

III. Peripherals & Accessories to Go With Your New $700 Gaming Computer

If you’re building a new system and you need a new monitor, keyboard, and/or mouse to go with it, in this section we’ve provided a few quick picks for you that are cost-effective and will pair well with our $700 PC build:

Gaming Monitor Pick

Acer XFA240

1080P 144Hz 1ms GTG 24″ Display

8.8/10

Check Price

BenQ GL2460HM

1080P 60Hz 2ms GTG 24″ Display

8.5/10

Check Price

See more affordable 144Hz gaming monitor options by following the link.

Gaming Keyboard Pick

Logitech G213

RGB 101-Key Membrane 6′ Cable

8.6/10

Check Price

Redragon K552 KUMARA

Red LED 87-Key Mechanical 6′ Cable

8.5/10

Check Price

Thermaltake Tt eSPORTS

3-Color LED 101-Key Membrane 6′ Cable

8.1/10

Check Price

Gaming Mouse Choices

Logitech G402

8 Buttons 4,000 DPI RGB Lights 6′ Cable

8.5/10

Check Price

Logitech G203

6 Buttons 6,000 DPI RGB Lights 6′ Cable

8.3/10

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Redragon M711

7 Buttons 10,000 DPI RGB Lights 6′ Cable

8.3/10

Check Price

Conclusion: For $700, You Get A VR-Ready Machine That Will Handle Any Game

If you’re a budget-oriented gamer that is in the market for a new gaming computer that can max out any game on a 1080P monitor, as well as run an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset, then this $700 gaming PC build is exactly what you need. It’s fairly inexpensive and it will easily handle modern games on higher settings. And, it meets the minimum requirements for both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.