Finding a great balance between price and performance on a scant budget of $700 is a daunting challenge.
With a $700 budget, you can get a decent prebuilt gaming PC if you look hard enough, but you also have to remember that you’re looking at either getting a decent CPU or GPU with that budget—not both.
Of course, you can maximize the performance your budget affords you by building your own PC. But if you’re set on finding a prebuilt PC, then take a look at some of the great prebuilt gaming PCs we’ve found under $700.
Best Prebuilt PCs Under $700
2. MXZ Gaming Desktop (Intel-Based)
3. iBUYPOWER Slate5MR 254i (AMD-Based)
4. CUK Stratos Micro (Integrated Graphics)
Quick Look: Best Prebuilt PCs Under $700
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NAME | SPECS | RATING | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
TOP PICK
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HP Pavilion |
|
/10 |
|
|
INTEL
|
MXZ Gaming Desktop |
|
/10 |
|
|
AMD
|
iBUYPOWER Slate5MR 254i |
|
/10 |
|
|
APU
|
CUK Stratos Micro |
|
/10 |
|
*For more information on the prebuilt gaming PCs above, click the “Read Review »” link and you will skip to our overview of that PC. To see our Honorable Mention picks, keep scrolling down.
1. HP Pavilion
Best prebuilt gaming PC under $700
Having a $700 budget, you can get a decent budget prebuilt gaming PC capable of playing most games at a good frame rate. Case in point: the HP Pavilion TG01-1120.
This machine comes with an Intel Core i5-10400F and a GTX 1650, making it a capable budget gaming rig. It can easily run games like Fortnite and Call of Duty without issue, and is a great starter PC if you’re looking for a modern budget machine capable of achieving good frame rates in most games at 1080p.
At under $700, it isn’t explicitly the best buy based on specs alone. It could use a little more RAM and extra storage. But given that not only is it comparable to other similarly-priced PCs, but it’s also available from a reputable brand, with HP being one of the major players in the computer hardware industry.
2. MXZ Gaming Desktop
The best Intel-based prebuilt PC under $700
If you want a PC with a little more oomph than the HP Pavilion, then you might want the MXZ Gaming Desktop PC.
Coming with a 12th-gen Intel Core processor, the i3-12100F—which boosts up to an impressive 4.3GHz—and the GTX 1650, this machine is guaranteed to hit high frame rates in most games at 1080p on high settings. It also comes with faster RAM than most systems at this price point, with 8GB of 3200MHz DDR4 RAM, and a 500GB NVMe SSD.
Also Read: The Best SSDs for Gaming Right Now
All of this makes it a very capable budget gaming PC. While it could benefit from an extra stick of RAM and a large hard drive for games storage, at under $700, it’s a great starter PC that offers plenty of room for upgrades down the line, making it a great choice.
3. iBUYPOWER Slate5MR 254i
The AMD prebuilt gaming PC under $700
If you’re more of an AMD enthusiast, and you want a good gaming PC on a relatively tight budget, then you might consider the iBUYPOWER Slate5MR 254i.
The system comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPU, and pairs it with an RX 6500 XT graphics card, making for a smooth 60FPS gaming experience in most modern titles at 1080p low settings. It also only comes with 8GB of rather slow memory, clocked at 2666MHz, and a 480GB SSD.
Also Read: 8GB vs 16GB of RAM: How Much Should You Get?
But what makes this PC great is the upgradability it offers. Not only can you upgrade or add in the common parts (GPU, RAM, and storage), but you can even upgrade the CPU for much better alternatives, with compatibility spanning up to the Ryzen 5000 series CPUs.
This makes it a great PC to get you gaming out of the box, but also to allow you to ease into upgrading in the future. That alone makes this an excellent choice, whether you’re a fan of AMD, or you’re willing to upgrade it later and take the plunge into learning more about PC hardware.
4. CUK Stratos Micro
The best integrated graphics option
In finding the best prebuilt gaming PC under $700, it’s become abundantly clear that your choices either give you a great CPU with an alright GPU, or vice versa. Here to continue the trend is the CUK Stratos Micro, which forgoes the GPU altogether for a superior processor, RAM, and SSD.
This PC comes with a Ryzen 5600G, one of the Ryzen 5000-series chips that features integrated RX Vega 7 graphics.
Along with the 16GB of RAM, it’s a decently proficient budget gaming APU, capable of hitting 30-60 FPS in most games. However, while you can game straight out of the box, this PC offers a couple distinct advantages.
Also Read: APU vs CPU: Which Processor Type is Better for Gaming?
First, you can play with overclocking and undervolting to achieve better performance, thanks to AMD’s agnostic approach in supporting overclocking (unlike Intel). And with a pretty decent CPU, you can easily slap in a GPU yourself. This requires extra budget, but with the Vega 7 graphics offering decent performance, you’ll have time to save, and can really bring the value of this build up by adding a decent budget GPU to it without spending a ton.
5. Airtech Kronos II
Honorable Mention #1
Another great budget gaming rig, the Airtech Kronos II is a sleek black gaming machine that offers a bit of everything, making it a great budget-oriented gaming PC.
At its price, it offers a lot in terms of gaming performance, thanks to the inclusion of the Intel Core i3-10100F and AMD RX 580. With this combination, you can easily play most games, such as GTA V, Fortnite, and Apex Legends, at 1080p on medium to high settings with good frame rates.
The machine also offers plenty of fast RAM, with 16GB of 3200MHz RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD, which is enough to get started with gaming. Along with the built-in AC Wi-Fi and Windows 10, it’s a great starter PC for gaming on a budget.
6. Skytech Archangel 3.0
Honorable mention #2
If you’re looking for a sleek white gaming PC that blends modesty and performance, then you’ll definitely want to consider the Skytech Archangel 3.0. This stylish RGB machine looks great, fitting well with the minimalist aesthetic while adding a bit of colorful flair. And it performs as well as it looks.
With a Ryzen 5 3600 and an Nvidia GTX 1650, the Archangel 3.0 is a solid performer in games, able to play most games at a high frame rate at 1080p. To go along with the solid CPU/GPU combo, it’s also paired with a 500GB SSD and 8GB of 3200MHz RAM, with the faster RAM helping the Ryzen processor to perform better.
It could use another stick of memory and extra storage for larger game libraries. But given its budget price tag, it’s a good starter computer for anyone looking to get a machine capable of gaming straight out of the box.
A Modest Budget Gaming Experience
With a $700 budget, you can get a modestly economic gaming PC. If you’re absolutely set on getting the best performance from your budget, you should consider building the PC yourself, as it can not only save you money, but allow you to get the most for your money.
Also Read: How to Build A Gaming PC (Step-By-Step Guide)
But if you’d rather buy a prebuilt gaming PC, just remember that you can always add on to your PC later on to help increase performance. Some of the PCs we listed are great machines if you want to game now and upgrade later.