Best Gaming PC Build Under $700 (2026): New and Used Options

A $700 gaming PC was easy two years ago. In late 2026 it takes more care: graphics cards sell far above their launch prices, and RAM and SSDs cost much more than before. It is still possible to build a PC that plays new games at 1080p, if you choose the platform and the graphics card well. Here are two builds under $700, one with only new parts and one that uses a used graphics card for more FPS.

Quick answer: for about $690, pair a Ryzen 5 5500 with an Intel Arc A750 (new), 16 GB of DDR4-3200, an A520 or B550 motherboard, a 512 GB NVMe SSD and a 550 W power supply. It plays new games at 1080p Medium to High. For more FPS at the same price, swap the Arc A750 for a used Radeon RX 6650 XT (~$230), about 12% faster on our scale.

Why $700 builds look different in 2026

• New budget graphics cards left the $300 range. The RTX 5060 sells for about $470 and the RTX 5050 for over $400, so a $700 build can't use them. Our guide Best Graphics Card Under $300 explains what you can still buy.
• RAM and SSDs got expensive. A 16 GB DDR4-3200 kit costs over $100 and DDR5 kits more than twice that. That is why both builds use AM4 with DDR4, the cheapest platform that still games well.
• The graphics card gets the biggest share of the budget, about a third. It adds more FPS than any other part.

Build 1: all new parts (~$690)

Part	Pick	Typical price
Processor	AMD Ryzen 5 5500 (6 cores, cooler included)	~$90
Graphics card	Intel Arc A750 8 GB	~$223
Motherboard	AMD A520 or B550 board (AM4)	~$80–100
Memory	16 GB (2 × 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16	~$110–124
Storage	512 GB NVMe SSD	~$60–90
Power supply	550 W, 80 Plus Bronze, known brand	~$50
Case	Airflow case with at least two fans	~$50
Total		~$690 (A520 board, cheaper RAM and SSD)

Typical US prices in late October and early November 2026. Prices change every week, so check before you buy. Windows is not included.

Why these parts:

• Arc A750: as fast as an RTX 3060 on our scale, for the price of a budget card, with 8 GB of video memory and Intel's XeSS upscaling. It is the best new graphics card we found at this price.
• Ryzen 5 5500: six cores, twelve threads and a cooler in the box for about $90. It keeps up with this graphics card in single-player games.
• A520 or B550: both work. B550 boards have better power delivery and more USB ports; A520 is the cheapest way to get a decent board. Look for one with Wi-Fi if you can't run a cable.
• Two sticks of RAM: two sticks run in dual channel, which matters a lot for FPS. Turn on XMP / DOCP in the BIOS so the memory runs at 3200 MHz.

Important for the Arc A750: turn on Resizable BAR (sometimes called "Smart Access Memory" or "Re-Size BAR Support") in the BIOS, and update the BIOS first. Without it, Arc cards lose a lot of performance. Every A520 and B550 board supports it with a Ryzen 5000 processor.

Build 2: more FPS with a used graphics card (~$695)

Keep every other part, and replace the Arc A750 with a used Radeon RX 6650 XT (~$230):

	Arc A750 (new)	RX 6650 XT (used)
Score (RTX 3060 = 100)	100	112
Video memory	8 GB	8 GB
Price	~$223	~$230
Upscaling	XeSS	FSR 3 + frame generation
Resizable BAR needed	Yes	No
Warranty	Full new warranty	Usually none

The RX 6650 XT is about 12% faster for almost the same money, and it doesn't depend on Resizable BAR. The trade-off is the warranty. Buy it with buyer protection and see it running first (our GPU buying guide has a checklist).

If you can stretch to ~$730: a used RTX 3060 Ti (~$265, score 126) adds another 12% or so and gives you DLSS. Compare it in RTX 3060 Ti vs RTX 3060.

What can it run?

Both builds are made for 1080p:

• Esports games (Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Fortnite on Performance mode, League of Legends): well above 100 FPS. In these games the Ryzen 5 5500 is the limit, not the graphics card.
• Big new games (Call of Duty, Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon): 1080p Medium to High at around 60 FPS, more with XeSS or FSR in Quality mode.
• 1440p: possible in lighter games, but this is a 1080p PC.

Check your favorite games with these exact parts in our FPS Estimator, or see if a specific game runs in Can I Run It.

The first upgrades (in this order)

1. Ryzen 5 5600 instead of the 5500 (+$65): more cache and PCIe 4.0. It raises FPS in CPU-heavy games and esports. Same motherboard, same cooler.
2. A bigger SSD: 512 GB holds Windows and two or three big games. Add a 1 TB drive later.
3. A faster graphics card: the 550 W power supply handles an RTX 3060 Ti, RX 6650 XT or RTX 5060 class card. For an RTX 5070-class card later, plan a 650 W unit.

$700 or $1,000?

The extra $300 of our Best Gaming PC Build Under $1000 mostly goes into the graphics card: a new RX 9060 XT is about 50% faster than the Arc A750, and handles 1440p with upscaling. If you play big new games and can wait to save, the $1,000 build is the better long-term buy. For esports and 1080p gaming, the $700 builds are plenty.

Where not to cut corners

• The power supply: a known brand with a real 80 Plus rating. A cheap no-name unit can damage the rest of the PC.
• Two RAM sticks, not one: single channel can cost a lot of FPS.
• An SSD, not a hard drive: many new games list an SSD as required.
• Airflow: a mesh front panel and at least two fans keep the PC cool and quiet.

Check before you buy

• Already have some parts? Our PC Price Estimate shows what your PC is worth and what the same PC costs today.
• Will the processor hold back the card? Test your pair in the Bottleneck Calculator.
• Compare graphics cards or processors side by side in Compare Hardware.

FAQ

Can you build a gaming PC for $700 in 2026?

Yes. A Ryzen 5 5500 with an Intel Arc A750, 16 GB of DDR4 and a 512 GB SSD comes to about $690 and plays new games at 1080p Medium to High.

What is the best graphics card for a $700 build?

The Intel Arc A750 is the best new card at about $223. A used RX 6650 XT at about $230 is roughly 12% faster, and a used RTX 3060 Ti at about $265 is faster still.

Does the Arc A750 work with a Ryzen 5 5500?

Yes, on an A520 or B550 motherboard. Update the BIOS and turn on Resizable BAR, or the card loses a lot of performance.

Is AM4 still worth it in 2026?

For a budget build, yes. AM4 with DDR4 is the cheapest platform that games well, because DDR5 memory costs more than twice as much. The downside is that no new AM4 processors are coming.

Should I buy a used graphics card for my build?

If you buy with buyer protection and see the card running, yes: in late 2026, used cards give much more performance per dollar than new ones under $300.

Does the $700 include Windows?

No. A Windows 11 license is extra. You can install Windows and use it unactivated while you decide, with a small watermark and limited personalization.

Prices: typical US prices from late October and early November 2026, from FpsGen's price data and our $300 graphics card guide. Scores: FpsGen's hardware scale (RTX 3060 = 100), the same as our GPU Tier List. FPS ranges are estimates. Prices change often: check before you buy. Last checked November 8, 2026.