Best Mid-Range Gaming PC Build under $700 in 2023

Building a good, mid-range gaming PC doesn’t have to be difficult. In this guide, we’re going to show you the absolute best parts to use when building a $700 gaming PC in 2023. 

This $700 DIY PC build will get you smooth, 60-144fps+ 1080p performance without a problem in all but the most demanding games. It could also handle 1440p gaming, just don’t expect ultra settings in everything. 

This custom build is equipped with an R5 5500 CPU, an 8GB RX 6600 graphics card, and 16GB of 3600MHz DDR4 RAM. This hardware lineup will deliver awesome 1080p-1440p gaming performance in basically every game out there. The only way to get a better build, would be to spend more money! 

With that out of the way, let’s check out the build!

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to use our comment section below. 

The Prebuilt Gaming PC Option

Skytech Archangel

If you’d prefer to just buy a gaming PC that’s already built, this one from Skytech is a great option with a very similar price point, of course, there’s a bit of a premium as it’s already assembled and ready to go. It comes with Windows 11 and all of the required drivers already installed.

The only thing left is to turn it on, hook up the peripherals that come with it, a monitor, maybe some speakers, and start gaming! 

However, you can get much more power by building your own PC for the simple reason that you’re not paying for someone else to set it up. That additional $150-$200 can be spent on more powerful hardware instead, and at this level that goes a very long way. 

Complete Build Breakdown

This $700 gaming PC is guaranteed to easily handle 1080p gaming without any hiccups. It can handle ultra settings in pretty much anything while easily pumping out 60fps+. In less intensive games, you can expect upwards of 120-144fps. 

It can also handle 1440p gaming with a mix of mid-high settings at 60fps. 4K gaming would not be recommended on a build at this level. 

Ultimately, this is an incredibly powerful build for what you’re spending. It’s min-maxed in terms of price vs performance and there’s no way to make it stronger without spending more on higher-tier components. 

Case:The Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L is a great mATX case for this build, providing a spacious layout for efficient cable management and ample cooling options. Although it comes with a 120mm fan by default, adding at least 1 more 120mm fan is highly recommended for better a cooling profile.

As the case is the most subjective part of a gaming PC build, I would recommend checking out a few other options as you might find something that you really enjoy the looks of. If you’re unsure how well it would work, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments and I’ll let you know ASAP. 

CPU & Cooler: The R5 5500 is an incredibly fast budget CPU. With 6 cores and 12 threads clocked at 4.2GHz, it can plow through any task you throw at it without a problem.

The R5 5500 comes with one of AMD’s Wraith Stealth coolers which perform quite well, however upgrades are possible here. Even a basic aftermarket cooler like the Hyper 212 EVO could be outfitted to outperform the Wraith Stealth.  

MOBO: ASRock’s B550 Phantom Gaming 4 is a good budget-oriented choice that’s giving us everything we need for this build. It includes 4x SATA ports for storage (you can add 2 more drives), 6x USB ports, and numerous on-board fan headers to expand your cooling profile. It also includes M.2 support if you wanted to pick yourself up an M.2 NVMe SSD. 

GPU: When it comes to picking out a mid-tier graphics card, the 8GB RX 6600 is what comes to mind. Not only does it outperform everything else in its bracket, but it’s also priced very reasonably. 

XFX’s Speedster SWFT RX 6600 is no exception and features a nice clean minimalist design. You can expect this card to consistently deliver 60fps+ in 1080p on ultra settings in any game, as well as 60fps in 1440p with a mix of mid-high settings. 

RAM: As 16GB of RAM is the standard in 2023, and the R5 5500 can support up to 3200MHz DDR4 RAM, that’s exactly what we loaded into this build. 16GB of 3200MHz RAM from Corsair’s highly-regarded LPX lineup. It’s not flashy, it’s not fancy, but it works extremely well and you won’t be disappointed. 

PSU: A reliable power supply is crucial for any PC build, and the Thermaltake Smart 650W power supply used in this build offers just that. It’s semi-modular and rated 80+ Bronze which is almost perfect. As it’s semi-modular, it only comes with the base cables permanently attached, meaning you’re free to use only what you absolutely need which allows for much cleaner cable management. 

Storage: Finally, this build includes a dual drive setup that’s meant to increase overall performance. By running 2 SSDs in tandem, one with your OS and critical programs, the other with your games, you effectively split the load of running your PC and ultimately get faster load times. 

PNY makes some really awesome budget-tier SSDs with awesome read/write times and high reliability. The boot drive – where you install Windows – is 240GB which leaves you more than enough space for other critical programs. The 1TB SSD is then meant to be used as your primary storage drive where you’ll install games. 

As this build has additional SATA data ports and an M.2 expansion slot, you can add up to 2 more drives to this build. 

Keyboards, Mice, and Audio

Picking out your peripherals can actually be one of the most difficult parts of building a computer. Due to the huge array of options available, it’s also quite easy to make a bad decision and end up with lackluster equipment. 

Since that’s less than ideal, I’ve picked out some options for you based on the tier of this build. 

Operating System Options

When it comes to selecting the perfect operating system for your computer, there are two primary options: Windows and Linux. Despite having various versions available for both, I will focus on the top choices to help make the decision-making process easier.

In terms of ease of use and compatibility, Windows is the clear winner, particularly when it comes to gaming. On the other hand, Linux is a great option for more experienced users and boasts the advantage of being entirely free. However, it does have the drawback of not being able to run certain programs or games natively and often requires the use of emulation such as a Virtual Machine.

Internet Connection Options

Although this build comes with a wired Ethernet connection built-in, if you want (or have) to use a WiFi connection, you have 2 options to choose from; an internal or external WiFi adapter.

Typically, an external adapter is going to be good enough for gaming, but often won’t offer the same speeds as an internal option. However, internally-mounted WiFi adapters also have a drawback, they take up space below your GPU that could be used for airflow.

Conclusion

This $700 gaming PC build is practically guaranteed to rip through your favorite games in 1080p without an issue. It’ll have no issues pumping out at least 60fps on ultra settings in pretty much anything. With its R5 5500, 8GB RX 6600, and 16GB of 3200MHz DDR4 RAM, this build is going to blow your mind in terms of price vs performance.

Not only will it dominate in 1080p, but it’s also more than capable of 1440p gaming as well. Just don’t expect ultra settings in every single game, but a mixture of mid-high will undeniably see you getting at least 60fps in whatever you’re playing. 

As always, if you have any questions about the builds or parts on this page, feel free to leave a comment below!