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What's the best budget gaming PC build for under $700 in 2025?
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Hey everyone, I'm trying to help my younger brother build his first gaming PC but we're on a tight budget. Looking for the best budget gaming PC build that can stay under $700 total. He mostly plays Fortnite, Apex Legends, and some older AAA titles but wants something that can handle newer games at decent settings.
I've been researching budget gaming PC components and affordable gaming PC parts, but there are so many options and prices keep changing. What would you recommend for the best budget PC for gaming 2025 at this price point? Should we go with AMD or Intel for the CPU? And what about graphics cards - I've been looking at some cheap graphics card for gaming options but not sure what gives the best value.
Also, any tips on where to find deals on budget gaming PC parts would be super helpful!
For under $700, you're definitely in the sweet spot for budget gaming PC builds right now. I just helped my cousin build a system for about $650 that's performing really well.
The key is going with AMD's Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel's i3-12100F for the CPU - both are excellent budget options. For graphics, the RX 6600 is probably the best cheap graphics card for gaming at that price point. You can find them for around $200-220 if you watch for sales.
One thing I'd recommend is not skimping on the power supply. Get at least a 550W 80+ Bronze unit from a reputable brand. It might cost $10-20 more than the cheapest option, but it's worth it for reliability.
Also, consider buying some components used. You can often find great deals on RAM and cases on local marketplaces or eBay.
I actually built a $680 system last month that's been fantastic. Here's my parts list:
Ryzen 5 5600 ($130)
RX 6600 ($210)
B550 motherboard ($100)
16GB DDR4 3200MHz ($40)
500GB NVMe SSD ($35)
550W 80+ Bronze PSU ($55)
Budget case ($50)
Total: $620 plus tax
This gives you about $80 for Windows if you need it, or you could upgrade to 1TB storage. The performance is really solid for 1080p gaming. I'm getting 100+ fps in Fortnite on competitive settings and 60-70 fps in newer AAA titles on medium-high settings.
For deals, I'd recommend setting up price alerts on PCPartPicker and checking r/buildapcsales on Reddit. Micro Center also has amazing bundle deals if you have one nearby.
The build suggestions above are solid, but I want to add something about future-proofing. If you can stretch your budget just a bit to $750, you could get into AM5 territory with a Ryzen 5 7600 and DDR5 RAM. This would give you a much better upgrade path down the line.
However, if $700 is a hard limit, I'd actually recommend going with Intel's i5-12400F instead of the i3. The extra cores will help with newer games that are becoming more CPU-intensive. Pair it with a cheap B660 motherboard and you've got a great foundation.
For the graphics card, don't overlook the used market. You can often find RTX 3060 or RX 6700 XT cards for around $250-300, which would be a significant upgrade over new budget cards.
Just wanted to chime in about monitor choices since that wasn't mentioned. If you're building a budget gaming PC, don't pair it with a super expensive monitor. Look for a 1080p 144Hz monitor in the $150-200 range. There are tons of good options from brands like AOC, ASUS, and ViewSonic.
Also, consider whether you really need Windows 11. You can use Windows 10 for free with a watermark, or Linux is becoming more viable for gaming thanks to Steam Proton. That could save you $100+ right there.
One more tip: buy the graphics card last. Prices fluctuate the most on GPUs, and you might catch a sale or price drop if you're patient.
I built my son a $700 PC last year and here's what I learned: don't forget about peripherals! If this is your brother's first PC, he'll need a keyboard, mouse, and possibly a headset. Those can easily add $100+ if you're not careful.
I'd recommend allocating about $50-60 for keyboard and mouse combo. There are some decent mechanical keyboard and gaming mouse bundles in that range. For headset, you can get something serviceable for $30-40.
Also, consider the cost of games. PC gaming is cheaper in the long run thanks to Steam sales, but initially you might want to budget for a few games unless he's just playing free titles.
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