The Best $1500 High-End Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – February 2024

By Ari Altman | Published February 3, 2024 | Updated February 3, 2024

SG16Serious Gaming Power in a Tiny Box!

Are you a gamer who wants extreme gaming capability in a tiny package? Then the $1,500 High-End Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build is for you! This system takes up barely 1/3 the space of a typical gaming tower while packing in the same performance, making it perfect for gaming on the go or in your living room. In other words, despite its compact size, the $1,500 Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build is a totally legit high-end gaming PC, the equal of massive PCs that cost the same or more!

This Month’s Build, Powered by AMD and Nvidia!

For February 2024, this build features the Ryzen 5 7600X six-core, 12-thread CPU, which is the perfect choice for a compact gaming-focused system, thanks to its top-notch performance and incredible efficiency. It’s supporting the brand-new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB video card, which is a solid 15% faster than the original 4070 and by far the most powerful video card ever released that can fit in an ultra-compact system like this one. Just a few months ago, you could never get this much power into the $1500 budget we set for this build!

Also on the build list is 32GB of speedy DDR5-6000 RAM, along with a quick 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive. The build comes together in the compact SilverStone SG16 chassis and uses a 120mm liquid cooler to maximize the system’s cooling performance. Finally, feeding this system is a quiet, efficient 500W power supply. Learn more about building in the SG16 case in our full review below.

Parting Thoughts

We list our favorite accessories for the $1,500 Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build at the end of this guide, including a great keyboard and mouse, so don’t forget to scroll down to check those out! Note that in our buyer’s guide below, we have dedicated links to Amazon for our US readers, which will auto-convert for readers in Canada, the UK, and many countries in the EU. Your use of these product links is the only thing that will keep this site going!

The DIY Build

  • CPU

    AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

    $214
    AMD has done it again with Zen 4, simply smashing through the performance barrier in all respects. The 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 7600X is up to 15% faster in games and 25% faster in content creation than its predecessor, while offering the latest connectivity standards thanks to the AM5 platform.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU does not include a cooler, so make sure to pick up the model we list later in this guide.

  • Motherboard

    Gigabyte A620I AX @Newegg

    $130
    This affordable AM5 board allows you to jump into AMD’s latest CPU ecosystem at a great price. It offers built in 802.11ax (WiFi 6), a Gen 4 M.2 slot, a Gen 4 video card slot, plus six USB ports (including a Type-C). The key difference between the A620 chipset on which this board is based and the B650 chipset on boards costing twice as much is slots and ports, but for an ITX board, that has little impact. There’s only so much space for these things in a compact form factor anyway, so for mini-ITX, A620 is a perfect match!

    The Guru’s Tip

    The A620 chipset doesn't support manual overclocking, so we go with the pre-overclocked 7600X CPU above!

  • Video Card

    Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Super Twin Edge OC 12GB

    $590
    The RTX 4070 Super offers amazing performance and amazing efficiency, making it the perfect GPU for any high-end gaming rig! This model’s dual-slot, dual-fan cooler will keep temperatures in check and noise levels down, without filling up your system. Plus it has a factory overclock and plenty of room for manual overclocking.

    The Guru’s Tip

    While many RTX 4070 Super models will not fit in the case we recommend, this one, at 9.2" long, will have plenty of room to spare, as the case has 10.8" of clearance.

  • Memory

    G.Skill 2x16GB Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO

    $107
    To get the most out of AMD’s latest CPUs, you want fast RAM, and DDR5-6000 is the sweetspot not only in terms of price, but in terms of the AM5 platform. It allows for the highest overall performance thanks to running in 1:1 sync with the memory controller. And this Flare X5 kit from G.Skill is specially designed for AM5, thanks to the enhanced 30-38-38-96 AMD EXPO timings.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This DDR5 kit is a perfect match for the motherboard we recommend.

  • Solid-State Drive

    TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0

    $69
    The MP44L PCIe 4.0, which blows past previous PCIe Gen3-based drives by harnessing the power of the PCIe Gen4 interface, is an absolute bargain of a high-end drive. It can hit up to 5,000MB/s in sequential operations!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember to install this drive before you install the motherboard in the case!

  • Case

    SilverStone SG16

    $87
    Coming in at just 13 liters despite impressive component compatibility and exceptional airflow, the SG16 stands alone. There are smaller “kick-started” cases out there, but they often come with a whole lot of “gotchas”, one of which is always an exorbitant price! The SG16, on the other hand, is a value-packed option designed by the biggest name in the ITX industry, SilverStone. It has 120mm fan mounts front and rear (almost unheard of in this size-class), and it can fit video cards up to 10.8″ long.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This case is also available in a sleek white finish, which is listed on the same product page.

  • Case Fan

    Arctic P12 PWM

    $9
    Want to cooler your system without a noise penalty? Look no further than the excellent P12 PWM from Arctic. It offers fantastic performance at low noise levels, and comes in at a shockingly-low price, despite a market-leading 10-year warranty.

    The Guru’s Tip

    You'll be mounting this fan to the front of the chassis to provide cool intake air to the motherboard, RAM, and CPU.

  • Power Supply

    SilverStone SX500-G

    $116
    To power up this build, we recommend this awesome SFX unit. It’s fully modular, offers Gold-rated efficiency, and at 500W, has more than enough power to support this system.

    The Guru’s Tip

    While the case we recommend can technically fit a full-size ATX power supply, going with this ultra-compact SFX model will make the PC so much easier to build and keep cool thanks to all the extra room it frees up inside, like the awesome cooler we recommend!

  • CPU Cooler

    Thermaltake TH120 Black V2

    $80
    Keeping a CPU cool in a high-powered, compact PC can be a challenge, but this liquid cooler has what it takes to get the job done. It is far superior to any low-profile air cooler, and it will match many of the best 120mm tower coolers. All that and it’s easier to install too!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Mount the radiator and fan to the rear of the chassis. There's plenty of space, as the case we recommend is perfectly designed for 120mm liquid cooling!

  • Operating System

    Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg

    $139
    Windows 11 built on everything people loved about Windows 10, and then took it to 11! It adds significant under-the-hood changes to make it faster and more secure, and of course, the interface is sleek too! Note that we’re linking to Newegg, because Amazon long ago stopped selling this physical USB version of Windows, which is the most convenient one to use.

    The Guru’s Tip

    It took Microsoft over six months to release Windows 11 to retail after initially making it available as an update to Win10 owners, but now that it's here, you definitely want the latest OS on your DIY PC!

Optional Products

  • The 27" 1440p 144Hz Gaming Monitor

    Sceptre E275B-QPN168

    $197
    Sceptre is all about deliver inconspicuously-named monitors with out-of-this-world value! This one packs in a big 27″ 2560 x 1440 IPS panel, a 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium for ultra-smooth framerates, a Displayport, an HDMI 2.0 port, and dual HDMI 1.4 ports, plus built-in speakers. To get it set up just right, it has a height-adjustable stand, unheard of in this price range. It even includes a Displayport cable in the box, which is what you want to use to get the most out of this monitor!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This monitor will let you get the most out of your new high-end gaming PC!

  • The Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

    Corsair K70 RGB Pro MX Speed

    $160
    The Corsair K70 set the standard for mechanical gaming keyboards and is still the benchmark by which all others are judged. With its solid aluminum construction and detachable wrist rest, it’s a truly premium option. And this Pro version uses Cherry’s MX Speed switches, which offer amazing responsiveness thanks to their short throw, PBT Doubleshot keys for durability, a magnetic soft-touch palm rest, and 8,000Hz hyper-polling for amazing responsiveness. And yes, it also is fully blinged out with RGB!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Once you try mechanical, you'll never go back!

  • The Pro Gaming Mouse

    Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed Wireless

    $69
    Offering cutting-edge performance, there’s nothing like the Basilisk V3 for anywhere near the price. Ultra-sensitive 18K sensor, mechanical switches, Razer’s awesome HyperSpeed wireless system with up to 285 hours of battery life, and perfect ergonomics. It’s a great mouse!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Whether you're using your PC from a desk or the couch, this is the perfect mouse!

  • The Budget Wireless PC Headset

    ‎SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

    $91
    SteelSeries has made a name for itself in the gaming headset world with its no-nonsense focus on performance. The Arctis 1 follows in this tradition with high-end drivers, lossless 2.4 GHz wireless for ultra-low latency wireless connectivity on both PC and PS4/PS5, a detachable bidirectional microphone, and 20 hours of battery life.

    The Guru’s Tip

    We figure if you're building a small PC, it's very likely going to be tucked far enough away from you that using a wired headset will be a no-go!

Pin It on Pinterest