The Best $2000 Premium Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – December 2024

By Ari Altman | Published December 15, 2024 | Updated December 15, 2024

Small Footprint, Big Performance!

This system is designed for gamers who want a compact system but aren’t willing to sacrifice performance to get it. The $2,000 Premium Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build has all the power of a full-blown desktop gaming PC, packed into a compact, stylish case that’s dwarfed by standard towers. Amazingly, there’s no price premium to pay to get such a unique PC, making this PC a pretty good value too.

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

For December 2024, the $2,000 Premium Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build features AMD’s newly-discounted Ryzen 7 7700X 8-core, 16-thread CPU, which offers ample gaming power and allows us to upgrade the GPU in this system thanks leaving extra cash in the budget. And we put that money to good use going for Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4080 Super 16GB, which is quite frankly the ideal top-end GPU for a Small Form Factor build due to its immense power and impressive efficiency.

Just as important as all the computational firepower used in this system is the case, which truly defines this build. The NR200 from Cooler Master brings high-end capabilities down to a compact size and a very reasonable price. With competitors only available from boutique manufacturers at over twice the price, the NR200 stands alone. Inside, you’ll be installing 32GB of fast DDR5-6000 RAM, a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive, and a 120mm tower cooler from Scythe. Keeping the system running is a compact 700W power supply, which will have more than enough power for all the gear in this build.

Parting Thoughts

To see recommended accessories for this build, just scroll down to the bottom of this page, or check out our dedicated Monitor Buyer’s Guide and Peripherals Buyer’s Guide. Throughout this guide, you’ll see direct links to Amazon for US readers, and our Amazon links will auto-convert for readers in the UK, Canada, and parts of the EU, with automatic reginal substitutions made where necessary. To support continued development of these guides, please use these links when you’re ready to buy your ITX machine!

The DIY PC Build

Click to Buy

CPU –
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
$269

Based on AMD’s revolutionary Zen 4 architecture, the Ryzen 7 7700X is a truly fantastic processor. It has 8 core and 16 threads all running from a single complex for maximum efficiency, with boost up to 5.4GHz. And thanks to a significant price drop since its release, it’s more attractive than ever!

The Guru’s Tip
This CPU does not come with a cooler, so don't forget to pick up the high-powered cooler we list later in this guide!
Click to Buy

Motherboard –
Gigabyte A620I AX
$140

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 6E), 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
We are intentionally going with a non-overclocking board here, as the price is much better than B650 boards, and there isn't much value to overclocking AMD processors unless you're playing with extreme cooling, which you can't in a compact build.
Click to Buy

Video Card –
Zotac GeForce RTX 4080 Super 16GB Black
$1020

The RTX 4080 Super offers more cores and more memory bandwidth than the original RTX 4080, while coming in at a much lower price. And that means it gets even further ahead of the previous king-of-the-hill RTX 3090 Ti while using far less power. It also offers all the latest enhancements from Nvidia, including class-leading Ray Tracing performance and DLSS.

The Guru’s Tip
With a cooler that's just 307mm long, this model is an easy fit in the case we recommend, while most other models are simply too big.
Click to Buy

Memory –
TeamGroup 2x16GB T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO
$95

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 kit from TeamGroup features extraordinary 30-36-36-76 AMD EXPO timings.

The Guru’s Tip
This DDR5 RAM is the perfect match for the motherboard we recommend.
Click to Buy

Solid-State Drive –
TeamGroup MP44L 2TB PCIe 4.0
$100

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
We recommend that the first thing you install on the motherboard is the SSD. This will ensure you have access to the M.2 slot.
Click to Buy

Case –
Cooler Master NR200
$83

This amazing case is one of a kind. Coming in at 18 liters, it has space for just about every component you could imagine, and looks fantastic too! That includes a huge GPU, a variety of powerful cooler options, and an SFX-class PSU.

The Guru’s Tip
Note that there is a ver. 2 of this case, but it's completely different, and is only compatible with liquid cooling. This system relies on a tower air cooler, so stick with the original NR200 case.
Click to Buy

Power Supply –
SilverStone SX700-G
$133

Offering an impressive 700W of power output and Gold-rated efficiency in an ultra-compact package, the SX700-G is a fantastic choice among high-end SFX power supplies. It features a 92mm fan with fluid dynamic bearings, along with fully-modular cables.

The Guru’s Tip
This PSU will have plenty of power for this system, which will draw under 450W at load.
Click to Buy

CPU Cooler –
Scythe Fuma 3
$50

With the Fuma 3, the best gets better, and amazingly enough, cheaper too! Perhaps the most innovative of all 120mm tower designs, the third incarnation of the Fuma returns to its roots, coming in at a price very similar to the original Fuma, but with far greater performance, better looks, and the best compatibility of any high-performance cooler. Thanks to its offset design, it’s just 154mm tall, and completely clears the RAM slots on any board. The Fuma 3 improves upon even the Fuma 2 with its on-trend blacked-out look, along with its updated Kaze Flex II fans that spin at up to 1500RPM. They continue to feature a trick no other manufacturer has grasped – counter-rotating blades for a “vortex” effect. Frankly, this is our favorite cooler at any price!

The Guru’s Tip
This is the perfect match for the case we recommend, maxing out the height limit while providing exceptional cooling!
Click to Buy

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
Win 11 is absolutely the OS you want on a modern PC.

Optional Products

Click to Buy

The Mechanical Gaming Keyboard –
Corsair K70 RGB Pro MX Red
$130

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. It features Cherry’s classic MX Red switches, 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 go mechanical, you won't go back!
Click to Buy

The Ultralight Gaming Mouse –
Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro Wireless
$120

Sometimes a product is so far ahead of the competition comes along that it resets the entire industry. So it is with the DeathAdder V3. Featuring the same ergonomic grip as the original from years ago that set the gaming world on fire, this is nonetheless leagues ahead of that classic. Weighing in at a scant 63g, while offering up a 30K DPI sensor, optical switches, wireless operation, and an incredible 90 hours of battery life, this is as cutting-edge as it gets. To have all of this in a mouse that weighs half as much as the best wireless mice from a few generations ago shows you just how far the bar has been raised!

The Guru’s Tip
No other mouse offers ultra-high-end performance at such a low price!
Click to Buy

The 34-inch Gaming Monitor –
Asus TUF Gaming VG34VQL3A
$367

Are you ready for serious big-screen gaming? Then feast your eyes on this 34″ monitor from Asus, which breaks new ground in terms of features and performance per dollar. It has an ultra-wide 3440 x 1440 curved VA panel, a fast 180Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync Premium technology to keep your frames running smoothly. It also offers a height-adjustable stand (unusual at this pricepoint), plus the Extreme Low Motion Blur option.

The Guru’s Tip
You'll have no trouble taking advantage of the full resolution of this monitor with the $2,000 ITX Gaming PC Build!
Click to Buy

The Deluxe PC Headset –
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless
$150

PRIME DAY DEAL – SAVE $25 TODAY! From humble beginnings as a mousemat manufacturer, SteelSeries has come to absolutely dominate the gaming headset industry. And that’s because it’s not rocket science, it’s audio science! SteelSeries took a careful look at what gamers needed and and then applied all the proven techniques to get them everything they wanted. That includes ultra-high-fidelity audio, 360-degree surround sound for immersive gaming, dual audio streams for simultaneous connection to a PC and a smartphone, multi-platform support, and amazing 38-hour battery life plus quick-charge over USB-C, providing a 6 hour boost in 15 minutes! It also has among the best microphones in business, providing clear audio for everyone you’re talking to!

The Guru’s Tip
This headset easily beats similarly-priced models from the popular "gaming" brands.