The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $2000 Premium Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – April 2023

The Best $2000 Premium Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – April 2023

By Ari Altman | Published April 16, 2023 | Updated April 16, 2023

CoolerMaster NR200 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 Intel and AMD!

For April 2023, the $2,000 Premium Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build gets a big upgrade to Intel’s blazing-fast Core i5-13600KF 14-core, 20-thread CPU, a gaming specialist like no other CPU on the market. It’s the perfect processor for an ITX gaming system, thanks to its impressive power and efficiency. It’ll have no trouble maxing out our GPU of choice, AMD’s Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB, which blows away Nvidia’s competing RTX 4070 Ti 12GB at the same pricepoint!

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 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive, and a 120mm tower cooler from Scythe. Keeping the system running is a compact 650W Gold-rated SFX 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 or Newegg 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

  • Intel Core i5-13600KF
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    Intel Core i5-13600KF

    $293
    The 13600KF is simply revolutionary in terms of performance across the board. With a total of 14 cores (6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores), and a total of 20 threads (yes, it’s getting hard to keep up!), it can handle just about anything. And for gaming in particular, it offers simply incredible performance per dollar, beating everything AMD has, while nearly matching its big brothers in the Core i7/i9 lines.

    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!
  • ASRock Z790M-ITX
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    ASRock Z790M-ITX

    $230
    This mini-ITX board has what it takes to support the latest Intel-based systems.  It features a 7+1+1 phase VRM design, a PCIe Gen 5 video card slot, two PCIe M.2 slots (both being Gen 4), and 6 USB ports (including a Type-C Port). Also onboard is 802.11ax (WiFi 6E) wireless networking, Bluetooth, and 2.5Gb LAN.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This board requires DDR5 memory, so make sure to follow our RAM recommendation in this guide.
  • PowerColor RX 7900 XT
    Click to Buy
    –

    Powercolor AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB

    $820
    AMD broke new ground with its RX 7900 series, and the 7900 XT is a perfect showcase for that. Offering RTX 3090 Ti-stomping performance for far less money, it immediately put every last-gen GPU in its price range out of contention. And with 20GB of VRAM, it’s future-proof too!

    The Guru’s Tip

    At 276mm long, this card, which uses the reference AMD cooler, is an easy fit in the case we recommend. Note that all custom RX 7900 XT models will be too long.
  • G.Skill Ripjaws S5
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    G.Skill 2x16GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 CL30

    $120
    For the ultimate in speed, you must go with DDR5 RAM, but not just any DDR5 RAM, because you need high-frequency DDR5 to blow past DDR4 RAM performance. And that’s what you get with G.Skill’s Ripjaws S5 kit, running at DDR5-6000 with timings of 30-40-40-96 at 1.35V. This is the real deal when it comes to DDR5 performance!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This DDR5 RAM is the perfect match for the motherboard we recommend.
  • Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB

    $80
    For storage, head straight for the 980 Pro 1TB drive from Samsung. It uses the PCIe 4.0 interface provided on this system’s motherboard to massively accelerate I/O operations.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember to install your SSD before installing your motherboard in the case.
  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    Cooler Master NR200

    $128
    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

    This case can fit GPUs up to 330mm long, and we've confirmed that the GPU we recommend will fit!
  • SilverStone SX650
    Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    SilverStone SST-SX650-G

    $130
    For a high-powered build like this one, you need a serious power supply, and this awesome 650W Gold-rated unit is our top pick. It’s incredibly powerful for its size, with more than enough output to handle the CPU and GPU featured in this build (including 4 PCIe power connectors – a single GPU can use up to 3!).

    The Guru’s Tip

    This PSU has plenty of headroom for the high-powered components in this system, which will pull about 500W at load.
  • Scythe Mugen 5
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. C

    $59
    Offering amazing cooling along with very low noise levels thanks to its big heatsink and powerful but quiet Kaze Flex II 1500RPM fan, the Mugen 5 Rev. C is the perfect pick for any high-performance PC.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is the perfect match for the case we recommend, maxing out the height limit while providing exceptional cooling! It also has the Socket 1700 adapter required for the Intel processor.
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home (USB)

    $136
    Windows 11 take everything people loved about Windows 10, and then takes 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! This version ships on a convenient USB stick, allowing it to be easily installed by just plugging it in.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Microsoft took its sweet time releasing Win11 to retail after announcing the upgrade version in 2021, but it's here now and it's what you want on a modern PC.

Optional Products

  • Razer Blackwidow V3
    Click to Buy
    The Mechanical Gaming Keyboard –

    Razer BlackWidow V3 Clicky

    $118
    Razer has been in the gaming peripheral business a long time, and the BlackWidow is perhaps the most legendary bit of kit in history. It has practically defined the mechanical gaming keyboard market, and all the while has offered surprising value as well. That’s the story with the V3, which undercuts the other big names, while offering more style and more functionality. Razer’s Green mechanical switches deliver super-responsive tactile action. The keycaps are the high-quality Doubleshot ABS that enthusiasts pay extra for to fix other brands’ boards. And then there’s the stunning Chroma RGB effects that allow endless customization plus integration with countless games. In short, the BlackWidow is better than ever!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Once you go mechanical, you won't go back!
  • Razer Basilisk Ultimate
    Click to Buy
    The Ultimate Wireless Gaming Mouse –

    Razer Basilisk Ultimate HyperSpeed

    $75
    Razer is legendary in the gaming mouse market, and the Basilisk Ultimate, now discounted from its original introductory price, is an ultra-high-end bargain! Featuring a 20,000dpi sensor, Razer’s awesome HyperSpeed wireless system, and a perfect ergonomic design, this model can’t be beat! And in addition to its 100-hour battery life, it’s also incredibly light, at just 107g!

    The Guru’s Tip

    No other mouse offers ultra-high-end performance at such a low price!
  • LG Ultragear 34GP63A
    Click to Buy
    The 34-inch Gaming Monitor –

    LG UltraGear 34GP63A-B

    $400
    Are you ready for serious big-screen gaming? Then feast your eyes on this 34″ monitor from LG, 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 160Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync Premium technology to keep your frames running smoothly. It also offers a height-adjustable stand (unusual at this pricepoint), plus built-in speakers (which are more for convenience than incredible performance, but hey, they can be useful in a pinch!).

    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 –

    Corsair Virtuoso Wireless Headset SE

    $170
    Combining ultra-high-end performance with incredible comfort, this wireless headset from Corsair is the ideal all-day companion for listening to the latest market news. This headset also has an audiophile-grade microphone, perfect for teleconferencing. Free free to check out our full review right here!

    The Guru’s Tip

    We've used these since they were released in late 2019, and they have never let us down.

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