The Best $2000 Premium Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – April 2023
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
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CPU –
Intel Core i5-13600KF
$293 The Guru’s TipThis CPU does not come with a cooler, so don't forget to pick up the high-powered cooler we list later in this guide!
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Motherboard –
ASRock Z790M-ITX
$230 The Guru’s TipThis board requires DDR5 memory, so make sure to follow our RAM recommendation in this guide.
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Powercolor AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB
$820 The Guru’s TipAt 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.
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Memory –
G.Skill 2x16GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 CL30
$120 The Guru’s TipThis DDR5 RAM is the perfect match for the motherboard we recommend.
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Solid-State Drive –
Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
$80 The Guru’s TipRemember to install your SSD before installing your motherboard in the case.
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Case –
Cooler Master NR200
$128 The Guru’s TipThis case can fit GPUs up to 330mm long, and we've confirmed that the GPU we recommend will fit!
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Power Supply –
SilverStone SST-SX650-G
$130 The Guru’s TipThis PSU has plenty of headroom for the high-powered components in this system, which will pull about 500W at load.
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CPU Cooler –
Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. C
$59 The Guru’s TipThis 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.
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Operating System –
Windows 11 Home (USB)
$136 The Guru’s TipMicrosoft 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
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The Mechanical Gaming Keyboard –
Razer BlackWidow V3 Clicky
$118 The Guru’s TipOnce you go mechanical, you won't go back!
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The Ultimate Wireless Gaming Mouse –
Razer Basilisk Ultimate HyperSpeed
$75 The Guru’s TipNo other mouse offers ultra-high-end performance at such a low price!
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The 34-inch Gaming Monitor –
LG UltraGear 34GP63A-B
$400 The Guru’s TipYou'll have no trouble taking advantage of the full resolution of this monitor with the $2,000 ITX Gaming PC Build!
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The Deluxe PC Headset –
Corsair Virtuoso Wireless Headset SE
$170 The Guru’s TipWe've used these since they were released in late 2019, and they have never let us down.
Total Cost: $2010
The DIY PC Build
- CPU – Intel Core i5-13600KF ($293)
- Motherboard – ASRock Z790M-ITX ($230)
- – Powercolor AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB ($820)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x16GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 CL30 ($120)
- Solid-State Drive – Samsung 980 Pro 1TB ($80)
- Case – Cooler Master NR200 ($128)
- Power Supply – SilverStone SST-SX650-G ($130)
- CPU Cooler – Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. C ($59)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) ($136)