The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $750 Small Office Compact PC Build – November 2023

The Best $750 Small Office Compact PC Build – November 2023

By Ari Altman | Published November 4, 2023 | Updated November 4, 2023

SilverStone ML11Important Note: we’ve retired this build for 2024. We recommend you instead check out our $750 Small Office Mini-ITX PC Build!

The Perfect Small Office PC!

Want to build the best home or small office PC possible with a budget of around $750? Then this is the guide for you! Our Small Office Mini-ITX PC Build is compact, powerful, quiet, and expandable!

This Month’s Build, Featuring Intel!

For November 2023, this system features Intel’s Core i5-13400 processor, which features 6 Hyperthreaded performance cores and 4 additional efficiency, for a total of 16 threads. The math is complicated, but the result is clear: this CPU is a productivity powerhouse! Plus, it has  capable Intel graphics built in, so you don’t need to worry about adding a video card.

Supporting the Intel CPU are 32GB of DDR5-6400 RAM and a fast 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive. Giving this system its sleek profile is the ultra-compact SilverStone ML11 micro-ATX case, which supports various drive options, multiple low-profile expansion cards, and uses an ultra-compact 300W TFX power supply.

Parting Thoughts

Any PC needs a good set of peripherals to get the most out of it, so definitely scroll down to the end of this guide to see our favorite accessories, or check out our dedicated Monitor Buyer’s Guide, Keyboard & Mouse Buyer’s Guide, and Headset & Speakers Buyer’s Guide. Throughout all of our guides, we provide direct links to Amazon US, which will auto-convert for our readers in the UK, Canada, and the EU, with regional substitutions made automatically as necessary. If you decide to purchase any of the products listed below, please use the links provided, which helps support continued development of this guide.

Required Components

  • Intel Core i5
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    Intel Core i5-13400

    $170
    The 13th-Gen “Raptor Lake” CPUs build upon the breakout success of the 12th-Gen models, Intel’s most impressive release in a decade. The Core i5-13400 is an absolutely productivity powerhouse, thanks to packing in 6 performance cores and an additional 4 efficiency cores, for 10 in total. It can easily beat any AMD CPU anywhere near its pricepoint in productivity and content creation.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU includes a cooler, and to keep costs down, we suggest you use it for this build.
  • Gigabyte B760M
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX

    $130
    This bargain-priced board is packed with features. It offers has three expansion slots, two M.2 slots, 6 USB ports (including a Type-C port), and built-in WiFi 6E. It uses the modern DDR5 memory standard to get the most out of the latest processors.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This motherboard has HDMI and dual DisplayPort outputs, allowing you to run three ultra-HD monitors simultaneously!
  • G.Skill Ripjaws S5
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    G.Skill 2x16GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 CL32

    $100
    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 32-38-38-96 at 1.35V. This is the real deal when it comes to DDR5 performance!

    The Guru’s Tip

    The speed of this RAM will accelerate not just the CPU, but the built-in GPU as well, which uses system RAM for texture storage.
  • MP44L
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0

    $58
    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

    With 1TB of capacity, this small office system will have a huge amount of space for apps and data!
  • SilverStone ML11
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    SilverStone ML11

    $73
    SilverStone does the impossible with the ML11, allowing the use of a micro-ATX motherboard inside a case that is far smaller than most mini-ITX cases at just 10.35 liters. If these acronyms and numbers don’t mean anything to you, just take our word for it: this case is both compact and very expandable! It can also be placed horizontally or vertically, offering a lot of versatility in where you place it in your work space.

    The Guru’s Tip

    The key to this case's small proportions is its use of the TFX power supply standard - make sure to use the unit we recommend below.
  • SilverStone TX300
    Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    SilverStone TX300

    $69
    This unique power supply uses the TFX form factor, which means its incredibly compact, and yet still packs in 300W of Bronze-rated power. It uses an 80mm fan to keep cool and quiet.

    The Guru’s Tip

    We've selected a case to use this specific ultra-compact type of power supply.
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    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

    Windows 11 is the OS you want on a modern PC using Intel's advanced hybrid CPU architecture!

Optional Products

  • Silicon Power 2TB
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    Silicon Power 2TB SATA

    $93
    Silicon Power’s 2TB SATA solid-state drive puts hard drives to shame, offering 5-10x the speed (up to 550MB/s), despite coming in around the same price. For years, people dreamed of price parity between hard drives and SSDs – now they can have it!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is a great addition to the system if you need more storage than the main SSD in the build provides. This will slip right into the case's 2.5" mount.
  • AOC
    Click to Buy
    The 24-inch Small Office Monitor –

    AOC 24B2H2

    $90
    This monitor offers a 24″ 1920 x 1080 IPS panel for great colors at any angle, a 100Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth scrolling, a slim bezel for sleek looks, as well as dual HDMI inputs.

    The Guru’s Tip

    We recommend connecting this monitor to your PC with an HDMI cable, which will provide both display and sound.
  • Click to Buy
    The Basic Wireless Keyboard/Mouse Combo –

    Logitech MK270 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo

    $28
    While you may have an old keyboard and mouse sitting in your desk, treat yourself to a new wireless setup from Logitech, the MK270!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This combo uses a single USB receiver to communicate with both devices, meaning you have plenty more USB ports left over!
  • Click to Buy
    Webcam –

    Logitech C920x Pro HD Webcam

    $69
    Need to use your PC for video conferencing? No problem! Just add this high-quality 1080p webcam from Logitech, which includes a built-in microphone. Just remember that if your monitor doesn’t have built-in speakers, you’ll also need stand-alone speakers for web conferencing to work. We’re amazed at the number of people who use headphones for video conferencing when it’s so much more professional to use gear attached to your PC, rather than your head!

    The Guru’s Tip

    If you don't have speakers already, you'll need to buy the ones above to use for video conferencing.
  • Click to Buy
    The Basic PC Speakers –

    Creative Pebble 2.0

    $24
    Because desktop PCs, unlike laptops, don’t have internal speakers, we recommend you pick up Creative’s Pebble kit. Whether it’s music, You Tube videos, TV, or movies, Pebble will sound great.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Despite their name, these are definitely larger than a pebble!