Best mini ITX gaming PC build

Our best Mini-ITX gaming PC build is for the space-conscious gamer with limited desk space or someone who just loves a clean-looking setup. This may be a small form factor system, but the components offer big performance. This custom mini build is capable of 1440p gaming, with some incredible FPS counts thanks to the powerful CPU/GPU combination. So throw out your console, and let’s get building this mini gaming rig.

With airflow, cooling, and affordability all improving over recent years, it is finally viable to build a mini-ITX gaming PC without breaking the bank or creating a mini oven. We haven’t built this with a budget in mind, but we were aiming to keep this high-end build as cost-effective as possible, without compromising on performance.

What You Get For Your Money

While a small form factor PC build isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, a Mini-ITX gaming PC is a great option for space-conscious gamers or users who are frequently on the move with their system. In the past, it could often be too costly to build a mini ITX PC and, in some instances, not worth the trade-off with limited component compatibility. Now though, with many motherboard manufacturers offering excellent quality ITX boards, the mini build is certainly worth a look but beware ITX components could increase the budget.

Performance

As mentioned, this PC is made to be powerful, and this machine’s gaming performance alone is of stellar quality. Inside we see one of the best price to performance CPUs on the market, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X. This multi-threaded CPU comes with 6 cores running at 3.7GHz out of the box and 12 threads. Furthermore, the processor can be overclocked to an impressive 4.6GHz for improved performance. This CPU won’t let you down, and it also offers some workstation performance too!

Backing up the CPU is very powerful graphics card, which will easily run any AAA game you throw at it in immense detail. This GPU will smash anything in 1080p but impressively has shown to perform well while playing in 1440p and 4K, without getting poor FPS counts on those demanding titles.

Reinforcing those strong components, we see a reliable, feature-packed motherboard. This mobo will handle overclocks without a sweat, giving you the reassurance you need to push this system to its full potential. To help boost the overall gaming performance, we have included 16GB of fast RAM, which works hand in hand with the Ryzen 3rd-gen CPU. Lastly, a generous 1TB M.2 SSD has been included, to store your operating system, applications, and games, while also saving on space.

AMD Vs Intel

We wanted to get the absolute most out of this Mini-ITX build, so naturally went for AMD over Intel. This isn’t to say Intel would be a bad choice. After all, they offer fantastic single-core performance for gaming and generally have cheaper ITX boards, but AMD’s value is undeniable. You are simply getting more for your money with the AMD CPU, and the added benefit of multi-threading with your day-to-day tasks is always a great addition to any build. While a small form factor PC build isn’t everyone’s concern, a Mini-ITX gaming PC is a great option for space-conscious gamers or users who are frequently on the move with their system. In the past, it would often be too costly and not worth the trade-off with limited component options suited to fit. Now though with many motherboard manufacturers offering excellent quality ITX boards, the mini build is certainly worth a look.

How We Choose

Our team has years of experience behind them, building PCs for a range of needs and budgets. All this knowledge, combined with hours of research, user feedback, and onsite benchmarking, is what goes into choosing the best components for our builds.

We look for value for money, how the components perform together and focus on gamer’s needs to make sure our builds are the best your budget can buy.

We build all these PCs ourselves, in-house, so trust us when we say we want to make them as good as possible. We actually use all these builds ourselves day-to-day in the WePC offices.

How We Test

We build each of our selected PCs from scratch to make sure all the parts we recommend work well together, fit into the selected case, and provide the best performance possible for the price range.

Once built, the PCs are used in the office for everyday work as well as a range of games from light to heavy-duty. While we test, we also run benchmarking tests to see how well our builds perform, all while keeping an eye on the temperature of the components themselves.

We know how much some of our readers enjoy overclocking their PCs, so we made sure to test that out too. So, you can feel safe knowing that these machines can be pushed beyond their basic capabilities. But, please make sure you know how to overclock before trying to over-task your builds.

NOTE: Due to the ongoing effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, some retailers are experiencing stock issues. WePC constantly updates our pages to reflect current availability, so if the PC you want shows as out of stock, check back later or check out these alternatives.

Why should you consider a small form factor ITX PC?

An ITX form factor PC can be a great option for several reasons:

1. Size: ITX form factor PCs are smaller in size compared to traditional PCs, making them easy to fit in tight spaces, such as small apartments, home offices, or living rooms.
2. Portability: Due to their smaller size, ITX form factor PCs are more portable, making it easier to take them to different locations, such as trade shows, LAN parties, or friends’ houses.
3. Energy efficiency: Smaller PCs often use less power, which can lead to lower electricity bills and less impact on the environment.
4. Customization: ITX form factor PCs can be customized to suit specific needs, such as gaming, media center, or home server.
5. Cost-effective: ITX form factor PCs can be more cost-effective than larger PCs, as they typically have a lower price point and use fewer components.
6. High-performance: Despite its smaller size, ITX form factor PCs can have high-performance components, such as powerful CPUs and GPUs, that allow them to handle demanding tasks, such as gaming, video editing and 3D rendering.

In summary, ITX form factor PCs are a great option for those who are looking for a compact, portable, energy-efficient, customizable, cost-effective, and high-performance PC.