We can probably all agree that desktop gaming PCs represent the pinnacle of gaming performance. However, not everyone wants, or has the space for, a hulking great machine on their desk.
That’s where mini-ITX comes in, allowing for top-notch performance in a form factor that’s much easier to live with. You get all the same benefits as a full-size gaming rig, including the ability to upgrade easily in the future, all in a case that’s close to the size of anXbox.
Typically, full-size builds are a little easier to put together, simply because there’s more room for all of your components and for that reason, the mini-ITX realm is often reserved for more experienced builders and enthusiasts.
For first-time builders, you might have an easier time with ourhow to build a mid-range gaming PCorextreme gaming PCguides. That said, we can’t imagine most people would have too much trouble with the build that we’re outlining today and if you’re up to the challenge, read on.
• Budgeting your gaming PC
• Preparing the case
• What components do you need?
• Installing and connecting the motherboard
• How to build your gaming PC
• Installing the CPU cooler
• Installing the CPU
• Installing the graphics card
• Installing the RAM
• Putting it back together and testing it out
• Installing the NVMe SSD
• Installing Windows
Budgeting your mini-ITX gaming PC
As with any PC build, it’s crucial to have a budget in mind before you start your mini-ITX adventure. For this guide, we’ll be working on an upper mid-range build that’s capable of serious gaming but it’s easy to pick and choose what will suit your needs best. For example, maybe you need a lot more storage but aren’t as interested in graphically intensive games. Then you could allocate more of your budget into SSDs and buy a less expensive graphics card.
The beauty of building your own PC is that you’re able to swap out parts as and when you need to upgrade. With graphics card prices and availability presenting a particular challenge at the moment, it’s not uncommon for people to build a system without a graphics card with the aim of adding one later down the line.
With that said, it’s still important to get the core components right the first time around. We recommend paying particular attention to the motherboard and CPU as these are the hardest to swap out.
What components do you need?
When it comes to building a mini-ITX machine, size is obviously a key factor. For that reason, we recommend starting out with your case choice and working out the rest of your system from there. It will be important to check the measurements of your components, particularly large ones such as the graphic card, to ensure they can squeeze into your chosen chassis.
Case - NZXT H1 V2
For our system, we’ll be using the second generation of NZXT’s H1 case. It may seem a little pricey at first glance, but that’s because it comes with a 750-watt power supply and AIO liquid-cooler in the box. When you consider what they would cost you separately, it’s actually not bad value at all. Plus, it makes for one of the easiest mini-ITX builds we’ve ever attempted, since all the cables are the correct length and partially managed right out of the box.
The H1 V2 retains the Xbox Series X style form factor of the original H1, whilst improving thermal performance, beefing up the PSU and allowing extra clearance for massive graphics cards. It’s quite the looker too, in our opinion.
There are loads of options for mini-ITX cases on the market, but after our experience building in the H1, we’d highly recommend seeking out an option with an included PSU. It makes cable management so much easier and cuts hours off the build time.
Motherboard - Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI
For the motherboard, we have selected Gigabyte’s X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI. Not only does it offer great value for money, but it also looks the part and is feature-packed to boot.
It’s got high-end features such as reinforced PCIe 4.0 and memory slots, an actively cooled M.2 heat spreader, a built-in I/O shield and a beefy extended heatsink. Alongside cutting-edge features like Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, PCIe 4.0 and USB 3.1 gen 2. All packed onto the tiniest of circuit boards.
Remember when choosing a motherboard to be careful with both the CPU compatibility and the connectivity on offer. There’s nothing worse than completing a build and realising that you don’t have enough USB ports.
Gigabyte I Aorus Pro AMD X570 AM4 Mini ITX DDR4-SDRAM Motherboard
CPU - AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT
We’ll be using AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600XT as the brains of our machine. It’s a solid mid-range performer with 6 cores and 12 threads, it’ll handle light video editing without breaking a sweat and, when paired with a decent GPU, is more than enough to play the latest triple-A games on high settings.
If you’ll be gaming exclusively, you could cut some costs here and still get excellent performance. Whereas, if you’re more serious about content creation you could bump it up to a Ryzen 7 to cut down your render times.
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT 6-core, 12-threads unlocked desktop processor with Wraith Spire cooler
Best BuyAmazon
GPU - ZOTAC RTX 3070 Amp Holo
This RTX 3070 from ZOTAC is one of the coolest looking cards of the bunch, as you’d expect, it’s quite the performer too. The twin fan cooler leaves us plenty of room in the H1’s GPU chamber and the RGB lighting should give us something nice to look at through the tinted glass window.
We went for the 3070 in order to get the maximum performance possible, without over-stressing our 750W power supply. ZOTAC’s specification recommends a minimum power supply wattage of 650, so we’ve got boatloads of headroom for our other peripherals too.
Buying a GPU is no easy feat these days, but with some persistence and a bit of hunting, there are still deals to be had. Keep a keen eye on restock dates and you should be able to find an equivalent without resorting to resellers.
Memory - XPG Spectrix D45G 3600MHz
With a clean industrial finish and a prominent diffused RGB lighting bar, the Spectrix D45G is one of the most attractive memory kits to ever grace our desk. Beyond looks, it’s competitively priced and speedy at 3600MHz. Our 16GB (two sticks of 8GB) configuration should be plenty for multi-tasking, light video editing and, of course, gaming.
This is another area that’s easy to tweak for your specific needs, so, if you’ll be spending all day in After Effects churning out animations then feel free to bulk up the memory. For most users, however, 16GB seems to be the sweet spot where value and performance intersect.
XPG GAMMIX D45G RGB DDR4 3600MHz 16GB (2x8GB) 288-Pin SDRAM PC4-28800 Memory Kit (AX4U36008G18I-DCBKD45G)
Storage - Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe SSD
NVMe is where it’s at these days, not only do you get blazing fast read and write speeds, but also a clean wire-free install that’s perfect for small form factor builds. Samsung’s reliability is essentially unmatched when it comes to SSDs, that’s why we’ve gone for the 970 EVO Plus as our boot drive.
There are plenty of cheaper drives out there and faster ones too, but the 970 EVO Plus is one that we trust to keep our rig going for many years to come.
Just like with memory, storage is another area where configurations can vary wildly. Maybe you only need a 500GB SSD for your essential games or maybe you’re a data-hoarder that needs 12TB of HDDs for your ever-expanding movie library. Whatever the case, we reckon the 970 EVO Plus is a solid choice for a boot drive and it’s super easy to add or take away additional storage as necessary.
MZ-V7S500BW
How to build your mini-ITX gaming PC
With any PC build, and particularly when it comes to small form factor builds, it’s best to get as many components installed on the motherboard as possible before installing it into the case. Usually, this means the CPU, RAM and NVMe SSD.
Everyone hates manuals, but for a PC build they’re essential. Particularly the case and motherboard manual, so, keep them handy and let’s get into it.
Installing the CPU
Installing the CPU can be nerve-wracking as it’s an expensive and fragile little thing, but it’s actually very easy to do.
First, lift the little metal lever by pushing it gently to the side and lifting upwards. Then align your CPU so that the little golden arrow in the corner matches with the arrow on the bottom-left of the CPU socket.
Gently lower the CPU pins into the socket, be sure not to twist it at all and you shouldn’t need to apply any force. Once it’s properly seated, lower the lever and tuck it back under its retention tab.
That wasn’t so bad, was it?
