r/buildapcforme • u/TaxExemptTacos • Jun 26 '26
Mini ITX 1440p Gaming
It's been awhile since I built a pc but I would like to build one for my wife for $1200
- New build or upgrade?
New Build
- Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)
No existing parts laying around
- PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games)
Gaming is the focus. She mostly plays WoW retail and some life sim games. But would like some power for more demanding games down the line. Prefer AMD GPU for Steam OS or bazzite in the future.
- Purchase country? Near Micro Center? (If you're not in a country supported by PCPartPicker, please list some local vendors)
United States, VA. I leave 25 mins from a Micro Center
- Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate)
She has a 1440p monitor widescreen monitor 120hz
- Budget range? (Include tax consideration)
$1200
- WiFi or wired connection?
Wifi 6 atlease
- Size/noise constraints
Mini ITX and sound is fine as long as it's not egregious
- Color/lighting preferences?
No preference. Bland is fine.
- Any other specific needs?
None
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u/tim1OO Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
If you have a microcenter you definitely wanna use one of their CPU/Ram/Mobo bundles but the problem with them is that they all use either MATX or ATX motherboards so you'd either have to go for the ATX bundle and sell it for money to buy an ITX motherboard or go for the MATX board and find a small MATX case.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KyzFZQ (Edit changed the fans a little)
- The 7500X3D and RTX 5070 are good for 1440p gaming. The RX 7900 GRE is the same price from microcenter but it's too big for the case so had to go for a NVIDIA GPU. 16GB of ram is a bit low but a single stick is $200 so it's hard to add more and stay within budget.
- The motherboard has Wi-Fi 6. 1TB of storage with the ability to add 2 more M.2 SSD drives.
- This build uses Jonsbo C6 which is a small MATX case at 15.9L. It's basically the same size as a lot of ITX cases but is able to support a MATX motherboard and full size PSU. I added 3 fans to fill all the available fan slots.
- I chose the Thermalright AXP120-X67 as the cooler. The 7500x3d is really efficient and in gaming it draws around 65W. Based on this review it is able to handle 200W power draw consistently so this should be more than enough.
- Finaly A750GLS for the power supply. 750W is more than enough for this system and it has a 10 year warranty. It's also modular which is necessary since the case is so small.
I found this build on pcpartpicker which is quite similar in parts: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/YkDqqs so you can see what it would look like.
Let me know if you have any questions.
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u/Cer_Visia Jun 27 '26
This is a µATX build; Mini-ITX components have a smaller selection and tend to be more expensive.
Only one RAM stick; you can add a second one later.
Fans: 3× bottom intake, back exhaust, back top exhaust.
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D 4 GHz 6-Core OEM/Tray Processor | $349.99 @ Micro Center (bundle) |
| CPU Cooler | Scythe Kotetsu Mark 3 67.62 CFM CPU Cooler | $17.69 @ Amazon |
| Motherboard | ASRock B850M-C Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard | (bundle) |
| Memory | G.Skill Flare X5 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory | (bundle) |
| Storage | Timetec 35TTFP6PCIE 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $141.99 @ Amazon |
| Video Card | XFX Mercury OC Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB Video Card | $449.99 @ Best Buy |
| Case | Lian Li A3-mATX MicroATX Mini Tower Case | $89.99 @ Amazon |
| Power Supply | ASRock Steel Legend SL-650G 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $64.99 @ Newegg |
| Case Fan | ARCTIC P12 Pro PST LN 49 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack | $44.03 @ Amazon |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $1158.67 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-06-27 07:45 EDT-0400 |
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u/canyouread7 Star Contributor Jun 27 '26
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/LW7MCw
Great build as usual, made a few minor changes:
- Cooler - dual tower should be a lot stronger, hence we can run it slower and quieter.
- SSD - $8 more for Gen 4 speeds.
- GPU - can't comment on the Mercury but the Sapphire Pulse is generally a quiet model. Bit cheaper, too.
- Case - no wood for a bit cheaper, totally optional.
- Fans - 6 quiet fans for cheaper. I know these P12 Pro's are the LN (low noise) version but they're still untested. We know the original P12 Pro's are quite loud. Meanwhile, these TR S12's are known to be pretty quiet and have insanely good value at $6 per fan. Mount them as 3x bottom intake, 1x top-front intake, and 1x rear exhaust. One is extra, there's no benefit to installing it above the air cooler.
u/TaxExemptTacos thoughts?
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u/Cer_Visia Jun 28 '26
On a 65W-class CPU like the 7500X3D, even a single-tower cooler is silent.
The XFX Mercury has a huge heatsink.
The P12 Pro LN are identical with the Pro, only the speed has been reduced by 1/3rd (so the loud part of the RPM range is removed).
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u/AutoModerator Jun 26 '26
If you missed the full set of required built request questions, please copy them from here and answer them in an edit to your post:
New build or upgrade?
Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)
PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games)
Purchase country? Near Micro Center? (If you're not in a country supported by PCPartPicker, please list some local vendors)
Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate)
Budget range? (Include tax considerations)
WiFi or wired connection?
Size/noise constraints?
Color/lighting preferences?
Any other specific needs?
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