Small case + i5-13600K + RTX 4060 Ti =?

GOOD THINGS come not only in small packages, but also obscure and unique ones. Take the Corsair 2000D case, a new mini-ITX small form factor chassis that quickly grabbed our attention. Shaped similarly to the Xbox Series X, it has the potential to fit into a multitude of setups without sacrificing performance. This chassis follows Corsair’s design language from the 4000D and even the behemoth 7000D, but compresses it into a compact and aesthetically pleasing box that will take up less of your valuable desktop or under-TV real estate.

Now, if you know us, you’ll understand that we are fairly accustomed to small form factor machines, and we love seeing what we can build within them (although they aren’t as easy to build in as chassis like the aforementioned huge Corsair 7000D). We love the idea of cramming a powerful system into a small package, and we are aiming to do just that with the Corsair 2000D.

So then, what are some of the goodies we are compiling inside the 2000D mini-ITX case? Well, things are off to a strong start with the CPU choice of the build. One of our favorite picks from Intel’s 13th generation has to be the i5-13600K—it’s one heck of a workhorse, and offers great efficiency, gaming power, and value for money. Continuing on with the bang for buck theme, we have chosen the most affordable 40 series Nvidia GeForce card: the RTX 4060 Ti.

The exact card is Zotac’s Gaming Edge Twin Edge OC card. Overclocked out of the box and coming in at $400, it’s one of the best ways to get yourself into the 40 series range. This card can also run off a 500W PSU, making it ideal for builds with SFX power supplies like this one, where high-wattage SFX PSUs aren’t the easiest to get your hands on. Luckily, we did get a more than adequate solution with Corsair’s SF750 80 PLUS Platinum SFX PSU. However, if you don’t want to upgrade your graphics card, you can opt for a cheaper and less powerful solution.

All of these, plus a very snappy duo of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 and an SK Hynix Platinum P41, will be connected in harmony thanks to MSI’s MPG Z790I EDGE Wi-Fi Mini ITX, a very capable mobo to say the least, especially for an ITX board. Yes, this is going to be a fiddly machine, but the end product should certainly be worth the inevitable cable management nightmare that most small form factor builds come with. We are aiming to achieve a compact gaming machine here that can perform at high settings running at 1080p or QHD resolution. It should make for a perfect couch gaming solution.

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PRICES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF PRINTING

A LOOK UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

CPU

INTEL CORE I5-13600K

It has two fewer cores than our previously featured Intel Core i7- 13700K, but as it costs nearly $100 less, this Intel Core i5-13600K does not disappoint. It’s no secret that this 13600K chip is a favorite of ours—in fact, we’d happily recommend Intel’s last generation i5-12600K, as that still stands strong in today’s market. It’s not going to blow you away, but it should easily last many iterations of hardware changes.

It features 14 cores that are split up into six performance and eight efficient cores via Intel’s hybrid architecture. It has a max turbo frequency of 5.1 GHz, 20 threads, and integrated UHD Graphics 770, as it is the ‘K’ variant. These are healthy stats, and it has never let us down. • $310 • www.intel.com

GPU

ZOTAC GAMING GEFORCE RTX 4060 TI TWIN EDGE OC 8GB

Yes, it’s one of the new entry-level cards in the 40 series GeForce RTX lineage, but it’s still nothing to turn your nose up at. For 1080p/QHD gaming, this GPU will be a very strong companion to our Intel Core i5-13600K, and more importantly, fit inside our Corsair 2000D with no issues at all. It comes with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, 4,352 cores, a boost clock speed of 2550MHz, NVIDIA DLSS 3 support, and full ray tracing. These are all the features you’ll need to amp up your gaming experience on a budget. As it’s an OC card, too, it has already been tuned up slightly to help get the most out of the card from the get-go. For a small form factor PC, it’s a fantastic choice while still getting the most out of the latest generation advancements.

• $400 • www.zotac.com

CPU Cooler

INTEL LAMINAR RM1 STOCK COOLER

Our case features mesh sides and three 120mm fans to pull in air from the front and straight over the internals to keep them cool. Although you can install an AIO, you won’t be able to see it, and we felt like the trust Laminar RM1 stock cooler from Intel would be more than enough to reduce the heat levels on our mini-ITX machine. Not only will it help to keep our temperatures down, but also the overall cost of the build.

Intel has vastly improved aesthetics and performance here when compared to the model that came before this. Yet, in this case, unfortunately it’s going to be well and truly hidden away. Luckily, it will hide pretty well, as it’s a small cooler, allowing for more space internally. Trust us, we need as much space in this build as we can get. • $N/A • www.intel.com