AM5-based ASRock DeskMini is out!

[VirtualLarry]

https://www.newegg.com/asrock-deskmini-x600/p/N82E16856158096?Item=N82E16856158096

 

[gibster]

Worth noting there is a $10 generic MIR and another $20 MIR for a review. Also, for a few more days buy a $10 gift card for $5. Aand, if you have Chase Freedom, they currently have 5% off at newegg, and combined with a 1% off from Rakuten, one can wither that cost a bit...

I currently have a DeskMini X300 with a 5700G, while computationally the upgrade is minimal, the GPU upgrade is huge, especially paired with a decent set of DDR5.
I figured I can still sell the "older" DeskMini for a decent price. I loved the X300, hopefully the X600 will be even better. Can't be beat for a HTPC, with kubuntu it just rocks.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Rob reviewed it

Bummer they did not include eGPU support via USB 4 or OCuLink. But I suppose ASRock would rather you bought the Desk Meet for dGPU power.

I have the OG A300 with a Pro 2400G running HoloISO and it is a fun little thing.

 

[Brainonska511]

These always seem like interesting little boxes if you wanted a small HTPC that doesn't need a ton of GPU power, hard drive storage, or an optical drive. Also great for a general use PC for someone that doesn't need gaming power (for instance, gave my mom an Alder Lake i3 NUC to replace a Haswell-era tower she was using).

 

[DAPUNISHER]

These always seem like interesting little boxes if you wanted a small HTPC that doesn't need a ton of GPU power, hard drive storage, or an optical drive. Also great for a general use PC for someone that doesn't need gaming power (for instance, gave my mom an Alder Lake i3 NUC to replace a Haswell-era tower she was using).

At least those you can add a conveniently via USB if you really need them.

 

[Brainonska511]

At least those you can add a conveniently via USB if you really need them.

True. For me, it's about the cleanliness of the HTPC setup. I use an optical drive in mine for Blu-ray, and have movies and TV shows ripped. But I could see how a small box or a USB approach could work for others trying to do it all on a more minimalist budget.

 

[burninatortech4]

My X300W with 5700G is a great system. The Zen 3 cores are still very strong but the Vega 8 graphics are starting to feel a bit long in the tooth in 2024.

I wish I could justify a 8700G build right now.

 

[gibster]

My X300W with 5700G is a great system. The Zen 3 cores are still very strong but the Vega 8 graphics are starting to feel a bit long in the tooth in 2024.

I wish I could justify a 8700G build right now.

Like I wrote above, I was in the same exact situation, but I went for the upgrade. So far I can tell you I am not that impressed. Yes, more CPU power, faster memory (running 5600 CL40), 2.5G network, smaller PS brick, BUT - the graphics performance I was looking forward to is not there yet, I just did a quick Superposition Benchmark, and while I was getting 2800 with the 5700G, I am just getting around 4500 with the 8700G (roughly equivalent to a GTX960 from way yesteryear), I was thinking I should be getting around 10000, so not even close, maybe this is not the best benchmark to compare these, as it is a bit old by now. I mean, yeah - 60% improvement is decent, just not what I was expecting. Maybe I can overclock the GPU and/or RAM a bit, we'll see, I think I was running the 5700G overclocked.
The other plus is since this is the beginning of the AM5 platform, there is potential room for improvement with a future CPU or even faster memory, we will see. Will keep playing with it, maybe I can figure something out.