Mini PC manufacturers are increasingly pushing the boundaries of compact computing. We see devices that are powerful, make efficient use of space, in addition to breakthroughs in thermal management. Some of these little powerhouses support Intel 12th to 14th generation Core CPUs and external GPUs.
ASRock has introduced the DeskMate X600, a compact desktop PC that also moves the GPU outside the main unit. Currently only available in China, the barebones model starts at $190 and features a motherboard based on the AMD AM5 chipset, compatible with AMD Ryzen 7000 and 8000 series processors.
With dimensions of 215 x 195 x 85 mm and a volume of 3.5 liters, it supports up to 192 GB DDR5-7200 RAM and offers two M.2 2280 slots for SSDs. There is also room for a 2.5″ SATA drive, but offers better thermal performance if no hard drive is installed. There’s a PCIe x16 slot for an optional discrete graphics card, although there’s also a cutout on the top that allows you to route a PCIe extension cable to an external GPU.
Own graphics system
Instead of using standard Thunderbolt 4 or OCuLink, ASRock opts for a proprietary system that supports 16 PCIe lanes, theoretically offering almost the same 256Gbps data throughput as an internally mounted GPU.
The device includes a Realtek 2.5G Ethernet controller, with an option to add a MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E wireless card.
The ports on the DeskMate one at the front and three at the back.
DeskMate X600 is available in Obsidian Black, Moonlight Silver and Starry Gray. If Liliputate notes that it’s a bit unclear whether it comes with the external graphics dock and/or PCIe extension cables shown in the promotional photos, or if you’ll have to buy these separately.