ASRock's DeskMini Max concept houses AMD Ryzen, dGPU and liquid cooling in a 10L case

[Humza]

In a nutshell: Mini PC enthusiasts might not be impressed by the bland design of ASRock's DeskMini Max, but what's likely to get them excited is the AMD AM4 platform inside and the customization on offer. This tiny 10L case can take anything from a Ryzen 2000 series chip to a 16C/32T 5950X flagship (up to 105W), a discrete GPU (mini-ITX form factor), and a liquid cooler. ASRock has also posted a video highlighting the mini PC's ease of assembly, heat dissipation measures and hardware upgradeability.

There's something magical and cozy about SFF PCs. Perhaps it's the heat or, more likely, the idea of cramming lots of powerful components into a tiny box. ASRock's latest mini PC, the DeskMini Max concept, aims to redefine this category with support for some beastly hardware and customization.

Alongside the aforementioned CPU/GPU configuration, the DeskMini Max can accommodate up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM (4 x U-DIMM), 1 x PCIe SATA card, 1 x M.2 slot for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and three storage drives. The latter includes a single M.2 slot and the option of either using 2 x 2.5-inch drives or a single 3.5-inch disk. The 10L compact case can also be fitted with an air cooler or a single fan liquid cooler, in which case the radiator goes above the GPU at the top for cool air intake.

The mini PC uses ASRock's proprietary motherboard and a 500W PSU with custom-length cables that fit snugly in the case. The I/O is solid for an SFF PC and includes 5 x USB 3.0 ports and a headphone jack on the front, alongside space for an optional 5.25" ODD bay that will replace the liquid cooler. The rear, meanwhile, has 4 x USB 2.0 ports, a single DisplayPort, HDMI, D-Sub and an RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port.

Although it looks rather plain on the outside, the DeskMini Max can be decorated with a magnetic, addressable LED strip for showing off some components from the side vent. Being a concept, there's no pricing or availability info for ASRock's DeskMini Max, but it could be a teaser for something big that mini PC enthusiasts might want to consider down the road.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/90178-asrock-deskmini-max-concept-houses-amd-ryzen-dgpu.html

 

[VitalyT]

Interesting concept, in the middle of the GPU crisis, which can triple the cost of such PC.

 

[rrwards]

Why does the plastic on the front of the case look like the sh*tty old dell inspiron desktop plastic

 

[Dimitriid]

While I reaaaally, REALLY like the idea of a small form factor MATX case (Not a lot of those in the west, you have to deal with long wait times to import those types of cases fro Aliexpress and other such sites) like the Silverston Sugo series in the past, here are a couple of points I'd mark them down for already:

1) Inverted layout. I don't mind specially since you probably cannot see the GPU through a crystal/acrylic window I still think most of these inverted layout should at the very least be reversible so screws instead of rivets

2) Questionable power supply included: I seriously doubt this has any kind of usable rating and putting a freakin 5950x on such a power supply should probably be against the fire code. But even if it is we don't really need a PSU with a case since even if the performance and reliability is good, it's still very ugly, not powder coated, ketchup & mustard cables, etc. It's one of those things that against screams "ultra budget!" at you

3) No powder coating inside or on the back: less visible so further down the list of grievances but again, just something that tells you immediately "This is a better-than-a-shoebox budget case" as soon as you take even a passing glance at it.

5) More of a 4.5) point but the PSU placement should not be static: at least relocating a smaller SFX PSU towards the front or the bottom would allow for *MUCH* better cooler compatibility. Right now this doesn't looks like it can even fit some of the default Ryzen coolers so it is a really bad idea again to put something as power hungry as a 5950x (Or basically any intel chip above an i5) Even with AIOs it looks like more rigid tubing wouldn't fit and softer tubing could risk producing kinks on the hoses so not good at all.

EDIT: Got rid of 4) since the radiator ends up at the top, inverted layout tricked me so refer to 1) instead.

6) This is a big one but I was still watching the video: there's no sufficient air intake for the radiator

 

[terzaerian]

Is that a 5.25 bay at the top? It is! Hell, I feel compelled to buy it just because they're a casemaker in 2021 that's still putting them in. I hate that modern cases are trying to deprecate it.