ASRock drops the ball, yet again

[@KitGuruTech]

One to avoid for sure, but enjoy the video 00:00 Video start 00:15 The barebones bundle 01:20 Some details 02:33 I/O, and the smallest heatsink ever 04:08 The board up close 04:39 Some concerns 05:00 Hardware configuration 09:48 The BIOS - WTF 10:28 Some testing 11:44 Pushing the system 12:38 VRM issues - hitting 100c+ 13:03 Leos thoughts

[@longdang2681]

There is something not quite right about the asrock temp readings. At 9:51 in your video, notice how the cpu temp is at 40.5C(I'm assuming from a cold start) but the m/b temp is already at a whopping 47C. Did you try to read the vrm heatsink temp with an external thermometer?

[@RC-ic1co]

Thanks for the video. I really wondered how a reviewer this knowledgeable wouldn't be aware of the Noctua NH-L9i as THE ONE go-to-choice of CPU cooler for all Asrock Deskminis (yes, it fits perfectly). And it makes for a much more pleasant experience with this device. About the BIOS allowing Base Frequency Boost - I guess that is a carry-over from Asrock's other, larger H470 mainboards. I completely agree with you, that this feature is questionable in this package. I agree this isn't for power users - same as a Intel NUC will not meaningfully allow you to demand 100% load off it all the time. But that is not, what these devices are about, anyway. What percentage of users really edits videos, etc.? Under typical use, a Asrock Deskmini will see a lot of partial loading. And let me tell you from experience, that it performs beautifully in that kind of scenario.

[@RC-ic1co]

@Timothy Thank you! It seems to be very tempting for a certain part of the user base to put too much CPU power into these devices. Or at least I see quite a lot of such builds on my country's equivalent of Craigslist. I'm still working with a moderately equipped Deskmini right now and couldn't be happier. :-)

[@TerranigmaQuintet]

the VRMs still overheat even with that cooler though.

[@jimw7916]

EXACTLY ........................... the man is obviously someone who "thinks he knows"

[@OlettaLiano]

Looks like a good little system for starting a fire.

[@random_birch_forest]

Great video and analysis, Leo! Why wouldn't ASRock stick a 15mm 140mm fan on the top of the case is beyond me. It would have provided sufficient additional cooling for MoBo components and VRM and solved the issue of overheating by only increasing case height by 2cm max.

[@jonathanellis6097]

I think based on other reviews, the am4 desk mini makes a bit more sense.

[@jonathangorman1873]

Yep, I recently built with a Ryzen 4650G in a Deskmini 300X and I couldn't be happier with it for its intended purpose as a HTPC. BTW I also stuck a Noctua fan on it which was a clear upgrade over the stock fan that came with the case.

[@davea.9927]

@@jonathangorman1873 where did you get the 4650? I thought those were only sold in laptops?

[@davea.9927]

Is this good just to use as a simple work pc?

[@jonathangorman1873]

@@davea.9927 eBay (shipped from Hong Kong) and yes, it would be good for a basic work PC, in fact I believe that is the target market for these CPUs - basic work stations in offices/call centres etc.

[@davea.9927]

@@jonathangorman1873 thanks 😀 I may go with a cheaper 3000 series chip. Just need something to work/study on. I know the Zen 3 APU's are right around the corner, problem is my current device is failing and I don't have $600 bucks to spend on a 'cheap' graphics card lol

[@splynk1]

Who in their right mind would even consider building anything with Intel IGP, when the obvious choice is AMD APU ?

[@Zarcondeegrissom]

a note, some like the room at 75F (23.888c) or a tad hotter, and many live near the tropics where it normally goes over 100F (37.777c) ambient, so your VRM temps may be hotter than what Leo got. "it's mildly terrifying" well said, great vid Leo and crew. B)

[@shaunhayward]

I've build 3 systems using the A300 and Ryzen 3400g CPU. They are absolutely brilliant for an easy budget build. One is my dev box, one is my Linux/Proxmox server and one is my daughter's school computer. Just add CPU, RAM, NVME and a better cooler (e.g. Noctua) and they work GREAT! No experience with the intel version.

[@Buffast]

Had several Deskmini for normal office use. Works very fine, low noice and very small. Why is everything always supposed to be for gaming? Buy another setup for that, but for normal use, this it very good. Just my opinion. 😊

[@randeegunthunter1062]

I know it's only a small detail, but it's only "antennae" when it's with insects or crustaceans. It's "antennas" when talking about electrical antennas

[@KitGuruTech]

Is that right? you learn a new thing every day.

[@tommihommi1]

eh, nobody will be confused by either

[@randeegunthunter1062]

@@tommihommi1 hence why I said it's only a small detail.

[@TechTesters]

@@KitGuruTech It's OK Leo, no-one knows everything at the age of 30.

[@MrRawUK]

Good in-depth review, but you maybe could have said what is a better buy if you were looking at this Asrock?

[@martindarlington3862]

highly entertaining! Leo at his best, great. shan't be splashing out.

[@Pabula]

Honestly this is not a bad offering, i have built multiple for Intel and AMD, they are simple small pcs, for office work they are fine, small and versatile, as long as the needs are not high end, which is most people, this is a fine offering, problem is looking at it into being a high end setup capable, which its not, nor its meant to me. You can go with other options like stand alone with Antec ISK110 or InWin Chopin, and very likely with a better motherboard but you will end up with a slightly bigger and more expensive setup.

[@jimw7916]

CORRECT

[@Elst07896]

Absolutely, brilliant! Leo at his caustic best. Respect is due. 👍🤣❤

[@frankwoolrich]

great video great to see the build and the pros and Cons of this system, safe to say I won't be buying one.

[@Berserkism]

Yeah cooler is nicer but most VRMs are rated at 100 to 105'C for something like 10k hours. There is no denying it could be better but there is no need for panic. Given the cheap price I would just mod the VRM cooling myself, not that you should have too of course, and also add additional airflow cooling for other components such as the SSD. Would probably make for a fun project.

[@MODE13_DNB]

The max temp for a VRM MOSFET is around 125C, 100 seems a long way before failure.

[@theonlyredspecial]

They said that about the older dual ati gpus too and the failure rate on those was terrible. The only people happy with Vrms at 100c+ are people asrock are targeting with this. People who don’t know better. But we do. Right ?

[@malphadour]

A VRM running at over 100c will suffer reduced life span and its efficiency will decrease more rapidly. In this use case it also means you have a 100c plus heat source in a very enclosed area so it's impact on other parts of the system will be far greater than if this was in a more normal sized case. It looks to mean like the bean counters yet again sabotaged an intel Asrock board - my guess is those 60A power stages got cut back to 50A when an accountant gave his "technical" perspective on the design.. Just having the 60A power stages would have made a fairly significant difference to the temps and probably had it running well under 100c.

[@mirelurk-fish7387]

I managed to shove a noctua cpu cooler in my deskmini. And it keeps my 10400 intel processor at 70C max. Works well with photoshop in my experience

[@AG-bp3ll]

I've stuck with Intel Nuc units when I can find a sale for my mini PC needs. They are tiny, last forever, and the processor is already in there. It isn't something I'm going to be upgrading.

[@jimw7916]

A plug-in desktop processor will ALWAYS be better than a "mobile" version.

[@AG-bp3ll]

@jimw7916 Sure it will and also not fit in the small form factor.

[@jimw7916]

@@AG-bp3ll im running one RIGHT NOW with a ryzen 5 5600g and a large internal fan!

[@AG-bp3ll]

@jimw7916 Cool if you need the power but I'm still running a 8th gen i3 Nuc and it works fine as a plex sever and general PC and doesn't generate much heat.

[@jimw7916]

@@AG-bp3lli love the NUCs but too expensive!

[@recordatron]

Tbh I've been put off Asrock recently after buying one of their Ryzen boards and it not handling power delivery well at all. Seems like some of their products are quite good value and can be aesthetically pleasing but this doesn't really do much to improve my outlook on them. Great video as always. 👍

[@gambleboyen]

Even if you're able to stick at i7-11700 OR EVEN i9-11900 into it and run it up to 95W, the deskmini doesn't say you SHOULD do it (it's the chipset which enables this, not the volume of the box). So that part of the critique is neither here nor there, most pc cases/mainboards can be abused if the builder wants to or is unknowledgable about the result. But yeah, you could argue that the BIOS allows for overclocking, although an overclocking user would probably never buy this except if he was trying to fire up his BBQ. And who goes to the trouble of assembling this machine to use Blender? I know it's a common benchmark, but it's a completely academic trial that won't be relevant for a pc like this. At least you're doing a good job of warning against it though :)

[@juergenstremmler2286]

It's better to buy an Intel Wifi AX module for $15 in China and install that. And depending on your CPU I woulfd choose a Noctua L19 cooler with an appropraite fan. Then you can overclock the systme heavily. But I have built the AMD version the X300 with a 8 core Ryzen 7 Pro 4750G processor..... And btw Wifi antennas have to be installed prior to installing the NVmE SSD.....

[@manishkhanna76]

Thanks. Great review and very useful.

[@ivanc1057]

hi can i ask you what kind of screwdrivers you used to remove the VRM heatsink? thank you very much

[@CambridgePunk]

I was actually thinking of buying one of these. Luckily it all turned out to be about 85€ more expensive than buying a Lenovo AIO with a 4500u.

[@ghost_of_m403]

I remember having a fight with a much better boxer than me. He hit me at will and no matter how hard I tried I could never get close to him. That is how the DeskMini must feel being reviewed by Leo. :D Great review, I just wish it would have had a better board and VRM design.

[@TheMqyable]

Ok, radiator on VRM is too small, but everything here is small. So why not test this setup with proper cooling with bigger fan, like Noctua NH-L9i or Cooler Master MasterAir G200P which would cool VRM too? It looks like a review to prof something... Instead of talking all the time about power bios features, which we don't need to touch, it would be better to show what other options are. I've seen that this motherboad is flexing under a cooler and people confirm that this pc dies, so it look like it is not a good option anyway.

[@organicmetal6850]

My one and only experience with Asrock was WAY more than sub-optimal...

[@cmcknight]

Sorry but is the I5 10600 not a six core thwelve thread processor, i think you said it was four core and eight thread in the video?

[@KitGuruTech]

You are quite correct - that was a daft error, especially as we showed the spec on the i5, i7 and i9 on screen here kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWGkgZSEec1loKc (Also demonstrates that Ryzen 5 has infected the Waldock brain)

[@cmcknight]

@@KitGuruTech Heat induced stress from the VRM's ?

[@KitGuruTech]

@@cmcknight Most likely. The fact Intel uses odd number model codes for even numbered cores and then was copied by AMD is one horrible mess for people attempting to remember details. What chance will we have with Core i9-11900KF.

[@sandwich2473]

You know, I think a budget oriented parent might be better off going with a used laptop. It has the potential with being cheaper, quieter, and just all round less hassle. You might be able to get an okay deal and get something that's got a tiny tad more grunt to it.

[@theonlyredspecial]

Yeah I agree. This board is terrible.

[@ConfusedRaccoon]

Would a fat bit of thermal tape help that chipset move heat to the shell?

[@Reviewing_Playing_and_More_RPM]

Just out of curiosity did the M.2 work didn't see it but maybe I missed it?

[@KitGuruTech]

No, just like the warning sticker says, the second M.2 was not active.

[@shaneeslick]

G'day Leo, This style of PC seems like it should only be AMD APU based, at least then you have some graphics capability beyond watching videos like E-sports games

[@ghost_of_m403]

2 Follow up questions - the AMD APU version seems to have gotten a lot of positive reviews, is it possible it's using a better board? Also, with the ultra-low profile Silverstone cooler, would it have been possible to get a thin 120MM fan into the roof of the chassis to improve VRM cooling? Thanks again.

[@KitGuruTech]

The problem with AMD APUs is getting your hands on the APU! using a lower profile CPU cooler and cobbling in a case fan may help but the issue here seems to be three 50A Vcore VRMs under a tiny heatsink.

[@haijiazhu3148]

Thinking of geting this machine (for hackintosh, with 10400). Watch some review but no one mention the 50A power stage issues. Thanks a lot!!

[@luvnpayton]

test the x300W version with Ryzen 5 5300G, 5600G, 5700G etc, they are amazing!

[@jimw7916]

CORRECT ....they fly!

[@mrakulus]

First time i've seen a video within minutes of upload. Asrock boards are ok, but only one I've ever bought was for an AMD FX build.

[@commandertaco1762]

Is it as bad for the amd version?

[@delscoville]

I've pretty much written off ASRock for my builds. Pretty much stick with Gigabyte or ASUS, but have Gigabyte in my two most used machines.

[@oplkfdhgk]

I personally prefer the asus mini pc pn50 but this is pretty cool too :p

[@lflyr6287]

KitGuruTech : we consumers and pro builders kinda don't care about any of Shintel "new" OLD architecture based current cpu-s....so we don't care if motherboard manufacturers started cutting shortcuts by putting low quality VRM-s on the Shintel based chipset motherboards :).

[@jlrockafella]

All they had to do is spend a few more cents on vrm and it would have worked out.

[@malphadour]

This looks very much like accountants "helped" with the design again.

[@jimw7916]

​@@malphadour EXACTLY

[@adrianor31]

At 9:07 that image reminded me Henry Cavill's video building his own PC ;)

[@KitGuruTech]

There is a striking resemblance between Henry and Leo

[@rookieone33]

Thank you kitguru, I cancelled my order ofter seeing this :)

[@rookieone33]

And next time'll watch this first :)

[@nsw9154]

when i upgraded from a 1700X to a 2700X instead of using my Crosshair VI Hero i bought a X470 Taichi Ultimate simply because i needed WiFi and regretted it as soon as i went into the bios

[@eliezergalvao7068]

Comprei a versão amd deskmini X300 junto com ryzen 5 5600g e estou gostando muito.

[@musamba101]

The Asrock X300 has better heatsinks and the AMD APU is much better for gaming (4650G and up). I just assembled mine I got from alibaba and I am happy with it. I still have my beefy desktop, but I can reserved my desktop for intensive tasks or AAA gaming now. I hear good things about Intel's Iris integrated graphics thou.

[@joshpayne4015]

You might have missed the point? Yes, this unit is not for gamers. It's not for people who go into the BIOS to tweak settings. It's not for power users. Feels like this video is dumping on Asrock (I'm not a fan myself) for using one of their products for how it CAN be used but probably SHOULDN'T be used. This unit provides an economical solution for users who want a general-use SFF. Sorry to remind you, but the world doesn't run on gaming. People do productivity tasks on computers, too, and something as under-powered like this (Intel 630 graphics, lol) is just fine for the general-purpose web browsing/spreadsheet using/word processing user. You can't run Blender? Lol, why would you want to on something like this! I bet it can't run Crysis, so what? Go run Blender on your big rig, and leave this Asrock solution to people for whom it makes sense. Contrary to your closing comments, it does make sense for a segment of users who have these basic requirements (or they can go get a cheap laptop, if that's their thing). This would be great for my father, pushing 75 years old, who just e-mails and browses the web, and doesn't own a smart phone. He doesn't like laptops, and he doesn't want a big hulking computer case on his desk.

[@KitGuruTech]

We address a number of those points in the video: The integrated 630 graphics in Intel CPUs take gaming off the table which puts the emphasis on the rest of the system. We are fine with ASRock presenting a basic PC experience but have to wonder why they didn't limit the system to 35W CPUs, rather than 65W. It seems really peculiar that the BIOS has such a large number of options including features specifically aimed at raising performance. This Barebones would have made more sense five years ago when phones were less effective and Intel CPUs consumed less power but today it is something of a puzzle.

[@EmirCesan]

I would bet on Asrock A300 and slap an AMD Ryzen 3400G on it. You have a great basic and gaming system 👍

[@Macabre215]

Man, everyone is shitting all over ASRock these days. I remember even two years ago where people were recommending their motherboards for having great bang-for-buck. What is going on over there?

[@desertfish74]

Intel: but benchmarks are irrelevant for rEAL WOrLd WoRkLoaDS, this box is not meant to do blender Also Intel: look how we stack up against the apple m1 in this pile of selected benchmarks

[@haijiazhu3148]

I think it is quite awful. Turns out that ASROCK says 60A POWER CHOKE and didn't mentioned about the power stage. Which is some sort of misleading in my opinion.

[@DuncDog]

Another outfit probably getting blackballed by ASRock. What a lovely Thursday indeed :) What will ASRock do when no one else is left to review their hardware I wonder...

[@ezydizzy]

Maybe it's good to bring it incase of a blizzard.

[@Bungwirez]

For the Lols installs M.2 over the "please remove first" sticker. Well played.

[@KitGuruTech]

In case it is not crystal clear, the sticker is there to warn that the M.2 slot on the back of the board works with future i.e. 11th Gen CPUs. It does not block the slot. And as an FYI it doesn't work with a 10th Gen CPU, which is exactly what they said.

[@emlyndewar]

Intel and USFF do not go together. Asrock shouldn’t put the square peg in the round hole.

[@supabass4003]

You should try a 11900k for fun!

[@darknessblades]

The only motherboard you should NEVER pair with the NZXT H1 {with Riser version 1.3}

[@LowBudgetKiwi]

You say Asrock drops the ball again. You imply they ever had it. Asrock has been so consistently bad as long as I could remember, to the point they couldn't find a ball in a childs ball pit....

[@namelessBGR]

I've had a P67 Extreme 4 which powered a 2500k to 4.4ghz without any issues as well as an X470 Taichi which regularly boosts a 2600x to 4.5ghz without overclocking. Zero problems with the BIOS as well. ASRock have some really good products, as well as bad ones but it goes for almost all brands, however their prices are quite reasonable.

[@bchurch19]

Ooof more than £500 for a PC with no discreet GPU. You can easily configure a more well rounded and capable system for that money.

[@Machistmo]

4650g or 5000g AMD should make good videos

[@Wavetuner2]

The Ryzen based MB performs fairly flawlessly for me.

[@jimbrannan5825]

That's the Intel version, how about the Ryzen model? Your videos are interesting, but I can't go by an example from one test study no matter who you are. There has to be multiple examples to get a real baseline. And who can say if this years model does the same thing. Too narrow a sampling to make me switch from Asrock all together. Good job though.

[@darren253]

Agree. An AMD A3200G would be better for these PC's

[@jimw7916]

i own one with a Ryzen 5 5600G and its SUPERB!

[@dennispaulson4273]

Manhandles all the parts, takes no care to make sure the handling of the mother board is with care. hands and fingers are all over the board getting the oils from the skin on everything. Its amazing anything this guy builds works. He is not tech, this is a guy who thinks he knows what he is doing but, has no clue how to correctly treat and handle electronic components.

[@KitGuruTech]

It seems you think that will damage the hardware. Rest assured it didn't happen. Have you blown up any hardware yourself? if so KitGuru would love to hear your war stories.

[@garethevans9789]

Jack of all trades, master of none. Three-phase power, what could go wrong...? 🤣 It's just a weird system, they went to the trouble of an additional M.2 slot that you cannot use (not like they're using all the PCIe lanes🙄). Then cheap out of rear audio and make 2xUSB2.0 slots an optional extra ($2 build cost? I'm being generous). ASRock some a lot of strange things, you wonder if the "Rock" is crystal meth (Occam's Razor). ASMeth.🤷‍♂️

[@tonybeckett66]

May I borrow the DeskMini to heat my room?

[@jmlinden7]

The fan isn't strong enough lol

[@Justin_80]

Asrock isn't a 'go to' for quality, imo.

[@LuckySkids]

Hi

[@tommihommi1]

Not sure why you'd buy a Intel based Deskmini

[@KitGuruTech]

That's easy. A tiny PC with integrated graphics requires an APU rather than a CPU and AMD isn't selling APUs to the DIY market,

[@tommihommi1]

@@KitGuruTech ah, last I looked they were still readily available at decent prices, seems that has dried up since. Current 3400G pricing seems absolutely insane as well

[@KitGuruTech]

@@tommihommi1 It is one of life's tragedies that AMD hasn't made Ryzen 4000 APUs available to the public.

[@tommihommi1]

@@KitGuruTech When the chips launched these APUs were available from quite a few German retailers, but that has since dried up. The chips are all going into laptops, no silicon left for the DIY market

[@sandwich2473]

@@KitGuruTech hopefully when the massive demand for silicon wafers goes down, AMD will be able to get some chips out onto the consumer market

[@buddybleeyes]

This looks soo cheap, I'd expect to pick the case up for £20 😂 doesn't surprise me any more that asrock is always disappointing

[@jimw7916]

so you allowed this man to "program your mind"? I can assure you this is an excellent product

[@Dazulolwarrior]

I'd rather people buy a used laptop rather than this haha

[@LuckySkids]

First btw

[@KitGuruTech]

congrats, a kitguru mug is on its way to you.