Introduction

ASRock was established in 2002 with the sole focus on motherboards. From their humble beginnings, they have stuck with the 3C design concept of "Creativity, Consideration, Cost-effectiveness", which has allowed them to grow into an industry juggernaut. Since then, they have expanded their product range to include PC systems, motherboards, graphics cards, networking components, and more. With a solid portfolio of products and a reputation for exceptional motherboards that keep PC enthusiasts coming back for more, it is no wonder ASRock is now well-known worldwide as a premier PC-component manufacturer.


In today's review, I look the ASRock DeskMini A300 barebones system, which has been outfitted with a Ryzen 5 2400G, 16 GB of DDR4, and a 240 GB M.2 SSD. While it does not have enough space for a graphics card, the Ryzen-based APU means integrated graphics are adequate for the majority of today's tasks. Even lightweight gaming is entirely possible as long as expectations are kept in check.

Packaging and Contents

The top of the box features the DeskMini A300 surrounded by the AMD Ryzen logo, its orange-on-black theme giving it a catchy appearance. Looking at the front, there is not much to see other than the prominently displayed product name. Turning the box, the left side is much the same except for the serial number and UPC code.


The back and right side are a boring black and orange with nothing else to look at.


Opening the box, we see the system secured in foam, with the driver disk and literature on top. While this small system likely didn't need foam for protection, it is still nice to see since foam beats typical cardboard inserts.


As it's a barebones system, I was not expecting much, but ASRock does provide everything you need to get started. A power brick, CPU cooler, two SATA plugs, and all the screws required to fully load the system are included.

• ASRock DeskMini A300
• Power brick
• Optional CPU cooler (65 W)
• 2x SATA data/power cables
• Assorted screws
• Driver disk
• Installation guide

A Closer Look

The front of the ASRock DeskMini A300 has diagonal vents for airflow. A power button is on the right, while the two USB ports consist of a USB 3.1 Type-A and a USB 3.1 Type-C, alongside two audio jacks. On top is a breakout spot for additional USB ports via upgrades ASRock offers separately from the barebones unit itself. Moving on to the left side, there is not much to see, but you can get a better look at the side vent, which allows the CPU cooler to grab fresh air. On the back, you will find more I/O options, including 2x USB ports, 1x D-sub, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x DC plug, and an RJ45 ethernet port. ASRock does offer a Wi-Fi upgrade kit for this unit as well, which occupies the three circular holes on the left.


Another large vent is found on the right, further improving airflow inside the small chassis, which is good since the system supports up to 65-watt processors. A closer look gives us a glimpse of the CPU's location on the interior and how the CPU cooler will sit directly below the vented opening. On the opposite side, ASRock has a place for an optional VESA mount, which is a nice touch. However, all the extra this and that add-ons are a bit of an annoyance. Granted, they do help keep costs low, so it's a trade-off I can support because extra functionality is at least available should you need it.

A look Inside

Taking the system apart is incredibly easy as only four screws at the back have to be removed. Once done, you can just pull on the tab for the motherboard tray to slide it straight out. Just be mindful of the front panel I/O wires.


With the mainboard out, we can see the motherboard and processor I will be using for testing, which is an AMD Ryzen 5 2400G, and ASRock's own A300M-STX with a MOSFET heatsink is a nice surprise all things considered. When it comes to storage and Wi-FI connectivity, the motherboard has an Ultra M.2 slot and an M.2 Wi-Fi slot which—coupled with the VESA mount—makes this a fantastic living-room system that can be hidden out of sight and out of mind while having a lot more horsepower than more energy-conscious options, like the LIVA Z units reviewed previously.


Mass storage is handled via two 2.5-inch HDD bays with a cutout for wire access. ASRock thankfully includes both SATA data/power wires in the box, so even if you don't have an M.2 SSD, you can still slot in a SATA SSD and HDD for good boot times and application load times without sacrificing storage space.


To make the system operational, we had to source a few parts besides just the CPU. Since the DeskMini A300 is a barebones unit, system memory and storage had to be acquired for a fully functional system. To this end, we used 2x 8 GB sticks of Teamgroup 2400 MHz CL 16-16-16-39 memory and a Teamgroup T-Force Cardea 240 GB M.2 PCIe SSD.


To prepare the system for use, simply install the memory as you normally would along with the SSD. Once both are installed, you will want to install your CPU and the CPU cooler. In my case, the optional CPU cooler was provided. However, others may want to pick aftermarket options.


With everything installed, all that is needed is to slide the motherboard tray back into the enclosure to then tighten down the four screws holding the two parts of the chassis together. Once done, the system just needs the OS to be installed before it's good to go.