Introduction

A big thank you to ASRock for providing the review sample.

ASRock has transformed from a minor player in the DIY PC scene to a significant force in the industry. Since their modest beginnings in 2002, the company has expanded its product range over the past two decades, now offering motherboards, graphics cards, Mini-PCs, networking hardware, workstations, monitors, and more. Known for innovative products like the Taichi motherboard series and outside collaborations, ASRock has become a go-to brand for custom PC builders across a wide range of budgets and markets.


In today's review, I look the ASRock DeskMini X600 system. While it is a barebones system, meaning you need to provide your own CPU, memory and storage, this also makes it a versatile option if you need to a system tailored to your specific needs while also maintaining a small footprint. To test the system it has been outfitted with a Ryzen 5 8600G, 32 GB of DDR5 SODIMM memory (5600 MHz), and a 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD. While it does not have enough space for a dedicated graphics card, the Ryzen-based APU with integrated Radeon 760M graphics is adequate for the majority of today's tasks and even lightweight gaming. Overall it's an interesting bit of kit, but there is one caveat and that is the 65 watt TDP limit imposed on the processor. Furthermore, while the system can be packed with features it requires optional components. All that said, before diving in with benchmarks let's take a closer look at the system itself and how easy it may or may not be to work with.

Packaging and Contents

The box itself is relatively plain, with the top showing off the system itself along with the fact it uses the AM5 Socket. On the front you have the DeskMini X600 branding and little else. Turning to the left side it is a similar situation in that there is little see here beyond the identification of the unit.


Moving on to the back and right side you will again find simple black panels with some orange and yellow highlights detailing the product naming but nothing else.


Internally the packaging is designed with the system placed in the center and protected by foam. As for the power brick, and miscellaneous components they are all placed in separate compartments in the box keeping everything secure.


Regarding the bundled components, you'll discover ASRock has opted to keep things as simple as possible. Only the necessary items are included with the company offering numerous optional upgrades should users require more USB ports or extra features such as Wi-Fi. While this keeps costs down, it would have been nice if the extra USB ports were offered stock at the very least since it is one of the few early to spot weaknesses of this particular unit.

• ASRock DeskMini X600 Barebones system
• Power brick
• CPU cooler
• Assorted screws
• 2x SATA data+power cables
• Manual

A Closer Look

The front of the system is all black and classy with an appearance similar to brushed aluminium. ASRock offers 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port and 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port along with a headphone and microphone jack as your front I/O options. Turning to the left side you will find a large opening for airflow above where the CPU cooler will sit along with blanks that can be removed giving you the option to add a couple of USB ports.


On the back you of the DeskMini X600 you will find 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, 1x DC power jack, 1x D-Sub, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1, and for networking a single 2.5 GbE port. While the unit does support Wi-Fi it requires you to add your own M.2 Key E 2230 module. Meanwhile, the right side has an area for a VESA mount that is not included either.


Looking at the top and bottom it is a simple affair. The top has a large vented opening for airflow while the bottom is solid metal.


To power the system, ASRock is including a 120 watt FSP power brick.


Finally, to fully set the system up I am using 2x 16 GB (32 GB total) of Kingston Fury Impact DDR5 5600 MHz SODIMM memory, a 1 TB Western Digital SN770 M.2 NVMe SSD, and of course the main star of the show will be AMD's Ryzen 5 8600G.

A look Inside

To gain access to the internals the first thing you will need to do is remove the four screws at the back of the system. This will allow the motherboard tray to slide out giving you access to install the components needed to get the system operational.


With the motherboard out you can now install the CPU, RAM, and storage. Which is quick, easy, and painless.


Finally, while you can opt for custom cooling if its under 47 mm in height, ASRock does include a basic cooler, and it uses AMD's clip system making for a relatively quick and painless installation. Once that is done just slide the tray back into the chassis and your good to go.