The new ASRock DeskMeet is a small form-factor desktop computer that measures 6.6″ x 8.6″ x 8.6″ and which is designed to be a compact, versatile system with support for 12th-gen Intel Alder Lake or up to an AMD Ryzen 5000 desktop processor.
ASRock is introducing two models of the little computer, one with an Intel B660 Series motherboard with an LGA1700 socket for Intel Alder Lake desktop processors, and another with an AMD X300 mainboard with an AM4 socket that supports Ryzen 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 series chips.
With an internal volume of 8 liters, the DeskMeet is a little smaller than the DeskMini Max that ASRock introduced last year. But it’s not quite in attach-it-to-the-back-of-your monitor territory.
But it is still a rather compact design for a computer designed for desktop-class performance and scalability. ASRock says the motherboard was designed to minimize internal cables and the power supply was optimized with cable management and airflow in mind.
Both Intel and AMD models have 500W power supplies and support for up to 128GB of RAM and 20CM discrete graphics. The Intel model also supports up to five storage devices and including two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x4 SSDs, while the AMD version tops out at three storage devices and has only a single PCIe Gen 3 x4 slot.
Both systems also have plenty of ports on the front and back panels, although somewhat disappointingly, neither the AMD nor the Intel systems seem to have Thunderbolt ports.
Here’s an overview of the specs for ASRock’s DeskMeet line of PCs:
| DeskMeet B660 Series (Intel) | DeskMeet X300 Series (AMD) | |
| CPU | Supports 12th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors | Supports AMD AM4 Socket Ryzen™ 5000/4000/3000/2000 Series Desktop APU & CPU (up to 65W) |
| Chipset | Intel® B660 | AMD X300 |
| Cooler | Supports Intel® CPU Cooler (Max. Height ≦ 54mm) | Supports AMD AM4 CPU Cooler (Max. Height ≦ 54mm) |
| Memory | Supports Dual Channel DDR4 Memory Technology 4 x DDR4-3200 DIMM slots (Max. 128GB) Supports ECC & non-ECC, un-buffered memory | Supports Dual Channel DDR4 Memory Technology 4 x DDR4-3200 DIMM slots (Max. 128GB) Supports ECC & non-ECC, un-buffered memory |
| Graphics | Supports a discrete Graphics card up to 20CM | Supports a discrete Graphics card up to 20CM |
| LAN | Gigabit LAN (Intel® I219V) | Gigabit LAN (RealtekRTL8111H) |
| Storage | 3 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s ports (RAID 0/1) 1 x Hyper M.2 (2280) PCIe Gen4 x4 & SATA3 6.0Gb/s slot 1 x Hyper M.2 (2280) PCIe Gen4 x4 slot | 2 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s ports (RAID 0/1) 1 x Ultra M.2 (2280) PCIe Gen3 x4 slot |
| Expansion Slots | 1 x PCIe 4.0 x 16 1 x M.2 (key E 2230) slot for Wi-Fi + BT Module | 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 16 1 x M.2 (key E 2230) slot for Wi-Fi + BT Module |
| Audio | Realtek ALC897 Audio Codec (5.1 CH HD Audio) | Realtek ALC897 Audio Codec |
| Front I/O Ports | 1 x Headset 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A | 1 x Headset 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A |
| Rear I/O Ports | 1 x DisplayPort 1 x HDMI 1 x D-Sub 2 x USB 2.0 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port HD Audio Jacks: Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone | 1 x DisplayPort 1 x HDMI 1 x D-Sub 2 x USB 2.0 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port 1 x Audio Jack (Line out) |
| Power Supply | 500W power supply (80+ Bronze, peak 550W) | 500W power supply (80+ Bronze, peak 550W) |
| Dimensions | 168(W) x 219.3(D) x 218.3(H) mm (excl. Protrusions) | 168(W) x 219.3(D) x 218.3(H) mm (excl. Protrusions) |
Once again, a really disappointing IO rear-panel on Asrock’s AMD products.
It’s only marginally better than the A300 and X300, which were heavily criticized in online communities for having a poor southbridge design due to having such a small motherboard. Shame it didn’t improve much with a larger board.
80 Plus Bronze power supply is not efficient enough for California.
I wonder if we could use hot computer chips to zap covid viral proteins (good airflow)