ASRock Launches Hypercompact DeskMini GTX Z390 System
ASRock Launches Hypercompact DeskMini GTX Z390 System
Miniaturisation has always been an important step for any technological development, turning PCs that were once the size of rooms into desktop systems, notebooks and eventually smartphones.
There has always been a desire to push high-end hardware into smaller form factors, not only as a space-saving measure but to also showcase what is possible with state of the art hardware, pushing things to the limit to extend the state of the art.
ASRock has launched their new DeskMini GTX Z390 Micro STX system, offering purchasers support for a desktop-grade Intel Z390 CPU with a GTX 1080 graphics cards inside a chassis that is 2.7 litres in size. Not only that, but this systems also offers support for up to three M.2 devices and two 2.5-inch hard drives, which is more than most of today’s high-end gaming notebooks. This system is also available with a Geforce GTX 1060 graphics card.Â
Such a compact form factor comes with several restrictions like the cases support for CPUs with a maximum TDP of 95W and the need to use SO-DIMM DDR4 memory, though it is worth noting that Intel’s i9-9900 has a TDP of 95W, making it compatible with this ultra-compact system. Another disadvantage of this system is its need for an external power brick, with the supplied PSU offering the system up to 270W of power.
On the graphics side, this system can support up to a GTX 1080 MXM, though the unit can support both Radeon and Nvidia MXM Type A/B/B+ graphics cards. Supported graphics cards will be able to output video using the system’s HDMI, DisplayPort and Mini-DisplayPort connections.
To offer support for MXM graphics cards, ASRock’s DeskMini used a MicroSTX motherboard, which extends the MiniSTX form factor by around two inches, giving the motherboard enough PCB space for dedicated graphics cards. At this time Nvidia’s RTX series graphics cards are not available in the form of an MXM unit.Â
ASRock has not released pricing or availability information for their new MicroSTX DeskMini GTX (Z390) barebones desktop.
You can join the discussion on ASRock’s Hypercompact DeskMini GTX (Z390) system on the OC3D Forums.