ASRock Unveils Thin Mini-ITX AM5 Motherboard To Build Your Own Zen 5 Mini PC

ASRock X600TM-ITX motherboard in a palm of a hand.
While not quite small enough to build a traditional 4x4 NUC, ASRock's new X600TM-ITX motherboard is small enough to build a mini PC, and a bleeding edge one, too. According to ASRock, the X600TM-ITX is the only 'thin mini ITX' form factor motherboard to utilize the AM5 socket, and with it comes support for AMD's Ryzen 9000 series processors based on Zen 5.

That will likely require a BIOS update once AMD's next-gen chips go on sale next month after a short launch delay. Out of the box, ASRock's incredibly small motherboard offers up support for Ryzen 8000 and Ryzen 7000 series processors up to 65W. The TDP limit means you'd be able to plop a Ryzen 5 9600X or Ryzen 7 9700X into this board, but not a Ryzen 9 990X (120W) or Ryzen 9 9950X (170W).

ASRock's latest motherboard measures 6.7 inches by 6.7 inches (170.18mm by 170.18mm). And while not explicitly listed anywhere that we could find, the I/O bits are likely no taller than just shy of an inch at 0.98 inches or 25mm, as is typical of the maximum height for the thin mini ITX form factor, versus around 1.73 inches (44mm) for a standard mini ITX motherboard.

"Perfect for mini PCs, all-in-one solutions, smart mirrors, educational tools, and home theater PCs, this groundbreaking motherboard offers exceptional performance, flexibility, and durability. Elevate your computing experience with the unparalleled power of AM5 in a thin mini ITX design," ASRock says.

Angled view of ASRock's X600TM-ITX motherboard on a gray gradient background.

The board features a pair of SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 96GB of DDR5-6400+ (OC) memory. For storage, it's equipped with two M.2 slots (supports PCIe Gen4 x4 and SATA 6Gbps) and dual SATA 6Gbps ports.

You won't find a PCI Express expansion port on this motherboard, which rules out using a discrete graphics card. Also note that it features just a 4+1+1 power design, hence why CPU support is limited to 65W. Even so, the user manual suggests the board supports some overclocking for both the CPU and graphics.

ASRock benchmark graph.
Source: ASRock

There's enough on tap here to build a respectable mini PC with integrated graphics, lots of RAM, and oodles of storage. The I/O setup will vary, as ARock is offering up to eight I/O configuration options, depending on the buyer's needs. Additionally, it draws power from a 19V DC power adapter, so no ATX power supply unit (PSU) is needed.

ASRock has not mentioned pricing or availability for its new X600TM-ITX motherboard. As a point of reference, you can find ASRock's previous generation X300TM-ITX for around $170 on Amazon, albeit from a marketplace seller. For the same price, Amazon directly sells/ships ASRock's DeskMini X300W, a barebones setup that includes the motherboard, case, power adapter, CPU cooler, and various other odds and ends.