Motherboard AM4 Thin ITX motherboards, They do exist!

[matheustrevisol]

Hi folks. I have been a reader on this topic for about a week and just needed to register to share some news I have just found.

Not exactly a thin mini-itx am4 motherboard, but minisforum just made an announcement of a x400 mini PC.

It will be another option for a socketed am4 motherboard in a sff.

EliteMini X400

この度、MINISFORUMのミニPCをご愛用している方々の期待を寄せる新製品「DeskMini X400」がいよいよリリースされました。 11月に発売するX400には一体どこが「驚異的」なのでしょうか？ では早速、X400の魅力を見てみましょう。 ～MINISFORUMのミニPCをご愛用している方々に特別な特典～ 新品がMakuakeでのリリースにつれ、早い順でご購入されたお客様に正式販売価格より6000円安いアーリー・バードが適用されます！（＊数量限定） X400をお気に入りの方、ぜひ以下のボタンからチェックしてみてください！ Makuakeプロジェクト詳細（終了）...

store.minisforum.jp

Kind regards from Brazil.

 

[omgitspngu]

Contact with Asrock support regarding the LVDS output on A320TM-ITX didn't really yield anything, that was kind of expected. Leaving it here for reference.

Since I bought it off Taobao, I might see if I can feasibly dump the firmware that's currently on the board and compare it to the one on Asrock's site - the version is the same, 3.10, but who knows if this box contains what the label says.

Mail log with Asrock:

Spoiler

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

thank you for taking the time to process my request. I recently acquired this mainboard and have trouble getting the LVDS output to work. As per the manual, with the PANEL_DISABLE jumper closed, I can access the UEFI with screen connected to onboard HDMI. With PANEL_DISABLE jumper open, I have no video output until the Operating System takes over, and then, only with onboard HDMI, not with LVDS.

I am using an LVDS to HDMI converter board that I have the datasheet for (https://raspberrypiwiki.com/images/4/41/S-LH1080P-AUDIO-V17-Spec-20180504-1.pdf), but I am missing good specification of the LVDS output on your mainboard. If it is available, I would kindly like to ask you to send it to me, so I can continue troubleshooting on the electrical level.

In my research I also found a message of a user of this mainboard on the AMD forums at this link: https://community.amd.com/thread/255241#comment-2988293

He says you have provided him with a working BIOS after he had trouble with LVDS. Do I need to adjust special settings in the BIOS for LVDS? Do I need a special BIOS for LVDS? I can not find any options.

The LVDS output + converter is listed as eDP device with VESA resolutions when I list the display devices in the operating system, but it does not produce video output. I am aware that this might be a limitation of the converter board, your mainboard, or a problem with other parts of my hardware, but would appreciate any help, wether it's a datasheet, a link to further information, or the BIOS you sent to that user.

Thank you very much!

- (pngu)

Hello,

Please refer to the user manual page 21 for the LVDS panel pin mapping: https://download.asrock.com/Manual/A320TM-ITX.pdf

But, it is difficult for us to adjust your LVDS panel converter board. For further support, we suggest to contact LVDS converter vendor. Thank you.

Best regards,

ASRock Support

Hello,

thank you for the fast reply. I have already consulted the manual for the A320TM-ITX.

The problem is that the LVDS output is detected as eDP output, with converter and without converter. It is also listed as eDP with the PANEL_DISABLE jumper closed. Please refer to the attached photos.

The HDMI ports both work as expected. The LVDS identifies as eDP. Is it possible that it's actually eDP, but using an LVDS connector header? They are both 30 pin, but different plugs and data signals. I understand that this mainboard was made for an OEM, so it could be possible.

As per my initial message, I would like to ask if there is a different BIOS available. The user on the AMD forums said that after getting a BIOS from you, his LVDS worked - however, I would rather not ask a stranger on the internet for a BIOS file.

Thank you and have a nice day,

- (pngu)

Hello,

got feedback from headquarter. There are two HDMI ports on the system. Please use the HDMI ports of the A320TM-ITX.

Our header only provides the signal of the LVDS. Otherwise, you have to use the LVDS panel without the adapter.

Regarding the user with the BIOS: Maybe his LVDS display (without such converter) is connecetd directly to onboyrd LVDS header and the BIOS he got was just for some timings or resolution fix. But this is different szenario as yours because you use such adapter. There is no “general BIOS fix for LVDS”... Have to say sorry, as far as I understand nothing we can do in this case via “BIOS fix”.

Best regards,

ASRock Support

Pictures of the LVDS being picked up as eDP on Ubuntu 20.04:

Spoiler

 

[Vlad502]

Hey! I know it's been a year, but I'd like to ask if you were able to figure this one out. I got an A320TM-ITX and this LVDS to HDMI converter board. Unfortunately, I'm not getting any video output through that. I had a thorough look at the docs to make sure I got the wiring right, tried different jumper configurations and UEFI settings, and in a last ditch effort even soldered the resistor that's suggested by the makers of the converter to switch over to JEIDA from VESA; no luck. Starting to wonder if I perhaps got unlucky and either the Mainboard or, more likely, the converter, is defective - but then again, the latter gets warm to the touch, so it must be doing *something*, right?

Has anyone had troubles with this before and perhaps overcome them? Oh and, to be clear, the regular HDMI outs work just fine. Once I remove the PANEL_DISABLE jumper, I get no video from either the onboard HDMI nor the LVDS+Converter. Using a 3400G.
A320M-ITX Manual
LVDS Converter Datasheet

As far i know with white arrow and red dot mark first pin and connection they show is wrong(?):

Spoiler: LVDS to HDMI

 

[omgitspngu]

Hey! Quick update from me regarding the A320TM-ITX; I haven't really looked further into making the LVDS output work until today, but did manage to dump the firmware off the board. Even though it's also pretenting to be version 3.10, its SHA1 checksum is different and it's a few weeks older than the current 3.10 on Asrocks site:

I'd attach my dumped ROM to this post if somebody happened to want to compare theirs with mine, but I'm having trouble finding an option for that, heh. I think I'll invest in some proper flashing hardware before pursuing this any further and educate myself on how exactly UEFI firmware works in the meantime, as I don't really trust the "EZ Flash" on this thing...

PS: Linux (void, kernels 5.4, 5.8 and 5.9) runs fine. I bashed my head into the GPU acceleration not working for a while but that turned out to be related to me using a rather contrieved boot procedure through REfind into zfsbootmenu.

 

[REVOCCASES]

AsRock X300TM-ITX spotted:

• Official Renoir APU Support
• Dual channel RAM (finally)
• USB type C

ASRock X300TM-ITX

Thin Mini-ITX<br />Supports AMD AM4 Socket CPUs (Cezanne, Renoir, Picasso, Raven Ridge, up to 65W)<br />Supports Intel CPU Cooler<br />Supports Dual Channel DDR4-3200MHz, Max. 64GB (non-ECC)<br />Graphics Output: Dual HDMI<br />1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA 6Gb)<br />1 SATA 6Gb<br />1 USB 3.2...

www.asrock.com

 

[Ricky Zeng]

AsRock X300TM-ITX spotted:

• Official Renoir APU Support
• Dual channel RAM (finally)
• USB type C

ASRock X300TM-ITX

Thin Mini-ITX<br />Supports AMD AM4 Socket CPUs (Cezanne, Renoir, Picasso, Raven Ridge, up to 65W)<br />Supports Intel CPU Cooler<br />Supports Dual Channel DDR4-3200MHz, Max. 64GB (non-ECC)<br />Graphics Output: Dual HDMI<br />1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA 6Gb)<br />1 SATA 6Gb<br />1 USB 3.2...

www.asrock.com

Great! Finally a thin AM4 board that supports both older and newer APUs. Time for me to retire my A320TM-ITX + Athlon 3000G to just HTPC use, and upgrade to this with a better APU as my main daily non-gaming rig.

Shame though that they changed one of the USB3.x to Type-C, but not adding display output functionality to this USB, and yet still retains the stupid COM and 2nd HDMI location...

Gigabyte's GA-IMB310TN is still the best thin ITX board to me in terms of I/O and functionality. But that board is priced a little high, and I do prefer to get an AMD APU for these kind of setup...

 

[REVOCCASES]

Great! Finally a thin AM4 board that supports both older and newer APUs. Time for me to retire my A320TM-ITX + Athlon 3000G to just HTPC use, and upgrade to this with a better APU as my main daily non-gaming rig.

Shame though that they changed one of the USB3.x to Type-C, but not adding display output functionality to this USB, and yet still retains the stupid COM and 2nd HDMI location...

Gigabyte's GA-IMB310TN is still the best thin ITX board to me in terms of I/O and functionality. But that board is priced a little high, and I do prefer to get an AMD APU for these kind of setup...

here comes another option for you:

News - JUBO / VIEWNOTE TA330 - AMD Renoir compatible Thin Mini ITX Motherboard

After chasing JUBO for quite a few month now sending me an BIOS update to add support for Renoir on my JUBO A300 Thin ITX they finally did it! They are now offering two versions of the board with different BIOSes: Option 1: Ryzen 2nd and 3rd GEN APU support Option 2: Ryzen 4th GEN APU support...

smallformfactor.net

I have both, AsRock and JUBO boards and personally I prefer the JUBO since it supports wide range DC input and has a integrated, solid backplate.

 

[Valantar]

Not technically an AM4 thin ITX motherboard, but it does contain a thin ITX board with a Ryzen H-series APU, so I thought this might be of interest to some people.

TOPTON R1: A mini-PC with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, SO-DIMM RAM and three video outputs

A new mini-PC from TOPTON should offer plenty of performance, despite its compact dimensions. The R1 can be configured with either a Ryzen 5 4600H or a Ryzen 7 4800H, making it more powerful than many other mini-PCs. The TOPTON R1 has SO-DIMM RAM, three video outputs and an M.2 2280 slot for an...

www.notebookcheck.net

 

[infoberg]

The new X300TM-ITX from Asrock looks promising. I asked Asrock NL about availability in Europe, but they said it's still in production and they have no news abaout availability, referring me to my distributor of choice
On the other hand, they asked my how many pieces I would need
Do people on the forum here ever organize any batch orders?

 

[kotproger]

The new X300TM-ITX from Asrock looks promising. I asked Asrock NL about availability in Europe, but they said it's still in production and they have no news abaout availability, referring me to my distributor of choice
On the other hand, they asked my how many pieces I would need
Do people on the forum here ever organize any batch orders?

You are not the only one who cares about this topic:

 

[REVOCCASES]

FYI: I'm selling my OEM JUBO Thin ITX in the trade section, works great with Renoir APUs. More or less the same specs like the AsRock X300TM-ITX. Also had the AsRock A300TM-ITX before and IMHO the quality of the JUBO is better (e.g. PCB is much thicker and it comes with integrated CPU backplate).

 

[infoberg]

FYI: I'm selling my OEM JUBO Thin ITX in the trade section, works great with Renoir APUs. More or less the same specs like the AsRock X300TM-ITX. Also had the AsRock A300TM-ITX before and IMHO the quality of the JUBO is better (e.g. PCB is much thicker and it comes with integrated CPU backplate).

I saw your listing, but unfortunately I won't use Renoir. I want to build with a Ryzen 5 3400G (which is half the prize of a Pro 4650G at nearly the same graphics performance), so the only options currently available are A320TM-ITX or what is possibly the ONDA board from AliExpress - with a hefty surcharge for duty and tax

 

[REVOCCASES]

I saw your listing, but unfortunately I won't use Renoir. I want to build with a Ryzen 5 3400G (which is half the prize of a Pro 4650G at nearly the same graphics performance), so the only options currently available are A320TM-ITX or what is possibly the ONDA board from AliExpress - with a hefty surcharge for duty and tax

For the 3000 series APUs there are quite a few options (Jubo, Onda, AsRock) but yeah, you might have to pay customs when buying them through TaoBao / Aliexpress.

I wasn't very happy with the AsRock I had before since it only supported single channel RAM and the USB ports stopped working after 6 months.

 

[ssouthall6]

The new X300TM-ITX from Asrock looks promising. I asked Asrock NL about availability in Europe, but they said it's still in production and they have no news abaout availability, referring me to my distributor of choice
On the other hand, they asked my how many pieces I would need
Do people on the forum here ever organize any batch orders?

I'm in

 

[infoberg]

Does anyone have some experience with the noname AM4 Thin Mini-ITX boards from AliExpress like this one?

 

[infoberg]

So I had a surprise delivery today. I wasn't expecting the package until later this month, but the AliExpress tracking is often not really accurate...

I had ordered an AM4 Thin Mini-ITX board from AE, turns out it is an ONDA B320-IPC, unfortunately without the I/O-shield, might be used. But at only 60 Euros including delivery (12 days from order to delivery), I can't complain.

Only part I am missing for my build now is a matching power supply. I was going for a 19V 150W brick, but the seller said the board needs 19V, 3.42A, 65W. Does anyone who owns this board use a power supply with more than 65W? I plan on using a 2400G or 3400G, that's 65W for the CPU alone...

 

[Valantar]

Only part I am missing for my build now is a matching power supply. I was going for a 19V 150W brick, but the seller said the board needs 19V, 3.42A, 65W. Does anyone who owns this board use a power supply with more than 65W? I plan on using a 2400G or 3400G, that's 65W for the CPU alone...

That doesn't make sense - there's no way for the system to know how much power the PSU is capable of outputting. As long as it's the right voltage and can provide at least as much amperage as the system requires, there's no reason why it wouldn't work.

 

[infoberg]

That doesn't make sense - there's no way for the system to know how much power the PSU is capable of outputting. As long as it's the right voltage and can provide at least as much amperage as the system requires, there's no reason why it wouldn't work.

Thanks, that's what I was assuming as well. But on the other hand, all things power are still a mystery to me, just started to take an interest in it through this great forum and the builds people are doing with modded PSUs...

The layout of the board itself is slightly different from the pictures provided on AliExpress and in the included manual, but the listing specifically says it's compatible with R5 2400G and 3400G https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001967369118.html

So once I have the power brick in hands, I will give it a go and report back.

 

[DwarfLord]

Only part I am missing for my build now is a matching power supply. I was going for a 19V 150W brick, but the seller said the board needs 19V, 3.42A, 65W. Does anyone who owns this board use a power supply with more than 65W? I plan on using a 2400G or 3400G, that's 65W for the CPU alone...

Be careful, 65W is not what the 2400G can draw. 65W is the tdp used for the definition of the cooling system, and can not be used directly to know the consumption of the cpu.
FYI, the 2400G will use approximately 88W when boosting. For example, my config with an itx motherboard and a 2400G can draw up to 110W at the wall (so 100W from the psu, assuming a psu with 90% efficiency). I personnaly would not go under 100W for your psu (if you don't plan on deactivating the boost off the cpu in the bios).

 

[infoberg]

Be careful, 65W is not what the 2400G can draw. 65W is the tdp used for the definition of the cooling system, and can not be used directly to know the consumption of the cpu.
FYI, the 2400G will use approximately 88W when boosting. For example, my config with an itx motherboard and a 2400G can draw up to 110W at the wall (so 100W from the psu, assuming a psu with 90% efficiency). I personnaly would not go under 100W for your psu (if you don't plan on deactivating the boost off the cpu in the bios).

Thank you, I will keep that in mind. I went for a 120W power supply, will check the actual draw when it's here.