News ASRock show-off Micro-STX system with MXM & TB3 @CES 2017

Hi All

ASRock are happy to display our new model - Deskmini RX/GTX @CES 2017.
You can get more picture in :https://www.cool3c.com/article/116315/CES-2017-華擎展出具可擴充-MXM-獨立顯示卡的-micro-STX-主機板原型主機

This is prototype of Deskmini RX/GTX
​

Considering there are so many SFF enthusiasts still need more powerful 3D graphics performance, why don't we extend Mini-STX to larger board: based on 5x5 screw holes but implement MXM, more video outputs, m.2 connectors, even Thunderbolt 3!

And that is world's firsts' MICRO-STX system:

• Support up to Intel® Core i7 7700K CPU
• Support Intel box cooler
• Intel Z270 (B250) Chipset
• Support MXM Type B, up to 120W
  • RX = AMD RX480/470/460
  • GTX = NVIDIA GTX1060
• Intel® Thunderbolt 3 with Type-C
• 3 x M.2 2260/2280 slots
• 1 x M.2 2230 Wi-Fi slot
• AURA RGB LED connector!
• Support Intel® Optane™ Technology
• 2.x Liter!
• 19V/220W adapter

ASRock planned sell barebones (include motherboard, MXM card, MXM cooler, chassis and adapter) and open mind corporate with system builder to develop new mini PC in micro STX motherboard. It should be launched on 2017 Q2.

 

[Boil]

theres only 2 Ryzen builds that ive seen that are running Sierra. but its still new

Really...?!?

I had not heard of macOS working on Ryzen (but I also have not really LOOKED for this either)...

Links, please...!!!

(...I am now searching the web, and finding out I have been asleep at the wheel...)

 

[Kmpkt]

The only issue with the AMD cards right now is power consumption. I believe AsRock have managed to spec the board to provide up to 200W (120 from the MXM slot, 80 from an auxiliary connector - but don't quote me on this). RX 580 might be a tight fit within that power budget unless it's significantly under clocked. Here's hoping Vega nails efficiency.

 

[AleksandarK]

The only issue with the AMD cards right now is power consumption. I believe AsRock have managed to spec the board to provide up to 200W (120 from the MXM slot, 80 from an auxiliary connector - but don't quote me on this). RX 580 might be a tight fit within that power budget unless it's significantly under clocked. Here's hoping Vega nails efficiency.

By the rumor i somewhere heard( idk where) it said that mxm VEGA card should have 150W of power. But it may be smaller VEGA or something.

 

[Kmpkt]

I'm hoping to get spec from the manufacturer some time in the next week or two. Given the price point, I might actually order the 580 instead of the 1060 for testing purposes.

 

[jeshikat]

The only issue with the AMD cards right now is power consumption. I believe AsRock have managed to spec the board to provide up to 200W (120 from the MXM slot, 80 from an auxiliary connector - but don't quote me on this). RX 580 might be a tight fit within that power budget unless it's significantly under clocked. Here's hoping Vega nails efficiency.

I thought it was 240W from the slot?

 

[BirdofPrey]

I thought it was 240W from the slot?

I think I might have the specs at home I can check later.

 

[jeshikat]

That won't help too much, even ASRock said it wasn't clear what exactly the wattage limit is supposed to be . Apparently there is conflicting information from different vendors and spec sheets.

 

[Kmpkt]

Spec on MXM 3.0b is 120W from the slot. They may have said 240W total, and honestly I spoke to a few different people about MXM this weekend since there was a few units based on the format. I would imagine 240W would be 120 from an external connector and 120 from the slot though.

 

[jeshikat]

I thought a power cable was necessary too, you can see the connector on the card here: http://www.aetina.com.tw/products-detail.php?i=201

But the DeskMini GTX 1080 system ASRock had on display didn't have a cable for the card that I could see.

 

[AleksandarK]

What connector type is PWR-SRC? How do you make it? Does it run from the brick directly or what?

 

[Kmpkt]

Presumably the board will ship with the cable if the GPU you've purchased necessitates it. There is a small white header on the bottom left of the motherboard that I presume is the power delivery for this. I am uncertain what the connector is, but it's definitely quite small. I'll try to remember to get photos when I have a moment.

 

[jeshikat]

What connector type is PWR-SRC?

Are you talking for the motherboard or the MXM card I linked?

There is a small white header on the bottom left of the motherboard that I presume is the power delivery for this. I am uncertain what the connector is, but it's definitely quite small.

That's for the GPU fan.

Edit: And after reviewing my pictures, there isn't a GPU power connector on the board, or at least the display units.

 

[AleksandarK]

Yes, i am talking about MXM gpu that you linked.

 

[jeshikat]

Gotcha. I'm not sure, probably a JST connector of some type.

Though with Micro-STX it's not needed.

 

[jeshikat]

BTW, we discussed it with ASRock and Ryzen requires a beefier VRM solution than Skylake and there just isn't room for it on the current design.

If Ryzen 2 cuts down power consumption enough and demand is strong I could see that happening, but AM4 Micro-STX is not currently in the works.

 

[VisualStim]

Really...?!?

I had not heard of macOS working on Ryzen (but I also have not really LOOKED for this either)...

Links, please...!!!

(...I am now searching the web, and finding out I have been asleep at the wheel...)

there was one in the Subreddit Hackintosh and one announced on discord under AMD OS X

 

[Boil]

there was one in the Subreddit Hackintosh and one announced on discord under AMD OS X

Thanks...!

I will check those out...

 

[alinescoo]

Now that we know an estimate price or the high end version, I see silence around the thread
Good to see the case, looks better. The problem as others said is the price of MXM cards. I wonder if a stx with support for mini GPUs would have been possible instead of MXM? Sure the "cube" would have been wider but there are other advantages over miniITX builds, like external PSU, add a M2 drive and there's no need for extra cables inside the case, only cable for vents. I planned for quite some while to build a miniITX build but to be hones I am worried about the thermals and noise, not to mention a lot bigger size of the case.

As competition, that Zotac ER51060 with Ryzen option looks pretty interesting considering that it may have mini desktop GPU... But, wait, I don't see it covered around here in the News section. Any reason for that?

 

[Kmpkt]

There should be coverage of all of Zotac's mini PCs including the ER51060 coming soon as we spent quite a bit of time there during Computex. I think there is just so much content to publish that it hasn't hit the front page yet. Zotac's booth also had the most SFF friendly hardware of pretty much any major manufacturer except maybe AsRock, so it'll likely be a bigger post than some of the other we've seen.

As far as why the ER51060 and other mini PCs haven't received more coverage, I think it has something to do with that for the community here that non-DIY products aren't very exciting. We're very much interested in customization around available hardware, especially with respect to enclosure volume. Prebuilt PCs kinda take that element of fun out of building. The 1080 Magnus for example is a really nice piece of engineering, but the choice of CPU/GPU is fixed and there is no upgrade path available. Micro STX on the other hand is a completely new form factor that given ample adoption will have significant future upgradability. Because of this, the form factor lends itself better to creation of custom cases and other things that will hopefully eventually create kind of a Micro STX ecosystem much like ITX already has.

 

[EdZ]

We're very much interested in customization around available hardware, especially with respect to enclosure volume. Prebuilt PCs kinda take that element of fun out of building.

I think that's definitely a factor. ASRock may want to consider selling (or at least marketing) mini-STX parts as a board plus a GPU, rather than as board+GPU combos. Even if the total price ends up being identical, it has some psychological benefits:
- It makes the price premium stemming from the MXM modules extremely clear. At the moment, this can easily be perceived as "ASRock's really expensive pre-built unit" in the exact same way as existing Zotac Magnus units. Having the MXM module price splits out takes at least some of the heat off of ASRock.
- It emphasises that it is an upgradeable device, rather than a pre-built non-upgradeable device. We can see this effect in action with the continued popularity of ATX system containing a single GPU: people buy them with the idea that "I might eventually want to get another GPU" even if they never do. Similar situation with 'gaming' pre-builds: perceived as more 'upgradeable' than a 'normal' desktop from Dell/HP/etc, even if the buyers is just as unlikely to ever actually upgrade a part rather than the whole thing. ASRock may find that sales of the 'full spec' Z270 variant with the largest PSU may be the most popular, even if they are purchased with 'sub spec' MXM cards (or no card at all).
- Functionally, selling the GPUs separately does provide an actual upgrade path, albeit an expensive one.
- It provides an upgrade avenue for other devices that take MXM modules, and more MXM sales = a bigger stick to hit suppliers with to push wholesale price down in the long term.