Asrock DeskMini 310

What is Mini-STX? You’re certainly forgiven if you ask. A compact kind of mini desktop that has seen only limited adoption, Mini-STX saw an initial flurry of activity a couple of years ago, then fell mostly dormant. Although compact computer parts adhering to the Mini-STX spec have the potential to challenge the MicroATX and Mini-ITX form factors, so far most folks, even dedicated DIY types, don’t even know they exist. Asrock, one of the pioneers, isn’t giving up on it, and the company now aims to bring easy-to-build little PCs based on the spec to the masses with the bare-bones DeskMini 310 ($164.99). It’s a powerful design for anyone willing to assemble a small desktop by applying some judicious component-choosing and finger dexterity. The fact that it hosts up to three drives and takes socketed Intel desktop CPUs adds to the flex appeal and power potential. It’s a worthy choice to Intel’s NUCs, many of which rely on mobile-grade chips.

An STX Lookaround

In short, Mini-STX computers are among the most compact CPU-customizable PCs available today. The design is based around a square 5×5-inch motherboard. Mini-STX PC cases are typically just slightly larger than this and stand just a few inches tall. The finished product is roughly the size of a traditional desktop-PC power supply.

As you’d guess, real estate on Mini-STX motherboards is at a premium. To help save space, they require the use of SO-DIMM memory, the kind used on many laptops. These computers also typically lack PCI Express ports, which means you’re reliant on your specific CPU’s on-chip graphics. (A more obscure variant, Micro-STX, factors in dedicated graphics modules.)

Before I crack open this particular egg and see what’s inside (hopefully not yolk), let’s have a look at the DeskMini 310’s exterior. The case measures 6.2 inches square (just a smidge bigger than the motherboard) and 3.2 inches thick. If you look at the image posted above, you will see two DeskMini PCs sitting side-by-side, but they are in fact not the same system. One is the newer DeskMini 310; the other is an older DeskMini 110 model. From the outside, they look the same. The changes Asrock made are all inside.

In general, the DeskMini 310’s looks are unremarkable, with an aesthetic best described as “black cube minimalism.” As the main point is creating a compact, unobtrusive system for productivity work (in an office, at a point of sale, or tucked in a desk niche), this lack of flair is fine.

Asrock currently sells three versions of the DeskMini 310. The base-model DeskMini 310, as well as the DeskMini 310W, are built around Asrock’s H310M-STX motherboard, whereas the DeskMini 310 I have on hand for this review, the DeskMini310/COM, uses a slight variant board, the H310M-STX/COM. The only difference between these two boards is the existence of a COM header on the latter. Otherwise, their specs are the same, and they look almost identical. They look quite close to the motherboard used on the older DeskMini 110, too.

The key change on the new H310M-STX motherboards is the use of the H310 chipset, which brings with it a host of feature enhancements over the H110M-STX board (and H110 chipset) used in the older DeskMini 110. Most notable is the support for Intel’s 8th and 9th Generation processors on the LGA1151 socket.

That compatibility is a big deal. It offers the potential for significantly more performance, thanks to the ability (depending on the chip) to get an increased core count versus the older 6th and 7th Generation chips supported by the DeskMini 110. Any 8th or 9th Generation Intel processor with a TDP of 65 watts or less will work on this board.

For this build, I used a budget-minded Celeron G4920. In theory, though, you could put a chip as…