ASRock DeskSlim Puts Desktop CPUs and Discrete GPUs in 5 Liters

ASRock has detailed its DeskSlim X600 and DeskSlim B760 compact PCs, both built around a 5-liter chassis while retaining socketed desktop processors, four full-size DDR5 DIMM slots and a PCIe x16 slot for a low-profile discrete graphics card. The X600 uses AMD AM5 and supports Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 processors up to 120W, while the B760 uses Intel LGA1700 and supports 12th-, 13th- and 14th-generation Core processors up to 125W.

That layout separates DeskSlim from many mini PCs built around soldered mobile processors and SO-DIMM memory. ASRock specifies up to 256GB of DDR5 memory on both systems, although supported speeds depend on the installed processor and memory configuration.

Both DeskSlim variants expose a PCIe 5.0 x16 expansion slot, but the enclosure limits graphics cards to low-profile, dual-slot designs measuring up to 200 mm long, 70 mm high and 38 mm thick. That makes discrete graphics possible without turning the system into a conventional tower, but it rules out the large multi-slot coolers used by most high-end gaming GPUs.

ASRock explicitly lists NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell SFF Edition and RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell cards as supported examples. The company also markets DeskSlim as suitable for compact gaming configurations and provides SteamOS setup guidance, but that should not be read as a promise that every low-profile GPU or every SteamOS hardware combination is validated.

DeskSlim X600 provides one PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot and one PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot, plus two SATA 6Gb/s ports. DeskSlim B760 instead provides two PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots and two SATA ports. Both include 2.5Gb Ethernet and an M.2 2230 slot for wireless expansion.

The X600 also exposes rear USB4 with Ryzen 8000G processors; ASRock specifies DisplayPort Alt Mode rather than full USB4 functionality for Ryzen 9000 and 7000 processors on that connector. The B760 specification lists DisplayPort and HDMI display outputs but does not list rear USB4 in its I/O specification.

The useful part of DeskSlim is the combination of a genuinely small enclosure with replaceable desktop CPUs, four DIMM slots, two M.2 drives and a discrete-GPU path. It creates more upgrade flexibility than a typical soldered mini PC while remaining far smaller than most small-form-factor desktop cases.

The tradeoff is equally clear: cooling height is limited to 71 mm, graphics cards must fit the low-profile 200 mm envelope, and the external power adapter constrains total system power. Those boundaries make DeskSlim most interesting for efficient compact GPUs and workstation cards rather than for transplanting a full-size high-end gaming build into five liters.