ASRock intros thin AM5 Mini-ITX motherboard — the X600TM-ITX targets sleek HTPC DIYers

PC components and accessories maker ASRock has introduced a new AMD socket AM5 motherboard. So far, it seems ordinary, but there are a couple of things that make the ASRock X600TM-ITX stand out from the crowd: It is claimed to be the first AM5 Thin Mini ITX motherboard on the market, and TM-ITX boards have great appeal to those wanting to build sleek mini PC systems.

With its cute 6.7-inch square (or 17 x 17cm if you are metric) dimensions and low-height surface-mount components, ASRock’s X600TM-ITX can fit in spaces that would seriously impede a regular Mini ITX motherboard. Sharing the same length and depth as a Mini ITX motherboard means that cases compatible with that more common standard will work with this, too. It is thinner (or some might say less tall), hence the name.

Of course, this Thin Mini ITX motherboard makes some compromises to keep its dimensions down. If you look at the PCB, one of the first things you will probably notice is that it uses SO-DIMM memory. The laptop-like one-over-another slots allow for up to 96GB of DDR-6400+ RAM, according to the product specs, in a low-profile installation.

Another thing to note is that there is no PCIe slot available here for add-in cards like GPUs. That is a drawback compared to some Mini ITX motherboards, which you can buy, but we guess that omitting this will also keep the installed size down. As an AM5 motherboard, you can also get some modern APUs with quite good onboard graphics—and things will only get better in this regard with Ryzen 9000 CPUs coming soon.

Storage expansion options aren’t that bad for such a small board. The X600TM-ITX has room for twin M.2 2280 SSDs (PCIe Gen4 x4) stacked one above another. There are also dual SATA ports, and if you want Wi-Fi, an M.2 2230 slot is available for your Wi-Fi / Bluetooth module. ASRock boasts of “abundant USB ports,” but the specs say there are four.

ASRock says the X600TM-ITX also uses its proprietary tech, such as ASRock Super Alloy capacitors for durability, ASRock Full Spike Protection (for all USB, Audio, and LAN Ports), and a high-density glass fabric PCB construction.

Interestingly, there appears to be some rear I/O flexibility. This extra flexibility stems from additional purchases, as things like the DP1.4 and D-Sub connectors are listed as “optional” on the product pages. Configuring this motherboard can offer up to four simultaneous displays is possible.

If you have read this far, you might know where you would like to deploy a system based around this TM-ITX board. However, ASRock reckons it is a good solution for mini PCs, All-in-One solutions, educational tools, home theater PCs, and erm… intelligent mirrors.

We don’t have the ASRock X600TM-ITX motherboard price or availability data to share at the time of writing.