ASRock Industrial Computer's latest 4X4 BOX-4000 series of Mini PCs is here to disrupt the small form factor (SFF) market. Available with three different processor options, the 4x4 BOX-4000 series targets both home and business users.
The 4X4 BOX-4000's plastic enclosure has a 4.3 x 4.6 x 1.9-inch (110.0 x 117.5 x 47.9mm) footprint and weighs just 2.2 pounds (1kg). The mini PC can sit comfortably on your desk or you can mount it behind your screen, thanks to the included VESA mounting bracket.
The 4X4 BOX-4000 employs AMD's latest Ryzen 4000-series (codename Renoir) APUs that bring all the advantages of the Zen 2 microarchitecture into a confined space.
Casual users will probably suffice with the Ryzen 3 4300U, which is a quad-core chip without simultaneous multithreading (SMT). The Ryzen 5 4600U sports a six-core, six-thread setup for users that desire more firepower.
However, demanding users and businesses will probably opt for the Ryzen 7 4800U that comes equipped with eight CPU cores and 16 threads of Zen 2 power.
ASRock sells its 4X4 BOX-4000 series as barebones systems, meaning other than the included processor, you'll have to outfit the device with your own hardware.
The 4X4 BOX-4000 has two SO-DIMM DDR4 RAM slots and accepts up to 64GB of memory. DDR4-3200 memory modules are natively supported on the Ryzen 4000-series processors. For storage, the mini PC provides a M.2 2280 slot that adheres to the PCIe 3.0 x4 interface and accommodates both PCIe-and SATA-based drives. It also has the necessary spacing for as single 2.5-inch hard drive or SSD.
The 4X4 BOX-4000 might be small, but it has all the features you would expect in a normal desktop PC. Starting with connectivity, the device provides one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports and a combo headphone and microphone jack on the front panel. The rear panel houses one HDMI 2.0a port, one DisplayPort 1.2a output, one Gigabit Ethernet port, one 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port and two USB 2.0 ports.
The 4X4 BOX-4000 supports up to four displays with 4K resolution simultaneously, thanks to the HDMI 2.0a port, DisplayPort 1.2a output and two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports. The Ryzen 4000-series' renovated 7nm Vega graphics engine does all the heavy lifting graphical-wise.
The Realtek R8111FPV powers the conventional Gigabit Ethernet port with DASH support, while the Realtek RTL8125BG is responable for the 2.5G Gigabit Ethernet port.
If you hate cables, you'll be glad to know that the 4X4 BOX-4000 features Intel's Wi-Fi 6 AX200 wireless module, meaning you get to enjoy Wi-Fi 6 speeds and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
ASRock didn't publicly share the pricing or availability of the 4X4 BOX-4000 series. However, interested parties can request a direct quote from the brand through the online form.
