If you're looking to do a high-performance scratch-build in miniature, the ASRock DeskMini X600 seems like an intriguing foundation. Most mini-PCs come with a pre-soldered mobile APU running the show, but the DeskMini doesn't ship with a chip. Instead, you can install any desktop AM5 CPU across AMD's 7th and 8th-gen Ryzen range, provided your chosen one doesn't break the 65 W TDP mark.
You'll also need one with integrated graphics and, assuming you'll be using the X600 for some level of gaming, you'll want the best, namely the Radeon 780M. With those thoughts in mind, we decided to test-drive the DeskMini with the Ryzen 7 8700G (4.2 - 5.1 GHz, 8 cores, Radeon 780M graphics, 65 W TDP, 95 °C TJMax) and the Ryzen 5 8600G (4.3 - 5 GHz, 6 cores, Radeon 760M graphics, also 65 W TDP and 95 °C TJMax).
