Quietly making a powerful statement, ASRock has unveiled two new fanless mini-PCs, embracing Intel's latest architecture for a blend of silent operation and modern performance.
In a quiet but significant update to its industrial and compact computing portfolio, ASRock has introduced two new fanless mini-PCs, the iBOX-225H and the iBOX-255H. This move comes just months after the company refreshed its consumer-facing DeskMini X600 with USB4, signaling a continued commitment to the small-form-factor (SFF) market. This latest release sees ASRock joining competitors like ASUS and Khadas in adopting Intel's new Arrow Lake architecture, bringing the benefits of this new platform to a completely silent, passively cooled design.
For those seeking a deep dive into the official specifications, you can explore the product pages directly: the ASRock iBOX-225H and the ASRock iBOX-255H.
Intel Core Ultra Power Under the Hood
As their names clearly indicate, the new models are built around Intel's Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-H" series processors. The iBOX-225H is equipped with the Core Ultra 5 225H, while its more powerful sibling, the iBOX-255H, features the Core Ultra 7 255H.
On paper, the jump from the Ultra 5 to the Ultra 7 suggests a notable performance increase. However, independent benchmark analysis suggests that the two additional performance cores (P-cores) in the Core Ultra 7 255H don't deliver a massive real-world performance advantage in many common tasks over the Ultra 5 225H. Where users will notice a more significant difference, however, is in the integrated graphics.
The Core Ultra 7 255H boasts an Intel Arc 140T iGPU, which enjoys a much more substantial performance bump over the Arc 130T graphics found in the Core Ultra 5 225H. This makes the iBOX-255H a more compelling option for light gaming, video editing, and GPU-accelerated applications, all within a fanless chassis.
The Art of Silence: Fanless Design and Connectivity
The defining feature of both new iBOX models is their completely silent, fanless operation. By forgoing noisy cooling fans, ASRock ensures these systems are ideal for noise-sensitive environments such as digital signage, quiet offices, home theater setups, and medical applications. The systems achieve this by using their robust, all-metal cases as a massive heatsink, passively dissipating heat through the chassis itself.
Despite their compact size, ASRock hasn't compromised on connectivity. Both variants feature a plethora of ports on the front and rear, offering extensive options for peripherals and displays. Crucially, both mini-PCs support the high-speed Thunderbolt 4 standard, allowing for lightning-fast data transfers, dual 4K display output, and power delivery through a single cable. For network connectivity, a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port provides ample bandwidth for high-speed local networks and NAS access.
Memory and Market Position
In a welcome move for power users, ASRock has confirmed that both the iBOX-225H and iBOX-255H support up to a generous 96 GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 6,400 MT/s. This provides significant headroom for memory-intensive applications, virtual machines, and future-proofing the systems.
The announcement of these systems was first spotted by industry watchers, with an early tease reported by FanlessTech, which highlighted ASRock's Arrow Lake plans. This positions ASRock's new iBOX units as direct competitors to other newly announced Arrow Lake mini-PCs, but with a distinct focus on the industrial and silent-computing niche that their fanless design caters to.
Availability and Final Thoughts
For those interested in the more consumer-friendly DeskMini line, the recently updated ASRock DeskMini X600 is currently available on Amazon.
As for the new iBOX-225H and iBOX-255H, the one crucial piece of information that remains a mystery is final pricing and exact availability. ASRock has listed the technical details on its website but has yet to announce when these silent powerhouses will hit the market or at what cost.
Given their feature set—combining Intel's latest Arrow Lake processors, a completely silent fanless design, Thunderbolt 4, and support for ample DDR5 memory—ASRock's new iBOX series is poised to be a compelling option for anyone needing robust performance in an utterly quiet and compact package. We await further details on how they will be priced in this competitive segment.