1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Typically, if you wanted a PC rocking a Core i9 9900K 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,640 and a DTX 1080, you would need something like this. 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:08,640 But here's the problem. 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,360 If you have a desktop on top of your desk 5 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,260 and there isn't a whole lot of desk left on the top, 6 00:00:15,260 --> 00:00:17,600 which is why you need one of these. 7 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,160 The ASRock Mini comes in at just 2.7 liters 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,680 while packing nearly the maximum amount of power 9 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,680 that you can expect in any PC. 10 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:26,440 So if you're a content creator 11 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:27,840 and looking for a new system 12 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:29,760 that fits your minimal aesthetic, 13 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,560 should you go for the reigning champ, the Mac Mini, 14 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,920 or the new kid on the block, the Desk Mini? 15 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:39,640 Are you looking for an affordable and reliable VPN? 16 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,220 Well, Private Internet Access has got your back. 17 00:00:42,220 --> 00:00:43,480 They encrypt your internet traffic 18 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:45,160 and use a safe, protected IP. 19 00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:55,180 Check it out today at the link below. 20 00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:57,540 The first big difference between the Mac Mini 21 00:00:57,540 --> 00:01:00,880 and the Desk Mini can be seen before even powering it on. 22 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,040 With the Mac, you just have this nice cord 23 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,600 that goes from the back of the machine to the wall. 24 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:07,600 Whereas ASRock has included this, 25 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:11,280 massive 330 watt external power brick 26 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,970 that you'll need to put somewhere. 27 00:01:14,970 --> 00:01:16,950 Next, pressing the power button on the Mac Mini 28 00:01:16,950 --> 00:01:19,030 causes it to power on, 29 00:01:19,030 --> 00:01:21,730 which surprisingly isn't the case with the Desk Mini. 30 00:01:21,730 --> 00:01:23,890 You can press its power button all you want, 31 00:01:23,890 --> 00:01:25,910 but out of the box, it will do literally nothing 32 00:01:25,910 --> 00:01:28,790 because it comes as a bare bones kit. 33 00:01:28,790 --> 00:01:31,750 So you'll have to install the RAM and storage yourself, 34 00:01:31,750 --> 00:01:33,750 which fortunately is quite easy. 35 00:01:33,750 --> 00:01:37,110 Just remove the four screws in the back, pop the top, 36 00:01:37,110 --> 00:01:39,690 and you'll have access to two DDR4 SODIMM slots 37 00:01:39,690 --> 00:01:43,230 that allow you to smack up to 32 gigabytes of RAM in there. 38 00:01:43,230 --> 00:01:46,830 Well, we're gonna stick to 16. 39 00:01:46,830 --> 00:01:47,670 We're humble. 40 00:01:47,670 --> 00:01:50,370 Next, remove two more screws near the front of the machine, 41 00:01:50,370 --> 00:01:53,150 and you should be able to take out the whole inner assembly, 42 00:01:53,150 --> 00:01:54,790 revealing the bottom of the board 43 00:01:54,790 --> 00:01:56,750 and all its storage goodness. 44 00:01:56,750 --> 00:01:59,130 We're talking three M.2 drive slots, 45 00:01:59,130 --> 00:02:02,470 where we're gonna be adding a one terabyte 970 Pro, 46 00:02:02,470 --> 00:02:04,630 plus an additional M.2 for Wi-Fi, 47 00:02:04,630 --> 00:02:06,690 as well as two, two and a half inch bays 48 00:02:06,690 --> 00:02:09,410 for additional solid or spinning storage. 49 00:02:09,410 --> 00:02:10,730 Flipping the Desk Mini back over, 50 00:02:10,730 --> 00:02:13,070 let's take a look at the hardware we actually care about. 51 00:02:13,070 --> 00:02:15,950 This almost unassuming PCB and heat sink over here 52 00:02:15,950 --> 00:02:18,710 is actually a full-blown GTX 1080. 53 00:02:18,710 --> 00:02:19,690 Nice. 54 00:02:19,690 --> 00:02:21,830 But the interesting thing is that 55 00:02:21,830 --> 00:02:24,630 under this 65 watt rated Noctua cooler 56 00:02:24,630 --> 00:02:28,630 is a 95 watt Intel Core i9-9900K. 57 00:02:28,630 --> 00:02:30,010 Sounds kind of toasty, 58 00:02:30,010 --> 00:02:32,770 so let's see how it fares starting with Blender. 59 00:02:32,770 --> 00:02:34,390 I imagine that the majority of people 60 00:02:34,390 --> 00:02:36,530 looking for either the Desk Mini or the Mac Mini 61 00:02:36,530 --> 00:02:39,350 are planning on using them for creative power. 62 00:02:39,350 --> 00:02:42,330 And initial results are looking very good for the Desk Mini, 63 00:02:42,330 --> 00:02:45,630 with the i9 not only able to mince the i7 64 00:02:45,630 --> 00:02:46,990 found in the Mac Mini, 65 00:02:46,990 --> 00:02:49,610 it also maintained very respectable boost clocks 66 00:02:49,610 --> 00:02:52,930 that allowed it to tangle with much larger PCs as well. 67 00:02:52,930 --> 00:02:54,350 Now, it did get a bit sweaty. 68 00:02:54,350 --> 00:02:56,150 They're around 85 degrees Celsius, 69 00:02:56,150 --> 00:02:58,030 so definitely no overclocking. 70 00:02:58,030 --> 00:03:00,850 But this is still damn impressive performance 71 00:03:00,850 --> 00:03:02,650 from a system this small, 72 00:03:02,650 --> 00:03:06,370 especially given it does so while remaining nice and quiet. 73 00:03:06,370 --> 00:03:10,090 Where the Desk Mini absolutely humiliates the Mac 74 00:03:10,090 --> 00:03:11,110 is in gaming. 75 00:03:11,110 --> 00:03:13,650 Since number one, it just wins by default 76 00:03:13,650 --> 00:03:16,510 since lots of games don't even run on macOS. 77 00:03:16,510 --> 00:03:20,150 And number two, because the little GTX 1080 in here 78 00:03:20,150 --> 00:03:22,930 puts in work, son. 79 00:03:22,930 --> 00:03:24,430 And it sounds like it too. 80 00:03:24,430 --> 00:03:26,430 Without the gentle Noctua touch, 81 00:03:26,430 --> 00:03:28,430 the GPU is uncomfortably loud. 82 00:03:28,430 --> 00:03:30,370 You'll definitely want some noise-canceling headphones 83 00:03:30,370 --> 00:03:31,950 for gaming sessions. 84 00:03:31,950 --> 00:03:34,810 And really, if you're gonna be gaming a whole bunch, 85 00:03:34,810 --> 00:03:38,770 it's conceivable that you may want an RTX 2080 at some point. 86 00:03:38,770 --> 00:03:43,770 So why is it that this only comes with a GTX 1080? 87 00:03:45,030 --> 00:03:48,650 Well, the Desk Mini uses an MXM card, 88 00:03:48,650 --> 00:03:51,400 a standard that NVIDIA might've killed off. 89 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,960 Or maybe not, if some rumors are to be believed. 90 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,180 But either way, at this point in time, 91 00:03:56,180 --> 00:03:58,580 20 series MXM cards are not available. 92 00:03:58,580 --> 00:04:01,360 And until officially confirmed, they might stay that way, 93 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,380 completely killing upgradability. 94 00:04:03,380 --> 00:04:04,520 So if you plan on gaming, 95 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,440 then just get an MSI Trident X, right? 96 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:10,900 Maybe, if you like having obnoxious rainbow barf 97 00:04:10,900 --> 00:04:11,740 on your desk. 98 00:04:11,740 --> 00:04:13,580 But I, for one, actually love how, 99 00:04:13,580 --> 00:04:15,680 despite its gaming-grade hardware, 100 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,820 the Desk Mini has an understated premium styling. 101 00:04:18,820 --> 00:04:20,960 But ASRock did include an RGB port, 102 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:22,600 if you're into that sort of thing. 103 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,100 Compared to the Mac Mini, though, 104 00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:25,720 it's definitely not as stealth. 105 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,040 But hey, this venting is here for a reason. 106 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,000 If you have wireless peripherals and never use USB drives, 107 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,120 the Mac Mini is a pretty good time. 108 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:38,620 But I do really appreciate that ASRock has kept USB A and C, 109 00:04:38,620 --> 00:04:39,800 along with a headphone jack, 110 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,280 on the front of the machine for easy access. 111 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:43,580 As for I.O. in general, 112 00:04:43,580 --> 00:04:45,880 the four Thunderbolt ports on the Mac 113 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,080 do offer amazing versatility if you've got the dongles. 114 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:50,980 But like, the first thing I wanted to do 115 00:04:50,980 --> 00:04:53,340 is connect it to a display with a DisplayPort cable, 116 00:04:53,340 --> 00:04:56,120 and that just wasn't an option without a dongle. 117 00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:00,280 The Desk Mini, though, doesn't have any Thunderbolt 3 ports, 118 00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:03,400 but other than that, the I.O. is pretty solid. 119 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,280 where the Mac mini really whoops the desk mini 120 00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:07,880 is in networking. 121 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:09,160 Given that these systems are aimed 122 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:10,560 at creative professionals, 123 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,000 the option of 10 gig Ethernet on the Mac mini is massive 124 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,680 for anyone that's working on files that live on a server, 125 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,200 like in our office. 126 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,080 We actually bought a second Mac mini for this video 127 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,160 because the first one was already in use 128 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:24,700 at our video ingest station. 129 00:05:24,700 --> 00:05:27,520 And it's working so well that we wanted to get another one. 130 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,260 So if your primary use case is dealing with AK footage, 131 00:05:31,260 --> 00:05:33,280 the Mac mini is great. 132 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:34,120 But for everyone else, 133 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,180 it might just be freaking expensive. 134 00:05:37,180 --> 00:05:39,600 With a semi-reasonably spec'd Mac mini 135 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,820 coming in at an eye-watering $2,200, 136 00:05:42,820 --> 00:05:45,900 surely the desk mini must be... 137 00:05:45,900 --> 00:05:46,740 It's a lot. 138 00:05:46,740 --> 00:05:47,580 A what? 139 00:05:47,580 --> 00:05:49,560 It's $2,500. 140 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,680 It's $2,500 with the i9. 141 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:52,520 Okay. 142 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,080 So yeah, for that same price, 143 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:55,960 you could have the MSI Trident X 144 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,040 with the considerably more powerful RTX 2080, 145 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,000 or you could get even more bang for your buck 146 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:02,960 by building your own PC altogether. 147 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:03,840 So this leaves the desk mini 148 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:06,480 in a bit of an awkward situation, 149 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,660 since it's a lot of money to be spending 150 00:06:08,660 --> 00:06:10,300 for last-gen graphics 151 00:06:10,300 --> 00:06:12,700 that sound like a TIE fighter storming your office, 152 00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:14,680 which is why I don't think you should buy 153 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:16,320 the desk mini with the GTX 1080. 154 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,080 You should look into the desk mini with the GTX 1060. 155 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,460 That way you can get the small form factor, 156 00:06:21,460 --> 00:06:22,820 more CPU performance, 157 00:06:22,820 --> 00:06:24,080 plus discrete graphics, 158 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,140 all for about $400 less than the Mac mini, 159 00:06:27,140 --> 00:06:29,180 which is what I would do. 160 00:06:29,180 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaking of things I would do, 161 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,020 I would go out and buy Ting. 162 00:06:33,020 --> 00:06:34,840 Ting is the mobile carrier that's focused 163 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:38,220 on customer service and customer satisfaction first. 164 00:06:38,220 --> 00:06:39,340 Don't speak to a robot. 165 00:06:39,340 --> 00:06:41,640 With Ting, you get put through directly to a person. 166 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:42,980 You pay only for what you use, 167 00:06:42,980 --> 00:06:46,580 and the average Ting bill is only $23 per month per device. 168 00:06:46,580 --> 00:06:48,780 If you're stuck in a contract and switch to Ting, 169 00:06:48,780 --> 00:06:52,580 they'll cover 25% of your cancellation fee, up to 75 bucks. 170 00:06:52,580 --> 00:06:55,220 And they have lowered their mobile data rates. 171 00:06:55,220 --> 00:06:58,780 Data is now just $10 per Gigabyte beyond the second Gigabyte. 172 00:06:58,780 --> 00:07:00,760 Every single Ting customer is gonna be able 173 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:02,560 to reap the benefits of this new change. 174 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,720 So lower your phone bill now at Linus.ting.com 175 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,890 and get $25 in Ting credit. 176 00:07:09,890 --> 00:07:10,850 So thanks for watching, guys. 177 00:07:10,850 --> 00:07:12,970 If this video sucked, you can hit that button. 178 00:07:12,970 --> 00:07:15,350 But if you liked it, like it, get subscribed, 179 00:07:15,350 --> 00:07:18,690 and check out the links to blow, to blow, whoa. 180 00:07:18,690 --> 00:07:20,950 Check out the links below for where to buy 181 00:07:20,950 --> 00:07:22,530 some of the stuff we featured in this video. 182 00:07:22,530 --> 00:07:24,210 Also down there is our merch store 183 00:07:24,210 --> 00:07:27,550 and our link to our forum, which you should totally join.