Introduction

A big thank you to ASRock Industrial for supplying the review sample and Kingston for the DDR5 SO-DIMM memory.

ASRock Industrial has firmly established itself as a cornerstone in the Mini-PC market by delivering systems that offer not only solid performance but reliability as well. Moreover, they offer a comprehensive array of products, including Industrial and Embedded Motherboards, innovative Edge AIoT Platforms, and IoT Controllers. While ASRock Industrial primarily caters to industrial clients, their Mini-PCs seamlessly fit in both the industrial and consumer markets, and that expanded customer base gives them numerous reasons to continue to innovate and deliver high-performance designs in the years to come.


Today, I will be reviewing the ASRock 4X4 BOX-7840U barebones system, which comes with an MSRP of $579.99. The barebones nature of this system means that you will need to provide your own memory, storage, and operating system. To thoroughly test this unit, I equipped it with 32 GB of Kingston's Fury Impact 5600 MHz DDR5 SO-DIMM memory and a 1 TB Western Digital SN770 NVMe SSD. With these components in place, the 4X4 BOX-7840U should deliver robust performance as the CPU sports eight cores, 16-threads, and features the Radeon 780M integrated graphics processor with 12 Compute Units (CUs), translating to 768 shaders. This configuration should be a strong contender in our benchmark testing, especially when you consider it has a higher TDP performance mode that can be enabled via the BIOS. However, before we delve into the benchmarks, let's take a closer look at the system itself.

Packaging and Contents

The external packaging of the ASRock 4X4 BOX-7840U Mini-PC maintains the same design we have seen in previous system reviews. It features a lively color scheme, predominantly using blue and white. However, it lacks any specific information in regards to the system itself. There are no marketing claims or enticing features highlighted. On the top of the packaging, you'll notice the ASRock Industrial logo and a mention that this unit is part of their Mini-PC series, but there are no other details provided. Similarly, the bottom of the package is quite plain, with the exception of a link to the ASRock Industrial website.


The front and back follow the same theme with various industry logos and a QR code on the back, while the front has a barcode. Meanwhile, both the left and right sides while not shown here, are devoid of any information.


Internally the packaging is designed with the system placed in the center and wrapped in a very thin layer of foam that is sealed with tape. The cardboard tray offers protection from typical bumps, and all the accessories are placed in a separate compartment at the bottom.


Regarding the bundled components, you'll discover all the standard elements. Obviously this includes the 4X4 BOX-7840U itself, accompanied by a power brick. Additionally, it includes a VESA mounting bracket complete with screws, as well as a set of small screw intended for securing your M.2 SSD. Since this is a barebones system, to fully equip the unit, you'll need to provide your own memory, SSD or 2.5-inch HDD, and the operating system.

• ASRock 4X4 BOX 7780U
• Power brick
• VESA mounting plate
• VESA screws
• M.2 Screws/spacers
• Manual

A Closer Look

Much like the 4X4 BOX-7735U/D5 we reviewed previously, ASRock maintains a similar design with the 4X4 BOX-7840U. The top section of the unit remains functionally identical to previously reviewed units, with the plastic housing featuring subtle indents that provide a touch of visual appeal to an otherwise unadorned exterior. In the bottom left corner, you'll locate the power button. When you flip the system over, you'll observe four screws securing the chassis, with two mounting holes designed for the VESA bracket placed in the center. It's worth mentioning that the glossy plastic exterior tends to attract fingerprints, but since the unit is primarily optimized for use in digital signage systems, office work, kiosks, and home media centers it likely won't be a huge deal.


The Front I/O consists of a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port and 2 USB4 ports that also support DisplayPort 1.4a. More importantly, the unit does offer eGPU support which I can 100% confirm with my Akito Node Titan unit equipped with a pedestrian GeForce GTX 1650. This opens up the system to many new usage scenarios and even as a full-on gaming PC, as you could utilize an eGPU for both a laptop and this system for gaming purposes. Beyond the two USB4 ports, ASRock has opted to include a 3.5 mm Microphone / Headphone combo jack on the front as well. Meanwhile, the right side has a vented opening for cooling, although it is somewhat restricted, which may come into play later on.


Examining the back I/O, you'll discover a set of 2 USB 2 Type-A ports, 2x HDMI 1.4b ports which are sadly limited to 4K 30 Hz, a 2.5 GbE LAN port, a 1 GbE LAN port with DASH support, a power plug, and a Kensington lock. While the system's I/O array offers excellent functionality, it does come with some limitations, as additional USB ports would require the use of a Type-C to Type-A hub or adapter. This means it falls short when compared to a full-fledged desktop, yet proves well-equipped when considering its compact size or in comparison to most slim and lightweight laptops. Notably, the 4X4 BOX-7840U can handle up to four displays simultaneously and is equipped with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, courtesy of the RZ616 WiFi module. Overall its well balanced for a Small Form Factor (SFF) system or Mini-PC. Oh and before moving on, the right side has a vented opening to enhance airflow.


To power the system, ASRock opted for an AcBel 120-watt power brick.


Finally, to get the system operational I opted to use a Western Digital SN770 1 TB NVMe SSD and a 32 GB dual channel SO-DIMM kit of Kingston Fury Impact DDR5 5600 MHz (2x 16 GB). For the OS I opted for Windows 11 Pro.

A look Inside

Taking the ASRock 4X4 BOX-7840U apart is quick and easy. Much like its siblings, you will need to remove the four screws on the bottom, which will allow you to lift the bottom plate off, giving you the ability to install system memory, M.2 SSD, SATA HDD/SSD, and so on.


With the system open you will find the MediaTek RZ616 Wi-Fi module pre-installed and ready to go, you will need to remove it if you plan to do a complete disassembly. To make this easier loosen the screw holding the plastic M.2 SSD bracket in place you can then rotate it to get the Wi-Fi antenna wire out of the way. After that you can remove the Wi-Fi module and let it sit off to the side still attached to the antenna wires.


Now un-clip the black plastic rear I/O plate along with the two screws that hold the mainboard in place. Once both are taken care of the mainboard can be popped out.


With the system pulled out, you now have access to the CPU cooler and fan, with the fan model number: BSC0805HA-00, which is made by Delta Electronics. There is also a plug on the side for the CMOS battery. Beyond that, you have a copper cooler with a small copper radiator which should be sufficient for the Ryzen 7 7840U's 28 W TDP . However, the unit also has a performance mode that boosts the TDP higher and thus delivers improved performance.