Introduction

A big thank you to ASRock for providing the review sample and Kingston for providing the system memory and SSD.

ASRock has become a significant provider of motherboards and graphics cards since its formation in 2002. The company has stuck to their 3C design concept of "Creativity, Consideration, Cost-effectiveness," which has taken them from humble beginnings to enthusiast favorite. Over time, their product portfolio has also expanded from simple motherboards to high-end offerings, alongside graphics cards, routers, components, mini-PCs, and industrial systems.


Today, I look at the ASRock NUC BOX-1165G7 barebones system with an Intel i7-1165G7 at its core. The processor is an Intel 10 nm 4-core, 8-thread Tiger Lake offering with the company's Iris Xe Graphics, which has 96 execution units. Overall, the CPU has a maximum turbo frequency of 4.7 GHz with a base clock of 2.8 GHz. Meanwhile, it can support up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200. To test the system, Kingston provided both 16 GB (2x 8 GB) and 32 GB (2x 16 GB) kits of DDR4 3200 MHz memory, which retail for $80 and $160 respectively as I am writing this, along with a 500 GB KC2500 M.2 NVMe SSD, which retails for $107. To be thorough, I have tested both sets of memory to see if going big has any tangible benefits.

Packaging and Contents

The packaging is both vibrant and insubstantial. It will grab your interest, but has no specifications or real information to speak of. A quick look at the top shows "ASRock Industrial" and "Mini PC Series," but that is it. Flipping it over to the bottom, you will be greeted with more of the same, with the ASRock name and company website URL on a blue background.


A look at the other sides again gives next to no information. ASRock should have at least included a minor specifications table here.


Much the same for the smaller ends as well, as there is no information to speak of. I guess it gives the packaging a clean feel, but that is not very helpful when trying to get a quick look at the specifications, support, and I/O.


The NUC BOX-1165G7 is placed in a sealed, white foam bag that is secured inside a cardboard tray. A separate space in the box contains a driver disc, VESA mounting plate, and assorted hardware.


In terms of included extras, ASRock kept it simple as this is a barebones unit. The end user is responsible for the OS, memory, and storage. In order to fully test the system, I was sent 2x 8 GB and 2x 16 GB of 3200 MHz memory, as well as a 500 GB M.2 SSD from Kingston. As I write this, the memory kits retail for around $80 and $160 respectively, and the SSD for $107. As both are necessary, they naturally increase the price. You can go with different memory or SSD options; however, keep the additional cost in mind.

• NUC BOX-1165G7
• Power brick
• VESA mounting plate
• VESA screws
• Driver disc

A Closer Look

ASRock's NUC BOX-1165G7 Barebones unit has much in common with the 4X4 BOX-4800U I reviewed previously. The overall design is essentially the same, with the system using a very glossy enclosure that won't really wow you in any way. That is not a slight against the system, and it's in fact meant for a more professional market, such as digital signage, office work, and kiosks, or as a home media system. In those situations, you don't want loud and in your face designs. Simple and nondescript is a safer choice. I wish the design weren't such a fingerprint magnet, though.


The front includes 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C ports with DisplayPort 1.4 support and a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, which will be ideal for external storage duties. Rounding out the front I/O is a combo audio jack for your headphone or microphone needs. The power button is in the top left, which is useful if the system is mounted to the back of a display, compared to the more traditional location on the front. A quick look at the left side shows venting for the cooling system.


Taking a look at the back, you will find 2x USB 3.2 Type-A ports, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0a, 1x 1 GbE LAN, 1x 2.5 GbE LAN, and the power plug. Overall, the system's I/O, while not incredibly plentiful, is quite versatile. Between the front and back, you have five USB ports comprised of three Type-A and two Type-C, with the Type-C offering DisplayPort functionality for a quad-display setup. Overall much like the 4X4 BOX-4800U, which was impressive in its own right, the NUC BOX-1165G7 is better in regards to I/O functionality.

Like the 4X4 BOX-4800U, the ASRock NUC BOX-1165G7 also has a vented opening on the right side, and like its sibling, it is pretty much blocked off. This means venting for the unit is limited. However, considering how well the 4X4 BOX-4800U performed, I am hopeful the cooling solution will prove adequate for the NUC BOX-1165G7.


The power adapter is from AcBel and has a maximum output of 90 watts.