The ASRock Core HT system is covered with adhesive, protective wrap to further protect the piano black finish from damage during shipping.
At the front of the chassis, there is a vent at the side for air flow. Our review unit was supplied with a bluray player. Underneath the drive are two USB 3.0 ports, a microphone and headphone jack and a power on and off button. It measures 195 mm x 70 mm x 186 mm (WxHxL).
The rear connectivity is surprisingly good. There is a power connector to the far left, an optical S/PDIF out port, 5 audio jacks for 7:1 surround sound (THX TruStudio Pro), a RJ45 LAN port (Gigabit), 2 more USB 3.0 ports (blue), 4 USB 2.0 ports (black), HDMI and VGA out and a eSATA 3 port. There is a cooling fan at the far right. The ASRock Core HT is fully connected and covers almost every eventuality. The only thing missing is a DVI connector, but there are HDMI converters and cables available for very low cost online.
ASRock include an anti movement mat in the package, a useful addition to the bundle. It ensures that the ASRock Core HT PC won't move at all, even when placed on a shiny wooden surface.