Zotac installs Intel’s new 14nm technology to its Zbox range
For those who don’t want a big metal box sat next to their desk, there are plenty of options available for smaller computers these days.
One of the biggest ranges come from Zotac, which makes 11 different series of Zbox machines and models that come either as working systems or barebones installations.
The C-Series alone has 19 models, and the CI521 is one of its more powerful, featuring the Intel M-5Y10c processor. This is a new 14nm Core M (Broadwell-Y) class SoC chip, offering dual 800MHz cores that can TurboBoost up to 2GHz while only consuming a measly 4.5 watts.
Using this chip allows the Zbox CI521 Nano to be small, passively cooled, but with enough punch to handle typical home and office tasks with relative ease.
Zotac sent for review the ‘Plus’ model, which includes a 64GB M.2 SSD and 8GB of RAM pre-installed. The barebones variant will need RAM and storage, although it includes everything else with the exception of an OS.
For those working to a tight budget, there's room in the 125 x 125 x 48mm case for a 2.5” drive instead of using the M.2 option.
Installing an OS will require either an external optical drive or bootable USB media and, as I discovered, you’ll also need to go into the BIOS and disable the default mode of entering the EFI shell if a bootable device isn’t found.
Once this was fixed, I got Windows 8.x on this machine relatively quickly, and Zotac very thoughtfully provide the drivers on a small USB stick to speed this process along.
I wish more system builders provided software on USB rather than exclusively on disc, because the cost implications must be pennies by now.
After the installation and updates, you end up with is a rather snappy little computer that can be used for surfing or media playback quite effectively. But there are plenty more uses the Zbox CI521 Nano could easily be put to, especially for those looking for an IR remote controlled media player or for a youngster's work platform.
The inclusion of dual gigabit LAN ports also allows this to be easily configured as a hardware firewall with the appropriate Linux distro in place.
In the box, Zotac provides a VESA mounting plate so you can attach the Zbox CI521 Nano to a monitor and create an ad-hoc, all-inone solution. That doesn’t make it very easy to access for ports and the card reader, but it does provide a discrete means of deployment.
What this machine won’t do well is run games, because even with Intel’s HD 5300 GPU on board, there really isn’t the horsepower in the Core M CPU for 1080p 3D gaming. With only 4.5 watts for the system to play with, for both CPU and GPU, that’s not a huge surprise.
There also isn’t any practical way to address this, because the CPU and its GPU are not socketed, and there are no slots you can use to add any discrete video
technology.
We shouldn’t be too surprised about this, because for SSF (small form factor) computers, flexibility is largely sacrificed for compactness by definition.
That point aside, this is a well specified machine that is remarkably small and efficient, all neatly packaged in a stylish, if exclusively plastic, case.
My only real gripe is the price, especially when compared with the recent Intel NUC machine I reviewed a few weeks ago. That offered a barebones design with a Core i5 processor and a metal case for about £300, and a similar Core i3 variant for just £240.
To quickly compare the two, this rig scored a PCMark08 Home score of 2,237, whereas the Core i5 NUC managed 3,014. It’s also worth mentioning that the NUC is physically even smaller, although that specific NUC model can’t hold a 2.5” drive.
I generally liked the Zotac Zbox CI521 Nano, but the price particularly for the barebones needs to be much lower if it’s to compete with what Intel and others are offering.
However, with the minimal difference between the barebones and the Plus, the latter seems generally much better value considering how much M.2 SSDs and LPDDR3 RAM will set you back. In this respect, the £60 difference is certainly worth paying. Mark Pickavance
A small computer with many possible uses.
Specifications
Product Name ZBOX CI521 Nano PLUS (ZBOX-CI521NANO-P)
CPU Intel M-5Y10c (dual-core, 800MHz) TurboBoost up to 2GHz
GPU Intel HD Graphics 5300
Memory 8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3
LAN 2 x 10/100/1000Mbps
wi-fi 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0
Sound Stereo analogue output, Digital 8-ch via HDMI S/PDIF
Storage 60GB M.2 SATA SSD 1 x 2.5"SAT A HDD/SSD bay
Card Reader 3-in-1 (SD/SDHC/SDXC)
Video Outputs 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
USB Ports 4 USB 3.0 (two on back panel, two front)