Provided by: Zotac
No compensation was received for review of this product.
Price Point
Price: $325
Class: Mini-PC
The Zotac ID80 Plus is an HTPC/Mini-PC/Small Computing PC.
Performance
The Zotac ZBOX ID80 Plus was able to play all HD media flawlessly and do so quietly while consuming very little power.
Reviewer's Opinion
The ZBOX ID80 Plus is a worthy addition to the extensive mini-PC lineup offering from ZOTAC and it features a unique marriage of the new Intel Atom D2700 dual-core processor with an NVIDIA GT520M GPU. The new Cedar Trail Atom processors are supposed to have embedded DirectX10.1 graphics support but there were issues with the drivers and it was unable to pass Windows 7 certification. ZOTAC instead opted for a DirectX11 solution and used NVIDIA's GT 520M mobile GPU to circumvent the lack of embedded graphics option on the Cedar Trail. Very creative move by ZOTAC and, in the end, resulting in a richer graphical solution with CUDA, PurevideoHD and DirectX11 support from the GT520M GPU.
Since the ZBOX model we reviewed is the "Plus" variant, an HDD and memory module were already pre-installed and only required an OS installation to be operational. The ZBOX ID80 also came with a Windows Media Center remote (with batteries!) and a USB IR Receiver, so it was pretty much ready to be used as an HTPC. The drivers came on a DVD disc, however, so I would suggest pre-downloading the drivers from Zotac's website first before proceeding with installation or using another computer to grab the drivers from the driver disc. Hopefully in the future, Zotac will provide drivers in a USB drive for practical reasons. A vertical stand, as well as a VESA mount, was also provided, giving users a flexible option on how they want to use the ZBOX ID80. Even on a 24" LCD, using the VESA mount results in a very discreet setup.
In terms of performance, the ZBOX ID80 performed within the level of other Atom-based systems but was surprisingly slower in productivity and gaming applications compared to a system running a previous generation Atom D525 processor. This was not really because of the processor or the platform itself, but a combination of a slower 5400rpm HDD and the GT520M GPU. I must admit, I am not as familiar with the lower end NVIDIA GPUs as I am with the gaming GeForce line so on first glance I thought the GT 520M was similar or a rebadged GT430. Upon closer inspection however, the GT430 had twice as much CUDA cores at 96 and twice the memory bandwidth at 128-bit. Gaming at this point was definitely out of the question and the benchmarks definitely show it. Nevertheless, what the GT520M was effective at was displayed in multimedia playback and it did so quite effortlessly.
Noise is generally a concern when it comes to HTPCs but, thankfully, the Zotac ZBOX ID80 was whisper quiet, even under heavy loads. In fact, I couldn't hear anything unless I stopped and gave it a few seconds of silence and listened very closely. The temperatures are well-within optimal for a small space and there are generous ventilation holes on both sides and bottom to allow the internal components to breathe. The power consumption was very low as expected, peaking only at 41W during gaming and sat at 24W at the desktop when idle.
The internal components are easily accessible by removing the thumbscrews so users can always upgrade the HDD or add more memory. The Samsung 5400rpm 320GB HDD included in the ZBOX ID80 Plus is not quite swift in terms of performance but it provides a very generous storage space for users who want a media repository. Additional memory modules can be installed, although not really necessary for an HTPC since the Intel D2700 only uses single channel memory anyway and 2GB is more than sufficient for HD media playback tasks. If you are thinking of replacing these components anyway after purchasing the ZBOX ID80, I would suggest getting the lower-priced non-Plus barebones version instead. You can install an SSD for the OS and, since there is Bluetooth, Wireless N, a Media Card Reader, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 anyway, it is unlikely that you will not be able to have additional storage space.
Pros:
Cons:
{aseadnetadblock|Zotac ID80 Plus|Zotac Mini PC}
