ZOTAC Debuts Intel 7-Series Mini-ITX Mainboard

Subject: Motherboards | April 10, 2012 - 03:30 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: zotac, Z77-ITX WiFi, mini ITX, H77-ITX WiFi

For you mini-ITX fans, Zotac has released a pair of motherboards, one H77 and one Z77 which will let you build a tiny machine powered by an Ivy Bridge processor ... whenever Intel gets around to releasing them.  Both boards are similar, with a single PCIe 3.0 slot and two DIMM slots, the differences lay in the features.  The biggest difference is the overclockability of the Z77 model, for those looking to build a small gaming machine.  On the other hand the H77 model is more flexible in its video outputs with a DVI-I connector replacing the second HDMI port the Z77 sports.  You can see the rest of the differences below.  

HONG KONG – Apr. 10, 2012 – ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today debuts the ZOTAC Intel® 7-series powered mainboards for the latest 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ family processors. The new ZOTAC Z77-ITX WiFi and H77-ITX WiFi mainboards pack support for Intel® LGA1155 processors into a mini-ITX form factor without sacrificing expansion capabilities.

“ZOTAC is the global innovator when it comes to mini-ITX mainboards. We continue to push the performance envelope with mini-ITX to rival much larger systems,” says Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. “The latest Intel® Ivy Bridge processors paired with our ZOTAC Intel® 7-series mini-ITX mainboards make an unbeatable performance combination without sacrificing energy-efficiency.”

Expansion capabilities are plentiful with the ZOTAC Intel 7-series mini-ITX platforms and include PCI Express x16, capable of PCI Express 3.0 speeds with 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ family processors, dedicated mSATA slot for lightning-fast SSDs, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, SATA 6.0 Gb/s and SATA 3.0 Gb/s. Dual Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 network connectivity are integrated for maximum networking performance when connected to wired or wireless home networks and Bluetooth accessories with the ZOTAC Intel® 7-series mainboards.

It’s time to play with the ZOTAC Z77-ITX WiFi and H77-ITX WiFi A series mainboards.

• New ZOTAC Intel® 7-series mini-ITX mainboards
• 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ family ready
• LGA1155 socket (2nd Generation Intel® Core™ family compatible)
• 1 PCI Express x16 (PCIe 3.0 capable with 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ family CPU) expansion, 1 mSATA slot
• Onboard 802.11n WiFi & Bluetooth 3.0
• Mini-ITX form factor

ZOTAC Z77-ITX WiFi

• Intel® Z77 Express
• 2 x DDR3-1600 DIMM slots (2133 MHz OC) (up to 16GB)
• 2 x HDMI & 1 x mini-DisplayPort outputs
• 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s, 2 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s & RAID 0, 1, 0+1 & 5 support
• 4 x USB 3.0 (2 on back panel, 2 via pin header)
• 8 x USB 2.0 (4 on back panel, 4 via pin header)
• Dual Gigabit Ethernet
• Overclocking capable

ZOTAC H77-ITX WiFi A series

• Intel® H77 Express
• 2 x DDR3-1600 DIMM slots (up to 16GB)
• 1 x DVI-I, 1 x DisplayPort & 1 x HDMI
• 2x SATA 6.0 Gb/s, 3 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s, RAID 0, 1, 0+1 & 5 support & 1 x eSATA
• 4 x USB 3.0 (2 on back panel, 2 via pin header)
• 8 x USB 2.0 (4 on back panel, 4 via pin header)
• Gigabit Ethernet

Zotac Launches Three New ZBOX Mini PCs At CeBIT 2012

Subject: Systems | March 10, 2012 - 02:15 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: zotac, zbox, SFF, PC, hardware

In a recent press release, Zotac unveiled three new ZBox small form factor computers, including one PC that features a blu-ray optical drive. Specifically, the new models include the ZBOX ID82, ZBOX Nano ID61, and the ZBOX Blu-ray AD05. In addition, the company offers "plus" versions of the three ZBOX computers that add 2GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive to the hardware package. Carsten Berger, marketing director for ZOTAC stated that the company is constantly pushing the small form factor envelope and the latest Intel Core i3 Sandy Bridge processors "enables us to give demanding users the performance edge they need."

The ZBOX Nano ID61

The ZBOX ID61 is the smallest of the three PCs and is the latest in their Nano form factor. It is powered by a dual core Intel Celeron 867 processor, a single DDR3 SO-DIMM slots, and an integrated multimedia card reader. Connections include HDMI, Displayport, 2 USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, 1 eSATA port, Bluetooth 3.0, and a built in IR receiver. The ID61 plus further features 2 GB of DDR3 1333 MHz laptop RAM and a 320 GB SATA III (6Gbps) hard drive.

The ZBOX ID82

The ID82 represents the latest ZBOX PC, and while it is a big bulkier than the Nano series, it packs a lot more punch with an Intel Sandy Bridge Core i3-2330. The new Intel CPU is a dual core 2.2 GHz processor which further includes Hyper-Threading tech for a total of four virtual cores. Further, the PC has two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots, two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, DVI-I, and Bluetooth 3.0. The ZBOX ID82 Plus includes 2 GB of DDR3 RAM and a 320 GB laptop hard drive.

The ZBOX Blu-ray AD05

Finally, the ZBOX Blu-ray AD05 is a small form factor PC that moves to AMD for their processor and GPU with the AMD E-450 APU with integrated Radeon 6320 GPU. The extra hardware horsepower provides the "oomph" needed to support smooth blu-ray playback. The mini PC holds a 4x Blu-ray reader that doubles as a 8x DVD +/- writer. It includes support for two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots and an 2.5" SATA II hard drive. Connections include HDMI, DVI, two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, and one combo USB 2.0/eSATA port. The ZBOX Blu-ray AD05 Plus version further includes 2 GB of memory and a 320 GB hard drive.

All three of the mini ZOTAC ZBOX PCs (wow, that's a lot of caps) also feature Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and a bundled Media Center remote and USB IR receiver. No matter the model, the user is still responsible for providing an OS as one does not come bundled. Unfortunately, there is no word on pricing or availability.

ZOTAC announces a Trio of New ZBOX mini-PCs

Subject: Systems, Shows and Expos | January 9, 2012 - 12:29 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: zotac, z-box, zbox id80, zbox id81, zbox ad04

 ZOTAC is pleased to kick off CES with a trio of new ZBOX mini-PCs powered by Intel Celeron 857, Intel Atom D2700 and AMD E-450 processors and APUs in the ZBOX ID81, ID80 and AD04 series.

ZOTAC ZBOX ID81 series

• Intel Celeron Processor 857 (1.2 GHz, dual-core) (SandyBridge)
• Intel HD Graphics HDMI & DVI outputs
• 2 x DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM slots (up to 16GB)
• Support 1 x 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD (SATA 6.0 Gb/s)

ZBOX ID81 Plus

• 2GB DDR3 320GB
• 5400RPM HDD

ZOTAC ZBOX ID80 series

• Intel Atom D2700 (2.13 GHz, dual-core) (CedarTrail)
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M HDMI & DVI outputs
• 2 x DDR3-1066 SO-DIMM slots (up to 4GB)
• Support 1 x 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD (SATA 3.0 Gb/s)

ZBOX ID80 Plus

• 2GB DDR3 320GB
• 5400RPM HDD

ZOTAC ZBOX AD04 series

• AMD E-450 APU platform (1.65 GHz, dual-core)
• AMD Radeon HD 6320 GPU w/ TurboCore technology
• HDMI & DisplayPort outputs
• 2 x DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM slots (up to 8GB)
• Support 1 x 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD (SATA 6.0 Gb/s)

ZBOX AD04 Plus

• 2GB DDR3 320GB
• 5400RPM HDD
• 2 x SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports
• 4 x High-Speed USB 2.0 ports (2 on back panel, 1 on front, 1 on top)
• Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi & Bluetooth 3.0 technologies
• Bundled MCE-compatible remote w/ USB IR receiver
• Bundled VESA75/100 mount

PC Perspective's CES 2012 coverage is sponsored by MSI Computer.

Follow all of our coverage of the show at http://pcper.com/ces!

Good things come in small ZBOXes; a tiny present from Zotac

Subject: Systems | October 21, 2011 - 12:25 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: zotac, ZBox Nano AD10, SFF, llano

The mini PC has been growing in popularity as its capabilities grow from barely being able to play back standard definition streamed flash to smoothly displaying HD content from a Blu-Ray drive.  One of the long standing members of this market, Zotac, fired off a ZBOX Nano AD10 Mini PC to Think Computers so that they could test it out.  At only 5"x5"x1.77" it is tiny and inside hides an AMD E350, AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics, 7.1 channel audio, and a 320GB HDD, external USB 3.0 and eSATA plus both 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.  At $300 fully loaded Think Computers highly recommends this box for those needing a tiny PC.

“We have seen quite a few different Mini PC’s lately. They make great Internet surfing and media machines for home theater setups. Not that long ago we took a look at Zotac’s ZBOX HD-AD02 mini PC, which proved to be a great and very function mini PC, but was a little on the large side. Today we have the ZBOX Nano AD10, which has to be one of the best-looking and smallest mini pc’s we have looked at. I know you are going to say it so we will say it now, it looks like a Mac Mini only smaller! Inside this small design you have an AMD E350 CPU, AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics, 2GB of DDR 3 and a 320GB hard drive. Let’s check out the ZBOX Nano and see if performs as well as it looks!"

Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:

Systems

• iBuyPower Professional Series: Reversal of Fortune @ AnandTech
• Wired2Fire Diablo GTX Gaming System Review (4.8ghz @ £999) @ kitguru
• Foxconn nT-A3500 Nettop @ XSReviews
• Fanless Power Supply PC Build Guide @ SPCR

A tale of two tiny Llano motherboards

Subject: Motherboards | October 11, 2011 - 04:47 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: mITX, llano, amd, asus, F1A75-I Deluxe, zotac, A75-ITX WiFi

If you are planning a microITX Llano build, it will be well worth your time to drop by The Tech Report as they are comparing two different mITX A75 boards.  The ASUS F1A75-I Deluxe and Zotac A75-ITX WiFi boards have many similarities, a pair of DDR3 slots, a single PCIe 16x slot, 4 SATA 6Gbps slots, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs with audio from the Realtek ALC892.  The differences lie in the outputs, where ASUS only has a pair of USB 3.0 ports, Zotac managed to squeeze a half dozen in at the cost of lowering the USB 2.0 port count.  To find out if there are any performance differences, you will have to read the full article.

"The tight integration of AMD's Llano platform is perfectly suited to Mini-ITX motherboards. We test two of 'em from Asus and Zotac to see what's what."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

• AMD A75 3-way Motherboard Shootout @ Techspot
• Gigabyte GA-A55M-DS2 Motherboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Zotac A75-ITX WiFi Motherboard Review @ t-break
• Asus Crosshair V Formula Motherboard Review @ Niinjalane
• GIGABYTE A55M-S2V (AMD A55) mATX @ Tweaktown
• BIOS Option Of The Week - PEG/Onchip VGA Control @ TechARP
• ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 @ Tweaktown
• Gigabyte Z68XP-UD5 LGA 1155 Motherboard Review @ Hardware Canucks
• GIGABYTE H61N-USB3 (Intel H61) Mini-ITX @ Tweaktown
• Gigabyte G1.Sniper 2: Military-Style Gaming LGA1155 Mainboard @ X-bit Labs
• Asus Maximus IV Extreme: LGA1155 Mainboard for Three Graphics Cards @ X-bit Labs

ZOTAC Expands Value GeForce GT 520 lineup

Subject: Graphics Cards | September 27, 2011 - 12:30 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: zotac, nvidia, low power, GT 520

HONG KONG – Sept. 27, 2011 – ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and channel manufacturer, today expands the value GeForce GT 520 lineup with new PCI and PCI Express x1 form factors for users with pre-built systems that have limited expansion capabilities. The new ZOTAC GeForce GT 520 PCI and PCI Express x1 graphics cards breathe new life into older systems by delivering a performance punch and new video capabilities.

“Upgrading your graphics card is the easiest way to boost your system performance and gain new capabilities. The new ZOTAC GeForce GT 520 PCI and PCI Express x1 graphics cards shows that you can experience good graphics without upgrading the rest of your system,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

The ZOTAC GeForce GT 520 PCI and PCI Express x1 graphics cards provide DVI, HDMI and VGA outputs with dual simultaneous independent display support for an instant dual-monitor upgrade. The low-profile form factor enables the ZOTAC GeForce GT 520 PCI and PCI express x1 graphics card to easily fit in compact pre-built systems with height limitations in addition to expansion limitations.

It’s time to play with the ZOTAC GeForce GT 520 PCI and PCI Express x1 graphics card.

General details

• New ZOTAC GeForce GT 520 PCI and PCI Express x1 graphics cards
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 520 GPU
• Engine clock: 810 MHz
• 48 unified shaders 
• Shader clock: 1620 MHz
• 512MB DDR3 memory
• Memory clock: 1333 MHz
• 64-bit memory interface
• DVI, HDMI & VGA outputs
• DirectX 11 technology & Shader Model 5.0
• OpenGL 4.1 compatible
• NVIDIA CUDA technology
• Full HD video playback

Zotac really does offer you a hand held PC with their ZBox Nano AD10

Subject: Systems | September 8, 2011 - 02:15 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: ZBox Nano AD10, zotac, SFF

Zotac really takes small form factor PCs seriously.  The new ZBox Nano AD10 that you can see below costs $320 fully loaded and hides an AMD E-350 with Radeon HD 6310 on a Hudson M1 motherboard with 2GB DDR3-1066 and a 5,400 RPM 320GB HDD.  As Josh mentioned on the podcast it also has a proper antenna to make sure you get a solid WiFi signal, thought there is a gigabit ethernet port if you need it.  It might not produce incredible benchmarks but its video playback is perfect.  The Tech Report loves this Nano, it is an OS away from being a complete machine and is available for a very reasonable price.

"Zotac's Zbox Nano AD10 puts AMD's Brazos platform quite literally in the palm of your hand. Join us for a closer look at the new standard in enthusiast-friendly ultra-mini PC."

Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:

Systems

• ZOTAC ZBOX AD03 Plus Mini-PC @ Tweaktown
• Zotac ZBOX AD02 Plus Review @ XtremeComputing
• Zotac Zbox Nano AD10 Plus Review @ t-break
• Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 91z @ TechReviewSource
• HP Z210 SFF Workstation: Serious Power in Cramped Quarters @ AnandTech
• Lenovo IdeaCentre K330 Desktop PC @ techspot
• Dell Inspiron 620 MT Review @ TechReviewSource
• Top 10 Ways to Save Money When Building Your Own Computer @ TechwareLabs

Zotac Releases New ZBOX Nano AD10 Series Mini PCs

Subject: General Tech | September 1, 2011 - 05:12 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: zotac, htpc, brazos, APU

Zotac has made a name for itself in the small form factor sector of the computer market. Their ZBOX computers are designed to use little power but have enough horsepower to drive smooth HD video playback. The new ZBOX nano AD10 series is a new line in the Zotac family that shares the media-centric traits of its predecessors. The Nano AD10 series PCs are some of the smallest the company has released, and shrinks the ZBOX form factor while packing in new home theater PC features.

Inside the tiny frame measuring 127mm x 127mm x 45mm, is a 1.8 GHz dual core AMD Brazos E-350 APU, DDR3 SO-DIMM slot, and space for a 2.5” SATA 3 (6Gbps) hard drive. Connectivity options include Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, two USB 2.0, and two USB 3.0 ports. Further, the ZBOX computer features a built in IR (infra-red) receiver and media center remote in addition to an eSATA port and a 6-in-1 media card reader. On the audio front, the media center PC supports on-board analog stereo and 7.1 channel digital audio (LPCM and Bitstream via HDMI).

There are currently two models in the AD10 series, the AD10 and the AD10 Plus. The AD10 model allows for a bit more user customization by leaving it up to the user to add their own RAM and hard drive of choice to the mini PC. The AD10 Plus on the other hand, is the same as the AD10 except for the fact that it includes a 2 GB DDR3 SO-DIMM and a 320 GB 5400 RPM hard drive. Both models come with the media center remote, USB IR receiver (in addition to the built in receiver), and VESA mount.

Media center PCs are getting smaller every day, and the new Nano AD10 series from Zotac is no different. Thanks to the APU (especially the GPU), and hardware accelerated video decoding, it will deliver plenty of horsepower for all your home theater PC needs. Unfortunately, there was no word on MSRP or availability at the time of publication. Stay tuned for an update.