If you were interested in the Intel NUC review from mid-December then you might be interested in its competitors.

ZOTAC has been making small form factor PCs for three years at this point. This, 3rd, iteration contains the NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 graphics cart with a 2nd Generation Intel Core processor. With the ZBOX you can stream video and other content using dual Gigabit Ethernet or dual external Wi-Fi antennas. Unlike Intel, ZOTAC is making a big deal about its cooling capabilities of its new chassis.

They will also be keeping their 2nd generation ZBOX chassis available, presumably for those who would be upset about a 7mm increase in size, with an Intel HD 4000 GPU. No discussion that I could find about price or release date however.

Press release after the break.

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ZOTAC Starts CES 2013 With New 3rd Generation ZBOX mini-PC
 
New 3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX mini-PC packs Intel Core processor with
NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 graphics to form the ultimate home theater mini-PC
 
HONG KONG – Jan. 07, 2013 – ZOTAC International, a global innovator and leading
manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs today starts the Consumer
Electronics Show 2013 with a new 3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX and a refreshed
mobile-on-desktop 2nd Generation ZBOX mini-PCs. The new ZOTAC ZBOX mini-PCs
both receive Intel Core processors for outstanding performance.
 
3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX Chassis
 
The 3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX is the most substantial evolution of the ZBOX since
its introduction three years ago and receives a slight 7-mm increase in thickness to
accommodate higher-performance components. Network connectivity receives an
upgrade with the 3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX chassis for dual Gigabit Ethernet ports
with teaming capabilities and dual external Wi-Fi antenna’s for superior wireless
networking and Bluetooth reception.
 
“After many years of research and development, ZOTAC is able to integrate
desktop components and discrete graphics into our award-winning ZBOX mini-PC for
greater flexibility and performance capabilities,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director,
ZOTAC International.  
 
ZOTAC engineers also enhanced the cooling subsystem of the 3rd Generation
ZOTAC ZBOX chassis with triple the ventilation area for improved system cooling
properties capable of handling the heat while maintaining quiet operation.
 
NVIDIA ION™ Reinvented
 
The 3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX mini-PC takes the NVIDIA ION™ concept and gives
it a serious injection of performance with an Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GeForce
graphics technology. A dual-core Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT 610
graphics processor join forces to form an unmatched home theater PC combination in
the 3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX with NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 graphics.
 
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 graphics processor enables hardware decode
acceleration of popular high-definition video formats, including Blu-ray 3D, outstanding
video processing for phenomenal video playback and bitstream audio output
capabilities for crystal clear loss-less surround sound. The Intel Core processor
provides lightning-fast system responsiveness and additional horsepower to decode
new 10-bit video formats such as Hi10P without a single dropped frame.  
 
“ZOTAC continues to impress us with their dedication to the home theater PC
and continual advancement of mini-PC hardware capable of handling the latest and
greatest features of OpenELEC,” said Stephen Raue, main developer and founder,
OpenELEC. “We have no doubt the new 3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX with NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 graphics is ready for the new HD audio and Hi10P video capabilities
of the upcoming XBMC 12.0 Frodo-based OpenELEC 3.0 release.”
 
Enhanced Mobile on Desktop Experience
 
The new 2nd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX with Intel HD Graphics 4000 rounds out the
ZOTAC ZBOX lineup for CES 2013 with its 3rd Generation Intel Core i3 3120M
processor for excellent performance in every day applications. By integrating a mobile
3rd Generation Intel Core i3, the new ZBOX packs an Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics
processor that delivers nearly twice the 3D performance of Intel HD Graphics 2500
found in most desktop 3rd Generation Intel Core processors.
 
The graphics boost helps the 3rd Generation ZOTAC ZBOX with Intel HD
Graphics 4000 transcode videos up to 75-percent faster than previous generations for
lightning-fast video conversions for quicker transfers of videos to portable media
players and smartphone devices.  
 
ZOTAC ZBOX mini-PCs For All Your Computing Needs
 
The new ZOTAC ZBOX with Intel Core processors offer a superior computing
experience in a mini-PC form factor for all computing needs whether its high-
performance CPU processing or stunning high-definition video playback capabilities,
there’s a perfect ZBOX for the job. Each new ZOTAC ZBOX with Intel Core processors
ship as a barebones or as a PLUS model with preinstalled memory and hard drive.
 
It’s time to play with the new ZOTAC ZBOX with Intel Core processors.  
 
General details
• ZOTAC Starts CES 2013 with new 3rd Generation ZBOX mini-PC
• New 3rd Generation Chassis
o Enables use of desktop processors
o Dual Gigabit Ethernet
o Dual external Wi-Fi antennas
o Triple the ventilation area of 2nd Generation chassis
• NVIDIA ION reinvented
o 2nd Generation Intel Core processor with NVIDIA GeForce GT 610
configuration available
• Refreshed mobile-on-desktop 2nd Generation ZBOX  
o New 3rd Generation Intel Core i3 3120M
• PLUS models available with preinstalled memory and hard drive
o 4GB DDR3
o 500GB 5400RPM HDD
• DVI & HDMI outputs
• 802.11n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.0  
• High-amperage USB charging capable (yellow ports)
• Bundled MCE-compatible remote w/ USB IR receiver
• Bundled VESA75/100 mount
 
3rd Generation ZBOX with GeForce GT 610 Graphics Specifications:
Product Name ZBOX ID42
SKU ZBOX-ID42 ZBOX-ID42-PLUS
Memory 2 x 204-pin DDR3 SO-DIMM slots (Up to 16GB) DDR3-1333
Hard Disk Support 1 2.5-inch HDD
PLUS Configuration 4GB DDR3 / 500GB, 5400RPM HDD
CPU Intel Core Processor (dual-core, 1.1 GHz)
GPU NVIDIA GeForce GT 610  
Video Memory 512MB DDR3
Display Options HDMI & DVI
Memory Card Reader 4-in-1 (SD/SDHC/MMC/SDXC)
SATA N/A
Ethernet 2 x 10/100/1000Mbps
WiFi Onboard 802.11n Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 4.0
USB Ports

  • 2 USB 2.0 (rear) (high-amperage charging supported)
  • 2 USB 3.0 ports (1 on top, 1 on front)

Audio

  • Onboard analog stereo high-definition audio
  • HDMI audio (bitstream)
  • Digital Optical S/PDIF
  • DirectX® Support
  • DirectX® 11 with Shader Model 5.0

Other Features

  • Hardware video decode acceleration
  • Blu-ray 3D support
  • dual-display capable
  • HDCP

Software Features

  • Windows Capability
  • Windows 7 & 8 ready

2nd  Generation ZBOX with Intel HD Graphics 4000 Specifications:
Product Name ZBOX ID83
SKU ZBOX-ID83 ZBOX-ID83-PLUS
Memory 2 x 204-pin DDR3 SO-DIMM slots (Up to 16GB) DDR3-1600
Hard Disk Support 1 2.5-inch HDD
PLUS Configuration 4GB DDR3 / 500GB 5400RPM HDD
CPU Intel Core i3 3120M (dual-core, 2.5 GHz)
GPU Intel HD Graphics 4000
Video Memory Shared Memory Architecture
Display Options HDMI & DVI
Memory Card Reader 4-in-1 (SD/SDHC/MMC/SDXC)
SATA N/A
Ethernet 10/100/1000Mbps
WiFi Onboard 802.11n Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 4.0
USB Ports

  • 4 USB 2.0 (1 front, 1 top, 2 rear) (high-amperage charging supported)
  • 2 USB 3.0 ports (rear)

Audio

  • Onboard analog stereo high-definition audio  
  • HDMI audio (bitstream)
  • Digital Optical S/PDIF
  • DirectX® Support
  • DirectX® 11 with Shader Model 5.0

Other Features

  • Hardware video decode acceleration
  • Blu-ray 3D support
  • dual-display capable
  • HDCP

Software Features

  • Windows Capability
  • Windows 7 & 8 ready

About ZOTAC International (MCO) Limited
ZOTAC International is a part of PC Partner Ltd. Group. ZOTAC is also one of the largest NVIDIA graphics cards and motherboard manufacturer in the world with over 10 years of quality manufacturing experience. The ZOTAC philosophy is to deliver the latest products at competitive prices without sacrificing quality.  
For further information please visit www.zotac.com