Zotac Updates ZBOX nano XS with Radeon HD 7340
The XS version of Zotac's ZBOX nano Series of mini-PCs now sports AMD's Brazos 2.0 platform.
Zotac said on Tuesday that it has updated its pocket-sized ZBOX nano XS series with AMD's Brazos 2.0 platform. The company previously refreshed the vanilla ZBOX nano Series with the "Brazos 2.0" E2-1800 dual-core APU back in August 2012, and now the "XS" model will be equipped with AMD's E2-1800 APU featuring Radeon HD 7340 graphics.
“Zotac is pleased to deliver AMD’s latest Brazos 2.0 platform in our tiny ZBOX nano XS chassis," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "The latest update brings greater performance while reducing power consumption from the previous generation."
Zotac actually had a similar model on display last month at CES 2013 in Las Vegas, listed as the ZBOX nano AD12. It had a 320 GB HDD, a 7-in-1 card reader, Bluetooth 3.0, and a DisplayPort connection. It was also capable of handling up to 8 GB of DDR3-1333 RAM. However Tuesday's updated ZBOX nano XS is the AD13. It's sold in two SKUs: a barebones system and a "Plus" model with 2 GB of DDR3 memory and a 64 GB SSD already installed. The APU itself is clocked at 1.7 GHz on both models.
According to the specs, the updated ZBOX features one 204-pin DDR3 SO-DIMM slot supporting up to 4 GB, and enough room to throw in a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD. Other specs include HDMI output, a 6-in-1 card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n wireless connectivity, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port.
The spec list also shows that the ZBOX Nano XS offers onboard analog stereo HD audio, digital mini-Optical S/PDIF, and DirectX 11 (Shader model 5.0) and hardware video decode acceleration thanks to the Radeon HD 7340. The system is also Windows7 and Windows 8 ready, and comes packed with a VESA75/100 mount and a MCE-compatible remote with a USB IR receiver.
As for pricing and actual availability of the new AD13 models here in the States, both SKUs are listed as "out of stock" on the website. However the barebones model does sport a pricetag of $220.99 USD whereas Zotac USA hasn't provided a pricetag for the "Plus" model as of this writing.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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gethigher iceclockanybody know if the zbox will ever come with a better gpu?i really doubt it it hasn't for years now.Reply -
Vorador2 I use one of those (an older A10 with the E-350) for HTPC purposes and it works like a champ. For gaming it comes short for anything in the last five years, but for general computing it works just fine.Reply -
Wisecracker Replyanybody know if the zbox will ever come with a better gpu?
The E2-1800 boosts graphics clock speed and includes a turbo mode (like, up to 700MHz?).
The next-gen 28nm Temash rolling out this summer will have GCN cores, and maybe we'll see a low-watt Richland APU in a net-box, too.
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shadowfamicom I have one of their Atom based units. It's been running almost nonstop for about 2 years, working as a hub for external RAID boxes, media server and the like. Never had a problem with it. I would recommend one to anyone for a small office computer, something to watch HD videos (it plays 1080p MKV's on a 1080p monitor with no problem at all) and surf the net on.Reply