Zotac Rolls Out New Zbox M And P Series Mini-PCs

By Steven Lynch
published

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Zotac, a giant in the world of small form factor PCs, added new models to its Zbox M and P series mini-PCs.   

Measuring just 184 x 72 x 184mm (WxHxD), the Zbox MI553 series mini-PCs are equipped with an Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor operating at 2.5GHz with a max turbo frequency of 3.5GHz. The two SODIMM slots can accommodate up to 32GB of DDR4-2400 dual-channel memory. Graphics are handled by Intel’s HD 630 chip that provides resolutions up to 4096x2160 @ 60Hz utilizing the DisplayPort 1.2 connector or 3840x2160 @ 60Hz from the HDMI 2.0 output. The Zbox MI533 is Optane Memory-ready and features two M.2 SSD slots and a single 2.5" 6Gbps SATA hard drive slot.

Other features include Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, a front-mounted USB 3.1 Type C port, HDMI and Mini DisplayPorts, gigabit wired Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, and four USB 3.0 ports. Gaining access to the inside of the unit is a simple matter of pressing two tabs in the rear of the chassis and lifting the top off. This makes maintenance and upgrades a snap.

The Zbox MI553 is a barebones solution that allows end users to pick and choose memory and storage options that fit their needs. The MI553 Plus is a complete mini-PC with 4GB of DDR4 memory and a 120GB M.2 SATA SSD pre-installed.  

Those of you looking for an even smaller PC will no doubt be interested in the Zotac Zbox PI225 mini-PC. Smaller than your average smartphone, this fully functional computer features an Intel Apollo Lake dual-core processor, 4GB of LPDDR3, 32GB of onboard storage, Intel HD Graphics 500, 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, and two USB 3.0 Type-C ports, all packed into a fanless chassis that is just 63 x 95.4 x 8mm (WxHxL). 

Pricing and availability were not available at the time of press. We have reached out to the company for more information.

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ModelZbox MI533Zbox MI533 PlusZbox PI225
CPUIntel Core i5-7300HQIntel N3350
MemoryUp to 32GB of DDR-24004GB of LPDDR3
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 630Intel HD Graphics 500
Storage2x M.2 SATA SSD Slot1x SATA 6Gbps HDD/SSD Slot32GB eMMC onboard
I/ODisplayPort 1.2HDMI 2.01 x USB 3.1 Type-C (front) 4 x USB 3.0 (back)LAN 10/100/1000 MbpsAntenna802.11acBluetooth 4.23-in-1 (SD/SDHC/SDXC) Stereo output, Microphone2x USB 3.0 Type-C802.11acBluetooth 4.2Micro SDHC/SDXC
Dimensions184 x 72 x 184mm (W x H x D)63 x 95.4 x 8mm (W x H x L)
Steven Lynch
Topics
Systems
Zotac
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • sykozis
    Too many products are announced without pricing or availability data. Makes the articles appear more like clickbait than actual tech articles. Until a product is actually available on the market, it's essentially vaporware. Vaporware should never be advertised.
    Reply
  • ravewulf
    Hopefully we'll get some Ryzen models when AMD launches the new APUs
    Reply
  • Lizzi Swane
    Until ryzen apus become available,this looks tempting
    Reply
  • Roger Wilco
    Companies need to understand integrated graphics are a joke. Do not try to even approach me about it unless it has a discrete gpu.
    Reply
  • Sarreq Teryx
    Apollo Lake N3350 is a Celeron. It'd be helpful for people choosing to know that.
    Reply
  • lorfa
    2x usb? How do you connect a display + keyboard + mouse to it?
    Reply
  • ThisIsMe
    20154589 said:
    2x usb? How do you connect a display + keyboard + mouse to it?

    That's 2x USB 3.0 Type-C ports. You can connect HDMI and/or DisplayPort adapters to them. Up to three for a total of 3 monitors for that CPU I believe. You can also connect gigabit Ethernet adapters, audio devices, printers, external storage, etc. Basically anything you want. You can connect a docking station like device that includes all or many of the other ports you'd have found on PC's in the past if you wish.

    The Type-C port is designed to replace not only the normal USB connector, but also work as a thunderbolt connector as well as a DisplayPort or HDMI connector. So this was basically the end game the developers of the connector standard envisioned I'm sure. Hopefully some day soon everything will use this connector. No more worrying about what cable to buy for what device anymore.

    It would be nice if it had more than 2 ports, but with such a basic CPU additional ports would require too much from it being as fast and feature packed as these ports are.
    Reply
  • brando56894
    Hopefully the PI225 runs cooler than the other Pico variants. I had the latest Pico and that thing would get hot to the touch with it's dual (or quad?) core Atom processor.
    Reply
  • photonboy
    Roger Wilco,
    Not everybody buys a computer to game on, especially not a mini-PC. An iGPU serves a purpose for cost, noise and power reduction, and if it does everything you need why would you pay more for a dGPU?
    Reply
  • sykozis
    20152394 said:
    Companies need to understand integrated graphics are a joke. Do not try to even approach me about it unless it has a discrete gpu.

    You're obviously not a member of their intended market. The people these products are aimed at, can get by just fine on the integrated graphics. These aren't gaming systems. They're small form factor systems that will be used predominantly for browsing the web and checking e-mail.
    Reply