REVIEWS / HTPCS / ZOTAC INTERNATIONAL (MCO) LTD

Editors' ChoiceZOTAC ZBOX Nano XS (AD11 Plus) Review

07 May, 2012, 12:24 pm IST | by Roydon Cerejo | HTPCs

HTPCs

The nano XS

The nano XS
The accessories
The ZBOX from top
An idea of just how small it is
The assorment of connectors
The front facing ports
The bundled remote

PRICE IN INDIA

25,400

TECH2 RATING

8.0

AVERAGE USER RATING

7.5

How we test

CONTACT

ZOTAC International (MCO) Ltd

 sales@adityagroup.com

 +91 120 4555 666

 www.zotac.com

ZOTAC have been dabbling with HTPCs for a long time now and we’ve loved what they’ve done in the past. However, this time they seem to have outdone themselves by giving a new meaning to the word ‘nano PC’. Today we have with us, their newly launched ZBOX nano XS AD11 Plus, their smallest ZBOX to date. Despite its size, it barely compromises on features and functionality so lets see how good it really is.

Design and Build
Don’t be fooled by the size of the box, the actual product is deceptively small and can literally, fit in your pocket. The nano XS is built really well and is very light so it can easily be stashed inside your bag or purse even. ZOTAC has gone with the similar design styling we’ve seen on their previous offerings so it’s recognizable as a member of the ZBOX family. The glossy top hides the green circular power LED that lights up when powered on.

The front facing ports

The front facing ports

 


In the front we have the power button, multi-card reader, USB/ESATA, microphone and headphone jack. ZOTAC has cleverly included the SPDIF connector within the 3.5mm headphone jack itself so if you need digital audio, you simply use the optical cable with the bundled adapter... very clever. There are exhaust vents on either side of the nano XS to keep the temperatures in check.

The assorment of connectors

The assortment of connectors

 


The rest of the ports are located at the back and include the the power plug, HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports, LAN and two more USB 2.0 ports. As is the case with all ZOBOXs, you get a USB Wi-Fi ‘n’ dongle, IR receiver and remote, power adapter and the drivers and utilities disk and manuals. The nano XS sits well above the surface thanks to four rubber feet and is VESA mountable as well with the supplied bracket. As always, ZOTAC has come through once again, offering very good build and design with the new nano XS and great set of accessories in the box.

Features
The ZBOX nano XS is powered by an AMD E0450 APU, the same one we saw in the ZBOX AD04 sometime back. This is a dual-core CPU running at 1.65GHz and packs in an integrated Radeon HD 6320 GPU. Due to the limited size of the nano XS, there’s only one DIMM memory slot and ZOTAC ships the AD11 with 2GB of DDR3 RAM. Instead of a standard SSD, you have a mSATA 6Gbps connector and ZOTAC bundles a 64GB SSD along with it. While this is not the most capacious storage solution, it’s more than enough for Windows and basic programs. If you wish to store your movies and other data, then we recommend getting an external 3.5-inch hard drive or a portable drive.

 

An idea of just how small it is

An idea of just how small it is

 


Looking at the size of the device, we’d say ZOTAC has done a hell of a job in pulling it off. The ZBOX is just as powerful, if not faster, thanks to the SSD and yet, it’s smaller than any of its other siblings. The one thing that’s missing is the OS, so you’ll have to buy Windows separately or install a free Linux distro. This was done in order to keep the costs down. ZOTAC includes drivers for Linux as well on their CD so you won't have to go hunting around the internet.

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Desig - Build and Features


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Would you buy it?




 


How We Test

The Tech2 Labs receives many products every single week and each of them is tested with the utmost care and highest level of objectivity. There’s a constant effort to reduce and totally eliminate subjectivity. Each product is tested according to set test processes so the same test scenario is used.

Verdict
The ratings awarded to a product are derived from a number of tests and calculations, keeping certain important factors in mind. These factors consist of features, performance, quality and value for money. In case of software and some other categories, build quality might be replaced with ease of use or ease of installation. Products are compared with other products in a similar price range or product category.


Features
The features component of the score is rated based on the kind of features present on a particular product. Features are a big part of what people look for when they’re buying a new product such as a phone or a camera.

Performance
The performance score is derived from the benchmarks and tests run on the product. In case of the subjective scores, an average of the scores given by the group of reviewers is considered.

Build Quality
The build quality of a product is important so that it doesn’t fall apart after some use. The build quality scores from the way the product is designed and the kind of materials used in the product.

Value
Value for money comes from the fact that a cheap product is able to provide most of the performance of a higher priced product. Once again, value for money is judged by comparing pricing and performance of products in a particular price range or category. 

There are many other aspects of the product that are looked at such as the bundled software and accessories. All of these scores are aggregated together to form the final score.

What do the ratings mean?

Ratings are simple - higher the score, the better the product. A brief listing of the features and what they mean are given below.

1 - 3

The product is bad in almost every aspect. We strongly advise against purchasing this product.

4 - 6

An average product that isn't the best you can buy, but isn't the worst either.

7 - 8

Product with this rating is highly recommended because it's priced sensibly, has a good set of features and performs well.

9 - 10

Exceptionally excellent product with features and performance unlike any we've seen in the past. A must-have for everyone!

What is the Average User Rating?

We at Tech2 take product reviewing very seriously and every product is tested with the utmost care and level of objectivity. The end user who buys a particular product and uses it over an extended period of time has his own take on a product and there might be nuances that he or she can shed light on. The Average User Rating is present to help readers get the complete picture of how good or bad a product is. The Average User Rating is calculated by averaging the ratings by the thousands of readers visiting Tech2.com every single day. To record your own rating of a product, simply click on the user rating bar. If you disagree with our ratings or our community's product rating, please don't hesitate from voicing your opinion in the comments section below the review.

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