Zotac ZBox Nano ID64 Plus review
You'll need to install your own operating system, but this tiny PC is a great mid-range system with reasonable performance
The Nano ID64 is easy to upgrade. We were able to open the PC by simply unscrewing the four feet on the underside of the chassis and popping off the base. Inside, you have access to the 2.5in hard disk and two SO-DIMM laptop memory slots, one of which contains a 4GB stick, so you could upgrade the RAM to 8GB for around £30. The Nano ID64 Plus also comes with a Wi-Fi card pre-installed, making it easy to get online, and has built-in Bluetooth. There’s also a free mSATA slot for an SSD.
The PC has a useful range of ports. These include six USB ports (two USB2 on the front and four USB3 on the rear), HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, an eSATA port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a Wi-Fi antenna connector, a multi-format card reader and separate headphone and microphone jacks.
The two USB2 ports at the front of the PC are particularly handy, as you can use them to charge tablets and other USB devices when the PC is turned off or in Sleep mode. This feature is disabled by default, though, so you’ll need to enable the S3/S4/S5 Charge Function in the PowerManage section of the BIOS interface to activate it.
With so many useful extras, the Zotac Zbox Nano ID64 Plus is a fine mini PC. It offers a great middle ground between more expensive Core i7 models and less powerful Core i3 mini PCs, but be aware that you’ll need to be confident in installing Windows yourself.
Basic Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Rating | **** |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-3337U |
| Processor external bus | 100MHz |
| Processor multiplier | x18 |
| Processor clock speed | 1.8GHz |
| Processor socket | Socket 988B rPGA |
| Memory | 4 |
| Memory type | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory | 8GB |
| Motherboard | Zotac ZboxNano-ID64 |
| Motherboard chipset | Intel HM77 Express |
Ports | |
| USB2 ports (front/rear) | 2/4 |
| eSATA ports (front/rear) | 0/1 |
| Wired network ports | 1x 10/100/1000 |
| Wireless networking support | 802.11n |
Internal Expansion | |
| Case | mini PC |
| PCI slots (free) | 0 |
| PCI-E x1 slots (free) | 0 |
| PCI-E x16 slots (free) | 0 |
| Free Serial ATA ports | 0 |
| Free memory slots | 0 |
| Free 3.5in drive bays | 0 |
Hard Disk | |
| Hard disk model(s) | Toshiba MQ01ABD050 |
| Interface | SATA3 |
Graphics | |
| Graphics card(s) | Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
| Graphics/video ports | HDMI, DisplayPort |
Sound | |
| Sound | Realtek HD Audio |
| Sound outputs | optical S/PDIF, headphone |
| Speakers | N/A |
Removable Drives | |
| Supported memory cards | SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, Memory Stick Pro, xD |
| Optical drive type(s) | none |
Display | |
| Screen model | N/A |
| Native resolution | N/A |
| Screen inputs | N/A |
Other Hardware | |
| Keyboard | none |
| Mouse | none |
Software | |
| Operating system | none |
| Operating system restore option | N/A |
Buying Information | |
| Warranty | two years RTB |
| Price | £425 |
| Supplier | http://www.lambda-tek.com |
| Details | www.zotac.com |