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Audio Recordings
These recordings were made with a high resolution, lab quality, digital recording
system inside SPCR's own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to
LAME 128kbps encoded MP3s. We've listened long and hard to ensure there is no
audible degradation from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent
a quick snapshot of what we heard during the review.
Each recording starts with ambient noise, then 10 second segments of product
at various states. For the most realistic results,
set the volume so that the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then
don't change the volume setting again while comparing all the sound files.
Comparable System sound files:
FINAL THOUGHTS
The ZBOX HD-ND22 does what many of Zotac's previous products have done in the
past: Push the boundaries of small form factor PC performance. Nvidia's ION
chipset makes HD video playback on Atom-based systems a breeze but such machines
are poor in overall speed and responsiveness. Pairing ION with a dual core Intel
CULV processor results in a staggering performance increase. While this combination
may not be able to compete with your average budget tower with a standard desktop
CPU, being packed in a 7.4 x 7.4 x 1.7" casing givers it the highest size-to-performance
ratio of any desktop you can buy.
Compared to the Asus Eee Box EB1501
(Atom 330 + ION), the ZBOX uses a few more watts of power as one would expect,
and is comparable when it comes to acoustics. It is quiet enough once you disable
the horrid dynamic fan control system and set it to the lowest single speed
setting, particularly when mounted behind a monitor. It does have trouble keeping
its components cool and quiet when heavily stressed, but there isn't
a much Zotac could have done about this without making the case bigger to accommodate
a larger heatsink/fan. We wouldn't have minded a slightly thicker ZBOX, especially
if it allowed for a slim optical drive. Our only other complaint is the disappointing
WiFi speed..
With a MSRP of US$270, the Zotac ZBOX HD-ND22 looks like a steal until you
include the price of a hard drive and some RAM to complete the system. 2GB of
RAM and a 320GB hard drive brings up the total to about US$355 and you can tack
on another $90~$100 for an OEM copy of Windows 7 Home Premium unless you go
with Linux. Luckily for the ZBOX, nothing on the market with similar dimensions
(and/or the ability to be VESA mounted) comes close to its performance, with
most nettops still stuck with Atom. We don't foresee Atom desktops disappearing
anytime soon, but we sincerely hope the ZBOX marks the beginning of a general
expansion of nettops beyond Atom.
|
Zotac ZBOX HD-ND22
|
PROS
* Very fast for a nettop
* ION graphics
* Compact, VESA mountable
* Can be overclocked if you dare
|
CONS
* Runs hot in Quiet mode when taxed heavily
* Terrible dynamic fan control
(can be disabled)
* Slow WiFi |
Our thanks to Zotac
for the ZBOX HD-ND22 sample.
Zotac ZBOX HD-ND22 is Recommended by SPCR.
* * *
Articles of Related Interest
Samsung N220 Pine Trail Netbook
Asus UL30A & Lenovo ThinkPad
Edge 13 CULV Notebooks
Asus EeeBox EB1501 ION Mini-PC
Lenovo IdeaCentre Q110: Tiny ION Nettop
Lenovo IdeaCentre Q100: World's Thinnest,
Smallest Nettop
Gateway EC1803h: Netbook
or Ultra-portable?
* * *
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this article in the SPCR forums.
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