A little computer with issues with its performance and cooling
Zotac has been making compact systems for a while, starting with the small form factor and progressing to Nano and now even smaller.
The arrival of the Intel NUC machines narrowed the focus of several companies that had previously been making small computers, which were commonly utilized for media players or embedded applications.
Now that these devices can be installed on a monitor's back, the screen can function as a system.
The ridiculously little ZBOX PI336 Pico is Zotac's attempt to take a piece of the market.
Despite the advantages of compactness for computer hardware, is a PC this small and underpowered useful?
Cost and availability
Although it hasn't happened yet, the Pico is supposed to hit the market in the next weeks. The UK MSRP is £319, which, when VAT is taken into account, translates to around $300 or 320 euros.
When it is published, this hardware should be widely available through online retailers.
Design
Many products marketed as "small" PCs aren't that much smaller than standard desktop computers.
The ZBOX PI336 Pico, or Pico as we'll call it from this point on, is so tiny, though, that it almost defies belief.
This is very compact for a device with an Intel X86-compliant processor; it is only 115mm long, 76mm wide, and 20.7mm deep.
However, because of this device's small size, some compromises were inevitably necessary regarding the number of ports and upgradeability.
The rear reportedly has a full-size HDMI and DisplayPort that allows for a dual output to 4K, according to the marketing materials. Next to them are a type-C USB 3.1 port, a gigabit Ethernet port, and a headphone/mic combo port.
There are two extra Type-A USB 3.1 connections, however, there are sadly no USB 3.2 connectors at all. For those with small hands, the front has a single MDHC/SDHX card slot, and the only features on the right side are the power button and its corresponding LED.
A plastic bracket to VESAmountst the Pico to a display and a power supply plug is included with each unit.
The piece appears to be mostly constructed of metal, with fins on the top and bottom and a ceramic plate on top bearing the maker's name. This surface modeling is essential since the Pico is passively cooled, which makes it both silent in use and desperate need of airflow.
Later, we'll talk more about thermals. As you might imagine from a small design, everything is packed tightly inside the machine. Despite having a removable underside, this gadget wasn't made to allow owners to undertake interior repairs.
Windows 11Pro N is already pre-installed on the computer, and it also comes with a USB recovery key that can be used to restore the OS if something catastrophic were to happen to the installation.
SPEC SHEET
The ZOTAC ZBOX PI336 Pico configuration that was supplied to TechRadar for review is listed below:
CPU: Intel Celeron Processor N6211 (dual-core 1.2 GHz, up to 3.0 GHz)
Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics
RAM: 4GB LPDDR4x onboard memory
Storage: 128GB of eMMC memory
Ports: 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 USB-C, 2 x USB3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x universal audio jack, 1 x micro SDHC/SDXC slot
Connectivity: Intel WiFi 6E, Gigabit LAN adapter, Bluetooth v5.2
Size: 115 x 76 x 20.7 mm (W x D x H)
This specification makes it very obvious that the equipment is designed for light duty, or the lightest workload possible. due to the eMMC storage's slower than SSD-level rates and the processor's limited thread capacity (no hyperthreading).
The device's ability to handle one task well makes it ideal for a fast deployable firewall or monitoring sensors.
With two 4K outputs, it is illogical to think that you could use this for gaming or much else. This CPU and GPU combo isn't intended to operate two 4K screens smoothly unless you need a slideshow.
It might drive you crazy if the source is a media file, but streaming 4K content over the internet is a rather stop-and-go operation.
We'll discuss the overall performance shortly, but anyone expecting anything extraordinary here is likely to be severely let down.
Final Verdict
I'm not sure what the Pico's designers at Zotac had in mind when they made it. It performs terribly no matter what task you assign it, especially if you quickly pair a 4K display with it.
Numerous problems plagued the Pico right out of the gate.
The first option is the Intel Celeron Processor N6211, a severely confined SoC that is thermally further restrained by a passively cooled casing. This system will throttle without any active heat management measures. The last straw for its hardware was the eMMC storage, which writes data like an antiquated 2.5-inch hard drive.
Even with these limitations, it might not have managed expectations if Windows 11 Pro N hadn't existed. This operating system was looking forward to the release of a Threadripper-core CPU and an RTX GPU. Because this OS lacks the files it needs to run, it stinks that the Pico lacked early dynamism.
The technology and software this system relies on aren't appropriate for the majority of applications or users, necessitating a significant rethink.
