Testing
Methodology
Testing HTPCs like this are a bit difficult to test as essentially they do the same kind of things as some of the media centres that we’ve reviewed but because it allows the installation of an OS, its easier to benchmark. So what I feel the best way to test the Z-Box out is to try outs its media functions – specifically streaming and blu ray viewing – as well as running some synthetic benchmarks.
For the purpose of some comparisons on a synthetic level, I’ll be using scores taken from Sapphire’s own MINI PC review.
The Benchmarks performed were:
PCMark Vantage
Sisoft Sandra
On top of all these I also had a play with some basic games to see if the Zbox could handle it.
Results
Gaming
For gaming purposes with the Zbox I decided to give my current indi favourite a go, Project Zomboid. The Zbox had very little difficulty with this game, apart from some minor stuttering when lots of the undead swarmed onto the screen. This was however running under Windows 7 with the resolution set to 1920×1080, so with a lower res. I’m sure it’d be able to run it completely smooth.
The ZBox certainly isn’t designed with gaming in mind, so it’s nice to see if owners want to throw in a couple of Good Old Games favourites or something like Project Zomboid or Minecraft, they’ll be able to play them without any hiccups.
Media and Streaming
Media viewing on the Zbox is pretty straightforward, it can play everything. By that I mean, it can take anything up to 1080p locally and play it back without an issue. Video is clean, without stuttering as is the audio. The included BluRay player is a nice addition for anyone that hasn’t invested in one and likewise works flawlessly. Zotac even include a copy of Blu Ray compatible PowerDVD so it works almost right out the box.
As far as streaming media across a local network, the Zbox also does very well. It’s able to stream up to 720p in quality without a glitch, but 1080p is still not quite there yet; just a bit too much data for WiFi at the moment it seems.
PCMark Vantage
Sisoft Sandra
Multimedia Processing
Physical Disks
Drive Score:63.33
Random Access Time: 5.8ms
Notes
These are just a few things that arn’t really related to media streaming or system scores, but I feel are of note. First off, I found it a bit silly – I know, language! – that Zotac didn’t take into consideration that those using 64bit operating systems need to install the USB 3.0 drivers before using them. That of course is fine and hardly unique, but the fact that the Zbox only has one USB 2.0 causes problems. This means that in order to install the drivers (unless you have a wireless keyboard/touchpad combo) then you need to constantly switch between keyboard and mouse, or hit the tab key a lot, to get things done.
Having played around with a few media centre and HTPCs now, I have to say, when you’re installing your own operating system, the quicker it can be done the better. CD Based installs take a while. You’re not only bottle necked by the CD read speed, but it also requires getting it out of its little packet, slotting it in etc. How about a nice elegant, 21st century solution? Include a small branded pen drive with all drivers ready to go. That’s what Sapphire did with their Edge mini.
Noise wise, the Zbox is a pretty quiet little system. During normal operation its basically inaudible and besides the big blue ring (which you can turn off in the BIOS if you don’t like it) you’d hardly notice the little media player within your other lounge or bedroom tech. However, the Blu-Ray drive still makes a bit of noise when it spins up; its far from your average DVD or CD player, but it might annoy some. Of course when your movie is playing, you won’t be hearing it anyway, but it needs to be noted.
While of course HDMI delivers ultimate convenience when it comes to audio and video transmission and optical offers up another option for the former, I would have liked to have seen a pair of phono audio connectors. This is a pretty common audio format and would have made it much easier for a wider audience to take advantage of surround sound and the like.
Cost
There are many different options of the Zbox, though the one I reviewed here today is the more expensive of them. It weighs in between £350 and £400 which might seem a little expensive to some. However, bare in mind the bundled blu-ray player and the sheer miniature size of the HTPC. Zotac do offer quite a competitive option though if you plan on adding a bigger hard drive yourself, as they sell it without the built in HDD for a slightly reduced £300 or so.
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