ZOTAC ZBox HD-ID11 and Next Gen ION
Power Consumption and Accoustics
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According to our tests, the Zbox consumed slightly less power than the NVIDIA Ion reference platform and Acer Aspire Revo at idle, and slightly more (4 - 5W) under load . The differences were minimal, however. To put a little perspective on these numbers, the Zbox consumes a bit less than half the power of 65W light bulb under load and less than 1/3rd of the power of that same light bulb while idling.
A Note On Acoustics -
When we first got the Zbox in for testing, its default thermal controlled fan speed settings in the BIOS caused the machine to ramp up fan speeds under load and frankly the system made a bit more racket than we would have liked. It wasn't completely obtrusive, but it was definitely not what we wanted to hear from a low power system. Since that time however, ZOTAC released a new beta BIOS that we were able to test and it definitely quieted things down nicely under load. Regardless, for optimal performance, again we would highly suggest allowing the side panel vents and edge vents of the system to have ample room for proper air intake and exhaust.
A Note On Acoustics -
When we first got the Zbox in for testing, its default thermal controlled fan speed settings in the BIOS caused the machine to ramp up fan speeds under load and frankly the system made a bit more racket than we would have liked. It wasn't completely obtrusive, but it was definitely not what we wanted to hear from a low power system. Since that time however, ZOTAC released a new beta BIOS that we were able to test and it definitely quieted things down nicely under load. Regardless, for optimal performance, again we would highly suggest allowing the side panel vents and edge vents of the system to have ample room for proper air intake and exhaust.
