Zotac ZBOX Nano ID65 Plus Out NUCs Intel

Performance Summary: The Zotac ZBox Nano ID65 Plus performed relatively well throughout our entire battery of tests. The system and CPU-level benchmarks showed the ID65 clearly outperforming the lower-power platforms and the Core i3-based ASRock Vision 3D HTPC. In the GPU centric tests, however, the Zotac ZBox Nano ID65 Plus didn’t fare as well. The system’s single-channel memory configuration likely held it back somewhat, but the Intel HD 4000 series graphics engine isn’t a powerhouse to begin with. In terms of its multimedia chops, the Zotac ZBox Nano ID65 Plus was a winner. Every file we threw at the system played back very well, with minimal CPU utilization and good image quality.

The Zotac ZBox Nano ID65 Plus

We’ve really liked the previous ZBox Nano systems we’ve looked it, which featured AMD E-Series APUs. This latest ZBox Nano, however, is easily the most attractive of the bunch. Cramming a much more powerful CPU into the rig and incorporating more USB 3.0 ports and a better Intel-based WiFi controller simply make the newer ID65 more appealing in our opinion. Factor in the cool Zotac nanoRAID storage adapter, which gives users the ability to run SSDs in RAID, and the Zotac ZBox Nano ID65 Plus is all the more attractive.

All of this goodness comes at a price, though. As of this writing, the Zotac ZBox Nano ID65 Plus can be had for about $590, which is hundreds more than an E-Series based ZBox Nano. Of course, the ID65 offers much better performance, but the cost will surely be limiting factor for some. As we’ve said in previous ZBox “Plus” reviews, we’d recommend consumers seek out the non-Plus edition of the ID65 if possible, which is available for about $510. The 4GB of memory and 500GB hard drive in the ID65 Plus are adequate, but this little rig is just begging for more memory and a faster drive.

Ultimately, the Zotac ZBox Nano ID65 Plus is a very attractive product. Anyone in the market for a powerful small form factor system or an HTPC that won’t break a sweat with virtually any file type should give this tiny rig some serious consideration.

Great Performance Relatively Low Power Quiet Tiny	Somewhat Pricey No OS Included