Zotac Zbox OI520 Plus "Sphere" SFF PC Review

Performance Summary: In the group of systems we tested, the Zotac Zbox OI520 Plus scored just about where we expected it to, although it did typically land just behind its closest competition (which were other systems from Zotac). This SFF rig has solid-enough components in the Intel Core i5-4200U and integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400.

If you want more performance out of this system, you’ll want to swap out (or augment via the mSATA slot) the slow 5400rpm HDD and perhaps upgrade the RAM, but as it ships, the Zbox OI520 Plus will give you anything and everything most users need.

It also sips relatively little power and handles its business without making much noise.


The most attractive feature of this system is its unique spherical design. As we stated, however, this form factor has nothing to do with performance; it just looks cool. That said, the matte black finish paired with the blue LED line around the circumference of the unit does offer a fun, refreshing look that will surely entice a few buyers (and its easy to access and upgrade too).

It’s also priced well, as are many of Zotac’s SFF machines. This one goes for around $532 (on Amazon.com), while its similar cousins that we tested--the Zbox Nano ID65 Plus ($590) and the Zbox ID89 Plus ($430) come in a bit higher and substantially lower, respectively. A "non-plus" version of the Zbox OI520 sans hard drive and RAM is also available, for users looking to goose things up with a different drive and RAM.

In any case, $532 isn’t all that much to pay for a solid-performing second PC that sports an eye-catching design and will serve as an entertaining conversation piece wherever you set it up.