ECS LIVA Z3 and ZOTAC ZBOX CI331 nano UCFF PCs Review

Intel’s Jasper Lake sequence of merchandise (primarily based on the Tremont microarchitecture) was launched in early 2021. Since then, now we have seen a gentle stream of notebooks and motherboards / mini-PCs primarily based on these processors getting launched available in the market. Extremely-compact form-factor (UCFF) machines primarily based on the Atom sequence provide engaging entry-level choices within the NUC area. Their low-power nature additionally lends itself to passively cooled designs.

Intel’s Jasper Lake SKUs are a follow-up to Gemini Lake. Again in 2018, we had reviewed two totally different Gemini Lake UCFF PCs – the actively cooled June Canyon NUC from Intel, and the passively cooled LIVA Z2 from ECS. For Jasper Lake, now we have sourced 4 totally different UCFF PCs – two passively cooled techniques utilizing 6W TDP processors, and two actively cooled ones utilizing 10W TDP processors.

Right now’s article offers an in depth look into the efficiency and options of the 2 passively cooled techniques – the ECS LIVA Z3 and the ZOTAC ZBOX CI331 nano. Each of them are primarily based on 6W TDP processors, with slight variations in frequency and iGPU capabilities. The 2 distributors have additionally adopted totally different approaches to the facility limits, making for surprising efficiency impacts. Along with an investigation into the capabilities supplied for conventional PC workloads, we additionally go deep into the thermal design to supply insights into what makes fanless techniques fulfill consumer necessities.

Introduction and Product Impressions

Intel’s Apollo Lake SoCs (Goldmont-based) launched in 2016 had been shortly adopted by Gemini Lake (Goldmont Plus) in late 2017. Nevertheless, the delays associated to 10nm manufacturing resulted in a major hole earlier than the Tremont-based Jasper Lake merchandise made an look in early 2021. In comparison with Gemini Lake, the brand new Jasper Lake merchandise have improved CPU efficiency (Intel claims a 33% uplift) with an up to date microarchitecture and bigger caches. The built-in GPU can also be clocked increased with extra EUs. Intel On the system entrance, sooner growth choices can be found, with as much as 8 Gen 3 lanes (in contrast 6 Gen 2 lanes in Gemini Lake), 14 USB ports (as much as 10 Gbps) (in comparison with 8 ports as much as 5 Gbps in Gemini Lake). Jasper Lake additionally integrates a Wi-fi-AX MAC, permitting for cost-effective techniques with Wi-Fi 6 assist. Producers can undertake or reap the benefits of these options in a diversified method to deliver differentiated merchandise into the market.

Just like our Apollo Lake (Intel Arches Canyon and ECS LIVA Z) and Gemini Lake (Intel June Canyon and ECS LIVA Z2) experiments, we received maintain of a number of Jasper Lake UCFF PCs for analysis. Right now’s assessment is targeted on the 2 fanless techniques – the ECS LIVA Z3 and the ZOTAC ZBOX CI331 nano.

A fast comparability of the ECS LIVA Z3 and the ZBOX CI331 nano reveal the next differentiation facets:

• Assist for a 2.5″ SATA disk drives within the ZBOX, not obtainable within the LIVA Z3
• Assist for a M.2 2280 NVMe SSD within the LIVA Z3, not obtainable within the ZBOX
• Built-in 128GB eMMC within the LIVA Z3, not obtainable within the ZBOX
• VGA show output (complete of three, together with HDMI and DisplayPort) obtainable within the ZBOX, whereas the LIVA Z3 has solely two (HDMI and mini-DP)
• Twin LAN and SDXC/SDHC card reader included within the ZBOX, whereas the LIVA Z3 has solely a single LAN port
• Built-in quad-microphone (DMIC) array within the LIVA Z3, whereas the ZBOX has separate headphone and microphone jacks.

The ZBOX additionally makes use of a extra superior WLAN answer (Intel Wi-fi-AC 9462 with Bluetooth 5.1) in comparison with the LIVA Z3 (Intel Wi-fi-AC 3165 with Bluetooth 4.2). The shape-factors are additionally barely totally different, with the absence of two.5″ disk drive assist within the LIVA Z3 enabling it to be slimmer.

The LIVA Z3 is available in a number of flavors – an OS-less model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB eMMC for $220, and one other variant with Home windows 10 Professional bundled for $250. The ZBOX CI331 nano additionally has the same bundle, although the barebones model is sans reminiscence or eMMC. Pricing is available in at $260 for the barebones model. The explanations for the pricing premium will turn into obvious as we proceed by means of the assessment.

The use-cases for the 2 techniques are manifold, with the fanless nature making them appropriate for digital signage, kiosks, retail functions, and so on. The twin LAN function within the ZBOX makes it moreover engaging for networking functions.

The system packages delivered by ECS and ZOTAC are comparable – each embrace a 65W energy adapter (19V @ 3.42A), and embrace VESA mounts. The ZOTAC bundle features a separate WLAN antenna, and extra thermal pads for the SATA drive.

The ECS LIVA Z3 assessment pattern got here with each reminiscence slots occupied (2x 4GB DDR4-2666 SODIMMs). The board additionally contains 128GB eMMC, however that’s inadequate for our benchmarking functions. We took benefit of the M.2 NVMe slot to put in a Essential P5 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD within the system as the first drive. The total specs of the ECS LIVA Z3 pattern as examined are supplied within the desk beneath.

The ZOTAC ZBOX CI331 nano was a barebones pattern, much like the CI662 nano we reviewed final 12 months. Zotac’s C sequence eschews M.2 slots and opts as a substitute for the standard 2.5″ SATA drive bay. The SSD utilized in that assessment (SK hynix Gold S31) was reused within the CI331 nano. The DRAM choice was extra difficult. The Jasper Lake platform formally helps DDR4-2933. Having a lot of DDR4-2933 / DDR4-3000 / DDR4-3200 SODIMMs collected (ranging from the Skylake days), I used to be hopeful of getting a kind of early high-frequency SODIMMs to function at DDR-2933 speeds within the CI331 nano. Sadly, all of them defaulted to DDR-2400, and the BIOS was not too useful when it comes to permitting modification of DRAM timings. Solely latest DDR4-2933+ SODIMMs had been capable of function at DDR-2933 within the system – sadly, I solely had 32GB SODIMMs in hand from the latest batches. Ultimately, the ZBOX CI331 nano was outfitted with 2x 32GB DDR-2933 Mushkin Redline SODIMMs for a complete of 64GB of RAM – manner increased than the formally specified 16GB most reminiscence capability of the Jasper Lake platform. Happily, the system labored flawlessly by means of our benchmarking routines regardless of this wild configuration. The total specs of the ZOTAC ZBOX CI331 nano pattern as examined are supplied within the desk beneath.

Our subsequent part goes into the main points of the thermal design and the necessity for an intensive take a look at it.