ZBOX Sphere OI520 Plus: Zotac's Take on the NUC
by Ganesh T S on August 1, 2014 8:50 AM ESTStorage and Wireless Networking Credentials
We have recently started devoting a separate section to analyze the storage and networking credentials of the units under review. On the storage side, one option would be repetition of our strenuous SSD review tests on the drive(s) in the PC. Fortunately, to avoid that overkill, PCMark 8 has a storage bench where certain common workloads such as loading games and document processing are replayed on the target drive. Results are presented in two forms, one being a benchmark number and the other, a bandwidth figure. We ran the PCMark 8 storage bench on selected PCs and the results are presented below.
The OI520 Plus obviously suffers here due to the absence of a SSD.
On the networking side, we restricted ourselves to the evaluation of the WLAN component. Our standard test router is the Netgear R7000 Nighthawk configured with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. The router is placed approximately 20 ft. away, separated by a drywall (as in a typical US building). A wired client (Zotac ID89-Plus) is connected to the R7000 and serves as one endpoint for iPerf evaluation. The PC under test is made to connect to either the 5 GHz (preferred) or 2.4 GHz SSID and iPerf tests are conducted for both TCP and UDP transfers. It is ensured that the PC under test is the only wireless client for the Netgear R7000. We evaluate total throughput for up to 32 simultaneous TCP connections using iPerf and present the highest number in the graph below.
In the UDP case, we try to transfer data at the highest rate possible for which we get less than 1% packet loss.
The wireless card performs as well as the 2x2 Intel AC card in the NUC, despite being 1x1 only
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Assimilator87 - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
You guys are forgetting that the NUC and related SFF PCs all use mobile chips. If you want a full Kaveri with 512 shaders, the FX-7600P has a 35W TDP. For something with similar TDP to the i5 U, there's the FX-7500 at 19W, although that only has 384 shaders.Voldenuit - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
Needs copper foam afro.Bobs_Your_Uncle - Sunday, August 3, 2014 - link
Given the spherical nature of this beast, maybe even a copper foam Goatee would be a stylish compliment to the fro action.( Scratching your head? => http://hexus.net/tech/news/systems/72569-silent-po... )
know of fence - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
Any chance that those Benchmarks find their way into Bench?I'd really appreciate some perspective of just how a dual core i5 fits into the full picture or how it compares to the 10W 4C/4T J1900 CPUs formerly known as Bay Trail, which also come with 9-19VDC adapters and are available as mini-ITX boards.
With the piddly cooling system being the Achilles heel of these SFFs, some noise testing would be appreciated.
Josh Peck - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
It's only the most sophisticated gaming experience ever created by humans.And it's spherical!
SPHERICAL!
arod916 - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
Looks like the design was ripped off from the Nexus Q. Google could sue them hmmm.M/2 - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
A Mac Mini is the same price... why do Mini's never make the "compared to" list? You can run MS & Linux as well as OSX on a Mini.... At the risk of being called a Fanboy (they're all JUST MACHINES). IMHO, I'd still opt for a MiniM/2 - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
PS: Sound is the only thing I see that may be better than a mini. Mini's have options for i7, 2 memory slots, so someone tell why this hardware set (or most of the others) are better?Iketh - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
what's a "mac" ?FelixDraconis - Saturday, August 2, 2014 - link
The mini is lacking the newest Haswell chip, which should hopefully come soon. Should be an even better value proposition.But people also didn't take into account that it comes with an OS, whereas the Zotac does not.
We often use Mac Minis for light servers and compile machines, as you can fit a whole bunch of them in a small space and span virtual screens with software. They're not amazing but they're solid and dependable and get the job done.