ZOTAC ZBOX PLUS BLU-RAY NETTOP

               AMD’s new Fusion chips, which combine the capabilities of both the CPU and GPU, look set to give Intel a run for its money in the low-power mobile and desktop PC segment. The long-awaited family of Accelerated Processing Units is fi nally ready! ZOTAC’S test unit arrived at the very last minute, so a detailed lowdown of Fusion architecture and what it should mean to you will follow next month.
              This particular nettop uses an AMD E-350 APU, which is a dual-core processor with Radeon HD 6310 graphics built in. A single-channel DDR3 controller is also integrated on the die. This chip consumes only 18 Watts and its cores clock in at 1.6 GHz. The chassis of the Zbox Plus Blu-ray is the same that ZOTAC has used with other Zbox variants—it’s tiny and looks more like a DVD player than a PC. This model is confi gured with 2 GB of DDR3 RAM, a 250 GB hard drive, Blu-ray reader and a Wi-Fi n adapter which makes it ideal for integration into a home theater system. Connectivity options include DVI and HDMI video outputs, two USB 3.0 ports (front and back), Gigabit Ethernet, optical S/PDIF out and one eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port. The unit draws power from an external adapter.
                 Fusion performance is comparable to a dual-core Atom D525 CPU on Nvidia’s ION platform. The Zbox scored 4522 points in 3DMark Vantage (entry mode); much more powerful than the on-chip graphics of older Intel Core i5 CPUs (but doesn’t match up to the newer Sandy Bridge CPUs). The HD 6310 is capable of decoding full HD content and handling games at 1024x768 with low settings.
                  The Zbox Plus Blu-ray comes with a VESA mount bracket and CyberLink BD software. It commands a hefty price for its diminutive size, but it’s the fi rst taste of Fusion, and could be a brilliant solution for home theater enthusiasts.

SPECIFICATIONS
www.zotac.com
Dimensions (WxHxD): 280 x 40 x 187 mm; APU: AMD
E-350; Memory: 2 GB DDR3; Network: Gigabit LAN
and Wi-Fi 802.11 n; Graphics: Radeon HD 6310; Video
outputs: DVI and HDMI; USB ports: 4 (2x USB 3.0).