Kaby Lake ZBOX spotted

TechPowerUp had an early look at the next generation ZBOX C-series, featuring Intel's 7th Generation Core processors. Every ZBOX generation gets better and better, and Zotac could finally get it right this time. Expect to see them at CES Las Vegas next week.

Source: TechPowerUp

Shuttle DX30 hands-on

Our friend Michael was kind enough to send us pictures and his first impressions of Shuttle's new Apollo Lake slim PC. An overall flawless experience, granted no Windows 7 support, but Windows 10 and Linux running just fine. Michael did notice a slight coil whine but had to get his ear close to the chassis to experience it.

His device scored a 1598 and 2761 on Geekbench's single and multi-core tests. Thermals are rather good, the Celeron J3355 reaching 82°C after 60 minutes of stress test (Junction Temperature is 105°C). The DX30 is now available in the US for $199.

FIRST LOOK: Calyos NSG - Cube

Besides the massive NGS - S0 workstation, Calyos will showcase other products at CES including the NSG - Cube. Bearing a striking resemblance to Streacom's DB4, the Cube is not a case but a complete system.

Designed to passively cool a whopping 200W the Cube will feature ASUS Z170I PRO GAMING motherboard and ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1060 Mini. The NSG - Cube is rumored to be the first commercially available Calyos product. More details in Las Vegas, January 5-8, 2017.

Kaby Lake OEM mini PC available

We're hearing that these are very popular. Possibly outselling ASUS / ZOTAC / GIGABYTE fanless mini PCs combined. The very first Kaby Lake systems are available, featuring an i3-7100U ($350), an i5-7200U ($416) or an i7-7500U ($609). In case you buy any of these, feel free to send us pictures and your review.

No HDD for the Beebox

This would be funny if it wasn't so unsettling. ASRock doesn't recommend a 2.5" HDD for the fanless Beebox:

"For Beebox N3000 series, it is not recommended to install 2.5” HDD. If you install the 2.5” HDD, please keep the Beebox series in a vertical position to ensure better cooling performance."

ASRock inability to properly take care of a 4W processor is sad. A potato would probably do a better job (we're serious about this). Fingers crossed for the upcoming Apollo Lake revision.

Source: ASRock (PDF)

Update: ASRock tells us that the next Beebox will NOT be fanless (Apollo Lake lowest TDP is 6W).

Maczon TC5 available

Remember Maczon? Their TC5 mini-ITX case has finally made its way into stores, and is available for $190. The TC5 is a cute little chassis (very similar to Streacom's design language) but Maczon is totally unproven as far as quality goes. Proceed with caution.

Intel TDP vs. AMD TDP

Be conservative when it comes to Thermal Design Power (TDP). Intel and AMD can't seem to agree on how to proceed.

According to AMD, "TDP is essentially the maximum sustained power a processor can draw with “real world” software while operating under defined temperature and voltage limits."

According to Intel, "TDP represents the average power, in watts, the processor dissipates when operating at Base Frequency with all cores active under an Intel-defined, high-complexity workload."

Lessons learned for this SPCR member, using HDPLEX H1.S and failing with a 65W AMD A10-7800, before succeeding with an i3-4130T. We're partial to Intel's 35W T-series anyway, basically the ideal processors for passive cooling.

Source: SPCR

Could Mac mini go fanless?

In a nutshell, yes. Current Mac mini features the aging Core i5-4260U (15W TDP, 3523 average CPU Mark). A slower chip than the current Skylake Core m7-6Y75 (4.5W TDP, 3565 average CPU Mark).

No doubt that the new 4.5W Kaby Lake Y-series will improve performance even more. If Chinese Mac mini copycats can passively-cool 6W processors without any problem, what is Apple waiting for?

Braswell Refresh on the cheap

Enjoy improvements in processing speed and better graphics over Braswell, two Intel Gigabit LAN and support for three independent displays with this truly fanless NUC for $230. Plus, Jetway rarely disappoints in the cooling and reliability departments.

✓ Celeron N3160 (4 cores up to 2.24 GHz)
✓ Intel HD Graphics 400
✓ 1 x SODIMM slot (up to 8GB DDR3L)
✓ 1 x mSATA slot
✓ 4 x USB 3.0 port
✓ 1 x DisplayPort
✓ 2 x HDMI
✓ 2 x Gigabit Ethernet
✓ 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0
✓ 116 x 110 x 49mm (4.6" x 4.3" x 1.9")

Source: Amazon

Calyos : CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree

Calyos is about to make a big splash at CES 2017 with their NSG - S0 workstation. The fanless supercomputer is already gaining interest from major players. Calyos is planning to sell ready-to-use systems, as well as DIY kits. See it at CES, held from January 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Source: Calyos

Shuttle DX30 (Apollo Lake) launched

First teased at Computex, Shuttle's DX30 is now official. The latest addition to Shuttle's Slim line features a rather humble Celeron J3355 in a whole new chassis (and a heatpipes-based cooling system). Aimed at home and industrial use, Shuttle's computers are certified for 24/7 operation. No price yet, but we don't expect the DX30 to be much more expensive than the XS35 / XS36 models.

✓ Celeron J3355
✓ 2 x DDR3L slots (up to 8GB)
✓ 1 x 2.5" bay
✓ 1 x M.2 slot
✓ 2 x USB 3.0
✓ 4 x USB 2.0
✓ 1 x SD card reader
✓ 1 x HDMI
✓ 1 x DisplayPort
✓ 802.11b/g/n Wifi
✓ 2 x COM ports
✓ 1 x Gigabit LAN
✓ 190 x 165 x 43 mm

Source: Shuttle

Akasa Euler TX preview

Akasa continues beefing up its range of fanless chassis. After a more efficient mini-ITX case (Euler MX), here comes a Thin mini-ITX counterpart. The Euler TX is not only larger (262.6 x 215 x 68.5 mm) than the original Euler, but features longer cooling fins.

Our friend Jonathan over at Atlast! Solutions will be the first to offer complete systems based on this very case, and he's very pleased with it. The mighty i7-6700T never exceeding 72°C at 100% for hours.

Source: Atlast! Solutions

Live from ZOTAC

A sneak peek inside ZOTAC's China factory where the fanless ZBOX are - surprisingly - still assembled and tested by hand. Special thanks to Sébastien Vandeborre over at CowcotLand for the full-size pictures.

Source: CowcotLand (2)

ECS LIVA Z (Apollo Lake) coming soon

ECS is about to launch its new LIVA, featuring Intel's latest low-power SoCs. No mention of passive cooling on ECS work-in-progress page, but we can confirm that the little computer will rock a fanless 10W 6W chip. In a typical ECS fashion, the heat sink looks crammed into a very small enclosure (albeit larger than previous models).

✓ Intel Apollo Lake SoC
✓ 2 x SO-DIMM (up to 8GB)
✓ 32GB / 64GB eMMC storage
✓ 1 x M.2 SSD slot
✓ 3 x USB 3.0 ports

✓ 3 x USB 3.0 Type-C port
✓ 1 x combo jack

✓ 2 x Gigabit LAN
✓ 1 x HDMI
✓ WiFi 802.11ac & Bluetooth 4.0
✓ 117 x 128 x 33 mm

Update: Evolving in real time...

Update#2:

ECS LIVA Z will rock a Celeron N3350 / Pentium N4200, will come with Windows 10 or as a barebone https://t.co/0CNEM5itk1 pic.twitter.com/pgZuulYyFd

— FanlessTech (@FanlessTech) November 30, 2016

ASUS J3455M-E available

The Celeron J3455-powered motherboard is now available for $85. Early benchmarks suggest a much faster SoC than most Braswell processors. Special mention to the golden heat sink, simple yet perfect for convection. We do like it.

✓ Celeron J3455 (4 cores @ 2.30GHz)
✓ 2 x DDR3 1866/1600/1333 MHz U-DIMM slots
✓ 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x1 mode)
✓ 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1
✓ 2 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
✓ 2 x USB 3.0 ports
✓ 2 x USB 2.0 ports
✓ 1 x HDMI
✓ 1 x VGA
✓ 1 x Parallel port
✓ 1 x Gigabit Ethernet (Realtek)

Source: Amazon

Linus Sebastian reviews Calyos

GIGABYTE Apollo Lake BRIX

The first fanless Apollo Lake mini PC is coming from GIGABYTE. Very similar to previous Bay Trail (GB-BXBT-2807) and Braswell (GB-BACE-3000) iterations, the GB-BPCE-3350 retains the same NUC-like footprint, and is finally getting a second SO-DIMM slot (and HDMI 2.0). Powered by the 6W dual-core Celeron N3350, the diminutive barebone should retail for under $150.

✓ Celeron N3350 (2 cores up to 2.4 GHz)
✓ 2 x SO-DIMM DDR3L 1.35V slot (up to 8GB)
✓ 1 x 2.5" bay
✓ 1 x microSD slot
✓ 4 x USB 3.0
✓ 1 x HDMI
✓ 1 x VGA
✓ 1 x Audio-out / Mic-In
✓ 1 x Gigabit LAN
✓ Wi-Fi 802.11ac / Bluetooth 4.0
✓ 1 x Kensington lock slot
✓ VESA mountable
✓ 56 mm x 107 mm x 114 mm (2.21" x 4.24" x 4.5")

Source: GIGABYTE

Fanless NUC roundup (2016)

A quick reminder of the ever-growing fanless NUC options available today. From cases only to full systems. Enjoy!

Quiet PC UltraNUC
Impactics NUC
cirrus7 nimbini
PrimeMini Pro
Akasa Newton S6T
Akasa Plato X6
Akasa Max MT
Akasa Max S
Akasa Pascal MC
Streacom NC2
SimplyNUC NUC5i7RYF
Intel DE3815TYKHE
ZOTAC C-series
ASRock Beebox
ASUS VivoMini UN45
GIGABYTE GB-BACE-3000
Logic Supply CL100
Logic Supply LNX-ML100

Let's include CompuLab fitlet-H, which is the closest thing to an AMD-powered fanless NUC.

Perfect DIY project

We wish this case was available to buy. Channeling Akasa's best-selling Euler, this chassis features a less industrial and much more sophisticated design. Very well done.

Source: Chiphell

Fanless for voyeur

Hardware lovers will enjoy the beauty of passive cooling with this slightly modified HDPLEX H1.S. Beautiful and efficient: the little case is handling Intel's i7-6700T extremely well (only 72°C running Heavyload stress test).

Source: climbers.net

EXCLUSIVE: ASRock's Apollo Lake motherboards

The range comprises two microATX models featuring the Celeron J3355 and J3455, two mini-ITX featuring the very same SoCs, as well as a final mini-ITX model rocking the Pentium J4205. We're hearing that Apollo Lake offers some serious improvement over Braswell and that the J4205 is on par with 1st gen Core M (with HEVC 10-bit decoding on top of it).

✓ J3355M
✓ Dual-Core Celeron J3355 (up to 2.5 GHz)
✓ 2 DIMM slots (Supports DDR3/DDR3L 1866 memory)
✓ 1 PCIe 2.0 x16 (x1 mode)
✓ 2 PCIe 2.0 x1
✓ 2 x USB 3.0 / 2 x USB 2.0
✓ 2 x SATA 3
✓ D-Sub, HDMI, DVI-D

✓ J3455M
✓ Quad-Core Celeron J3455 (up to 2.3 GHz)
✓ 2 DIMM slots (Supports DDR3/DDR3L 1866 memory)
✓ 1 PCIe 2.0 x16 (x1 mode)
✓ 2 PCIe 2.0 x1
✓ 2 x USB 3.0 / 2 x USB 2.0
✓ 2 x SATA 3
✓ D-Sub, HDMI, DVI-D

✓ J3355B-ITX
✓ Dual-Core Celeron J3355 (up to 2.5 GHz)
✓ 2 SO-DIMM slots (Supports DDR3/DDR3L 1866 memory)
✓ 1 PCIe 2.0 x16 (x2 mode)
✓ 3 x USB 3.0 / 1 x USB 2.0
✓ 2 x SATA 3
✓ D-Sub, HDMI

✓ J3455-ITX
✓ Quad-Core Celeron J3455 (up to 2.3 GHz)
✓ 2 SO-DIMM slots (Supports DDR3/DDR3L 1866 memory)
✓ 1 PCIe 2.0 x1 / 1 M.2 (Key E)
✓ 2 x USB 3.0 / 2 x USB 2.0
✓ 4 x SATA 3
✓ D-Sub, HDMI, DVI-D

✓ J4205-ITX
✓ Quad-Core Pentium J4205 (up to 2.6 GHz)
✓ 2 SO-DIMM slots (Supports DDR3/DDR3L 1866 memory)

✓ 1 PCIe 2.0 x1 / 1 M.2 (Key E)

✓ 2 x USB 3.0 / 2 x USB 2.0
✓ 4 x SATA 3
✓ D-Sub, HDMI, DVI-D

Update: They are now official (J3455B-ITX added).

AnandTech reviews the Skylake ZBOX

Let's take a moment to acknowledge the fine work of the AnandTech team, offering consistently the best and most comprehensive reviews. Keep up the fantastic work, guys.

This time, Ganesh takes a look at the Skylake i3 ZBOX CI523 nano. Once again ZOTAC offers a great-looking mini PC, with a good amount of ports, and only "good enough" cooling. There's absolutely no reason for fanless PCs to run hotter than actively-cooled systems.

"The Achilles heel of the ZBOX CI523 nano is its thermal design. Taken standalone, the various components - the honeycomb mesh chassis, the substantial heat sink, the metal plate and thermal pads for the user-replaceable RAM and 2.5" drive - make a very good set of building blocks for an effective fanless PC.

Unfortunately, the whole turns out to be lesser than the sum of the parts. The full configuration is able to sustain a 15W load for only 10 minutes. The sustained load capacity of around 12W is lesser than the TDP of the Core i3-6100U used in the system. The presence of a metal plate at the bottom of the chassis is not really conducive for convective heat dissipation. In fact, it gets quite hot - more than 65C - even without significant loading on the components attached to it."

Source: AnandTech