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Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080 (i7-7700HQ, GTX 1080) Mini PC Review

Bigger, faster, better value? The Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080 is one of the most powerful small form factor desktops on the market. While relatively small compared to traditional desktops, it is twice as large as other Zotac ZBOX devices. Zotac puts this extra space to good use by packing in a full desktop Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card.

We reviewed the lower-specced Magnus EN51050 Mini PC back in September and found it to be a compact and capable low-end gaming machine. CPU and GPU performance were a bit disappointing compared to other devices with similar components, but the performance hit was necessary to fit everything into such a small size. Today's review unit, the Magnus EK71080, has quite a bit more room for heat and power management. The larger chassis is able to house a powerful Intel Core i7-7700HQ and a full desktop Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (one of Zotac's own designs). Zotac also offers another model in the same chassis, the EN1080K. This model boasts the same GTX 1080 GPU but opts for a desktop Intel Core i7-7700 and an all-in-one liquid cooling solution (in contrast to the more traditional air cooling mechanism in our model).

The EK71080 is, like all other Zotac ZBOX machines, a barebones kit. For an MSRP of USD $1500, users will only get the chassis, power supply, wireless card, GPU, and CPU; they will have to provide their own RAM (SODIMM form factor only), storage (either an M.2 SSD or a 2.5-inch drive), operating system, display, keyboard, and mouse. These pieces can quickly add to the machine's total cost if not already on hand and should be considered when looking at the ZBOX line. We've outfitted out rig with 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) of DDR4-2666 Kingston RAM, a 256 GB Samsung PM961 NVMe SSD, and a 1 TB 7200 RPM HDD from HGST, all courtesy of the recent Omen X 17 provided by Computer Upgrade King. The EK71080 also has a slot for Intel's new Optane memory.

For the purposes of this review, we'll compare our Magnus EK71080 to similar gaming notebooks, including the HP Omen X 17, the Asus ROG Strix GL702VI, the Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition, the Eurocom Sky X4C, the Schenker XMG U727 (2017), and the MSI GT75VR. As users will need to provide their own input devices and monitors, we will obviously forego those sections. Let's get started.

Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4 x 2.8 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop) - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1620 MHz, Memory: 1251 MHz, GDDR5X, NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready Driver 391.01
Memory
16 GB 
, 2x8 GB, DDR4-2666 / PC4-21300, 1333.3 MHz, Kingston
Mainboard
Intel HM175 (Skylake PCH-H)
Storage
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, 256 GB 
, 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 1 TB SATA III HDD, 1157 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Skylake PCH-H High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, (Dual Link)1 HDMI, 3 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1x audio out / 1x audio in, Card Reader: SD/SDHC/SDXC Card reader (half-sized)
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 128 x 225 x 203 ( = 5.04 x 8.86 x 7.99 in)
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Additional features
24 Months Warranty
Weight
3.349 kg ( = 118.13 oz / 7.38 pounds), Power Supply: 1.43 kg ( = 50.44 oz / 3.15 pounds)
Price
1500 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Aluminum graces every side of the EK71080. The metal is covered with a matte black coat that is highly resistant to fingerprints (not that users should be touching the machine all that much after the initial setup). The left and right sides both have holes for ventilation, and the entire top panel is comprised of a honeycomb mesh. While it's easy to tuck the EK71080 out of sight due to its small size, users may want to keep the box on their desks because of its design. A single yellow LED around the power button gives a small splash of color to the chassis. The result is a subdued and innocuous black box with a small bit of visual flair.

Due to the size of the machine, there is no VESA mounting option. The device is too heavy to mount effectively anyway. In spite of its height, the center of gravity for the unit is quite low, which makes the body very stable. Gaps are tight and even, and each side (including the honeycombed top panel) only slightly deforms when pressed in the direct center. There is no audible creaking.

Compared to other mini PCs, the EK71080 is substantially larger and heavier. Intel's NUCs are incredibly compact when put next to the EK71080. Most of Zotac's other ZBOX lines, which share a chassis similar to the EN51050, are about half the height of the EK71080. Keep in mind that all these smaller devices lack the power of the EK71080, which is only possible thanks to it's bulkier chassis. For a desktop PC, though, the EK71080 is downright small and should easily fit into almost any space.

225 mm / 8.86 inch 203 mm / 7.99 inch 128 mm / 5.04 inch 3.3 kg7.38 lbs225 mm / 8.86 inch 203 mm / 7.99 inch 128 mm / 5.04 inch 3.9 kg8.58 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 203 mm / 7.99 inch 62.2 mm / 2.45 inch 1.7 kg3.8 lbs211.1 mm / 8.31 inch 116.1 mm / 4.57 inch 27.9 mm / 1.098 inch 623 g1.373 lbs115 mm / 4.53 inch 111 mm / 4.37 inch 48 mm / 1.89 inch 640 g1.411 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

As a full-fledged desktop PC, the EK71080 is not lacking for ports. On the front, users have easy access to an SD Card Reader (which takes only half a card), the jacks for a microphone and audio out, and two USB 3.1 (Gen 2) ports, one of which is a Type-C connection. Around back is a bounty of ports, including 4 USB 3.0 ports, two LAN ports, and enough display hookups for almost any rig (3x DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b, and Dual-Link DVI-D). The EK71080 can power up to 4 monitors.

Sadly, there is no Thunderbolt 3 connection anywhere on the machine, but as it has a plethora of other ports, a powerful desktop GPU, and easily swappable storage, there is less need for Thunderbolt 3 here than on a laptop. The ports are well spaced and leave plenty of room for multiple adjacent connections.

Front: Power button, SD Card Reader, USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-A, mic in, audio out, USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-C
Front: Power button, SD Card Reader, USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-A, mic in, audio out, USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-C
Rear: WiFi antenna, 4x USB 3.0 (Gen 1) Type-A, 2x Gigabit Ethernet, DC in, WiFi Antenna, 3x DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b, Dual-link DVI-D
Rear: WiFi antenna, 4x USB 3.0 (Gen 1) Type-A, 2x Gigabit Ethernet, DC in, WiFi Antenna, 3x DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b, Dual-link DVI-D

SD Card Reader

The performance of the card reader is disappointing. While most gaming laptops manage to hit a minimum of 70 MB/s in our JPG copy test, the EK71080 is barely able to break 40 MB/s (using our Toshiba Exceria USH-II reference card). This is line with the Magnus EN51050 but pales in comparison to even mid-tier gaming notebooks.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Eurocom Sky X4C
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
193.6 MB/s +371%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
166 MB/s +304%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
162.5 MB/s +295%
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +139%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
83 MB/s +102%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
73 MB/s +78%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
 
71.2 MB/s +73%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
43.3 MB/s +5%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
41.11 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
256.7 MB/s +505%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
207 MB/s +388%
Eurocom Sky X4C
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
206.3 MB/s +386%
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +188%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
 
90.1 MB/s +112%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
88 MB/s +107%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.3 MB/s +106%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
42.45 MB/s
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
41.68 MB/s -2%

Communication

Wifi speeds follow suit with the SD card reader. While connections are stable, they are comparatively slow at 321 Mbit/s and 213 receiving and sending, respectively. This should be adequate for online gaming, but users in need of faster speeds should hardline into one of the two available Ethernet jacks. Keep in mind that these speeds are in line with the Intel 3165 dual-band WiFi card used in the EK71080. Most gaming laptops opt for faster wireless cards and subsequently beat the EK71080 by a country mile; average speeds for gaming laptops land in the mid-500 MBit/s range. We would like to see Zotac use a higher-end wireless NIC in future revisions.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (865 - 1412, n=12, last 2 years)
1078 MBit/s +406%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
611 MBit/s +187%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
604 MBit/s +184%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
558 MBit/s +162%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
505 MBit/s +137%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
219 MBit/s +3%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
213 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (708 - 1700, n=12, last 2 years)
1310 MBit/s +308%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
700 MBit/s +118%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
662 MBit/s +106%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
594 MBit/s +85%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
593 MBit/s +85%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
327 MBit/s +2%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
321 MBit/s

Maintenance & Warranty

As a barebones desktop, maintenance is incredibly easy compared to most laptops (and some prebuilt desktops). Four thumbscrews that double as feet are all that hold the bottom panel on, and these don't require a tool to unscrew. Once these screws are out, the bottom panel lifts off to show clearly labeled slots for 2 RAM SODIMMS, an M.2 SSD, a 2.5-inch SATA drive, and a dedicated slot for Intel Optane memory. Sadly, the CPU and GPU are a fair bit more difficult to reach. Accessing them will void the warranty. The GPU can be swapped out but the CPU is soldered to the mainboard and cannot be upgraded.

The Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080 comes with a standard 2-year warranty.

Reasonable extensibility options, including a slot for Intel's new Optane memory.
Reasonable extensibility options, including a slot for Intel's new Optane memory.

Performance

The ZBOX Magnus EK71080 packs some powerful components in such a small body. The star of the show is the desktop-class Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080. The card is one of Zotac's Mini GPUs and is, as of the time of publication, one of only two small-form-factor GTX 1080s (the other being an ITX card from Gigabyte). While we've seen the GTX 1080 in gaming laptops over the past year, the desktop 1080 in our review unit today should boast a slight bump in performance due to better cooling and a subsequent higher thermal limit. The integrated Intel HD Graphics 630 GPU is disabled out of the box, so Optimus is not available.

While the Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU is also a powerful piece of silicon, the 45 W CPU is designed for use in notebooks. Zotac does offer a SKU with the 65 W Core i7-7700 desktop CPU. Those in need of a high processing punch may want to opt for this model, but the 7700HQ should be more than adequate for gaming and shouldn't present a significant bottleneck for the GTX 1080. 

 

Processor

It's interesting that Zotac opted for a CPU designed for laptops. The Intel Core i7-7700HQ is a powerful processor in its own right, but in the world of gaming desktop PCs, the 45 W CPU looks limiting on paper. Indeed, benchmarks reflect this sentiment; the EK71080 falls behind the desktop-class Core i7-7700K and i7-8700K CPUs in Cinebench R15's multi-threaded test by a fair margin. Compared to other 7700HQ-powered devices, however, the EK71080 performs admirably, hitting just under 740 CB in the test (compared to the notebook average of 726 CB for the 7700HQ). There are more powerful CPUs available on the market, but the 7700HQ fares well enough and has the added benefit of improved thermal management, which keeps noise and heat output low. In addition, the CPU outpaces the slower Core i5 CPUs used in the last generation of Magnus gaming mini PCs.

Looping Cinebench R15 sees steady, if reduced, performance. Scores average between 710-720 CB during the benchmark, which is about 4-5% less than a single run. We will examine prolonged performance on the CPU in the Stress Test section below.

For more information on the Intel Core i7-7700HQ, please see our dedicated CPU page here.

Cinebench R15 64-bit
Cinebench R15 64-bit
Cinebench R11.5 64-bit
Cinebench R11.5 64-bit
Cinebench R10 32-bit
Cinebench R10 32-bit
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years)
265 Points +65%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
193 Points +20%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
192 Points +19%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Core i5-7600K
168 Points +4%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
162 Points +1%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
161 Points
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Intel Core i7-7820HK
160 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (120 - 162, n=110)
155.4 Points -3%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
142 Points -12%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Core i7-6770HQ
139 Points -14%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Core i5-7500T
129 Points -20%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=246, last 2 years)
2988 Points +305%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
1359 Points +84%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
958 Points +30%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
770 Points +4%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Intel Core i7-7820HK
758 Points +3%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
738 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (603 - 747, n=111)
727 Points -1%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
723 Points -2%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Core i7-6770HQ
711 Points -4%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Core i5-7600K
660 Points -11%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Core i5-7500T
512 Points -31%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.62 - 3.73, n=23, last 2 years)
3.21 Points +74%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
2.18 Points +18%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
2.16 Points +17%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Core i5-7600K
1.98 Points +8%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.84 Points 0%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.84 Points
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.81 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (1.36 - 1.84, n=80)
1.766 Points -4%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Core i7-6770HQ
1.66 Points -10%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.62 Points -12%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Core i5-7500T
1.48 Points -20%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
35.7 Points +339%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
14.98 Points +84%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
10.59 Points +30%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
8.47 Points +4%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Intel Core i7-7820HK
8.34 Points +3%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.13 Points
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.03 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (6.67 - 8.23, n=81)
8 Points -2%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Core i7-6770HQ
7.76 Points -5%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Core i5-7600K
7.67 Points -6%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Core i5-7500T
5.86 Points -28%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (35806 - 112749, n=24, last 2 years)
59061 Points +169%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
38810 Points +77%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Core i5-7600K
23585 Points +7%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
23052 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (19409 - 29209, n=51)
22507 Points +3%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21943 Points
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21883 Points 0%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Core i7-6770HQ
21075 Points -4%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Core i5-7500T
13614 Points -38%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5847 - 15819, n=24, last 2 years)
9035 Points +52%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
7243 Points +22%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Core i5-7600K
6730 Points +13%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
6062 Points +2%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5940 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (5426 - 7647, n=50)
5918 Points 0%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Core i7-6770HQ
5536 Points -7%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5454 Points -8%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Core i5-7500T
5002 Points -16%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
357.5 s * -59%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Intel Core i5-7500T
333.2 s * -48%
Average of class Gaming
  (116.8 - 1021, n=13, last 2 years)
333 s * -48%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (210 - 379, n=48)
257 s * -15%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
Intel Core i5-7600K
253.6 s * -13%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Core i7-6770HQ
225.7 s * -1%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
224.4 s *
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
215.4 s * +4%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
120.9 s * +46%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6787
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
21943
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5940
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
8.13 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
70.8 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.84 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
161 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
121.8 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
738 Points
Help

System Performance

System performance is going to vary widely based on the installed components (RAM, hard drive, etc.) chosen by the end user. Our machine, which has 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and a 256 NVMe SSD, performs well. PCMark 10 scores are in line with other GTX 1080-equipped laptops. The Eurocom Sky X4C is far and away better in almost every category, likely due to its more powerful CPU and higher capacity SSD. Nonetheless, the Magnus EK71080 is a responsive machine; we were never left waiting on the system.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=206, last 2 years)
7542 Points +45%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
6620 Points +27%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5290 Points +2%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5211 Points 0%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5197 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
 
5197 Points 0%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4632 Points -11%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
4355 Points -16%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Gaming
  (5288 - 18475, n=205, last 2 years)
11339 Points +65%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
8949 Points +30%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
6992 Points +2%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
6983 Points +1%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
6882 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
 
6882 Points 0%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5787 Points -16%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
4243 Points -38%
Productivity
Average of class Gaming
  (6282 - 11833, n=205, last 2 years)
9693 Points +38%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
8745 Points +25%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7513 Points +7%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
7064 Points +1%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7014 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
 
7014 Points 0%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
6781 Points -3%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
6287 Points -10%
Essentials
Average of class Gaming
  (7334 - 12334, n=205, last 2 years)
10674 Points +35%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
10064 Points +28%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7892 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
 
7892 Points 0%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
7791 Points -1%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
7785 Points -1%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7646 Points -3%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7416 Points -6%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5237 Points +1%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
5225 Points +1%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5221 Points +1%
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +1%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5166 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
 
5166 Points 0%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4970 Points -4%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
4902 Points -5%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K, Samsung SSD 960 Evo 250GB m.2 NVMe
4821 Points -7%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
4755 Points -8%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
4323 Points -16%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +9%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5564 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
 
5564 Points 0%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5450 Points -2%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5444 Points -2%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5199 Points -7%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
5181 Points -7%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
5027 Points -10%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
4972 Points -11%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
4966 Points -11%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K, Samsung SSD 960 Evo 250GB m.2 NVMe
4831 Points -13%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
9222 Points +11%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K, Samsung SSD 960 Evo 250GB m.2 NVMe
8420 Points +1%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
8306 Points 0%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
8302 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
 
8302 Points 0%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7853 Points -5%
Average of class Gaming
  (5206 - 10574, n=16, last 2 years)
7408 Points -11%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
6341 Points -24%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
5581 Points -33%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5166 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
8302 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5564 points
PCMark 10 Score
5197 points
Help

Storage Devices

Again, hard drive performance is going to depend heavily on the drive installed by the user. The EK71080 has a slot for a 2.5-inch SATA drive and an M.2 slot that is PCIe NVMe 4x compatible. In other words, fast NVMe SSDs will be able to take advantage of all 4 PCIe lanes for extremely fast speeds. Sadly, there is no option for RAID setups as there is a single SATA slot and a lone M.2 connection. The EK71080 does have a dedicated slot for Intel Optane memory. We did not have any Optane sticks on hand, so we were not able to test these speeds. The Optane slot is not compatible with standard M.2 SSDs.

CrystalDiskMark (NVMe SSD)
CrystalDiskMark (NVMe SSD)
AS SSD
AS SSD
AS SSD Copy benchmark
AS SSD Copy benchmark
CrystalDiskMark (SATA HDD)
CrystalDiskMark (SATA HDD)
HD Tune (SATA HDD)
HD Tune (SATA HDD)
 
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
Eurocom Sky X4C
Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Average Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
28%
6%
66%
27%
-9%
-6%
Write 4K
132.7
164.8
24%
148.8
12%
165
24%
158.6
20%
129.7
-2%
127.7 ?(72.2 - 195.1, n=45)
-4%
Read 4K
44.48
54.8
23%
46.64
5%
55.9
26%
55.2
24%
42.7
-4%
42.4 ?(22.2 - 53.4, n=45)
-5%
Write Seq
1193
1956
64%
1216
2%
2612
119%
1568
31%
972
-19%
1099 ?(343 - 1412, n=44)
-8%
Read Seq
1371
1964
43%
1461
7%
3377
146%
1411
3%
1065
-22%
1373 ?(746 - 2000, n=43)
0%
Write 4K Q32T1
398.5
424.8
7%
444
11%
548
38%
545
37%
366.4
-8%
398 ?(101 - 747, n=45)
0%
Read 4K Q32T1
483.5
483.8
0%
535
11%
625
29%
661
37%
449.6
-7%
403 ?(133.9 - 633, n=45)
-17%
Write Seq Q32T1
1202
2042
70%
1210
1%
2944
145%
2054
71%
1113
-7%
1210 ?(344 - 1429, n=45)
1%
Read Seq Q32T1
3388
3157
-7%
3450
2%
3407
1%
3155
-7%
3308
-2%
2984 ?(875 - 3460, n=45)
-12%
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Transfer Rate Minimum: 66 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 141.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 106.8 MB/s
Access Time: 18.5 ms
Burst Rate: 214.6 MB/s
CPU Usage: 4 %

GPU Performance

The Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 is one of the best GPUs currently on the market, bested only by the GTX 1080 Ti, Titan X, and Titan XP. As such, excellent gaming performance is a given. The Magnus EK71080 has the added benefit of using a desktop-class SKU of the GPU, Zotac's own Mini GTX 1080. The card boasts 2560 CUDA cores clocked at 1620 MHz (boost up to 1759 MHz) and a whopping 8 GB of GDDR5X VRAM on a 256-bit memory bus. The card can support up to 4 independent displays and supports G-Sync enabled monitors.

The EK71080 competes with the best gaming laptops on the market, tying the most powerful laptops in 3DMark Fire Strike. The card also sits about average for desktop versions of the GTX 1080, which should translate into an excellent gaming experience. It's hard to beat the GTX 1080 in the current market, and the EK71080 is proof of that.

For more information about the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080, please see our dedicated GPU page here.

Fire Strike (1920x1080)
Fire Strike (1920x1080)
Fire Strike Extreme (2560x1440)
Fire Strike Extreme (2560x1440)
Fire Strike Ultra (3840x2160)
Fire Strike Ultra (3840x2160)
Time Spy (2560x1440, DX12)
Time Spy (2560x1440, DX12)
Cloud Gate (1280x720)
Cloud Gate (1280x720)
Ice Storm Extreme (1920x1080)
Ice Storm Extreme (1920x1080)
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Eurocom Sky X9C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K
40582 Points +91%
Aorus X9
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), i7-7820HK
32640 Points +53%
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years)
29013 Points +36%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
21534 Points +1%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
21366 Points 0%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ
21272 Points
Eurocom Sky X4C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K
20909 Points -2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (15834 - 22887, n=6)
20727 Points -3%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K
20532 Points -3%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
20307 Points -5%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
19487 Points -8%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i5-8600K
18935 Points -11%
Alienware 15 R3 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7820HK
18505 Points -13%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
18498 Points -13%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
17793 Points -16%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
14607 Points -31%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T
6066 Points -71%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ
1903 Points -91%
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics
Eurocom Sky X9C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K
19870 Points +99%
Average of class Gaming
  (10110 - 27183, n=24, last 2 years)
15706 Points +57%
Eurocom Sky X4C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K
9996 Points 0%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ
9976 Points
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K
9927 Points 0%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
9660 Points -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (8722 - 9994, n=3)
9564 Points -4%
Alienware 15 R3 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7820HK
8682 Points -13%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
6780 Points -32%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T
2582 Points -74%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ
822 Points -92%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics
Eurocom Sky X9C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K
9770 Points +95%
Average of class Gaming
  (1819 - 14184, n=96, last 2 years)
7919 Points +58%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ
5003 Points
Eurocom Sky X4C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K
4938 Points -1%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K
4851 Points -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (4647 - 5003, n=3)
4830 Points -3%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
4712 Points -6%
Alienware 15 R3 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7820HK
4232 Points -15%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
4137 Points -17%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
3271 Points -35%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T
728 Points -85%
3DMark 11 Performance
18944 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
132877 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
28491 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
15651 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
9035 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
6423 points
Help

Gaming Performance

It should go without saying that the GTX 1080 provides one of the best gaming experiences currently available. The card chews through any title at FHD and Ultra settings, often churning out over 100 fps in well-optimized titles. Even more difficult games, like Ark: Survival Evolved, run fairly smoothly. Gaming at 4K is also a possibility, although gamers will need to turn settings down to medium/high. The Magnus EK71080 is one of the fastest desktop gaming PCs we've reviewed and should satiate enthusiast gamers for the foreseeable future. A high refresh rate monitor (or two) would be an excellent compliment to the EK71080.

Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
110 fps
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
33.3 fps -70%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
8.9 fps -92%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
109 fps -1%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
111.7 fps +2%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K, Samsung SSD 960 Evo 250GB m.2 NVMe
112.2 fps +2%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
100.5 fps -9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (76.8 - 125, n=6)
108 fps -2%
Average of class Gaming
  (95.9 - 95.9, n=2, last 2 years)
95.9 fps -13%
Middle-earth: Shadow of War - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T (sort by value)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
92 fps
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
94 fps +2%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
85 fps -8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (69 - 102, n=3)
87.7 fps -5%
F1 2017 - 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
110 fps
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
36 fps -67%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
108 (82min - 118max) fps -2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (62 - 120, n=3)
97.3 fps -12%
Rocket League - 1920x1080 High Quality AA:High FX (sort by value)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
221 fps
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
233 fps +5%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
240 fps +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (221 - 246, n=2)
234 fps +6%
Fallout 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
127 fps
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
35.4 fps -72%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
136 fps +7%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
123.4 fps -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (86.9 - 129, n=3)
114.3 fps -10%
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) (sort by value)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
94 fps
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
21.6 fps -77%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
65 fps -31%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
75.9 fps -19%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
75.3 fps -20%
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K, Samsung SSD 960 Evo 250GB m.2 NVMe
74.2 fps -21%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
74.9 fps -20%
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
72 fps -23%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (40.7 - 94, n=5)
74.8 fps -20%
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=243, last 2 years)
114.3 fps +22%
Prey - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:2TX SM AF:16x (sort by value)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
140 fps
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
136 fps -3%
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
143 fps +2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (123.2 - 141, n=3)
134.7 fps -4%
Ark Survival Evolved - 1920x1080 Epic Preset (100 % Resolution Scale) (sort by value)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
48 fps
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
45.1 fps -6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
  (47.2 - 48, n=2)
47.6 fps -1%
low med. high ultra
Thief (2014) 111
The Witcher 3 (2015) 94
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 97
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 60
Fallout 4 (2015) 127
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 110
Hitman 2016 (2016) 75
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 78
Doom (2016) 130
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 55
Civilization VI (2016) 66
Farming Simulator 17 (2016) 60
Prey (2017) 140
Rocket League (2017) 221
Dirt 4 (2017) 88
F1 2017 (2017) 110
Ark Survival Evolved (2017) 48
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 92

Stress Test

One of the biggest benefits of the Magnus EK71080's taller chassis lies in heat management. Both the CPU and GPU perform very well under stress. The CPU is able to boost to 3.3-3.4 GHz across all four cores when running Prime95 or FurMark individually and keeps reasonably warm at 80-85° C on average. The GPU also does well when stressed by FurMark, averaging about 1507 MHz at 81° C. Even running Prime95 and FurMark concurrently, which puts the system under an unrealistic amount of stress, doesn't do much to slow the EK71080. The CPU only boosts up to 3.4 GHz, which is about 10% below it's rated boost clock of 3.8 GHz. The machine may be intentionally throttling the CPU to keep temperatures managed.

Real world stress testing, as evidenced by playing The Witcher 3 for an hour, shows how well-tuned the Magnus EK71080 is. The CPU boosts as needed to 3.8 GHz and averages about 3.5 GHz at 80° C. The GPU holds steady at 1772 MHz and keeps (relatively) cool at 81° C. Compared to larger desktop towers, these numbers aren't terribly impressive. Compared to gaming laptops, however, these are excellent results. Some gaming laptops (like the Aorus X9 or Asus GL702VS) struggle to keep their components under 90° C during stress testing and extended gameplay.

During our hour-long test of The Witcher 3, we see an interesting result. Framerates dive from about 100 to 86 before climbing back up to 100. While this follows the day/night progression of the game, we typically do not see dips this drastic. Anecdotally, the dip was not visually noticeable during the test and didn't detract from the experience in any way.

Prime95
Prime95
FurMark
FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.3 84 - -
FurMark Stress 3.4 80 1507 81
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.0 87 1694 71
Witcher 3 Stress 3.5 80 1772 81
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The Witcher 3 ultra

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise profile
Fan noise profile

The Magnus EK71080 is a quiet machine. System fans are always active but spin slowly. The resultant noise stays well below 40 dB(A). The low pitch of the fans also blends into background noise well; even though the fans are active, their large size allows for a lower tone that users will have a hard time noticing. Under load, the fans spin up to 47 dB(A) under synthetic load but stay in the low 40s while gaming. Again, their low pitch makes them seem much quieter than the metrics show.

Overall system noise is perceptible only as a low, even hum that can easily be ignored. It should be noted that the EK71080 is much quieter than similar laptops; high-end gaming notebooks typically hit 50-60 dB(A) under full load. Max-Q gaming notebooks hover between 40-50 dB(A), but their fans are typically high-pitched and cut through ambient noise. If users wish to change the fan profile, they will need to jump into the system BIOS to do so; there is no software to control the fans via Windows at present.

There is no audible coil whine.

Noise Level

Idle
38.6 / 38.6 / 39 dB(A)
Load
40.6 / 47 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.9 dB(A)
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7500T, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
Eurocom Sky X4C
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i5-7600K, Samsung SSD 960 Evo 250GB m.2 NVMe
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Noise
3%
9%
6%
-6%
5%
1%
-1%
4%
off / environment *
29.9
30.7
-3%
29.5
1%
28.3
5%
30
-0%
28.6
4%
28.8
4%
30
-0%
28.2
6%
Idle Minimum *
38.6
37.6
3%
31.6
18%
31.5
18%
33
15%
28.6
26%
36.1
6%
31
20%
30.6
21%
Idle Average *
38.6
37.6
3%
32.2
17%
31.6
18%
34
12%
28.6
26%
36.1
6%
34
12%
30.6
21%
Idle Maximum *
39
37.7
3%
32.3
17%
31.6
19%
38
3%
31.1
20%
36.1
7%
37
5%
30.6
22%
Load Average *
40.6
39.3
3%
43
-6%
36.8
9%
44
-8%
42.2
-4%
44.3
-9%
44
-8%
38.5
5%
Witcher 3 ultra *
41.7
40.6
3%
48.2
-16%
56
-34%
53.8
-29%
51
-22%
52
-25%
Load Maximum *
47
44
6%
43.2
8%
52.1
-11%
62
-32%
50
-6%
51.7
-10%
52
-11%
57
-21%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

As the Magnus EK71080 is a desktop PC, users shouldn't need to worry too much about exterior temperatures. Still, the Magnus remains fairly cool when under load. The hottest spots lie along the top mesh and rear exhaust vents. So long as users do not place anything on top of or directly behind the unit, heat will be adequately exhausted. The vents along the side act as intakes and should not be blocked either. As such, the unit should be set in its standard orientation (Zotac logo on top) only.

Front, idle
Front, idle
Back, idle
Back, idle
Front, load
Front, load
Back, load
Back, load

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Despite the powerful GPU, the Magnus EK71080 is fairly power efficient. Under synthetic load, the unit draws a maximum of 186 Watts. Even when pushed to its limit during intense gameplay, the unit never pulls more than 260 Watts, which is well under the 330 W rating of the included power supply. The 45 Watt Core i7-7700HQ may have a hand to play in the comparatively frugal power consumption.

It should be noted that while running Prime95 and FurMark together, power draw is erratic and spikes at 292 Watts. While this is still within acceptable limits, these levels are a bit concerning. However, we were only able to achieve this while stressing the machine; during normal use, the unit shouldn't be subjected to loads similar to this, even while gaming.

FurMark
FurMark
Prime95
Prime95
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Prime95 + FurMark. Note the irregular spikes in power draw.
Prime95 + FurMark. Note the irregular spikes in power draw.
Prime95 + FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
 
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 1.21 / 1.49 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 27.1 / 27.4 / 28.8 Watt
Load midlight 100.4 / 186.7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, , x, 0.00
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
i5-7500T, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2, , x,
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
6770HQ, Iris Pro Graphics 580, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB, , x, 0.00
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0), TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
Eurocom Sky X4C
i7-8700K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
i5-7600K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, Samsung SSD 960 Evo 250GB m.2 NVMe, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
i7-7700K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e, AHVA, 3840x2160, 17.30
Asus ROG Strix GL702VI-WB74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
28%
49%
7%
-39%
-15%
-33%
-49%
15%
Idle Minimum *
27.1
21.1
22%
14.8
45%
21.6
20%
34
-25%
30.2
-11%
28.4
-5%
32
-18%
19.8
27%
Idle Average *
27.4
22.1
19%
15.7
43%
26.4
4%
41
-50%
34.7
-27%
32
-17%
43
-57%
25.2
8%
Idle Maximum *
28.8
26.6
8%
15.8
45%
26.6
8%
50
-74%
37.8
-31%
33.5
-16%
51
-77%
25.9
10%
Load Average *
100.4
77.5
23%
62.7
38%
95.6
5%
106
-6%
130.3
-30%
190.9
-90%
138
-37%
84.1
16%
Witcher 3 ultra *
243.1
92.4
62%
221.7
9%
257
-6%
172.2
29%
279
-15%
198.6
18%
Load Maximum *
186.7
121.7
35%
48.5
74%
199.6
-7%
320
-71%
217.7
-17%
259.4
-39%
350
-87%
171.1
8%

* ... smaller is better

Pros

+ easy accessibility - no tools needed
+ excellent gaming performance - 4K ready
+ NVMe drive bay supports 4x PCIe lanes
+ support for Intel Optane
+ steady CPU performance
+ compact form factor
+ good cooling on CPU and GPU
+ quiet, low-pitched fans
+ plenty of ports
+ support for up to 4 displays via DP 1.4 or HDMI 2.0b
+ support for G-Sync monitors
+ moderate power consumption

Cons

- price
- need to supply RAM, storage, keyboard, mouse, and display
- no Thunderbolt 3
- uses 45 W notebook CPU
- fan profile adjustable only through BIOS
- no VESA mounting or other orientations possible
- slow SD card reader
- mediocre wireless speeds
- no IR

Verdict

In review: Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080. Review unit courtesy of Zotac.
In review: Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080. Review unit courtesy of Zotac.

Any way you cut it, the Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080 is a marvel of engineering. Compared to high-end gaming notebooks, the Magnus EK71080 is just as powerful (if not more so) while remaining cooler and quieter. Maintenance and port selection is also inherently superior to notebooks, and the additional support for Intel Optane memory is icing on the cake. Considering the small size, the gaming performance of the EK71080 is impressive, as is the low fan noise.

Of course, the EK71080 is much larger than other ZBOX desktops and lacks the portability of a gaming laptop. The Magnus EK71080 is also fairly expensive; in addition to the $1500 price tag of the base unit, users will need to provide their own RAM, storage, OS, and peripherals. All of these are included with a laptop. Further, $1500 is a lot to ask for a gaming desktop that uses a lower-powered laptop CPU. Potential buyers will have to shell out $400 more to get a desktop-class processor and liquid cooling, and even then, the processor is locked. On top of all this, it is cheaper to sacrifice the specialized chassis and build a custom desktop.

At least, it was cheaper to build a desktop from scratch. Current GPU prices make the EK71080 much more attractive. Due to the current cryptocurrency mining craze, prices for high-end GPUs like the GTX 1080 have skyrocketed. At the time of this writing, the average price for the GTX 1080 is about USD $850-900, which is 60% of the price of the Magnus EK71080. Even if you can afford the exorbitant price, finding a GTX 1080 is almost impossible; retailers have constantly been sold out.

Given the bizarre pricing of GPUs at present, purchasing the EK71080 is a more compelling option. The compact form factor is more of a nicety and less of a selling point in that regard.

A year ago, the Magnus EK71080 would have been a hard sell due to its high price point. Building a desktop from scratch would have cost significantly less. However, due to the scarcity and inflated pricing of high-end GPUs, the Magnus EK71080 may be a good buy for enthusiasts that want one of the most powerful graphics cards now. Considering that gaming laptops with similar components run about $2500-3000 compared to the EK71080's $1500 tag, users may find more value in giving up the portability and buying the necessary components.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Zotac ZBOX Magnus EK71080 (i7-7700HQ, GTX 1080) Mini PC Review
Sam Medley, 2018-03-14 (Update: 2018-03-14)