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Zotac ZBox Edge MI643 Review: Slim and Low-Profile Mini PC

The size of a small book. Unlike most other mini PCs, the ZBox Edge MI643 is thin enough to be hung on walls or slipped vertically onto a bookshelf. Raw performance could be a little better, but the inconspicuous design makes it fit for most IoT or home environments.

Zotac offers one of the largest lineup of mini PCs available ranging from credit card-sized solutions up to full-fledged gaming mini PCs with GeForce RTX graphics. The model we have here is on the lower-end of the spectrum designed for discreet deployment and low-power applications.

Called the ZBox Edge MI643, the mini PC is notable for its short height and unassuming design. Barebone SKUs are available with either the Core i3-10110U (MI623) or Core i5-10210U (MI643) with our Core i5 model starting at $439 USD. The 16 GB RAM and Lexar SSD were installed after the fact. Additional information on the ZBox Edge can be found on its official product page here.

More Zotac reviews:

ZBox MI623/643 specifications (Source: Zotac)
ZBox MI623/643 specifications (Source: Zotac)
Zotac ZBox MI643
Processor
Intel Core i5-10210U 4 x 1.6 - 4.2 GHz, Comet Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, 26.20.100.7262
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43, Dual-Channel
Mainboard
Intel Comet Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Lexar NM610 1TB, 1024 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP - cAVS
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: MicroSD reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Wireless AC-9461 (ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 28.5 x 149.5 x 149.5 ( = 1.12 x 5.89 x 5.89 in)
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Additional features
12 Months Warranty
Weight
550 g ( = 19.4 oz / 1.21 pounds), Power Supply: 328 g ( = 11.57 oz / 0.72 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
07/2020
Zotac ZBox MI643
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620
550 g28.5 mmx
02/2020
Intel NUC10i5FNK
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620
493 g36 mm0.00"0x0
12/2019
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
499 g22 mm0.00"x
05/2019
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
i3-8121U, Radeon RX 540
660 g52 mmx
09/2018
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Celeron N4100, UHD Graphics 600
558 g37.3 mmx
03/2018
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
i7-8809G, Vega M GH
1.3 kg39 mmx

Case

The ZBox Edge MI643 is sturdy and visually unobtrusive to fit in most IoT or professional environments. Our main gripe with the design is the very bright red or blue LED ring around the power button when the system is off or on, respectively. Zotac says a BIOS update to toggle the light may be implemented in the near future.

The honeycomb design is reminiscent to most other Zotac mini PCs
The honeycomb design is reminiscent to most other Zotac mini PCs
Metal top and sides with plenty of ventilation grilles. The top center flexes slightly when applying pressure with a finger
Metal top and sides with plenty of ventilation grilles. The top center flexes slightly when applying pressure with a finger
Very short chassis design relative to most other squarer mini PCs
Very short chassis design relative to most other squarer mini PCs
Rubber feet and screws on the bottom for VESA mounting
Rubber feet and screws on the bottom for VESA mounting
221 mm / 8.7 inch 142 mm / 5.59 inch 39 mm / 1.535 inch 1.3 kg2.94 lbs187.6 mm / 7.39 inch 138.3 mm / 5.44 inch 37.3 mm / 1.469 inch 558 g1.23 lbs179 mm / 7.05 inch 88 mm / 3.46 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 499 g1.1 lbs149.5 mm / 5.89 inch 149.5 mm / 5.89 inch 28.5 mm / 1.122 inch 550 g1.213 lbs117 mm / 4.61 inch 112 mm / 4.41 inch 52 mm / 2.05 inch 660 g1.455 lbs117 mm / 4.61 inch 112 mm / 4.41 inch 36 mm / 1.417 inch 493 g1.087 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Most of the ports are tightly packed along the rear edge. Unfortunately, the sole USB-C port does not support video-out.

Front: USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type-C
Front: USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type-C
Left: Kensington lock
Left: Kensington lock
Rear: Wi-Fi Antenna, 2x Gigabit RJ-45, DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.1 Gen. 2, AC adapter
Rear: Wi-Fi Antenna, 2x Gigabit RJ-45, DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.1 Gen. 2, AC adapter

SD Card Reader

The MicroSD reader is along the right edge and it can be difficult to access without first flipping the entire unit over. Expect to wait 30 seconds to transfer 1 GB of pictures since transfer rates are slow.

Fully inserted MicroSD card
Fully inserted MicroSD card
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81 MB/s +137%
Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35 MB/s +2%
Zotac ZBox MI643
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
34.2 MB/s
Chuwi GBox CWI560
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
18.7 MB/s -45%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
88.3 MB/s +132%
Zotac ZBox MI643
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
38 MB/s
Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.73 MB/s -1%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
20.8 MB/s -45%

Communication

The Intel 9461 comes integrated for 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5 connectivity with no other options which is a shame since this is a 1x1 module. Transfer rates max out at 433 Mbps compared to over three times that on most newer Wi-Fi 6-enabled laptops and mini PCs.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
813 (333min - 981max) MBit/s +136%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
604 MBit/s +75%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Wireless AC-9461
345 (257min - 397max) MBit/s
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
227 MBit/s -34%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1658 (1572min - 1712max) MBit/s +361%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
643 MBit/s +79%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Wireless AC-9461
360 (180min - 365max) MBit/s
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
326 MBit/s -9%
050100150200250300350Tooltip
Zotac ZBox MI643; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø354 (180-365)
Zotac ZBox MI643; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø345 (257-397)

Maintenance

The top panel comes off easily after unscrewing three small Philips screws along the rear edge. Users have access to two DDR4-2666 SODIMM slots and two M.2 bays, but the WLAN module cannot be upgraded.

Accessories and Warranty

The box includes a USB stick loaded with drivers, manuals, removable Wi-Fi antenna, and a VESA mounting bracket with screws. Manufacturer warranty is the standard one to two years depending on region.

It would have been great to see the system be powered by USB-C much like on the Chuwi LarkBox, but Zotac is sticking to a proprietary AC adapter.

Performance

 

Processor

CPU performance is 10 to 15 percent slower than the average Core i5-10210U in our database. As an extreme example, the Intel NUC10i5FNK with the exact same processor is able to offer 45 percent faster performance after accounting for throttling on both systems as shown by our CineBench loop results below.

See our dedicated page on the Core i5-10210U for more benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720760Tooltip
Zotac ZBox MI643 UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø521 (518.69-524.21)
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø513 (491.14-523.79)
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 7YL44EA UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø446 (440.95-506.36)
Intel NUC10i5FNK UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø755 (749.68-790.62)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Core i7-8809G
864 Points +65%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
790 Points +51%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
731 Points +40%
Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano
Intel Core i7-8550U
702 Points +34%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (320 - 790, n=35)
609 Points +16%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel Core i5-8265U
524 Points 0%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
524 (518.69min - 524.21max) Points
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 7YL44EA
Intel Core i7-8565U
519 Points -1%
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
Intel Core i3-8121U
317.6 (304.79min - 319.39max) Points -39%
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
263 (207.57min - 262.65max) Points -50%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Intel Core m3-6Y30
218 Points -58%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel Celeron N4100
188 Points -64%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel Atom x7-E3950
125 Points -76%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
183 Points +6%
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Core i7-8809G
178 Points +3%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
173 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
168 Points -3%
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 7YL44EA
Intel Core i7-8565U
168 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (134 - 174, n=35)
165.6 Points -4%
Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano
Intel Core i7-8550U
156 Points -10%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel Core i5-8265U
148 Points -14%
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
Intel Core i3-8121U
133 Points -23%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Intel Core m3-6Y30
91 Points -47%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Intel Core m3-6Y30
90 Points -48%
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
71.1 Points -59%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel Celeron N4100
68 Points -61%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel Atom x7-E3950
41 Points -76%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Core i7-8809G
2005 Points +68%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
1820 Points +53%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
1428 Points +20%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (722 - 1820, n=30)
1279 Points +7%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
1191 Points
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
590 Points -50%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel Atom x7-E3950
272 Points -77%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
441 Points +7%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
428 Points +4%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
413 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (322 - 428, n=30)
407 Points -1%
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Core i7-8809G
404 Points -2%
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
156 Points -62%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel Atom x7-E3950
93 Points -77%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel Atom x7-E3950
4564 Seconds * -416%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel Celeron N4100
3527 Seconds * -299%
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
2380 Seconds * -169%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
884 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (585 - 1339, n=24)
859 Seconds * +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
769 Seconds * +13%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
585 Seconds * +34%
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Core i7-8809G
537 Seconds * +39%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
4521 MIPS +1%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
4467 MIPS
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
4253 MIPS -5%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (3504 - 4467, n=24)
4205 MIPS -6%
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Core i7-8809G
4101 MIPS -8%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel Celeron N4100
2459 MIPS -45%
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
2215 MIPS -50%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel Atom x7-E3950
1454 MIPS -67%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
21679 MIPS +29%
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Core i7-8809G
19347 MIPS +15%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
18187 MIPS +8%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (10920 - 21679, n=24)
16808 MIPS 0%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
16799 MIPS
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
8098 MIPS -52%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel Celeron N4100
6608 MIPS -61%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel Atom x7-E3950
4569 MIPS -73%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
1211 Points +7%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
1133 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
1099 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (949 - 1133, n=27)
1071 Points -5%
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
388 Points -66%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
4122 Points +4%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
3975 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
3939 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (2079 - 4256, n=27)
3570 Points -10%
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
1410 Points -65%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Core i7-8809G
7.1 fps +68%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
6.28 fps +48%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
4.85 fps +15%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (2.36 - 6.28, n=24)
4.31 fps +2%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
4.23 fps
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
1.49 fps -65%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel Atom x7-E3950
0.98 fps -77%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel Celeron N4100
0.974 fps -77%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
Intel Celeron J4115
150 s * -163%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (49.6 - 80.3, n=18)
61 s * -7%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
57 s *
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
51.7 s * +9%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (0.658 - 0.901, n=24)
0.733 sec * -11%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.72 sec * -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel Core i7-10510U
0.679 sec * -3%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.658 sec *
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
524 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
53.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
173 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark results are where we expect them to be relative to other Core i5-10210U systems despite the slower-than-anverage processor performance mentioned above.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA
5301 Points +25%
Zotac ZBox MI643
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB
4244 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
4019 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3448 - 4353, n=28)
3988 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3876 Points -9%
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
Radeon RX 540, i3-8121U, Seagate ST1000VT001
3161 Points -26%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
UHD Graphics 600, Celeron N4100, SanDisk DA4064
1658 Points -61%
Essentials
Zotac ZBox MI643
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB
9510 Points
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA
9125 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8551 Points -10%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (7172 - 10000, n=28)
8499 Points -11%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
8235 Points -13%
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
Radeon RX 540, i3-8121U, Seagate ST1000VT001
5576 Points -41%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
UHD Graphics 600, Celeron N4100, SanDisk DA4064
4418 Points -54%
Productivity
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA
7915 Points +13%
Zotac ZBox MI643
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB
6975 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (5980 - 7317, n=28)
6663 Points -4%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
6494 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6337 Points -9%
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
Radeon RX 540, i3-8121U, Seagate ST1000VT001
5302 Points -24%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
UHD Graphics 600, Celeron N4100, SanDisk DA4064
2883 Points -59%
Digital Content Creation
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA
5598 Points +79%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
3296 Points +5%
Zotac ZBox MI643
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB
3128 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2289 - 4463, n=28)
3057 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
2917 Points -7%
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
Radeon RX 540, i3-8121U, Seagate ST1000VT001
2902 Points -7%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
UHD Graphics 600, Celeron N4100, SanDisk DA4064
972 Points -69%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA
4833 Points +35%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3182 - 4284, n=21)
3605 Points +1%
Zotac ZBox MI643
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB
3567 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
3526 Points -1%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
HD Graphics 515, 6Y30, Apple SSD AP0256
2550 Points -29%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
UHD Graphics 600, Celeron N4100, SanDisk DA4064
2062 Points -42%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA
5454 Points +13%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (4286 - 5114, n=21)
4879 Points +1%
Zotac ZBox MI643
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB
4816 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
4286 Points -11%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
HD Graphics 515, 6Y30, Apple SSD AP0256
3550 Points -26%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3567 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4816 points
PCMark 10 Score
4244 points
Help

DPC Latency

There are slight DPC latency issues when opening multiple tabs on our homepage according to LatencyMon. Furthermore, we were able to record 46 dropped frames during our minute-long 4K60 video playback test on YouTube when it should be zero.

DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Dell Latitude 9510 2-in-1
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10810U, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe
9311 μs * -1150%
HP Envy x360 13-ay0010nr
Vega 6, R5 4500U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
1172 μs * -57%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
973 μs * -31%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
775 μs * -4%
Dell Latitude 7310
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10610U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
767 μs * -3%
Zotac ZBox MI643
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB
745 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

Users can install up to one M.2 2280 SSD and another smaller M.2 2242 drive directly underneath it. Both slots support NVMe/SATA M.2 SSDs, but Zotac wouldn't confirm with us if both support PCIe x4 speeds. For what it's worth, HWiNFO reports PCIe x4 on our Lexar NM610 2280 drive.

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Two M.2 slots available, but only one of them can support the full 2280 length
Two M.2 slots available, but only one of them can support the full 2280 length
Zotac ZBox MI643
Lexar NM610 1TB
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Chuwi GBox CWI560
SanDisk DA4064
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-27%
65%
-83%
-2%
Write 4K
214.1
58.4
-73%
130
-39%
38
-82%
133.7
-38%
Read 4K
62.1
30.24
-51%
45.61
-27%
23.84
-62%
178.6
188%
Write Seq
1664
773
-54%
226.7
-86%
608
-63%
Read Seq
1797
712
-60%
271.8
-85%
1428
-21%
Write 4K Q32T1
421.8
448.5
6%
365.3
-13%
44.74
-89%
323.6
-23%
Read 4K Q32T1
512
391.4
-24%
350.2
-32%
53.2
-90%
282.3
-45%
Write Seq Q32T1
564
914
62%
2986
429%
129.4
-77%
627
11%
Read Seq Q32T1
2073
1583
-24%
3565
72%
189.4
-91%
1521
-27%
Write 4K Q8T8
402.3
368.7
Read 4K Q8T8
680
790
Lexar NM610 1TB
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2073 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 564 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 512 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 421.8 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1797 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1664 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 62.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 214.1 MB/s

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance

The UHD Graphics 620 is still chugging along despite being many years old. Its limited performance shouldn't impact the target audience, but it would have been nice to see faster Ice Lake or Ryzen Vega options nonetheless.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
 
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
HP Envy x360 13-ay0010nr
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), R5 4500U
22109 Points +119%
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
AMD Radeon RX 540, i3-8121U
18704 Points +86%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, R7 4700U
16972 Points +68%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ
14594 Points +45%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
10785 Points +7%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
10077 Points
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
9590 Points -5%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points -8%
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 7YL44EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
9248 Points -8%
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
9113 Points -10%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Intel HD Graphics 515, 6Y30
6078 Points -40%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
AMD Radeon RX 540, i3-8121U
3242 Points +153%
HP Envy x360 13-ay0010nr
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), R5 4500U
2854 Points +122%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, R7 4700U
2425 Points +89%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ
1903 Points +48%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
1366 Points +6%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1283 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1202 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
1183 Points -8%
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 7YL44EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1177 Points -8%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points -10%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Intel HD Graphics 515, 6Y30
735 Points -43%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
HP Envy x360 13-ay0010nr
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), R5 4500U
821 Points +104%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, R7 4700U
742 Points +84%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
432 Points +7%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
403 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
396 Points -2%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points -3%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
AMD Radeon RX 540, i3-8121U
4458 Points +140%
HP Envy x360 13-ay0010nr
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), R5 4500U
4419 Points +138%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, R7 4700U
4019 Points +116%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ
3220 Points +73%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
1978 Points +6%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1858 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1853 Points 0%
Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1769 Points -5%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points -6%
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 7YL44EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1666 Points -10%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Intel HD Graphics 515, 6Y30
1186 Points -36%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel UHD Graphics 600, Celeron N4100
484 Points -74%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Intel NUC8i3CYSM
AMD Radeon RX 540, i3-8121U
4334 Points +137%
HP Envy x360 13-ay0010nr
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), R5 4500U
3322 Points +82%
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ
2784 Points +52%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, R7 4700U
2567 Points +40%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
1998 Points +9%
Zotac ZBox MI643
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1829 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1665 Points -9%
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 7YL44EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1646 Points -10%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (927 - 2505, n=244)
1578 Points -14%
Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1410 Points -23%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Intel HD Graphics 515, 6Y30
1014 Points -45%
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Intel UHD Graphics 600, Celeron N4100
445 Points -76%
3DMark 11 Performance
2082 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
8687 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1169 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
462 points
Help
low med. high ultra
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 73.8 46 21.5 19.2
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 22.3 14.8 13.2

Emissions

System Noise

The fan is almost always active no matter the load, but it is usually very quiet and unnoticeable. In fact, it barely ramps up when running the first demanding benchmark scene of 3DMark 06. Fan noise would bump up temporarily to 42 dB(A) when initiating Prime95, but it would quickly fall back down to a steady 31 dB(A).

Single ~45 mm fan. We can notice slight electronic noise or coil whine when placing an ear near our test unit
Single ~45 mm fan. We can notice slight electronic noise or coil whine when placing an ear near our test unit
Fan noise profile (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark 06, Green: Prime95 stress)
Fan noise profile (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark 06, Green: Prime95 stress)
Zotac ZBox MI643
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lexar NM610 1TB
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK
Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 7YL44EA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC
UHD Graphics 600, Celeron J4115, 128 GB eMMC Flash
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
Noise
-11%
-5%
-17%
-19%
off / environment *
26.1
28.7
-10%
30.3
-16%
26
-0%
29.5
-13%
Idle Minimum *
27.5
29
-5%
30.3
-10%
26
5%
31.6
-15%
Idle Average *
27.5
29
-5%
30.3
-10%
26
5%
32.2
-17%
Idle Maximum *
27.5
29
-5%
30.3
-10%
43.3
-57%
32.3
-17%
Load Average *
28.9
36
-25%
31.2
-8%
43.3
-50%
43
-49%
Load Maximum *
42
49.4
-18%
32.8
22%
43.5
-4%
43.2
-3%
Witcher 3 ultra *
42

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
27.5 / 27.5 / 27.5 dB(A)
Load
28.9 / 42 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 26.1 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.63739.439.92533.13533.133.33134.134.134.634.8402725.325.227.55025.32523.629.56323.524.622.334.48023.623.52324.910021.322.621.32512521.222.520.525.616020.820.519.724.42002019.219.322.825018.817.817.72431518.818.818.12640018.91816.527.350016.615.814.827.863017.916.313.829.180017.515.513.929.8100021.214.213.130.3125016.815.312.931.7160018.317.813.136.3200016.515.113.233.5250014.213.913.229.4315015.414.713.528.9400015.215.413.626.7500014.213.713.617.8630014.613.913.815.9800014.71415.114.81000014.513.81414.31250015.513.813.815.91600015.113.813.419.2SPL28.927.526.142.1N1.10.90.83.4median 16.8median 15.4median 13.8median 26Delta1.92.11.84.8hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseZotac ZBox MI643

Temperature

AC adapter after running high loads for over an hour
AC adapter after running high loads for over an hour

Surface temperatures should never be an issue due to the surplus of ventilation grilles on almost every side of the chassis. However, this also means that stacking books or other large flat objects on top of the mini PC is not recommended since the fan draws cool air directly from above.

System idle (front)
System idle (front)
System idle (rear)
System idle (rear)
Prime95+FurMark stress (front)
Prime95+FurMark stress (front)
Prime95+FurMark stress (rear)
Prime95+FurMark stress (rear)

Stress Test

We stress the system with synthetic loads to identify for any potential issues. When running Prime95, the CPU would boost to 3.5 GHz for the first few seconds before hitting a core temperature of 61 C. Thereafter, clock rates and temperature would stabilize at 2.3 GHz and 54 C, respectively. Running at higher core temperatures for faster sustained clock rates would have been a great option in this particular case.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 37
Prime95 Stress 2.3 -- 54
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.0 748 55

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop consumes between 7 W and 10 W compares to less half that on the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1. At most, we're able to record a maximum draw of 60.6 W from the small (~10.7 x 4.6 x 3 cm) 65 W AC adapter.

Power consumption while running 3DMark 06
Power consumption while running 3DMark 06
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 57.8 W for a few seconds before falling and stabilizing at 31.8 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 57.8 W for a few seconds before falling and stabilizing at 31.8 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 60.6 W for a few seconds before falling and stabilizing at 33.5 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 60.6 W for a few seconds before falling and stabilizing at 33.5 W
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 1.5 / 1.12 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7.5 / 9.2 / 9.6 Watt
Load midlight 34.4 / 60.6 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 MI643
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Lexar NM610 1TB, , x,
Intel NUC10i5FNK
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1, , 0x0, 0.00
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, , x, 0.00
Chuwi GBox CWI560
Celeron N4100, UHD Graphics 600, SanDisk DA4064, , x,
Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK
6770HQ, Iris Pro Graphics 580, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB, , x, 0.00
Power Consumption
-34%
36%
76%
-59%
Idle Minimum *
7.5
4.4
41%
1.9
75%
14.8
-97%
Idle Average *
9.2
15.7
-71%
4.4
52%
2
78%
15.7
-71%
Idle Maximum *
9.6
4.7
51%
2.9
70%
15.8
-65%
Load Average *
34.4
27.7
19%
8.6
75%
62.7
-82%
Load Maximum *
60.6
58.6
3%
49.9
18%
9.5
84%
48.5
20%

* ... smaller is better

Pros

+ easy access to 2x SODIMM, 2x M.2 storageslots
+ slim, light, and unassuming design
+ cool running temperatures
+ almost always quiet

Cons

- MicroSD reader can be difficult to access
- CPU performance could be better
- no DisplayPort over USB-C
- no integrated speaker
- no IR receiver
- slow Wi-Fi

Verdict

In review: Zotac ZBox Edge MI643. Test unit provided by Zotac
In review: Zotac ZBox Edge MI643. Test unit provided by Zotac

The main reasons to own a ZBox Edge MI643 are for its slim design, quiet fans, and easily upgradeable RAM and storage. The competing Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano is even smaller than our Zotac, but it lacks upgradeable RAM that some users may find valuable.

Users shouldn't look towards the Edge MI643 is they are after raw performance or fast wireless speeds. The processor here performs slower than expected and wireless is limited to 1x1 Wi-Fi 5 only. Otherwise, it's a reliable "set and forget" mini PC that's slim and lightweight enough to be hung on walls or hidden behind tight spaces.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Zotac ZBox Edge MI643 Review: Slim and Low-Profile Mini PC
Allen Ngo, 2020-07-28 (Update: 2020-07-28)