Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ review: The world's first mini PC with active AirJet technology cools the Intel Core i3-N300 in a 0.055 gal case
Zotac has been offering extremely compact PCs under the pico series pseudonym, focusing on silent operation. The latest model, however, introduces significant changes. Featuring the new Intel Core i3-N300, with native 8 cores for enhanced multi-thread performance, the standout feature is the integrated AirJet technology designed to cool the SoC. The Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ is equipped with 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 512 GB NVMe SSD, priced at around $599.99 for this configuration. While this cost is relatively high, given the competitive options within the $500 range, the unique selling point of the innovative cooling unit shouldn't be overlooked. The device's performance was closely examined to assess its effectiveness. A comparative device list has been compiled for this review, featuring devices within the same price range.
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Possible competitors compared
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
69.9 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2024 | Zotac ZBOX PI430AJ i3-N300, UHD Graphics 32EUs | 318 g | 560 EUR |
74.1 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2023 | Acemagic S1 N95, UHD Graphics 24EUs (Alder Lake-N) | 440 g | 239 EUR |
73.5 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2023 | Blackview MP80 N95, UHD Graphics 24EUs (Alder Lake-N) | 214 g | 250 EUR |
73.2 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2024 | Asus ExpertCenter PN42-BBN200MV N200, UHD Graphics Xe 750 32EUs | 828 g | 299 EUR |
71.1 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2023 | BOSGAME N95 N95, UHD Graphics 24EUs (Alder Lake-N) | 392 g | 179 EUR |
70.1 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2023 | Trigkey G4 N100, UHD Graphics 24EUs (Alder Lake-N) | 272 g | 189 EUR |
68.2 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2023 | Minipc Union NiPoGi GK3PLUS - N95 N95, UHD Graphics 24EUs (Alder Lake-N) | 381 g | 399 EUR |
65.9 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2023 | Minipc Union Ace Magician T8Pro Celeron N5095, UHD Graphics (Jasper Lake 16 EU) | 209 g | 280 EUR |
v (old) | 07 / 2022 | Zotac ZBOX PI336 pico Celeron N6211, UHD Graphics (Elkhart Lake 16 EU) | 293 g | 370 EUR |
Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ in detail
Case - Compact 0.055 gal aluminum case
Visually, the Zotac Zbox pico PI430A bears a strong resemblance to its predecessor, the Zotac Zbox PI336 pico. The compact housing is crafted entirely from aluminum, serving as a medium for heat dissipation. While the previous model relied solely on passive cooling, the PI430A adopts a dual-cooling approach, integrating the active AirJet technology alongside conventional cooling methods. This tiny structure of the device is stable due to its excellent construction and flawless finishing. Compared to its predecessor, the thickness has increased slightly due to the active cooling feature, although it still has a thin profile just under 24 millimeters. With dimensions of nearly 15 centimeters in length and only 7.6 centimeters in depth, this small PC offers a space-efficient solution for desktop use. The option for VESA mounting further enhances its versatility, and the required fitting materials are conveniently included in the package.
Connectivity
Despite its small size, the Zotac Zbox pico PI430A contains all the necessary connectors, despite its restrictions. Three USB 3.2 ports are present, one of which is Type-C compliant. Nevertheless, the device cannot be powered by the Type-C connector. There is a microSD card reader as well as HDMI (2.0) and DisplayPort (1.4) ports for connecting monitors.
SD card reader
The integrated SD card reader supports only microSD cards and provides USB 3 speed. However, the full potential of our test card (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) cannot be fully realized.
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Average of class Mini PC (15.1 - 214, n=26, last 2 years) | |
Zotac ZBOX PI430AJ (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Zotac ZBOX PI336 pico (AV PRO MICROSD V60) | |
AC6-M Mini-PC (AV PRO MICROSD V60) | |
Newsmay AC8 N6005 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Average of class Mini PC (18.2 - 221, n=26, last 2 years) | |
Zotac ZBOX PI336 pico (AV PRO MICROSD V60) | |
Zotac ZBOX PI430AJ (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
AC6-M Mini-PC (AV PRO MICROSD V60) | |
Newsmay AC8 N6005 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) |
Communication
The Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX101 module that comes with the Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ is non-replaceable and supports frequencies up to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Its performance on the test is mediocre. However, it showed consistent values for both sending and receiving. Our router while testing was the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000. Additionally, the mini PC provides an RJ45 socket for a wired network connection, allowing for data transfer rates of up to 1 GBit/s.
Warranty
According to the warranty conditions, Zotac provides a 12-month standard warranty with the purchase of the Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ.
Maintenance
The Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ should require minimal maintenance. If you purchase the device as a barebone version, installing an SSD is a straightforward process. The underside is secured with four screws and can be easily removed. Upon disassembling the device, it was observed that the producer has incorporated small dust filters on the sides, which should help maintain a clean interior even with prolonged use. Further disassembly to clean the fan is unnecessary, as the integrated AirJet cooling unit is a self-contained system directly attached to the processor as a heat sink. After a few years, it might be worthwhile to consider replacing the thermal paste on the processor.
Performance - Intel Core i3 with 8 cores
Equipped with the Intel Core i3-N300, the efficient SoC provides eight native computing cores. The processor's power limits are set with a power consumption ranging from 7 to 25 watts. During our tests, we did not approach the maximum power limit. The SoC is supported by 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, which is soldered onto the board. The SSD is a 512 GB model, which is a suitable storage capacity.
Testing conditions
We conducted all performance tests using the maximum performance energy profile. Different energy-saving profiles were only employed for energy consumption and volume measurements. Additional details regarding our testing criteria can be found here.
Processor
The Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ is powered by the Intel Core i3-N300. With its 8 cores, the SoC clearly outperforms the Intel N200 in the Asus ExpertCenter PN42. According to the specifications, our test sample can access up to 25 watts. However, during our tests, we couldn't come close to this value, leading to performance that is only marginally better than that of the competitors despite the active AirJet cooling unit. After obtaining an overall average score, the small PC comes in fifth place and secures victory solely in the internal competition. Nonetheless, it places well in particular tests that require multi-core performance. This is evident in the AIDA64 tests, where the Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ emerges as the fastest device by a considerable margin.
Additional benchmarks on the processors can be found here.
WinRAR - Result | |
Trigkey G4 | |
Acemagic S1 | |
BOSGAME N95 | |
Blackview MP80 | |
Minipc Union NiPoGi GK3PLUS - N95 | |
Asus ExpertCenter PN42-BBN200MV | |
Zotac ZBOX PI430AJ | |
Minipc Union Ace Magician T8Pro | |
Zotac ZBOX PI336 pico |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ vs. Cinebench-R15 Continuous Loop
The Cinebench R15 Continuous Loop was highly demanding for the Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ, resulting in elevated temperatures. The Intel Core i3-N300 struggled to maintain a consistently high performance due to these increased CPU temperatures. Telemetry data indicated a gradual decline in performance as the SoC temperature rose. Additionally, the power consumption never exceeded eight watts throughout the test, resulting in a final average score of only 386 points.
System Performance
Due to the constrained power consumption of the Intel Core i3-N300, the Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ exhibits limited competitiveness in system performance benchmarks compared to its rivals. While our test system performs well in RAM tests, a noticeable latency during operation cannot be overlooked.
* ... smaller is better
DPC latency
As expected, we observed significantly elevated DPC latencies on the Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ. Our test unit experienced no issues during simple internet browsing. The values only increased during playback of our 4K test video, with the iGPU being utilized around 35 percent.
* ... smaller is better
Storage devices
Our test unit of the Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ comes equipped with a 512 GB NVMe SSD from an unknown manufacturer. The built-in model, at least, fully utilizes the M.2 interface. The SSD's performance is commendable and matches that of the BiWin model in the Acemagic S1.
During testing, we did not encounter any temperature-related issues with the SSD. The SSD is housed in the device from the underside, which is also used for direct heat dissipation. In addition to the pre-installed 3.15-inch SSD, shorter SSDs can be accommodated. Therefore, if you opt for the barebone version of the Zotac Zbox pico PI430AJ, you have the flexibility to choose between 1.18-, 1.65-, or 3.15-inch long SSDs
For further comparisons and benchmarks, please refer to our comparison table.