Zotac announces Magnus ERX480 mini PC with AMD RX 480 graphics
Thanks to this year's improvements in energy efficiency and thermal management for graphics cards, manufacturers have been shrinking the footprint of their gaming notebooks and PCs. Zotac is no stranger to small form factor gaming PCs, specializing in mini-PCs with high-end hardware targeted at gamers. With the new Magnus ERX480, Zotac is expanding its line of tiny gaming PCs and adding the option for VR gaming.
The Magnus ERX480 features the following components:
| Processor | Quad-core Intel Skylake i5-6400T (2.2 GHz base clock w/ 2.8 GHz boost) |
|---|---|
| Graphics | AMD RX 480 (4 GB GDDR5, 256-bit memory bus, Polaris Architecture) |
| Memory | Two slots, up to 32 GB DDR4 at 2133 MHz |
| Storage | One M.2 SATA 6.0 Gbps (SSD), One 2.5 in SATA 6.0 Gbps (SSD or HDD) |
The Magnus ERX480 is compact, measuring 210 mm x 203 mm x 62.2 mm (8.27 in x 7.99 in x 2.45 in). Despite the small size, Zotac is still able to fit ample connectivity onto the back of the chassis. These include:
- One WiFi antenna connection
- Two USB 3.0 Type-A ports
- Two USB 2.0 Type-A ports
- Two Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
- Two HDMI 2.0 outputs
- Two DisplayPort 1.3 Outputs
On the front of the chassis, the device has a dedicated microphone in, a dedicated headphone/audio line out, a 3-in-1 SD/SDHC/SDXC card reader, one USB 3.1 Type-A port, and one USB 3.1 Type-C port.
Zotac is selling three versions of the device. The i5-6400T and AMD RX 480 are included with all models. The ERX480 is a barebones system, meaning that buyers will have to provide their own memory and storage. The ERX480 PLUS comes equipped with 8 GB of DDR4-2133 RAM, a 120 GB M.2 SSD, and a 1 TB 2.5 inch HDD. The ERX480 with Windows includes the same components as the PLUS and comes with preinstalled with Windows 10.
Zotac is aiming the device at customers that want a great gaming experience in a small footprint, possibly as a home theater PC (HTPC). Pricing and availability have not been announced as of this writing.
Source(s)
Zotac
