ZOTAC ZBOX EI730 PLUS Review

[section_title title=Introduction]Introduction

Manufacturer: ZOTAC
Model: ZBOX EI730 PLUS
RRP: $702 (At time of review)

ZOTAC is synonymous with micro multimedia PCs as well as having an extensive range of graphics cards; more notably their AMP! range.  With ZOTAC being an ever popular feature here at Play3r, I am always intrigued to see what they come out with next.  Aside from their small form factor M-ITX motherboards which feature some beautiful aesthetics, their primary focus has been on the aforementioned systems and graphics cards.

Multimedia or HTPC (home theatre PCs) have been gaining momentum in the current market with many case manufacturers producing some stylish and innovative cases to cater for the higher demand in the smaller form factors such as M-ATX and M-ITX; ZOTAC have been going one better!  Cue the ZOTAC ZBOX range which I’ll be honest, has been featured more times at Play3r than I can care to remember but today we have a newer model which features an Intel Core i5 4570R with Iris Pro 5200 handling the graphics.  Yes of course I am talking about the ZBOX EI730 PLUS with 8GB of DDR3L which effectively means DDR3 memory with lower voltage; increasing the lifespan and reducing unwanted heat.  Topped off with a 1TB 5400RPM hard drive and you have the makings of a very neat HTPC system which should be good for relatively light gaming.

Will the EI730 PLUS be a big hit with me today?  Let’s take a look shall we, starting with the specifications…

Specifications

Product Name

Chipset

CPU Compatibility

Memory

Expansions

3D API

Networking

Audio

Storage

Ports

Cooler

Form Factor

OS Compatibility

General

Other