Zbox, Sff, Ion, Culv SU2300

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Zbox, Sff, Ion, Culv SU2300" Good news! You can purchase
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Price: $329.00 

Product Feature
- CPU Type: Intel Celeron SU2300 (1.2GHz, dual-core)
- Memory slot: 2 x 204Pin
- Memory Type Supported: DDR3 1066
- 2.5" Internal Bays: 1
- Front USB: 1 front panel, 1 top panel
- Channel: 8 Channel
- Latest Technical Development.
- Manufactured to the Highest Quality Available.
- Max Memory Supported: 8GB
- Rear USB: 4 USB 2.0 ports
- With True Enhanced Performance.
Product Description
Zotac ZBOXHD-ND22-U Desktop Computer - Celeron SU2300 1.20 GHz ZBOXHD-ND22-U Desktop Computers
Zbox, Sff, Ion, Culv SU2300 Review
I was looking at the current HTPC's (Acer & Asus) and I was deciding on which one to get for my mom since she wanted to stream Chinese TV shows. I also wanted an HTPC that is capable of running 1080p movies. The reason why I picked this over the other 2 companies was because Zotac sold this HTPC as a barebone system and it has the Intel CULV SU2300 Dual-core Celeron processor. Don't let that name fool you, When Intel launched it's i3, i5, and i7 processors. The old dual-core processor (EXXX) were rebranded with the Celeron and Pentium names. Even though the processor is clocked at 1.2Ghz, it is able to outperform the new Intel dual-core D525 processor (1.8Ghz) by 25% or more. It also has a low TDP @ 10W compared to D525 @ 13W. Lower wattage = less power consumption and runs cooler.
When I received my package, I was amazed at how small and light this HTPC was. The housing is made of plastic. There's only one fan used to cool off the CPU/GPU/Chipset. The side cover is easily removable using thumb screws. Installation of the hard drive and ram took less than 5 minutes.
I bought the Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 2X2GB 204-PIN PC3-8500 SODIMM DDR3 Memory Kit and Western Digital Scorpio Blue 500GB 2.5 Inch, 8 MB Cache, 5400 RPM SATA II WD5000BEVT for my setup. When I realized I didn't need all that hard drive space, I bought the Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB 2.5-Inch Drive CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1CCA. Performance of SSD is just spectacular, Windows 7 boots way too fast and streaming TV shows loads up quicker.
Some issues I had with it was that the wireless-n card struggled to have a full signal even though my wireless router is about 10-15 feet away. If Wireless-N is your only choice, invest in a Wireless-N USB adapter. I ended up connecting my ethernet cable to my htpc for a consistent connection. It seems to run kind of hot (45-49 degrees F on idle, 50-56 degrees F on load). This was one reason why I decided to use an SSD since traditional hard drives run hotter.
I really thought my Zotac had overheating issues when I was playing or streaming 1080p movies. I realized the problem was the codecs I used. I tried using K-lite, CCCP, and Shark codecs but all of them gave me stuttered playback except for CoreAVC combined with ffdshow. I am now very satisfied with my purchased.
If you can't seem to find this HTPC, the D525 Atom version will suffice. There will be newer HTPCs out there with better CPU performance. AMD is also coming out with their E-350 processor (outperforms D525, has integrated Radeon GPU) and their low TDP C-50 processor for HTPCs.
Pros
Intel CULV SU2300 @ 1.2Ghz Dual-Core Celeron Processor. TDP = 10W vs 13W Intel Dual Core Atom D525 @ 1.8Ghz.
Barebone system, provide your own ram and hard drive (SSD works great). Installation is quick and easy.
Great form factor and small.
Has Optical Audio port, HDMI, DVI-D, Gigabit Ethernet, 6 USB 2.0 ports (4 back, 1 top, 1 front), 1 eSATA port, Media port for memory cards.
Integrated Wireless-N.
Adjustable fan speed in bios.
Plays 720p movies and streams fine. 1080p requires certain codecs and better flash support to run smoothly.
Cons
Wireless-N card is a hit or miss. It's possible to replace it.
Nvidia ION 1 GPU vs. Nvidia ION 2 GPU in Atom D525.
May have overheating issues if left sideways instead of upright.
Plastic enclosure, it's also a fingerprint magnet and not a great heat conductor.
Fan becomes loud at 5000RPM, optimal at 4000-4500rpm, audible at 3500RPM, and quiet at <3000RPM
Need to find the right codecs to get 1080p movies to play without any stutter. 1080p movies must utilized the Intel Ion GPU or else high CPU processing will occur and cause temperatures to increase. This issue applies to all HTPCs out there.
Netflix, Youtube, Hulu-plus, and other streaming sites varies depending if hardware acceleration is supported for nvidia ION.
Don't expect to play intensive games on this.
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