Review: Zotac Zbox EI750 Plus

Conclusion

Our time with the Zbox EI750 Plus has revealed that Zotac's latest mini PC is a work in progress. By shoehorning a fourth-generation Intel Core i7-4770R CPU into a tried-and-trusted chassis, the EI750 promises top-notch processing power and Iris Pro graphics in a compact and familiar form factor.

It is a recipe brimming with potential, yet Zotac’s implementation isn’t as slick as it could have been. Performance throttling is the clearest issue - the Core i7-4770R isn't being used to its full potential - but there are other areas in which there is room for improvement, too. The automatic fan profile can make the unit noisy, single-channel memory is an oversight, and the use of a basic 5,400rpm hard disk dampens the EI750's ability.

Despite these shortcomings, Zotac has a solid foundation to work with and could, we feel, iron out some of the creases through future updates. There's not a lot here that a BIOS update or two wouldn't fix, and we're hopeful the EI750 package will improve with time.

As it stands, a handful of imperfections make the Zbox EI750 tough to recommend to anyone but the well-heeled and deep-pocketed enthusiast who is willing to tinker.

The Good

Quad-core Intel Haswell CPU
Intel Iris Pro 5200 graphics
Good connectivity options
Compact chassis

The Bad

Performance throttling is evident
Automatic fan profile is loud
Single-channel memory
Basic 5,400rpm HDD

HEXUS.where2buy

The Zotac Zbox EI750 Plus is expected to become available to purchase in March 2014.

HEXUS.right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.