Zotac launches its first Skylake-powered mini PC

By Gabe Carey December 10, 2015

Zotac has announced its ZBOX MI551, a horrible name for a powerful new mini computer. Sporting a sixth-gen Skylake processor, the M1151 measures 7.4 inches by 7.4 inches x 2 inches and encloses an Intel Core i5-6400T. That’s a quad-core CPU with Intel HD 530 graphics.

Usually, Zotac would release a ZBOX PC like this as a barebones system, which requires the consumer to install their own hard disk, RAM, and operating system. Fortunately, for those of us who aren’t interested in doing it ourselves, there’s a ZBOX MI551 Plus model that comes with 4GB of RAM and 120GB of SSD storage, though you still have to install the OS for yourself.

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Regardless of whether you opt for the MI551 Plus or the vanilla ZBOX, the specs are fairly standard. You can expect two DisplayPort jacks, supporting up to 3,840 x 2,160p resolutions at 60Hz, a single HDMI port allowing for resolutions up to 4,096 x 2,160p at a mere 24Hz.

Other connections include a USB Type-C port, a USB 3.0 port, and a USB 2.0 port, and two Gigabit Ethernet ports. As for wireless connections, we’re looking at a built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter, Bluetooth 4.0, and a single Infrared port. And, lastly, for storage, you can take advantage of an SDXC card reader, a 2.5″ SATA drive slot, an M.2 SATA SSD slot, along with two DDR3L-1600 SODIMM slots for up to 16GB of RAM.

All in all, it’s a nifty little powerhouse of a computer, but the real deciding factor will come down to the price. Equipped with a quad-core Skylake processor and a forward-thinking set of connection standards, the MI551 might be leaning towards the pricey end. Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until Zotac issues a more complete reveal.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

A freelancer for Digital Trends, Gabe Carey has been covering the intersection of video games and technology since he was 16…

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