Zotac sells desktop PCs that are so small they can fit in your pocket under the name ZBOX PI336 pico. The present model, though, which is based on an Elkhart Lake SOC, isn’t always credible. Learn more about the capabilities of the Zotac ZBOX PI336 pico with the Intel Celeron N6211 in this review with various benchmarks.
Pricing and accessibility
Though it hasn’t yet, the Pico is anticipated to enter the market within the next weeks. The UK MRP is £319, which converts to about $300 or 320 euros when VAT is included.
This hardware ought to be widely accessible through internet merchants whenever it is released.
Design
Several devices that aren’t considerably smaller than typical desktop computers are promoted as “small” PCs.
Yet, the ZBOX PI336 Pico, or Pico as we’ll refer to it from this point on, is so little it nearly defies belief.
For a device with an Intel X86 compatible processor, this is remarkably small, measuring only 115mm long, 76mm wide, and 20.7 mm deep.
Unfortunately, this device’s compact size has unavoidably forced some sacrifices regarding the number of ports and upgradeability.
According to the marketing materials, the rear contains a full-size HDMI and DisplayPort, enabling a dual output to 4K. A gigabit Ethernet port, a headphone/mic combination port, and a type-C USB 3.1 port are located next to them.
Disappointingly, there are no USB 3.2 connectors at all, however there are two more Type-A USB 3.1 ports. The front contains a single MDHC/SDHX card slot for individuals with little fingers, and the only features on the right side are a power button and its accompanying Light.
Each Pico comes with a power supply outlet and a plastic bracket to VESA attach the device to a monitor.
With fins on the top and bottom and a ceramic plate displaying the maker’s name on top, the construction appears to be primarily made of metal. The Pico is passively cooled, which makes it both silent in operation and in desperate need of airflow, making this surface modeling crucial.
There will be more on thermals later. Everything is packed tightly inside the machine, as you might expect from a tiny design, and although having a removable underside, this device wasn’t designed to allow owners to perform internal repairs.
The computer already has Windows 11Pro N pre-installed, and it also has a USB recovery key that can restore the OS if something terrible were to happen to that installation.
Hardware
The developers at Zotac chose the Intel Celeron N6211 dual-core processor for the Pico after giving their component selections careful consideration.
This 2021 launch is one of Intel’s lowest-spec processors and is primarily suited for IoT rather than personal computers. Elkhart Lake generation silicon is used inside, and it was created for low-power PC, tablet, and client system use. Yet, with twin cores running at merely 1.2GHz with a boost to 3GHz until thermal dynamics decide otherwise, this chip is the bottom rung of the Elkhart Lake ladder.
This chip’s TDP is a very low 6.5W, and it contains an integrated Intel UHD Graphics for 10th Gen Intel CPUs GPU and up to 8 PCIe lanes.
Moreover, the Pico’s maximum operating temperature is critical; it is 70C.
The Version that Zotac received for evaluation included 128GB of onboard eMMC storage and 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM. For those who prefer to keep their USB ports free, the device features Bluetooth 5.2. Networking is possible with a cabled LAN or an Intel WiFi 6E adapter.
It is clear from this specification that this equipment is intended for light or the lightest duty possible. Due to the processor’s limited thread capacity (no hyperthreading) and eMMC storage’s slower than SSD-level speeds.
Conclusion: A poor office PC
A tiny Computer, the Zotac ZBOX PI336 pico has a case volume of just 0.18 Liters. The Intel Celeron N6211 comes with a dual-core processor that, when coupled with 4 GB of RAM, just about meets Windows 11’s system requirements. It won’t take long to realize that there isn’t much room for more applications. This makes it difficult for the Zotac ZBOX PI336 pico to compete with its rivals. More working memory might be used by the system, which would also reduce some latency while opening different apps. Also, we don’t believe that using a dual-core SoC today is ideal. In our tests, the Intel Celeron J4125-based rivals are able to produce better outcomes and present a better overall impression. Due to its low power consumption, this processor has four native cores and may also be passively cooled.
The gadget would be perfect for a quickly deployable firewall or monitoring sensors because it has enough power to handle one duty well.
The notion that you could utilize this for gaming or much else useful with the two 4K outputs is unrealistic. Until you require a slideshow, this CPU and GPU combination isn’t designed to smoothly operate two 4K screens.
