Learning how to build a PC from scratch is all nicely and good, however having somebody make one for you – or at the least make most of 1 for you – can generally be a heck of so much simpler, particularly if you happen to’re after one thing altogether extra petite to perhaps sit beneath your telly or perch neatly on high of your desk with out having a hulking nice tower bearing down over you. Something, maybe, just like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070-equipped Zotac ZBox Magnus mini PC.
I’ve acquired the E collection ER51070 on take a look at right now, however you’ll additionally discover the Magnus in all types of various shapes and specs, each as a whole unit or half-built barebones PC the place it’s worthwhile to add your individual RAM and storage choices. Going down the latter route can typically be a helpful manner of saving cash, particularly if you happen to’ve already acquired mentioned parts from a earlier PC to drop in when you’ve acquired it dwelling, however they can be a bit fiddly resulting from their typically miniscule dimensions.
Indeed, if the concept of a mini PC appeals to you, I’d in all probability advocate looking for a whole Magnus the place doable, as popping off the highest of the ER51070 introduced me with a complete lot of graphics card nestled beneath a second steel cage and never so much else. Everything else, together with its quad-core AMD Ryzen 5 1400 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD, was clearly hidden a lot deeper throughout the bowels of its tiny, TARDIS-like innards. Despite measuring simply 225x203x128mm, I reckon you’d actually need to know what you’re doing if you happen to acquired a barebones Magnus, as these much less assured of their PC constructing expertise could run the danger of not with the ability to put all of it again collectively once more.
An internal view of the ER51070.
Still, regardless of setting you again virtually as a lot as a conventional high-end tower PC (the GTX 1070 mannequin I’ve acquired right here goes for £925 within the UK), this specific incarnation of the Magnus might be one of many neatest methods of getting that type of graphical horsepower into your lounge with out it being an enormous ache within the bottom.
I ought to be aware that this particular configuration of the ER51070 doesn’t look as if it’s out there within the US, as I’ve solely been capable of finding extra highly effective (and thus more expensive) GTX 1080 and Intel Core i7 configurations that are available in chassis. There are GTX 1070 ZBoxes in even diddier circumstances, however I clearly don’t know the way a lot of an influence that has on the graphics card’s efficiency, so take into account your self warned.
But critically, what a graphics card to place in such a tiny field. The Witcher III at 60fps on Ultra at 1920×1080? Go on then. How about a median of 53fps for Ultra-fied Hitman on the identical decision? You’re too sort. Silky clean Rise of the Tomb Raider at 55fps on Very High with out even a single compromise within the anti-aliasing division, additionally at 1080p? Yes please.
In virtually each occasion, the ER51070 completely rinsed by means of my testing suite at 1920×1080 on max settings, hitting highs of 55fps in Total War: Warhammer II throughout its battle and marketing campaign maps, a median of 70fps in Middle-earth: Shadow of War, and an enormous 120-140fps in each Doom and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.
It even managed a gradual 51fps common in Assassin’s Creed Origins on High at 1080p, and it breezed by means of the ever-demanding Final Fantasy XV as nicely, settling across the 50-55fps mark with all of Nvidia’s fancy impact gubbins turned off, and between 40-50fps after I switched on HairWorks and Turf Effects.
Yes, that’s all fairly par for course for a GTX 1070, however I noticed equally good outcomes at 2560×1440 as nicely. This is much less helpful if you happen to’re planning on utilizing it along with your TV, after all, however it’s nonetheless a useful reference level for these contemplating pairing it with an everyday PC monitor.
Indeed, Hitman ran simply as quick at 1440p on Ultra because it did at 1080p, averaging 52fps total in its built-in benchmark, and Wolfenstein II and Doom each blitzedd their manner by means of their respective Ultra and Mein Leben settings within the vary of 90-100fps. Shadow of War likewise managed a extremely respectable 52fps common on Ultra, however I needed to accept Rise of the Tomb Raider’s lesser FX anti-aliasing setting to keep up that silky 68fps common on its high Very High setting. Still, that’s fairly normal for this recreation, even with full-sized GTX 1070s I’ve examined prior to now.
Some video games will naturally power you to make a few graphical compromises to keep up 60fps at 2560×1440, however even you then’re solely dropping issues down one setting. Both The Witcher III and Final Fantasy XV felt completely comfy on their varied max settings, averaging between 45-50fps apiece, however High proved to be infinitely smoother, lifting every recreation to someplace across the 55-60fps mark.
Total War: Warhammer II additionally felt infinitely extra playable on High at 1440p, averaging between 50-60fps utilizing its inner benchmarks, and the identical went for Assassin’s Creed Origins as nicely, the latter attaining a ‘Stable’ ranking in its inner benchmark with a median of 48fps.
The actual take a look at of the ER51070’s graphical prowess, nonetheless, got here after I hooked it as much as my 4K TV. Now I respect not everybody can have a 4K TV to make use of with a ZBox, however if you happen to’ve lately upgraded or are fascinated about getting one (or, certainly, have your eye on one in every of Nvidia’s upcoming jumbo Big Format Displays), I figured it could be helpful to know if the Magnus can benefit from all these good, further pixels you’ve simply invested in.
After all, with its unassuming black chassis, that is about as household (and lounge) pleasant as mini PCs come. Yes, it’s not the sexiest factor on the earth to have a look at, however it’s a rattling sight better-looking than an Nvidia Shield, and arguably extra approachable than your typical console field. No ‘l33t gamer’ angles, no obnoxious RGB lighting strips, only a plain entrance with a easy, giant LED energy button, an SD card reader for your photographs on the large display, a single USB 3.1 port for a controller (or wi-fi adapter if you happen to favor a ‘lapboard’ strategy), one USB 3.1 Type-C port on your cellphone or an exterior SSD, and separate headphone and microphone jacks.
The ER51070’s GTX 1070 put in an admirable efficiency at 4K, too. You’re not going to get 60fps on something however the lowest settings (and even that may be a stretch in some circumstances), however I discovered that both Medium or High produced a really passable 30-45fps in virtually each recreation talked about to this point. The solely exceptions have been Doom and Wolfenstein II, whose ever-optimised engines zipped by means of on Ultra and Mein Leben at a really pleasing 60fps.
That’s spectacular for such a tiny PC, and if you happen to favor to have greater body charges at higher graphics settings, you’ll be able to at all times play at 1440p and make use of your TV’s upscaling – which, to my eyes, typically seemed significantly higher than something I’ve seen on the Xbox One X or PS4 Pro.
It’s not even that noisy, both – from a distance, at the least. There’s a definite wheeze from its perpetually-rotating followers when it’s plonked proper subsequent to you on a desk, however over on my couch I may barely hear it after I had a recreation going – and it’s actually no louder than your typical console.
The solely actual sticking level with this specific Zbox Magnus is its quad-core 3.2GHz AMD Ryzen 5 1400 processor. That’s to not say I would like one in every of Intel’s Core i5s – I simply want it had one in every of this 12 months’s Ryzen+ CPUs in it as a substitute, such because the Ryzen 5 2600 / 2600X.
It’s nonetheless an honest CPU, after all, and its multi-core rating of 683 within the Cinebench R15 benchmark truly outperformed the outcomes I’ve acquired for Intel’s corresponding chip, the Core i5-7400 (which can be discovered in lots of a Zbox Magnus). It’s only a disgrace that the Ryzen 5 2600 is nearly twice as quick on this division, which might have given the ER51070 a bit extra longevity within the previous future-proofing division.
Still, it’s a small grievance total, and positively not a purpose to dismiss the ER51070 out of hand. Yes, at £925 it may appear costly for its measurement, however as a just-about 4K succesful lounge PC, Zotac’s Zbox Magnus has gained me over. I’d a lot quite have one thing like this in my entrance room than an important huge tower PC, and it seems the a part of a lounge PC as nicely, which is arguably simply as necessary as its glorious graphics efficiency. It is, admittedly, tougher to improve than your typical PC, however in contrast to a laptop computer it’s not past the realms of risk. All you’ve acquired to do is make certain any new parts you purchase match inside its teensy chassis, and perhaps comply with our useful How to build a PC guide if you happen to want a little bit of assist getting issues put in.
I’ll be a pair extra mini PCs over the approaching week, however if you happen to’re on the lookout for one thing the remainder of your loved ones gained’t hate each time they have a look at it, the ER51070 will get a particular thumbs-up.
