Zotac's ZBOX mini-PCs have proved popular in emerging markets. The Ion boxes based on the Intel Atom and NVIDIA GPU combination, however, have run their course. NVIDIA no longer markets GPUs for the Ion platform. Zotac has put its own twist to this effective, but low cost, platform by releasing the ZBOX ID42 / ID42 Plus with a Celeron processor and a NVIDIA GeForce 610 GPU.

Zotac's mini-PCs do have some noise issues and we will have to wait and see if the redesigned chassis (with extra 7mm thickness) of the ZBOX ID42 does anything to alleviate the problem. The unit also has two GbE ports and two Wi-Fi antenna slots. The ventilation area is also tripled compared to the previous generation chassis. The specifications of the Zotac ZBOX ID42/43 are presented below.

Along with the ID42, Zotac is also updating their Core i3-based lineup with Ivy Bridge processors in the ID83 / ID 83 Plus. This configuration still uses the previous generation chassis.

The specifications of the ID82/83 are provided below.

We will be meeting up with Zotac later this week at CES. Stay tuned for further information including pricing details.