ZOTAC ZBOX nano AD12 Plus Pro Reviews

Users who don't mind modest performance and installing their own OS will dig the Zotac ZBox Nano AD12 Plus for its compact size, impressive port selection, and cool look. Outside of this narrow group, though, better options exist.

To be sure, the Zotac Zbox Nano AD12 Plus isn’t a powerhouse, but it’s a great example of balancing capabilities and cost. For around $300, you get a compact, quiet HTPC that can be mounted behind your TV, includes a Media Center remote, and has plenty of expansion capability. It doesn’t have the oomph to edit videos or play the latest 3D games, but it does a yeoman’s job of smoothly playing back music and full-screen 1080p video. Of course, you can get more powerful compact PCs if you’re willing to spend more money, such as the Giada Mini PC D2305 (twice as much) or the Alienware X51$999.00 at Dell (more than three times as much). Whether it’s worth the extra outlay—and often, some extra fan noise as well—depends on your usage scenario. If your HTPC is going to be primarily used for media playback, Web browsing, and casual social games, the Zbox Nano has all the power you’ll need. For 3D gaming, lots of media transcoding, or playing back Blu-ray discs, a more powerful system will justify the extra cost.