Zotac made an announcement at Computex about their latest mini-PC, which stands out as the world’s first compact PC with solid-state active cooling. Named the ZBOX PI430AJ, this innovative PC introduces an active cooling solution without any moving parts. Consequently, it becomes smaller, quieter, faster, and more reliable compared to conventional active and passive cooling methods.
While Zotac has not revealed all the system specifications yet, but we do know that it includes a mobile Core i3 CPU, 8GB of LPDDR5 memory, and support for M.2 storage. The physical design of the PC resembles Intel NUC PCs. However, the real highlight of this release is the unique cooling system of the ZBOX, which employs solid-state active cooling instead of traditional coolers with fans that move.
The AirJet Mini is an innovative cooling device that operates without any moving components. It has compact dimensions, measuring 27.5mm x 41.5mm x 2.8mm in height, width, and depth. Despite its small size, a single AirJet Mini can effectively dissipate 5.25 watts of heat while consuming only 1 watt of power. Remarkably, it achieves this cooling performance at an extremely low noise level of just 21 dBA.
According to Frore Systems, the AirJet Mini exhibits an impressive back pressure of 1750 Pascals, which is ten times greater than that of a single fan. This high pressure enables efficient airflow management. When it comes to cooling the CPU, the AirJet Mini utilizes ultrasonic frequencies produced by tiny membranes within the cooling chip. These frequencies effectively propel air from the intake ports towards the exhaust port located at the back of the device.
Based on a hypothetical scenario presented by Frore Systems, a 13-inch fanless notebook that currently employs a standard 10W passive cooling mechanism could significantly enhance its cooling capabilities without making any modifications to the notebook’s chassis or introducing unwanted noise. This improvement can be achieved by incorporating four AirJet Mini devices together to cool the CPU. Remarkably, this solution allows the notebook to double its cooling power.
In the case of the new ZOTAC ZBOX, Dr. Seshu Madhavapeddy, the Founder and CEO of Frore Systems, emphasizes that their AirJet technology represents a significant advancement in maintaining CPU performance. He states that the AirJet device offers twice as much headroom compared to competing solutions. As a result, consumers can finally experience high-performance Mini-PC functionality in an incredibly compact, fanless device.
Via HotHardware