ZOTAC at CES 2018: AMD Raven Ridge APU in a ZBOX MA551 Mini-PC

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LAS VEGAS, NV — ZOTAC is preparing a small form-factor PC based on an AMD’s Ryzen processor with integrated Vega graphics. The ZOTAC ZBOX MA551 will be among the first compact computers powered by AMD’s code-named ‘Raven Ridge’ chips, and the system design should allow it support all AM4 APUs as well as a comprehensive set of connectivity features.


ZOTAC’s ZBOX MA551 will exist in at least two variants equipped with AMD’s quad-core Ryzen 3 2200G and Ryzen 5 2400G APUs with the Radeon Vega integrated graphics. The chips are rated to dissipate a maximum of 65 W of power (based on AMD’s TDP data) and ZOTAC outfits the APUs with a cooling system that features a large copper heatsink and a blower. The cooler looks like a GPU cooler, so its peak performance likely exceeds 65 W and enables ZOTAC to install APUs with a higher TDP or for better boost. So far AMD has announced only two Raven Ridge SoCs for desktops, so if the company rolls-out APUs with higher power and cooling requirements, the MA551 will be ready to house them.



ZOTAC’s ZBOX MA551 comes in a matte black metallic enclosure, with the internal architecture the mini-PC looking very simple, allowing the user to easily install key components as well as potentially upgrade them. The mini-PC can be equipped with up to 32 GB of DDR4-2400 memory using two SO-DIMMs, an M.2-2280 PCIe/SATA SSD, and a separate 2.5” storage device.



When it comes to connectivity, the ZBOX MA551 is outfitted with an 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.2 module, a gigabit Ethernet connector, four USB 3.0 Type-A headers, a USB Type-C port, three display outputs (two DisplayPort 1.2, one HDMI 2.0) and an SD/microSD card reader.

















Preliminary Specifications of ZOTAC’s Ryzen APU-Based SFF PC
  MA551
CPU AMD Ryzen 3 2200G

4C/4T

3.5 – 3.7 GHz

6 MB cache

65 W TDP		 AMD Ryzen 5 2400G

4C/8T

3.6 – 3.9 GHz

6 MB cache

65 W TDP
iGPU Radeon Vega

8 CUs

512 SPs

Up to 1100 MHz		 Radeon Vega

11 CUs

704 SPs

Up to 1250 MHz
Memory 2 × DDR4-2400 SO-DIMM slots

up to 32 GB of memory
Storage M.2 M.2 2280 slot for PCIe/SATA SSD-
DFF 1 × 2.5″ SSD/HDD
Card Reader SD/microSD
Wireless 802.11ac Wi-Fi + BT 4.2
Ethernet 1 × Gigabit Ethernet with RJ45 connector
Display Outputs 1 × DisplayPort 1.2

2 × HDMI 2.0
Audio 3.5 mm audio-in

3.5 mm audio-out
USB 4×USB 3.0 Type-A

1×USB 3.? Type-C
PSU External
OS Microsoft Windows 10 or none

ZOTAC plans to start selling its Raven Ridge-based ZBOX MA551 sometimes in the second quarter, after AMD makes such processors widely available. Pricing is yet unknown.



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Source: AnandTech – ZOTAC at CES 2018: AMD Raven Ridge APU in a ZBOX MA551 Mini-PC