Zotac ZBOX-AD04-U AMD A50M (Hudson M1) 2 x 204Pin AMD Radeon HD 6320 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System

Pros: Size and everything else. Will likely get another for the Kitchen.

Cons: None. The only thing I would like is for the remote to be able to turn it on when actually off not just standby. Not really a problem.

Other Thoughts: Hooked up in bedroom. Size is perfect. Performs like any desktop PC or laptop using wireless mouse and keyboard.
I'm not playing games on it but everything else works great. It handles 1080P but the view distance makes 720P the better choice on a 40" LED LCD HDTV.

Pros: cheap
high functioning remote out of the box with openelec, no programming needed
looks nice
low power draw
suspend and resume works with openelec
easy to assemble

Cons: pricey
runs a little hot... like 135 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other Thoughts: I wanted a htpc that would suspend and resume via remote. My set up works perfectly and I have left the machine suspended and resumed for 4 days straight. I have the bare bones ad04. put in 4gb 1333 ram. This is all you need for openelec. Also purchased a 64gb ssd drive. My box is hooked up via cat5 to my server. I do not use USB drives attached to the box. Just make sure you setup up the HDD interface in the bios correctly and up the ram for the video in the bios (I set it to 1gb).

Pros: Lots of stuff for the price - Onboard wifi, onboard bluetooth, USB3, SATA 3, HDMI/Display port, remote/IR receiver, VESA mount, card reader, and optical audio

Zotac either fixed the overheating issue or I lucked out, since even after several hours of streaming HD video, the CPU will sit in the mid 50 degree C range and the case will only be slightly above room temperature.

Streams most video from my NAS over ethernet just fine

Coupled with an SSD, 4GB ram, and my last copy of Windows XP, it seems rather quick considering it's running an E-450

Cons: Mostly what you'd get from common sense or pics and the description

Limited upgrade potential - 8GB memory cap, one 2.5" drive bay, and I believe you're pretty much stuck with the E-450

IR receiver takes up a USB port, but they already crammed a bunch of stuff inside.

Like another reviewer said, struggles with direct MKV blu-ray files. But I only have it hooked up to a 720p screen, so after converting them to 720p it runs fine.

Other Thoughts: Got this on sale and it came bundled with a 64GB SSD. Since I had a few DIMMs left over from upgrading my laptops memory and a copy of XP from an old 3 pack, I grabbed it thinking it would make a decent HTPC.

I knew AMDs low powered APUs were a bit beefier than Intels Atoms, but after using a netbook with an old N450 I expected the E-450 to still feel kind of sluggish. This probably has something to do with using a 12 year old OS, but it gets up and running quickly and even powers through 1080p if the bitrate is dropped down a little.

Pros: Nice looking, boots quickly.

Cons: Will not boot with USB 3.0 drives attached to the USB 3.0 ports. This means you have to boot first THEN attach the drives. Tech support, when they finally actually addressed the problem, was worthless... they told me to just use the USB 2.0 ports. The USB 3.0 ports are next to useless and so is Zotac if they believe it's acceptable to leave a bug of this magnitude unaddressed.

Other Thoughts: It is sad that a company would put a feature on a computer that makes the entire computer malfunction when used. Let's save "window dressing" for the department stores, eh? Let's not put features on a computer just to boost the specs especially when they are detrimental to its operation. Sorry, Zoltac... this was an epic fail.

Manufacturer Response:

Hi,

I apologize for the reply you were given. The ZBOX is able to boot with a drive attached to the USB 3.0 port. I would suggest to request for RMA.
If you have any questions, you can send them to lee@zotacusa.com.

Thanks.

Pros: The systems works great. Handles XBMCbuntu wonderfully. I would recommend this to anyone.

Cons: No real Cons. The only problem that I have is a software issue, I am sure.

Other Thoughts: It shouldn't come with a remote but I would have liked it if it had a lirc supported IR receiver built in.

Pros: Portable system with a good amount of power. Great for multimedia, good for some older games as well.

Cons: Does not provide the power/options associated with a desktop system. Netflix in HD is still an issue.

Other Thoughts: Still has some difficulty playing Netflix on HD, but this seems to be a known issue. All other video files run perfectly. No issues running DX9 games on medium.
I got this unit as a means of having a portable system with me when I go places. Considering it has an HDMI port, it's possible to use this computer on the road in most hotels with flat screen TVs. On a whim, I tried running some older games on it, which amazingly it handles quite well.
I have not had the overheating issue some people have noted.
This system is equipped with:
8gb ram
120gb SSD

Pros: -Size
-Features (WIFI, HDMI, Flash Card, USB 3.0...)
-Powerfull : Play 1080p, streamed from NAS over wifi, perfectly

Cons: None that i can find ATM

Other Thoughts: Very nice setup with a 32 GB SSD, 8 GB Memory and OpenELEC (XBMC).
The build made by OpenELEC for this processor and video card worked right after install without playing in config files.
Very good solution if you can afford a computer dedicated for Multimedia !

Pros: Nice looking unit, easy to install ram and HD, multiple mounting configurations, plenty of connection options. Remote control works awesome with XBMC.

Cons: None so far

Other Thoughts: Not counting building a USB installer for windows 7, it only took about 90 minutes to get the zbox fully up and running with XBMC and mounted to the back of my bedroom TV.

I read some other reviews and was worried about the remote, but it works great.

Pros: Comes with most of what you need for a good bedroom HTPC. I put in 4GB for a 32bit Windows 7 build. Seems like plenty of horsepower for high def with no stutters. I am using wired ethernet and tapping into my primary HTPC recordings/movies and HD Homerun that is distributing HD Over The Air TV via ethernet :
* Small footprint and brackets to hang off back of TV
* Remote control and IR receiver included
* Solid CPU and Video combo on the APU chipset, able to stream high def broadcasts
* Quiet. I have it about 10 ft away. When put into sleep mode, it is pretty close to silent from that range.

Cons: Had to do a little research about creating a Windows 7 Iso on 16GB USB stick for installation.
Went right to the Zotac website for drivers and ignored the CD that it ships with.
Biggest disappointment is the remote control. It has no button/learning ability for TV power on/off. So I need 2 remotes. And the Microsoft remotes won't work with this IR receiver, so that option is out. But for the price, I guess I can get up and turn off the TV.

Other Thoughts: This is a great price point, especially if you have extra laptop SATA hard drives sitting around. Theoretically, you could build a sweet HTPC for $300.

Pros: Form factor
AMD APU
Included Remote
Quiet operation

Cons: IR receiver not built-in (although this might have been by design as VESA mounting is optional)
UEFI BIOS wouldn't allow Win 7 install on GPT partitioned HD
Gets very hot and currently crashes quite often

Other Thoughts: I appear to be having the same overheating issues others are stating. I'll keep my mind open for the possibility of something else pending Zotac's feedback, but it's quite frustrating that the product does what I want but can't use it due to instability. Hopefully Zotac will right the situation and provide a full explanation as to exactly what's wrong with my unit.