ZOTAC has announced that the ZBOX pico PI430AJ with AirJet is now available for purchase in select regions in both Windows and Barebone configurations. Described by the manufacturer as being the world’s first solid-state active cooled mini PC, this is an ultra-compact system that features Frore’s unique AirJet Mini Modules for removing heat silently through rapid airflow, enabling an extremely quiet system that is only audible “when put against one’s ear.” An Intel Core i3-N300 processor, 8 GB of LPDDR5 memory, M.2 NVMe storage slot, and more can be found in the system, which measures only as big as a deck of cards.
ZBOX pico PI430AJ with AirJet (Windows) Features
- World’s first Solid State Active Cooling Mini PC
- Whisper quiet operation
- Ultra-compact 0.21 Liter design, VESA Mount Ready
- 4K@60 Hz ready with HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4
- Intel Core i3-N300 processor
- 8GB LPDDR5 Onboard Memory
- 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD Storage
- 3 x USB 3.2 Ports (1 Type-C)
- WiFi 6, Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth 5.2
- Windows 11 home pre-installed
First debuted at COMPUTEX 2023, the ZBOX PI430AJ with AirJet is the first product of its kind to feature revolutionary Solid-State Active Cooling technology. With each unit featuring two AirJet Mini Modules by Frore Systems, these thin, silent modules are capable of removing significant heat through rapid airflow, raising the ZBOX PI430AJ’s thermal ceiling without compromising its form factor.
Taking advantage of the newfound possibilities enabled by the AirJet, the ZBOX PI430AJ is equipped with an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB LPDDR5 memory, M.2 SSD storage slot, and more — all within a system the size of a deck of cards.
With no fans or other moving parts, the PI430AJ’s active cooling module operates so quietly that it is only audible when put against one’s ear. Plus, the increased cooling capacity makes it possible to achieve a stronger and more sustained performance, even with a more robust CPU inside.
The solid-state design of the system also implies minimal wear and tear over time, further increasing its stability, reliability, and robustness. The design is also dust-proof, making it possible to sustain its operation in harsher environments.
Although small, the ZBOX PI430AJ with AirJet has a well-rounded selection of connectivity options for peripheral needs. It includes a USB Type-C port and two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, HDMI and DisplayPort display outputs, a full-sized Gigabit LAN port, Bluetooth 5.2, and WiFi 6 wireless connectivity options.
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →You can't have "rapid" airflow without noise, since it is the airflow that creates the noise in the first place.
And no, 27dB is not silent, in fact it is quite noisy especially for a device that already compromises on performance. I'd rather have a passive heatsink that maybe doubles the size but is actually silent.
27 db is the equivalent of a ticking watch placed directly against the ear.
Far from "noisy"
A supposedly 27 dBa fan is about twice as loud than what I find acceptable. And an idle computer shouldn't make more noise than 20dBA. It's a logarithmic scale, so 27 is about 4x as loud as 20.
A ticking watch in my ear would certainly drive me up a wall.
Peltier coolers are making a comeback?
Hardly world first.
Yeah I was gonna say, that would drive me absolutely insane.
I think you are missing the point that 27 db is barely audible, and inaudible from less than a foot away. So unless you are wearing your PC around your head you aren't going to hear it.
I can hear a ticking clock from 2 rooms away. 27db is not inaudible, 19db isn't inaudible either. Or perhaps they are lying about their fans? I don't have a dB meter, so I can only rely on what's written on the packaging, and based on that 27dB is loud AF to me.
They're 'lying' in that the fan noise is measured in 'free air', i.e. with nothing in front of or behind the fan, just standing there on it's own.
Most fans are silent until you try to use them to push air through something like a case, heatsink, or radiator.
As an example, I don't think I could get any room in my house consistently down to 27dB. I'd have to set up a dedicated 'quiet room' to down out external noise, and I don't think I'd be able to make the A/C quiet regardless of what I did!
I'm way past that point. I usually remove / cut the grill of cases for this exact reason.
As an example CM jetflo fans come with RPM adaptors, one for 1600rpm (suppodedly 28dB) and an 1200rpm (supposedly 19dB) "silent" adaptor.
Without the regulator on full power the fan is like a hair dryer completely unbearable for me. With the 1600rpm one it is still louder than what I can tolerate. The 19dB adaptor is good enough for a workstation where noise isn't as critical. But for it to be truly silent by my standards, I'd daisy chain the 28dB adaptor with the 19dB one, which reduces the RPM to about 900. That's when I can actually call it silent.
You can hear a wrist watch from 2 rooms away? I call bullshit on that. lmao
Unless you are in a literal quiet HOUSE (not room, but house) who's noise level is below 20 dB you're not hearing a wrist watch from 2 rooms away. All the other noise will drown it out LONG before that occurs.
2 rooms away. lmao
If you wanted quiet fans, you wouldn't be buying them from CM...
The gold standard for a standard-sized fan is Noctua's NF-A12x25 PWM for 120mm fans that are the standard 25mm thick. They're based on the old Nidec Gentle Typhoon design with improvements to reduce potential annoying NVH at higher RPMs as well as to increase longevity.
They're still quite audible when running at their max 2000RPM, of course, but provide an excellent tradeoff at lower speeds. Also, you should be setting fan speed against a temperature target, rather than inserting a resister to reduce voltage. I use 120mm x 30mm GT-like fans from Phanteks, that can spin to 3000RPM, and have them set against water temperature in my loop. At idle they'll be under 800RPM, and if the temperature ever shot up to alarming levels, they'd ramp up accordingly.
I said ticking clock, a watch is not 27dBA. And with the doors open, obviously, not through the walls.
That's just shifting the goalpost, I used those fans as examples because it has factory declared noise levels for multiple speeds.
In my experience at 800rpm any fan will be silent, you don't need any special fan for that.
In free air - that's the point, and the goalpost is the one that folks assume about fans based on marketing. That's the point relative to the Zotac with solid-state cooling: you can't compare what fan manufacturers claim.
I have to agree with this.
I´ve been through most types of fans trying for as silent as poss, at the moment I settled on be quiet silent wings for the case, and a dark rock cooler, they are running at about 1000rpm. this is about the limit for me as a trade off between airflow and noise.
In the old days when there were no posh fans about, I just used the 12v to 7v mod.