ZOTAC has launched the NEN Steam Machine ZBOX-SN970-P. This Steam OS packing PC is said to be the "most powerful small form Steam Machine" so far. It offers PC Gaming with Console DNA, says ZOTAC's marketing department. The key performance components in this PC are the 6th gen Intel quad-core i5 Skylake processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 graphics processor. The machine isn't as small as many of ZOTAC's range, measuring 210mm x 203mm x 62.2mm (approx 8 x 8 x 2-inches).
The ZOTAC NEN has the following key specs:
- CPU: 6th Gen Intel Core i5-6400T Skylake processor (quad-core, 2.2GHz, up to 2.8GHz)
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 (192-bit, 3GB GDDR5)
- Memory: 8GB memory (up to 16GB, one slot free)
- Storage: 1TB 2.5-inch SATA HDD with 1 x M.2 SATA SSD slot available
- Connectivity and I/O: Dual gigabit LAN, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4 x HDMI 2.0, SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II slot, audio combo, USB 3.0 Type-C, 2 x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, IR port
- Power: AC adaptor supplies 19.5V/180W
- SteamOS is pre-installed, and one Steam Controller is bundled
In operation you will find your NEN to be "whisper quiet, completely cool," says ZOTAC. Inside it uses dual radial coolers to keep the modern performance components ticking over comfortably. Despite its quiet efficiency you should be able to enjoy thousands of Steam games in Full HD.
Inside the system ZOTAC has installed a Steam Controller dongle which can facilitate connection of up to 4x Steam Controllers simultaneously. One Steam Controller is bundled for free.
There may be some confusion about the GPU installed in this 'ZBOX-SN970-P' system. A regular GTX 960 has a 128-bit memory bus so, as an educated guess this so called GTX 960 with 192-bit bus is a rebadged GTX 970M, as it was in the recently released, similarly code numbered, ZOTAC ZBOX MAGNUS EN970 machine.
ZOTAC has yet to announce pricing and availability for the NEN.