Are you a hardcore gamer and spent most of your time playing computer games? If yes, then having a high-tech super powerful gaming machine is just what you need and nothing can be better than Zotac mek1. This high-performance desktop has created hype in customers with its next-generation features and most importantly its super slick design.
Zotac has a huge market base of mini-pc and this year the company has decided to combine its USP, i.e., compact design with gaming specification resulting in a smaller sized gaming desktop. It’s quite surprising on the part of a company like Zotac to show such a drastic shift. However, the Zotac mek1 is known for some great selling points like:
- Slick Design
- No bloatware
- High-end feature
- Solid peripherals
- Looks premium
However, the desktop comes with few negatives as well including:
- Difficult upgradation process
- Gaming experience could be improved
- Difficult to understand its internal structure
For more details and price, click here.
Bottom line
The Zotac mek1 can handle any game you throw at it with ease. Although the desktop doesn’t give enough room for upgradation, this lean gaming rig is a go-with product at such a moderate price. Therefore, if you are thinking to invest in a gaming desktop for the first time or don’t need something chunky for your gaming desk, then Zotac mek1 surely is the desktop that can join with your other gaming gadgets.
Contents
Zotac mek1 review – A complete tour of the Desktop
Design
The design has always been a weak spot of gaming desktop, but Zotac has removed this barrier and created a very stylish and sleek looking desktop in comparison to its competitors. Unlike HP Omen desktop, Zotax mek1 boasts a classy look and thin body which allows it to stand out from the crowdy. The sharp lines and LED lighting on the desktop give it a futuristic feel. Being small in size which measures 15.5 x 4.65 x 16.3, this small desktop tower pc occupies less space on your desk. Its smooth, black-plastic side panel is like the induction hood of a sports car. The vents are positioned perfectly, making it look sporty and lining it up with the CPU cooler. The GPU provides direct fresh air to the components thus protecting any heat-related damages. The side panels and the top edge of the Zotac mek1 are illustrated with RGB light bar give it a unique look. Due to its design, it is one of the major selling desktops in the gaming industry. If you want a stylish gaming pc, then it’s the perfect one to buy without even looking at any other brand.
Price
Price is always a deciding factor whether a product will stay or not. Keeping various elements in mind, Zotac has set the price very strategically in terms of features and analyzing its competition. The Zotac mek1 is available in two colors white and black at a price of around $1500. However, the price range of the desktop is a deal closer for Zotac in comparison to its competitors. The 16 GB RAM, full-sized graphics card, the smart design will make Zotac mek1 the best gaming desktop of this year.
The quality and power-packed features that Zotac is providing to its customers are more than what it is charging. If you are on a low budget, and can’t compromise on your gaming experience, then Zotac mek1 can turn out to be the best option. However, it all depends upon the customer preferences as some are brand conscious whereas some look for design.
If you are confused and thinking whether you should buy Zotac mek1 or not, then look at the specs; it might be helpful in making the final decision.
- Processor: Intel Core i7-7700
- Motherboard: Intel B250 (Custom Zotac Mini-ITX)
- Memory: 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR4-2400
- Graphics: Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB GDDR5
- Storage: 240GB Phison PS5008-E8 M.2 PCIe 3.0 x 2 NVMe SSD, 1TB 2.5” 7,200RPM HDD
- Optical Drive: N/A
- Networking: Realtek RTL8168 Dual Gigabit Ethernet, Intel Wireless AC 3165 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Interface: Front Panel: (2) USB 3.0; Back Panel: (4) USB 3.0, (2) USB 2.0
- Video Output: (1) HDMI 2.0, (3) DisplayPort 1.4, (1) DVI-D
- Power Supply: 450W SFX
- Case: Zotac Mek1 Mini-ITX
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
- Extras: S/PDIF, Spectre Lighting, Mechanical Keyboard and Mouse Included
- Dimensions: 15.5 x 4.65 x 16.3 inches
Upgrading
One of the positives of gaming desktop is that they provide enough upgradation. It’s not an economical option to spend thousands of dollars on a desktop which is not flexible for changes according to the latest specs gaming. Zotac mek1 is not bulky and gives enough room for upgradation, but not similar to some high-gaming pc.
The pc has enough ports to support as many devices as you want. On the front side, behind the sliding door two USB 3.0 ports, one headphone, and microphone jack are placed. On the back of the machine, it includes four addition USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, dual Ethernet jack for better connectivity, optical audio, PS/2 port, etc. The desktop supports upgradation with the help of its various ports, but its internal upgradation is a little bit difficult because of its thin design. Unlike many other desktops out there in the market, Zotac mek1 requires profession tools for upgradation. There are no issues in upgrading the memory and storage, but when it comes to upgrading the CPU cooler, then you have to face some problems as it is completely designed for the i7-7700 CPU. However, if you wish to upgrade it, then you have to spend some extra bugs on the new part and hope they fit perfectly. Moreover, the GPU is one of Zotac own card and switching beyond the demand of 450-watts is a bit of a challenge.
Still, if you don’t like opening the desktop and do crazy stuff with the hardware, then it’s the perfect gaming desktop you have ever spent money on. But if you are a techie and like to play with the hardware, then it may disappoint you a bit.
Performance
Performance is the soul of gaming desktop, and if it fails to perform well, then the desktop will vanish from the market before anyone knows it even existed. However, Zotac mek1 never fails to surprise you with its influential features in playing any latest game in 1080p or higher. It is packed with high-end specs to support any massive graphics game you throw at it. The desktop was tested with some of the top-rated games like Tomb Raider, Hitman, etc. The benchmark showed surprisingly great results reaching to 123FPS. However, the result for tomb raider was not very good in comparison to other games, but still, it was playable with very little lag.
The mek1 comes with Intel Core i7-7700 CPU 16 GB RAM and 240GB SSD and 1TB HDD which makes it a power-pack device for gaming. The desktop will not show even a small lag even if you open 30 tabs at a time in Chrome, including streaming of Fortnite at 1080p at the same time. In spite of thin design, it didn’t hamper the overall performance of the desktop. It was reported with a maximum of 80-degree temperature while copying some massive files which is pretty excellent for a desktop with such a small frame.
All in all, the Zotac mek1 is a high-end performing device that offers a small room for upgradation, but surely it is a value for money product. However, if you are new to gaming desktop industry and want to buy your first high-performance gaming laptop, then Zotac mek1 is the perfect machine, but if you are switching your flagship, then moving to Zotac mek1 is not a viable option.
Conclusion
The Zotac mek1 is an out of the box gaming machine which is breaking all the records of gaming desktop even being so small in size. Moreover, the Zotac mek1 reviews prove that it is packed with decent internals and run through any game and benchmarks with pretty amazing results. If you are on low budget and looking forward to buying a gaming pc, then this is the desktop you are searching for so long.
