The Zima Board 2 is a powerful and affordable single board server for DIY enthusiasts. It offers impressive specs in a compact, fanless design.
Table of Contents
Introducing the Zima Board 2
The world of data storage and home servers can often feel stagnant, with few truly exciting new products hitting the market. However, the team at Ice Whale has been consistently innovating with their Zima line of solutions. Their latest offering, the Zima Board 2, aims to shake things up as an affordable and DIY-friendly single board server.
Designed for IoT applications, small-scale Plex media servers, containers, light virtualization, and custom backup appliances, the Zima Board 2 builds on the success of Ice Whale’s previous crowdfunded products like the original Zima Board, Zima Blade, and Zima Cube.
Key Features and Specs
- Intel N150 quad-core CPU (up to 3.6 GHz)
- 8GB DDR5 RAM (soldered)
- 32GB internal storage (soldered eMMC)
- 2x 2.5GbE Ethernet ports
- USB 3.2 ports
- Mini HDMI out
- PCIe 3.0 x4 slot
- Fanless, passive cooling design
- Compact form factor
Crowdfunding Campaign
The Zima Board 2 is launching via crowdfunding, continuing Ice Whale’s successful track record of delivering on their campaign promises. While potential backers should always exercise caution with crowdfunding, Ice Whale has proven reliable with their previous Zima products eventually reaching traditional retail channels.
Hardware Deep Dive
Innovative Cooling Design
One of the most striking aspects of the Zima Board 2 is its fanless design. The entire metal chassis acts as a heatsink, with thick top and bottom panels efficiently dissipating heat from the internal components. This passive cooling approach allows for silent operation, but does have some thermal limitations to consider.
Processor and Memory
At the heart of the Zima Board 2 is Intel’s N150 processor, part of the new Alder Lake-N family. This quad-core, four-thread CPU can boost up to 3.6 GHz and features improved integrated graphics compared to the previous generation Celeron N3450 found in the original Zima Board.
The system comes equipped with 8GB of DDR5 RAM, which is soldered directly to the board. While 8GB is sufficient for many use cases, it may become a limitation for more demanding virtualization or container workloads. The lack of upgradability here is somewhat disappointing.
Storage Options
The Zima Board 2 includes 32GB of internal eMMC storage, which comes pre-loaded with the ZimaOS operating system. This storage is also soldered to the board and offers modest performance, with write speeds around 35 MB/s.
For expanded storage, the board offers:
- 2x SATA ports (via included adapter)
- USB 3.2 ports for external drives
- PCIe 3.0 x4 slot for NVMe SSDs or other expansion cards
Networking and Expansion
Networking is well-covered with dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, allowing for multi-gig setups or link aggregation. The standout expansion feature is the PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, which opens up possibilities for 10 Gigabit networking, faster storage, or even modest GPUs.
Performance and Power Consumption
Network Performance
In testing, the Zima Board 2 easily saturated both 2.5GbE ports. When equipped with a 10GbE PCIe card, it was also able to fully utilize that connection, showcasing the capabilities of the N150 processor.
Storage Performance
While the internal eMMC storage is relatively slow, the system showed promise with NVMe SSDs in the PCIe slot. Read speeds of 1.3-1.6 GB/s were observed, though write performance was more limited. The exact numbers will vary based on the specific SSDs and PCIe cards used.
Thermal Considerations
The passive cooling design works reasonably well, but does have limitations:
- Idle temperatures: 50-54°C after 24 hours
- Under load: Temperatures can climb significantly higher
- Enclosed spaces: Active airflow is strongly recommended
Power Consumption
Power usage is impressively low for the performance on offer:
- Idle: 10.4-10.6 watts (with multiple SSDs connected)
- Heavy load: 39-40 watts (100% CPU, 50% RAM, multiple drives, 10GbE active)
This efficiency makes the Zima Board 2 an excellent option for 24/7 operation, especially when running lighter workloads.
Also Read: Mac Mini M4: Compact for Productivity and Creativity
Software Ecosystem
ZimaOS
The Zima Board 2 comes pre-loaded with ZimaOS, Ice Whale’s custom operating system based on CasaOS. While many users may opt for alternative OSes, ZimaOS offers a surprisingly robust feature set:
- User-friendly web interface
- Built-in file management
- Docker container support
- Basic VM capabilities
- Remote access options
- Multimedia playback
ZimaOS strikes a balance between ease-of-use and functionality, making it a viable option for users who don’t want to immediately switch to a different operating system.
Third-Party OS Support
The Zima Board 2 is fully compatible with popular NAS and server operating systems:
- Unraid
- TrueNAS Scale
- Proxmox
- Ubuntu Server
- And more
This flexibility allows users to tailor the system to their specific needs and leverage existing software ecosystems.
Use Cases and Applications
The Zima Board 2’s combination of compact size, low power consumption, and decent performance make it suitable for a wide range of home and small office applications:
Home Media Server
With support for Plex, Jellyfin, and other media server software, the Zima Board 2 can easily handle streaming to multiple devices. The Intel QuickSync support in the N150 processor enables hardware transcoding for improved performance.
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
Using ZimaOS, Unraid, or TrueNAS, the Zima Board 2 can function as a capable NAS device. The dual 2.5GbE ports provide fast network access, while the SATA and USB ports allow for multiple storage drives.
Docker Host
The quad-core processor and 8GB of RAM provide a solid foundation for running multiple Docker containers. This makes the Zima Board 2 ideal for self-hosting various services and applications.
Light Virtualization
While not as powerful as dedicated virtualization servers, the Zima Board 2 can handle a few lightweight virtual machines for testing or running isolated applications.
IoT Hub and Home Automation
The low power consumption and always-on nature of the Zima Board 2 make it well-suited as a central hub for IoT devices and home automation systems.
Backup Target
With its flexible storage options, the Zima Board 2 can serve as a local backup appliance for other devices on your network.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Compact, fanless design
- Low power consumption
- Dual 2.5GbE networking
- PCIe 3.0 x4 expansion slot
- Affordable price point
- Flexible OS options
- SATA ports for additional drives
Cons
- Limited to 8GB RAM (non-upgradable)
- Slow internal eMMC storage
- Passive cooling may require additional airflow
- Mini HDMI instead of full-size
Conclusion
The Zima Board 2 represents an exciting evolution in the single board server market. It offers a compelling mix of performance, efficiency, and expandability at an attractive price point. While it does have some limitations, particularly in terms of RAM and internal storage speed, these are understandable trade-offs given its target market and price range.
For home lab enthusiasts, media server aficionados, and those looking to dip their toes into the world of self-hosted services, the Zima Board 2 provides an accessible and capable platform. Its ability to run a wide range of operating systems ensures that it can grow with your needs and adapt to various use cases.
The passive cooling design is a double-edged sword, offering silent operation but potentially requiring additional cooling considerations in some setups. However, for many home and small office environments, this shouldn’t pose a significant problem.
Ultimately, the Zima Board 2 continues Ice Whale’s tradition of delivering innovative and user-friendly server solutions. It fills a valuable niche between ultra-low-power ARM-based single board computers and more powerful (but also more power-hungry and expensive) x86 systems.
For those considering backing the crowdfunding campaign, Ice Whale’s track record provides some reassurance, but standard crowdfunding precautions still apply. If the final product matches the prototype’s capabilities, the Zima Board 2 is poised to become a popular choice in the DIY server community.
Whether you’re looking to set up your first home server, expand your existing lab, or simply want a low-power always-on system for various tasks, the Zima Board 2 is definitely worth considering. Its blend of performance, efficiency, and flexibility make it a standout option in the increasingly crowded single board server market.
Image Credit : Zima Space