Zotac is updating its Magnus E line of compact desktop computers with two new models. One is the Magnus One ERP74070W, which sports a desktop-class Intel Core i7-13700 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics with 12GB of GDDR6X memory. And while that models is small by gaming desktop standards, it’s rather large for a mini PC, measuring 266 x 249 x 126 (10.5″ x 10″ x 5″).
But folks looking for a lot of horsepower in an even smaller package may want to keep an eye on the Zotac Magnus EN374070C, which is a 210 x 203 x 62mm (8.3″ x 8″ x 2.5″) system with the guts of a gaming laptop, including a Core i7-13700HX processor and RTX 4070 mobile GPU with 8GB of GDDR6 memory.
While the size difference may not look that big on paper, Zotac says the Magnus One has an internal volume of 8.3 liters, while the Magnus EN374070C is just a 2.6L machine that should take up a lot less space on your desk while offering CPU performance that’s pretty close to what you’d get from the larger model.
That said, the Magnus One has a higher-power graphics card, support for faster memory, more displays, and room for up to three storage devices rather than just two.
Here’s a run-down of how the two systems compare:
| Magnus One ERP74070W | Magnus EN374070C | |
| Dimensions | 266 x 126 x 249mm 8.3 liter volume | 210 x 203 x 62mm 2.6 liter volume |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-13700H 16-cores, 24 threads Up to 5.2 GHz 65W | Intel Core i7-13700HX 16-cores, 24 threads Up to 5 GHz 55W |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 12GB GDDR6X 192-bit | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 mobile 8GB GDDR6 128-bit Up to 115 watts |
| RAM | 2 x DDR5-5600/5200 SODIMM slots Up to 64GB total | 2 x DDR5-4800 SODIMM slots Up to 64GB total |
| Storage | 1 x M.2 2242/2280 slot for PCIe 4.0 storage 1 x M.2 2242/2280/22110 slot for PCIe 4.0 storage 1 x 2.5″ SATA 3 drive bay | 2 x M.2 2230/2242/2280/22110 slots for PCIe 4.0 storage |
| Ports | 1 x HDMI (4K/120Hz or 8K/60 Hz) 1 x HDMI 1.4 (4K/30Hz) 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a (8K/60Hz) 4 x USB 3.1 Type-A 3 x USB 3.0 Type-A 1 x USB 3.0 Type-C 1 x Gigabit Ethernet 1 x 2.5 GbE Ethernet 1 x Thunderbolt 4 1 x SD card reader | 1 x HDMI (4K/120Hz or 8K/60 Hz) 2 x DisplayPort 1.4a (8K/60Hz) 5 x USB 3.1 2 x 2.5 GbE Ethernet 1 x Thunderbolt 4 1 x SD card reader |
| Wireless | WiFi 6 (AX1650) Bluetooth 5.2 | WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Power | 500W power supply | 330W power supply |
| Cooling | Fan + heat sink | Fan + heat sink |
All models are available in a choice of Barebones or Windows configurations (the Windows models come with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows pre-installed while the barebones versions… don’t).
The Magnus One series also comes with a choice of a black or white chassis, while the EN374070C only comes in black.
Will be interesting to see what these price at. I had an old Zotac Atom minicomputer a long time ago and it had performed solidly for many years.
Minimum of USD$800 [without RAM] and then climb.
Amazon lists them and do others.
Hey, thanks for the reminder about their old Atom boxes!
I had a Zotac PI320 as our living room streaming box until it was replaced by a Roku in 2015 or 2016 (Windows 10 eventually outgrew the Zotac’s storage capacity). It’s just been sitting in a cabinet. I’d completely forgotten about it until I saw your comment. I dug it out last night and tried Zorin OS (which has become my Linux of choice) on it.
I just had to follow a few steps found online to get the wifi working. Everything else worked just fine right off the install, and now I have a small spare device to use as a travel Pi-Hole or for other random tinkering.