The ZimaBoard 2 is an upcoming single-board server that’s basically a pocket-sized PC with a low-power Intel processor plus a few extra features that set it apart from most other mini PCs.
For one thing, the ZimaBoard 2 has a PCIe 3.0 x4 connector on the side that allows you to connect an SSD, Ethernet adapters, AI accelerators, or other hardware. And for another, it has two SATA III connectors that let you attach hard drives. Given the ZimaBoard 2’s compact size though, none of those add-ons will fit inside the case.
As the name suggests, the ZimaBoard 2 isn’t the first member of the ZimaBoard family. Icewhale Technology launched the original ZimaBoard in 2021 and expanded the lineup with a ZimaCube NAS a few years later.
The new ZimaBoard 2 gets back to the original idea of a small, fanless computer small enough to hold in your hand by versatile enough to use for a wide range of purposes. It could be a media or file server. It could be a router, gateway, or firewall. Or it could just be a small, low-power home computer.
While the original ZimaBoard shipped with Intel Apollo Lake processors that were already more than four years old at the time that the board launched, the ZimaBoard 2 is powered by a current-gen Intel Twin Lake processor that should bring a significant boost in CPU and graphics performance. The company says users can expect a 200 percent performance boost, even though the new model runs cooler and quieter and uses less power while idle.
| ZimaBoard 2 | ZimaBoard 832 | ZimaBoard 216 | |
| Processor | Intel Processor N150 Quad core Up to 3.6 GHz 6W TDP Twin Lake architecture | Intel Celeron N3350 Dual core Up to 2.2 GHz 6W TDP Apollo Lake architecture | Intel Celeron N3450 Quad core Up to 2.4 GHz 6W TDP Apollo Lake architecture |
| Graphics | Intel Graphics 24 execution units Up to 1 GHz | Intel HD Graphics 500 12 execution units Up to 700 MHz | Intel HD Graphics 500 12 execution units Up to 650 MHz |
| RAM | DDR5 | 8GB LPDDR4 | 2GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage (onboard) | ? | 32GB eMMC | 16GB eMMC |
| Storage (expandable) | 2 x SATA III 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4 | 2 x SATA III 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4 | |
| Ports | 2 x 2.5 GbE Ethernet 2 x USB 3.x Type-A | 2 x Gigabit Ethernet 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A 1 x mini DisplayPort 1.2 | |
| Starting price (at launch) | ? | $180 | $100 |
There are still a few things that Icewhale hasn’t revealed yet. We don’t know how much the ZimaBoard 2 will cost, or when it will be available for purchase.
