ZimaBoard Review: The Ultimate Hackable Single Board Server for 2023
Want to win a special edition Zimaboard? Watch this week's Electromaker YouTube Show!
In this week's episode of Product of The Week, we're taking a look at the world’s first hackable single-board server.... the ZimaBoard!
The Zimaboard packs a punch with its microserver capabilities and if you're someone who's been dabbling with servers, then the ZimaBoard is a game-changer. This miniature server offers the power of a small server and comes in a form factor not much larger than the Raspberry Pi, making it a great choice for engineers and makers alike. In this article, we'll explore why the ZimaBoard is a must-have for server enthusiasts and what projects you can take on with this impressive piece of technology.
What is the ZimaBoard?
The ZimaBoard is a single-board server that provides engineers and makers with the power of a microserver in an extremely small package. Supporting both Windows and Linux, this miniature server allows for the development of personal cloud software solutions, VPNs, and even data processing for remote IoT devices.
Why is the ZimaBoard awesome?
If you know anything about servers, then you should instantly recognize why the ZimaBoard is one hell of a beast. For those who are looking to experiment with home servers but don’t know much about them, let me make this simple for you; the Zimaboard takes the power of a small server and squishes it into a single-board computer not that much larger than the Raspberry Pi. Then, just to make things even more awesome, this microserver then gives you two-gigabit ethernet ports, good write and read speeds (more on this later), and then a TDP of 6W. So, it’s an extremely powerful system capable of server functions on a tiny board, oh, and is a lot cheaper than a regular server system.
Features and specs of the ZimaBoard
To start, the ZimaBoard is an x86/x64 system incorporating an Intel Celeron N3350/N3450 Dual Core/Quad Core with an adaptive frequency range from 1.1GHz to 2.4GHz, optional RAM sizes from 2GB to 8GB LPDDR4, and onboard storage of either 16GB or 32GB eMMC.
Two SATA ports provide 6Gbps of bandwidth each, and two gigabit LAN ports provide multiple network connections. Two USB2.0 and one USB3.0 allows for connecting to external peripherals, and one mini display port supports 4K at 60fps. Additionally, the ZimaBoard also integrates one PCIe PCIe 2.0 4X port, allowing for expansion with other PCIe devices.
Now, what makes these features amazing is that all of this is packed into a device measuring just 140 x 82 x 35mm. At the same time, this thing just looks athletically pleasing, so clearly that is a big plus as well.
- Model: ZimaBoard 216/432/832
- CPU: Intel Celeron N3350 Dual Core 1.1-2.4GHz (216 Model), or Intel Celeron N3450 Quad Core 1.1-2.2GHz (432 & 832 Model)
- RAM: 2G/4G/8G LPDDR4
- Onboard Storage: 16GB/32GB eMMC
- HDD/SSD: 2x SATA 6.0 Gb/s Ports
- LAN: 2x GbE LAN Ports
- USB: 2x USB 3.0
- PCle: 1x PCle 2.0 4x
- Display: 1x Mini-DisplayPort 1.2 4k@60Hz
- TDP: 6W
- Dimensions: (W x D x H) 138.7 x 81.4 x 34.9 mm
- Weight: 278g
- Other Features:
- Passive Cooling
- Intel VT-d, VT-x, AES-NI
- Support 4K video transcoding
- H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-2, VC-1
- Pre-installed OS: CasaOS (Based on Debian)
- Compatible OS: Linux / Windows / OpenWrt / pfSense / Android / Libreelec
What can you do with the ZimaBoard?
By far the best use for the ZimaBoard is as a microserver, hosting cloud services including remote file hosting, cloud backups, and even handling data connections between IoT devices. Using cross-platform code languages such as Python and Java, server apps can easily be developed and deployed to this microserver, especially for those who want to create their own IoT protocols.
On the topic of server applications, the ZimaBoard can also be used as a remote VPN, protecting your data when outside the home. By creating a personal VPN server, you can remotely connect the ZimaBoard, encrypt all your traffic, and browse the internet using an ISP you can trust. This is also ideal for those who have network drives and want to access their files outside of their network. Once a VPN connection with the ZimaBoard is formed, you will be able to access local network resources, including files and devices.
Another excellent use for this microserver is as a hardware router. The two ethernet ports allow for the ZimaBoard to sit between two networks, providing advanced features such as network sniffing, firewalls, and network segregation. At the same time, the ZimaBoard can even be used as a web host for hosting websites, web apps, and even interfaces for Smart spaces.
Should you buy a Zimaboard?
The ZimaBoard is a powerful single-board computer that takes all the functions of a microserver and squishes it into a really small board. The sleek smooth style of the ZimaBoard combined with its low price makes it an excellent choice for those looking to create their own cloud services and systems, and as most DIY software solutions are entirely free of charge, you can wave those subscription fees goodbye! you can purchase the Zimmaboard directly from www.zimaboard.com.
Residing on the south coast of England, Rich has spent the last few years building Electomaker.io from the ground up. He is usually found behind a laptop coordinating the rest of the EM team and occasionally finding time to contribute articles to the blog. When not tapping away at a laptop, he can be found either paddleboarding, at the beach, playing golf (badly), or camping with his family.
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