ECS Launches Gemini Lake Powered Liva Z2 and Z2V Mini-PCs

Improved Efficiency and Capacity

ECS first showed off their latest Liva mini-PC line at CES earlier this year. Now they are launching the LIVA Z2 and LIVA Z2V, equipped with Intel Gemini Lake SoCs. Due to its compact size, it uses SO-DIMM slots for up to 8GB of DDR4 memory.

The entire unit only measures 132 x 118 x 56.4 mm and is available with either Intel Pentium N5000, Celeron N4100 or
Celeron N4000 CPUs. As usual, both LIVA units are completely fanless for a quiet operation.

What Kind of Expansion Options are Available in the LIVA Z2/Z2V?

Both units pack either 32GB or 64GB of onboard eMMC storage, just like the first gen LIVA Z. This time however, ECS made sure to make it easier to upgrade to an SSD or HDD by providing a dedicated spot for this option.

The first gen LIVA Z simply had a SATA ribbon cable header but had very tight space for any drive. On the new LIVA Z2 and Z2V, not only is there a ribbon cable header, but a ribbon cable with standard SATA connector ready as well. So no more hunting for an aftermarket ribbon cable on Aliexpress or eBay.

Furthermore, the mini-PCs also have three USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports plus a single USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port. An extra pair of USB 2.0 ports are also available, which is useful for peripherals. There is also built-in 802.11ac WiFi support as well as Gigabit Ethernet LAN support.

In terms of display connectivity, both units have a pair of HDMI ports for output. This is where their differences lie, as the LIVA Z2 has one HDMI 2.0 port alongside an HDMI 1.2 port. This HDMI 2.0 supports up to 4K UHD @ 60fps output. Meanwhile, the LIVA Z2V has a legacy VGA port along with a standard HDMI 1.2 port, making it ideal for kiosks or work PCs.