Zoostorm EVOLVE Desktop PC Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing 

As previously mentioned, the Zoostorm EVOLVE comes in a number of different flavours which target a wide range of budgets. The model sent for review has a launch price of £319.98 and can be ordered from the respected retailer, eBuyer.com. To determine a system’s value proposition, we endeavour to compile an identical self-build and compare the price. This allows us to analyse the fee (if any) that a system integrator is choosing to charge customers for its services. Please note all prices include shipping and we don’t permit Windows 10 keys from disreputable sites. Of course, you might want to acquire a digital code much cheaper, but it’s not something we’re happy to recommend as many keys can be MSDN-based with limited activations.

• Case: Zoostorm mATX mid-tower = £39.99*
• Motherboard: ASUS H110M-R socket 1151 = £58.35
• Processor: Intel Dual-Core G4400 @ 3.3GHz = £56.62
• System Memory: Crucial 8GB DDR4 2133MHz = £34.00
• Main Boot Drive: 1TB Western Digital Blue 7200RPM = £46.86
• Power Supply: FSP250-60HHN 250-watt 82% Efficiency Bronze Rated = £30.69
• Optical Drive: LG x24 DVD-Writer = £13.14
• Extras: Zoostorm keyboard and combo set = £15.48*
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home = £85.98

Please note, prices marked with an asterisk are estimated because either the product in question is out of stock or I was unable to source the specific model. Sadly, I couldn’t find the Zoostorm chassis and presume it’s only sold as part of a pre-configured system. Therefore, I gauged a price based on its features and build quality. To be fair, the chassis could be cheaper than the quoted price but I’ll only know for sure if this information is passed onto me. Once totalled up, an equivalent self-build costs £381.11, which is astonishingly £61.13 more expensive than Zoostorm’s custom offering. On the other hand, it’s important to note that you might be lucky enough to acquire Windows 10 for cheaper by hunting around certain websites. Saying that, the system’s target market has simplicity at its heart and it’s hard to argue with the value proposition.

Overview

The Zoostorm EVOLVE is a fascinating endeavour because we live in an age where everyday computing appears to be dominated by tactile devices including tablets, and transformable laptops. This has caused some people to speak of the traditional desktop’s inevitable demise apart from high-powered situations like 4K gaming. Despite this gloomy hypothesis having a great deal of truth behind it, I still believe the EVOLVE and other rudimentary desktops can exist in today’s market. When compared to the aforementioned alternatives, the traditional desktop does have some key advantages. For example, it’s easy to upgrade, perform fault checking and the ease in which you can connect the machine to a large monitor is incredibly helpful for productivity and those with impaired vision. Of course, you can hook up a laptop to an external display, but the configuration isn’t as seamless and feels slightly cumbersome.

Zoostorm developed their own chassis for this series constructed from steel which has a pretty good layout and decent build quality. Clearly, it’s not going to compete with the likes of Corsair and other Phanteks concoctions, but this is to be expected and it doesn’t really matter given the target price and usage scenario. In particular, the system isn’t designed to be a gorgeous piece of engineering and is built to a price. Honestly, the case is more than adequate and the wide range of colours for the front section is quite a novel idea. Saying that, the colours only change depending on the specification so I’d like to see each unit become available in the full colour range. Aesthetically-speaking, the Zoostorm EVOLVE is rather impressive and I grew fond of the simple, elegant design.

The system’s cable management might appear a little haphazard, but you have to take into account the power supply positioning and chassis constraints. Successfully routeing cables which have little flex requires a patient approach and the non-modular nature means it’s difficult to hide excess cabling. Zoostorm employed an assortment of zip-ties and focused on obscuring the extra cabling around the optical bay tray. This results in a pretty good finish as the cables remain straight and allow you to close the side panel easily. It’s important to reiterate that the system doesn’t employ windowed side panels which mean the cabling being spotless isn’t as important. Rather puzzlingly, the chassis has loads of extra room which indicate the build could have been downsized into a smaller frame. While this isn’t a huge issue, it would have made it easier to slot the system into a tight space or allow the rig to be used as an HTPC.

Intel’s stock heatsink isn’t going to win any awards in the beauty department and the tiny fan can run extremely loud on powerful systems. This is why the stock cooler has such an abysmal reputation and in some cases, it’s certainly deserved. However, the bundled cooler is perfectly fine for builds sporting a modest processor with a locked multiplier like the Pentium G4400. Throughout the testing process, the temperatures remained well under the thermal limits and the noise output was minimal. Upon first inspection, I was slightly worried and bemused why a rear fan hadn’t been installed. To be clear, I was wrong because the stock heatsink is up to the task and adding a chassis fan would only increase the noise levels without altering the thermal efficiency in a significant manner.

As expected, the Zoostorm EVOLVE is able to cope with basic photo editing, office work and web browsing without any problems. The user-experience is very positive apart from one small niggle. Unfortunately, the mechanical disk drive is quite noisy as the data is accessed which might irritate those accustomed to solid-state media. Perhaps utilising the cheapest possible SSD with a small capacity and having a secondary mechanical drive would solve this problem. The SSD would eliminate the louder noise while making Windows feel a lot faster. Even in low-end usage scenarios, this is beneficial and encourages the end-user to use their new purchase more in the years to come. I’m probably being overly picky though and many users might zone out to the HDD noise rather quickly. Overall, the experience when tackling documents, doing accounts and researching topics is superb.

Pros

• Attractive chassis
• Bundled with Windows 10
• Commendable thermal results
• Decent cable management
• Dependable PSU for low-load scenarios
• Excellent packaging
• Extremely low power draw
• Good range of specifications
• Great option for web browsing or doing office work
• Marvellous value
• Superb alternative to a laptop for those who prefer working on a large screen
• Unbelievably quiet
• Wonderful keyboard and mouse combo included at no extra cost

Cons

• 1-year warranty doesn’t offer great peace-of-mind

Neutral

• Budget SSD would eliminate irritating seeking noise but it’s not a huge issue for a home office PC
• Smaller chassis could have been used to create a sleeker appearance

“The Zoostorm EVOLVE is a dependable, well-built PC for home office use and provides an affordable alternative to a laptop or smart device. Additionally, the system is remarkably quiet, hardly consumes any power and features an attractive design. It’s just a shame that the warranty is currently lacking but I’m hopeful this will be resolved in the near future.” 

Zoostorm EVOLVE Desktop PC Review

Thank you Zoostorm for providing us with this sample.