The mini PC brand “Zero刻” has launched its flagship model, the GTR series, which has welcomed the new generation, the Zero刻 GTR6. Compared to the previous generation GTR5, the performance and many other aspects of the Zero刻 GTR6 have seen significant improvements. For example, in terms of graphics cards, the previous generation GTR5 could only achieve decent FPS at low or medium quality when playing certain games at 1920*1080 resolution. In contrast, the GTR6 can run games at the highest quality even at the same or higher resolutions. Currently, the Zero刻 GTR6 is also the highest-performing model from Zero刻.

As for the positioning of the Zero刻 GTR6, it serves multiple purposes, such as a stock trading machine, business office/design (with 4 HDMI ports, allowing connection to multiple monitors for stock trading, design work, office tasks, etc.), and high performance, catering to users with diverse needs, rather than being a single-purpose mini PC. This review article will briefly discuss the appearance design, performance, and overall experience of this new mini PC from Zero刻.

I won’t show the unboxing of the Zero刻 GTR6 as there isn’t much to display, and what comes with it is mostly similar to the previous generation. Let’s quickly get to the main topic.

Removable fabric top cover, rich interfaces, and a fingerprint module

The dimensions of the Zero刻 GTR6 are compact, measuring 168mm x 120mm x 43mm. It can easily be held with one hand and placed on a desk like a router, occupying minimal space. Additionally, it is not difficult to carry when going out; I believe it fits the definition of “mini”. However, everyone may have a different perception of “mini”, so this is just my personal opinion.

Compared to the previous generation, the top design of the Zero刻 GTR6 has changed significantly. The non-removable metal mesh has been replaced with a removable breathable fabric top cover, enhancing the overall design of the machine. Additionally, there is a fingerprint module located at the bottom right corner of the top. It’s important to note that this fingerprint module can be pressed down and integrates the power function. By pressing the finger that recorded the fingerprint, you can unlock the system as you power on, meaning the Zero刻 GTR6 has two power buttons: one is conventional, and the other can simultaneously power on and unlock with a fingerprint.

Here’s a GIF demonstrating the fingerprint unlocking speed of the Zero刻 GTR6, which is very fast, unlocking in seconds.

The Zero刻 GTR6 is equipped with two cooling fans, and one can be seen after removing the top cover.

The Zero刻 GTR6 also features different colors of breathable fabric top covers, giving it a bit of a DIY feel. Personally, I believe they could later release some patterned top covers or support customization to create a personalized Zero刻 GTR6.

The effect of the Zero刻 GTR6 with different colors of breathable fabric top covers is shown in the photo. Additionally, I personally feel that this top cover should be better at dust prevention compared to the previous generation’s metal mesh.

The bottom design of the Zero刻 GTR6 doesn’t have much to say, similar to the previous generation, featuring two anti-slip silicone pads, some parameter information, and holes for installing wall-mounted brackets (the packaging includes a bracket and several screws).

After removing the bottom cover, you can see the fan bracket of the Zero刻 GTR6, which houses another cooling fan. The cooling bracket is also removable, allowing users to easily replace components like hard drives and memory. The dual-fan design also provides excellent cooling performance, ensuring stable operation.

I also used AIDA64 to conduct a “single burn” FPU test on the Zero刻 GTR6. After testing for 10 minutes, the CPU Diode temperature was at 70℃. Continuing the test for another 10 minutes, the temperature remained stable at 70℃ after a total of 20 minutes, indicating stable cooling performance without overheating issues.

The Zero刻 GTR6 features a dual hard drive/memory slot design, allowing users to add or replace the pre-installed hard drive and memory according to their needs. Additionally, the Zero刻 GTR6 supports a maximum of 32GB and 64GB DDR5 4800MHz memory in single-channel mode, and up to 2TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD for storage.

In terms of interfaces, the Zero刻 GTR6 continues its tradition of being “rich and comprehensive”. The front of the machine features a conventional power switch, RTC Key, USB3.0, Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, it’s a bit disappointing that the Type-C port does not support video output.

Additionally, at the back of the machine, the Zero刻 GTR6 features 4 HDMI ports that support 8K resolution at 60FPS, 2 USB3.0 ports, 2 USB2.0 ports, a LAN port, and a DC power port.

For users with multi-screen display needs, the Zero刻 GTR6 is very suitable.

It’s worth mentioning that the packaging of the Zero刻 GTR6 also includes two HDMI cables, one long and one short, supporting 8K resolution.

The chassis of the Zero刻 GTR6 is made of metal, with a solid build quality. The hollow metal mesh on both sides is appropriately marked with the English “GTR”, which is self-explanatory.

Equipped with the AMD Ryzen 9-6900HX high-performance processor, play 3A games at high quality

Easy installation and a simplified desktop setup can be considered one of the highlights of the Zero刻 GTR6. My current desktop is much simpler compared to when I used a laptop.

Having discussed the appearance design, how does the overall performance of the Zero刻 GTR6 hold up? I used Master Lu for hardware evaluation, and the comprehensive performance score for the Zero刻 GTR6 was 1,113,814, which surprised me. I didn’t expect a mini PC to achieve a score over a million.

As for the specific hardware parameters, the Zero刻 GTR6 has two versions. One is the barebone version, which does not come with memory or hard drive, requiring users to install them themselves. The other version features 32GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive, with hardware specifications including the AMD Ryzen 9-6900HX processor, AMD Radeon 680M integrated graphics based on RDNA2 architecture, and two 16GB DDR5 4800MHz memory modules; the hard drive is from Kingston.

According to the official statement, the Zero刻 GTR6 has a read speed of approximately 7000MB/s, which I also tested during my review, and the reading results were close to the official claims, with even slightly faster speeds in some cases.

The Zero刻 GTR6 scored 2640 in the 3DMARK Time Spy test, with a graphics score of 2358, which is comparable to some discrete graphics cards.

The PCMARK 10 score for the Zero刻 GTR6 was 6577.

The outstanding performance of the Zero刻 GTR6 allows it to play various PC games at high quality. For instance, in Genshin Impact, the Zero刻 GTR6 can achieve around 30 FPS at a resolution of 2560*1440 with high graphics settings.

In scenes with fewer textures, the FPS can rise to around 40.

If the graphics settings are lowered to medium, the FPS can reach around 60, while the previous generation Zero刻 GTR5 could only achieve 60 FPS at 1920*1080 resolution with low graphics settings.

In Cyberpunk 2077, the Zero刻 GTR6 can achieve around 30 FPS at 1920*1080 resolution with medium graphics settings.

If the original resolution is maintained and the graphics settings are lowered, the FPS can reach around 40.

Also at 1920*1080 resolution, the FPS can reach around 30 when playing Elden Ring at the highest graphics settings, and in scenes with fewer textures, the FPS will increase.

This article serves as a simple comprehensive review, so I won’t go into too much detail about the gaming experience here. I will write a separate article later about gaming on the Zero刻 GTR6 because its performance is truly impressive. If the previous generation Zero刻 GTR5 could play PC games, then the Zero刻 GTR6 can do so effortlessly. The simple gaming tests also demonstrate that the performance of the Zero刻 GTR6 is indeed outstanding. Beyond meeting business office, design, or video editing needs, it can also satisfy moderate gaming experiences, fully capable of replacing some traditional desktop computers.

By the way, the gaming tests for the Zero刻 GTR6 were conducted at 35W power consumption, and it can also be set to 45W. However, setting it to 45W may result in slightly louder fan noise.

Due to its compact size and ease of installation, the Zero刻 GTR6 has many usage scenarios. It doesn’t necessarily need to be connected to a monitor; for instance, it can be connected to a smart projector or smart TV. I have an old 4K TV at home that has stopped receiving updates and feels sluggish during use. Installing the Zero刻 GTR6 can upgrade the TV’s performance.

The Undeniably High-Performance Mini PC

Personally, I feel that the launch of the Zero刻 GTR6 has elevated the mini PC product line to a new height. It achieves performance that doesn’t fall short of traditional desktop computers while being smaller in size. If you have multi-screen display needs, want to create a minimalist office desktop, or simply want a high-performance mini PC, I highly recommend the Zero刻 GTR6. Its highlights are not just multiple interfaces, compact appearance, and high performance; features like dual-fan design, stable operation, fingerprint unlocking, and fabric top cover are also key selling points of the Zero刻 GTR6.

As for the downsides, the Zero刻 GTR6 lacks a built-in speaker, and the front Type-C port does not support video output.