Setup Notes and Platform Analysis

Our review sample of the ECS LIVA Z5 PLUS came with all necessary components and operating system pre-installed. Prior to wiping the SSD and installing our standard evaluation OS build, we took some time to look into the BIOS interface. As is typical for systems targeting the industrial and business market, the main BIOS interface is a vanilla one. It does provide plenty of configuration options. The video below presents the entire gamut of available options.

The BIOS allows enabling of CEC support on one of the HDMI ports, and also includes some limited overclocking options. We processed the evaluation after setting all BIOS values to their defaults.

The block diagram below presents the overall high-speed I/O distribution.

The presence of two 2.5 GbE LAN ports and a USB4 port with Thunderbolt compatibility ensures that the system is a good fit for many networking use-cases, while also retaining flexibility for adapting to different roles over the course of the system's deployment.

In today's review, we compare the ECS LIVA Z5 PLUS and a host of other systems based on processors with TDPs ranging from 15W to 35W. The systems do not target the same market segments, but a few key aspects lie in common, making the comparisons relevant.

Comparative PC Configurations
Aspect ECS LIVA Z5 PLUS
CPU Intel Core i5-1335U
Raptor Lake 2P + 8E / 12T, up to 4.6 GHz (P) up to 3.4 GHz (E)
Intel 7, 12MB L2, Min / Max / Base TDP: 12W / 55W / 15W
PL1 = 20W, PL2 = 39W
Intel Core i5-1335U
Raptor Lake 2P + 8E / 12T, up to 4.6 GHz (P) up to 3.4 GHz (E)
Intel 7, 12MB L2, Min / Max / Base TDP: 12W / 55W / 15W
PL1 = 20W, PL2 = 39W
GPU Intel Iris Xe Graphics
(80EU @ 1250 MHz)
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
(80EU @ 1250 MHz)
RAM ACPI Digital 7D402331 DDR4-3200 SODIMM
22-22-22-52 @ 3200 MHz
2x8 GB
ACPI Digital 7D402331 DDR4-3200 SODIMM
22-22-22-52 @ 3200 MHz
2x8 GB
Storage FORESEE XP2000F256G
(256 GB; M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe;)
(Micron 176L 3D TLC; Silicon Motion SM2269XT Controller)
FORESEE XP2000F256G
(256 GB; M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe;)
(Micron 176L 3D TLC; Silicon Motion SM2269XT Controller)
Wi-Fi 2x 2.5 GbE RJ-45 (Intel 225-V)
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (2x2 802.11ax - 2.4 Gbps)
2x 2.5 GbE RJ-45 (Intel 225-V)
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (2x2 802.11ax - 2.4 Gbps)
Price (in USD, when built) $630 (as configured) $630 (as configured)

The next few sections will deal with comparative benchmarks for the above systems.

Introduction and Product Impressions System Performance: UL and BAPCo Benchmarks
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  • meacupla - Sunday, August 4, 2024 - link

    Did your laptop come with dual 2.5Gbe, win enterprise and 4 display out?
  • PeachNCream - Thursday, August 8, 2024 - link

    We probably shouldn't use me as a point of comparison. I bought my last laptop off ebay for less than $40 USD about 6 months ago and despite its i5-7200U CPU, it's loads faster than the Pentium n3700 laptop it replaced. I don't even own an external display panel of any sort (TV, monitor, etc) nor desire one because I don't really consume video content or subscribe to a streaming service or pay for cable television. Though the laptop does have an HDMI port. Who knows if it works. I've never gotten around to testing it.
  • sjkpublic@gmail.com - Monday, August 5, 2024 - link

    $630 list for 2nd generation hardware. Strange.
  • Khanan - Tuesday, August 13, 2024 - link

    You won't get the newest stuff in PCs like these.

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