An ECS LIVA Z7 Plus Mini Pc that only appears in reviews
The Intel Raptor Lake-U Core i5 1335U CPU and DDR5 memory combination in the LIVA Z5 Plus, the last ECS LIVA Z7 Mini Pc we discussed, performed very well.
With the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and a Meteor Lake design, the ECS LIVA Z7 Plus Mini Pc was supposed to be the next in the series, replacing Raptor Lake-U.
However, after being unveiled at this year’s Computex, ECS has chosen to remove this machine from their LIVA Z series range, meaning it won’t be available for purchase this Christmas or maybe any other.
It’s unfortunate since this device had the traditional NUC form size, measuring 114 mm square and 54 mm thick, but it also had space for two M.2 NVMe SSDs, a CPU with 14 cores and 18 threads, and up to 96GB of RAM.
In addition, it has two HDMI monitor outputs, two LAN connections, and USB 4.0.
Our performance benchmarks may help to explain why the ECS LIVA Z7 Plus Mini Pc did not join the other hardware in that series, however we are unsure of the exact price this machine was intended to fetch. It may also have to do with the amount of money Intel demanded for this chip.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Strong Ultra platform
Two M.2 Slots
USB 4.0
Simple internal access
Cons
Not able to purchase
1GbE is one LAN port
Performance is lower than that of comparable equipment
Price and Availability
What is the price? Not sure
When will it be available? It may never be made available
Where can I find it? You can’t purchase it
Unbelievably, the ECS LIVA Z7 Plus Mini Pc vanished from the manufacturer’s website within a month of being delivered. The support pages for web remnants now state, “No longer for sale.”
That followed a dazzling debut at Computex in May 2024.
At the time this review was published, we requested an explanation from ECS, but we never received one.
Design
Skinned with metal
Many ports
Access inside is rather simple
2242 is the second M.2
The layout of the majority of ECS LIVA designs is comparable, and the Z7 Plus hasn’t deviated from our expectations for this system builder.
All of the connections on this traditional mid-height NUC are on the front or back, while the sides are devoted to ventilation vents and a single security slot.
Since the top has the same finish as the metal sections, it is only noticeable when you touch it that the sides and bottom are painted metal.
There are five Type-A and Type-C USB ports on the front in addition to the power button. In this case, the Type-C connector is a Gen 2×2 variety, which means that this computer supports four distinct USB standards: Gen 2, Gen 2, USB 2.0, and USB 4.0.
The ECS LIVA Z7 Plus Mini Pc lacks both an SD card reader and a universal audio connector, which would disappoint anyone who were hoping for either.
The device includes two HDMI 2.1 outputs, two USB 2.0, two USB 4.0, and two LAN ports. Because the LAN ports aren’t the same specification—one is 1GbE, and the other is 2.5GbE—symmetry is only somewhat compromised.
That LAN configuration is a bit strange and implies that the presence of two USB 4.0 ports and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 affected the availability of PCIe lanes that were required in other places.
The positive thing about ECS designs is that they recognize that users will want to increase storage or RAM, which is a fairly easy task on the Z7 Plus provided you have a Philips screwdriver on available.
After making any modifications, the system can be rebuilt in a matter of minutes and you can immediately use the RAM and M.2 slots. The second M.2 slot is only 2242 and not 2280, which restricts the kinds and sizes of SSD modules you may use. This is the only little problem that has been identified.
Although it’s not ideal, there is some room to increase internal storage.
Specification
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (14 cores, 18 Threads) |
| GPU | Intel Arc graphics (7 Xe-cores) |
| RAM | 16GB DDR5-5600 (2800 MHz) (8GB x 2) expandable to 96GB |
| Storage | 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 |
| Expansion | 1x M.2 2242 PCIe |
| Ports | 2x USB 4.0, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 3x USB 2.0, 2x HDMI 2.1 |
| Networking | 1x 2.5GbE LAN, 1x 1GbE, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed) |
| Base Power | 28W-115W |
| PSU | 20V 6A 120W |
| Dimensions | 114 x 114 x 54 (mm) |
Features
125H Intel Core Ultra 5
Arc Graphics
28 PCIe Lanes
The Intel Ultra 5 125H and 155H variants are among the low-power, high-performance Intel® 14th Gen Meteor Lake-H Processors available for the LIVA Z7 PLUS. Important characteristics include: AI-ready; includes NPU Intel® AI Boost; supports
up to 96GB of DDR5 memoryM.2 2280 PCI-E NVMe Gen-4×4 SSD for lightning-fast performanceOptions for connectivity include Wi-Fi 6E, Gigabit LAN, and 2.5GbE LAN ports.- Two USB 4 Type-C to DisplayPort connectors and two HDMI ports (including one HDMI CEC)- Several USB ports: USB 2.0, USB 3.2, and USB 3.2 Type-C
This CPU is found in a number of SSF models from various manufacturers, such as the Minisforum UH125 Pro and Acemagic F2A that we have already examined.
The Arc GPU and improved AI processing were the first Ultra series mobile CPUs’ selling factors.
Since so few users are now running AI models locally, the NPU in this system provides the lowest rung of the processing ladder for those who do. This is the issue with AI support.
The Arc GPU, a much superior integrated GPU than the Iris Xe that came before it, provides further evidence. Although the Arc still employs Xe cores, it has more of them than the Iris, and since it still uses shared memory, it can use the DDR5 memory that the UH125 uses.
The Arc is a step up from the Iris Xe for most common office tasks, while it may not be the best choice for 3D or graphics-intensive apps.
With 28 PCIe 4.0 lanes, this CPU and chipset combo excels at offering a lot of bandwidth for I/O-attached devices.
The M.2 slots might take up eight lanes if they are both PCIe 4.0 standard, and USB 4.0 could theoretically take up an additional four lanes for each port, leaving twelve lanes available for all of the USB, LAN, and WiFi interfaces.
The 1GbE LAN port is one component that has been reduced, suggesting that this design uses all of the available lanes. To give the impression that anything might have any amount of bandwidth, ECS did not want to employ a PCIe switch.
The UH125 has an excellent PCIe lane situation when compared to prior CPU designs, however the bandwidth still restricts how much connection this system can provide.
Performance
| Mini PC | ECS LIVA Z7 Plus | Minisforum UH125 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H |
| Cores/Threads | 14C 18T | 14C 18T |
| RAM | 16GB DDR5 (2x 8GB) | 32GB DDR5 (2x 16GB) |
| Storage | 256GB | 1TB KINGSTON OM8PGP41024Q-A0 |
| Graphics | Intel Arc Graphics | Intel Arc Graphics |
| 3DMark WildLife | 13739 | 16075 |
| 3DMark Nomad Lite | 2229 | 2398 |
| CineBench 23 Single | 1660 | 1740 |
| CineBench 23 Multi | 11369 | 13999 |
| CineBench 23 Ratio | 6.85 | 8.05 |
| CineBench 24 Single | 102 | 103 |
| CineBench 24 Multi | 642 | 815 |
| CineBench 24 Ratio | 6.33 | 7.95 |
| GeekBench 5 Multi | 10238 | 10310 |
| OpenCL | 29955 | 26952 |
| Vulkan | 25336 | 23851 |
| CrystalDisk Read MB/s | 4057 | 4779 |
| CrystalDisk Write MB/s | 1983 | 3898 |
| PCMark 10 Office | 6312 | 6247 |
| PCMark 10 WEI | 8.2 | 8.2 |
Comparing the ECS LIVA Z7 Plus Mini Pc against the Minisforum UH125 Pro, which has the same CPU and memory technologies, shows a performance gap.
It’s important to note that the Minisforum machine has a bigger enclosure, which could allow for greater boost voltages and better cooling.
Multi-threading performance and GPU speeds are two factors contributing to the discrepancy, which may vary from almost zero to 25% in some situations.
We would invest the time necessary to place the two systems side by side on the test bench and determine why the ECS LIVA Z7 Plus Mini Pc proved to be subpar if this were ever made commercially accessible.
Even while it’s still approximately 40% faster than the Z5 Plus, it’s not the fastest NUC when compared to Intel Ultra.
Perspective
It’s a strange situation when a respectable business like ECS creates a new product line, builds computers for testing, and then abandons it before it launches.
These tales almost never boil down to a single problem, but the performance we saw may indicate that there is a flaw in the design that cannot be fixed by a driver or firmware update.
The LIVA Z7 Plus computers that ECS produced performed well enough to serve as benchmarks since the system seemed reliable and fan noise was not a problem.
We wouldn’t place bets on this model making a huge comeback after performance problems have been fixed, but it would be fascinating to observe.
Conclusion
- ECS LIVA Z7 Plus Withdrawal: TheECS LIVA Z7 Plus Mini Pc was expected to be a strong addition to the LIVA series but has been removed from availability, with no clear reason provided by ECS.
- Performance Potential: Despite having impressive specs, including an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU and DDR5 memory, the LIVA Z7 Plus did not match its competitor, the Minisforum UH125 Pro, in benchmarks.
- Design Features: The LIVA Z7 Plus showcased a compact design typical of NUCs, with multiple ports, good internal access for upgrades, and the ability to accommodate two M.2 NVMe SSDs.
- Specifications Highlight: It featured a robust configuration with up to 96GB RAM, USB 4.0 ports, and dual HDMI outputs, appealing for various applications.
- Performance Gaps: The LIVA Z7 Plus exhibited lower performance metrics compared to similar devices, suggesting potential design or cooling issues.
- Market Impact: The abrupt discontinuation of the LIVA Z7 Plus raises questions about ECS’s product strategy and the challenges in the mini PC market.
- User Expectations: While the LIVA Z7 Plus had the potential to fulfill user needs, the lack of availability and competitive performance makes it unlikely to re-enter the market successfully.
- Future Speculation: It remains uncertain whether ECS will revisit this model or address the underlying performance concerns if it decides to reintroduce it.
