Introduction

From the ECS website:

Founded in 1987, ECS, the Elitegroup Computer Systems, is a top-notch manufacturer and supplier of several families of computer products in the industry. With almost 30 years of experience, ECS not only produces high-quality products such as motherboards, desktops, notebook computers, graphics cards and other mobile products, but also provides customized computer programming and hardware/ software design service for a wide variety of customers.
More than two decades, ECS has overcome a great deal of obstacles encountering new businesses and has experienced the joy of significant growth and development. ECS is strongly committed to develop cutting-edge technology in order to generate innovative products under environmental friendly designs. ECS comprehensive system of quality control provides our clients with reassurance and fosters long term cooperation.

ECS, properly known as Elitegroup Computer Systems, has been around for ages. Founded in 1987, they have carved out their place in the industry as a leading OEM. Not to be left out, however, they also dabble in the consumer market, having at one time or another offered mini-PCs, laptops, graphics cards, etc. As of today, they offer tablets, systems, digital signage systems, motherboards, and even IoT devices. Suffice it to say, ECS is kind of like Foxconn in that even if you haven't bought something from them directly, you more than likely have used products manufactured by them.

In today's review, I look at the ECS Liva Z mini-PC based on the Intel Apollo Lake Celeron N3350 SOC. This palm-sized system is certainly unique. It can even be upgraded to some extent, which is, to be honest, somewhat unexpected. Did I mention it comes with Windows 10? Let's take a closer look at what this mighty mini has to offer.

Packaging and Contents

The ECS LIVA Z comes in a box that is just 21.4 cm long, 21.8 cm wide, and 5.7 cm thick. Looking at the front, users are greeted by an image of the LIVA Z and the tag line "Silent, ultra-compact PC for fully-functional computing". Up top is a list of its basic system specifications, and the bottom has the bar code and again gives a quick list of specifications. The bottom just has "LIVA" in white text. While there is not a whole lot of information on the box, there is enough to understand what the ECS LIVA Z is all about, which is low-cost computing with a fully featured OS.


Upon opening the box, users will find that ECS has placed the LIVA Z in a small plastic bag with the rest of the components in individual cardboard compartments.


While the bundle is rather spartan, it includes everything necessary, along with some extras that allow for the system to be VESA mounted.

• LIVA Z
• Power brick
• VESA mounting plate
• VESA screws

A Closer Look

The top features a slight texture that essentially consists of concentric circles of smooth and slightly rough surfaces. To break up the blacks, there's a "LIVA" in a bright white and with a yellow-orange ring around it, which draws one's attention. Moving to the front, users will find three USB 3.0 Type A ports and a single USB 3.0 Type C port. An audio jack and the power button are also present on the front. Finally, there is the back with two GbE LAN ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, and a mini DisplayPort. The power plug is also located here.


Both sides feature vents to allow for some airflow to the passive heatsink. Meanwhile, on the bottom, two screw holes for the VESA mounting hardware can bee seen, as well as the four screws that need to be removed to remove the plastic shroud. Overall, the external build quality feels solid, with a few alignment issues due to my poking around inside.