ZimaCube Hardware Specs Explained: 6 Drive Bays, 4 NVMe Slots, and Dual Thunderbolt 4

A spec sheet can tell you what a machine has, but it rarely tells you what it can actually do.

This article is not a simple spec rundown. Instead, we will break down each hardware module one by one and explain what it means in real-world use, where it fits, and where its limits are.

CPU: i3-1215U, an Underrated Low-Power Workhorse

The standard ZimaCube is powered by an Intel Core i3-1215U, while the Pro version upgrades to an i5-1235U. Both chips belong to Intel’s Alder Lake-U family. The key differences lie in core count and boost frequency.

The positioning of this CPU is clear. It is not a desktop-class performance monster, but it is far more capable than the ARM or Celeron platforms found in many traditional NAS devices.

There are three key points to understand.

First, it uses the x86 architecture. That means you can run almost any operating system you want: ZimaOS, Proxmox, TrueNAS Scale, Unraid, Windows Server, Ubuntu Server, and more. You do not need to worry about ARM compatibility issues.

Second, the integrated graphics are more than just “good enough.” Intel UHD Graphics supports Quick Sync Video and hardware-accelerated video processing for formats such as H.264, H.265, and AV1. Plex and Jellyfin transcoding are easily within reach, while power consumption stays low and does not put unnecessary pressure on cooling.

Third, the 15W TDP matters. This is a low-power mobile-class chip. For a NAS that runs 24/7, that means your electricity bill will not become painful.

Practical recommendation: If your use case is mainly NAS storage, Docker, and a small number of virtual machines, the standard i3 version is more than enough. If you plan to run many VMs, compile workloads, or multiple heavier services, the additional E-cores in the Pro version give you more headroom.

Memory: DDR5, Up to 64GB, and Better Value If You Upgrade It Yourself

ZimaCube has two SO-DIMM slots and supports DDR5 memory, with an official maximum capacity of 64GB.

The factory configuration includes a single 8GB module, which is enough for basic NAS functions. But with six drive bays, four NVMe slots, and dual PCIe expansion slots, most ZimaCube users probably will not stop at “basic.”

Recommended memory configurations:

• 16GB: NAS + Docker, around 20–30 containers, plus a small number of VMs
• 32GB: NAS + heavier Docker workloads + 2–3 VMs + ZFS
• 64GB: Proxmox virtualization host running 5+ VMs and 10+ LXC containers

The slot placement is user-friendly. Once the top cover is removed, the memory slots are directly accessible without moving any other components. This is quite rare in a compact NAS.

Storage: A Three-Layer Storage Architecture

The ZimaCube storage design is a three-layer system, with each layer serving a different purpose.

Layer 1: Six 3.5-Inch Drive Bays

• Standard SATA interface, supporting both HDDs and SSDs
• Individual drive trays, not tool-less but structurally solid
• Cooled directly by dual rear fans

This is your main data warehouse. Install six 20TB HDDs, and you get 120TB of raw capacity.

Layer 2: NVMe Expansion Daughterboard, 4 Slots

• Four M.2 NVMe slots connected to the motherboard via a PCIe daughterboard
• Shared bandwidth, with a read/write ceiling of around 800 MB/s per drive
• Covered by a heatsink for passive cooling

This is your high-speed storage pool. It is well-suited for Docker data, VM images, and hot data caching.

At around 800 MB/s, it is roughly twice as fast as a SATA SSD and nearly four times faster than a hard drive.

Layer 3: Motherboard-Direct NVMe, 2 Full-Speed Slots

• CPU-direct PCIe lanes, no shared-bandwidth limitation, around 3500 MB/s or higher
• One slot comes preinstalled with a 256GB system drive and heatsink
• One slot is empty and available for user upgrades

These are your performance slots. Add a 1TB or 2TB high-performance NVMe SSD and use it for:

• Virtual machine system drives
• ZFS SLOG / L2ARC cache
• A second system drive for dual-boot setups

How Should the Three Storage Layers Be Used?

A typical configuration could look like this:

6× HDD → RAID-Z2 data pool, main storage with two-drive fault tolerance

4× NVMe daughterboard → RAID 0 high-speed pool for Docker and VM data

1× motherboard NVMe → Proxmox system + VM images

1× motherboard NVMe → Read/write cache

This combination balances capacity, speed, and redundancy. It is exactly the kind of storage architecture you would expect from a machine that is more than just a NAS.

Networking: Dual 2.5GbE to Start, Plus 10GbE on the Pro Version

The standard version comes with dual Intel i226-V 2.5GbE ports. The Pro version adds an Aquantia 10GbE port.

This opens up several practical use cases:

• Dual 2.5GbE setup: Connect one port to your home network and the other directly to your main PC for dedicated 2.5G bandwidth.
• Link aggregation, LACP: Connect to a switch that supports link aggregation for a theoretical bandwidth of 5Gbps.
• Soft router setup: Use one port as WAN and the other as LAN, allowing an OPNsense or pfSense VM to take over your home network.
• 10GbE on the Pro version: Video editors can mount the NAS directly and edit 4K footage without creating proxy files.

Most importantly, these are two independent network ports, not split ports from the same controller. In virtualization scenarios, they can be passed through to different VMs.

I/O: Dual Thunderbolt 4 Is the Finishing Touch

There are two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports on the rear. This is one of the key features that sets the ZimaCube apart from most NAS devices.

Three ways to use Thunderbolt 4:

1. Direct PC connection: Connect directly to a Mac or PC with a Thunderbolt cable and use the NAS like local storage. The interface supports up to 40Gbps, though real-world speeds are limited by the internal storage setup, usually around 10–20Gbps. Even so, that is still far beyond 2.5GbE.
2. Daisy-chain expansion: Connect to a Thunderbolt dock or display.
3. High-speed external storage: Attach a Thunderbolt NVMe enclosure for fast backups.

For video creators, photographers, and 3D designers, this means you can edit files directly on the NAS and skip the back-and-forth process of copying projects to local storage and then copying them back again.

Other ports include:

PCIe Expansion: Two Slots, Each with a Different Role

One thing to note: both slots are powered only by the motherboard. There is no auxiliary power connector. When choosing expansion cards, make sure their power draw stays within the PCIe slot power limit, generally within 75W.

This expansion space means the ZimaCube can become:

• A Plex hardware transcoding server with a low-profile GPU
• An all-in-one soft router and NAS with a quad-port 2.5GbE NIC
• A Proxmox virtualization host with GPU passthrough

Standard Version vs. Pro Version: Which One Should You Choose?

Choose the standard version if you mainly need NAS storage, Docker, occasional light virtualization, and your home network is Gigabit or 2.5G.

Choose the Pro version if you plan to run heavier virtualization workloads, need 10GbE for your main workstation, or want to edit video directly from the NAS.

Conclusion: What the Spec Sheet Does Not Tell You

There is one idea running through the ZimaCube’s hardware design: it does not assume how you are going to use it.

• The CPU is power-efficient, but x86, so it can run almost any system.
• The storage architecture has three layers, so fast and slow data can each go where they belong.
• It gives you dual PCIe slots without locking them into one fixed purpose.
• It includes Thunderbolt 4 without telling you exactly how you must use it.
• It supports up to 64GB of memory without forcing you to max it out on day one.

A good NAS tells you, “This is how you should use me.”

A good server lays out the options, then gets out of your way.

The ZimaCube is much closer to the latter.

Learn more: https://shop.zimaspace.com/collections/all-products/products/zimacube-2-personal-cloud-nas