ZimaBlade becomes ZimaBoard SE – Additional hardware upgrades included

We have already tested all of IceWhale's home servers, starting with the original ZimaBoard, followed by the ZimaBlade and ZimaCube, and later their successors, the ZimaBoard 2 and ZimaCube 2. Testing these devices has always been a lot of fun, especially when trying out the various apps and getting hands-on experience with home servers, NAS devices, and related technologies.

As part of an effort to strengthen its brand, manufacturer IceWhale has announced that it plans to phase out the ZimaBlade name, but not the product itself. The device will remain available, albeit with a few limitations, and will henceforth be marketed under the name "ZimaBoard SE."

The main limitations concern the processor selection, which is being eliminated entirely. Going forward, the ZimaBoard SE will only be available with one CPU: the quad-core, four-thread Atom x7-E3950, with clock speeds of up to 2.0 GHz. The Intel Celeron J3455 was previously offered as an alternative, but that option is now being discontinued.

Memory configurations, however, will remain flexible. Buyers can still choose between 8 GB and 16 GB of preinstalled RAM. Storage has also been upgraded: instead of the previous 32 GB, all models now come with 64 GB of built-in storage as standard.

New units will now ship with ZimaOS Plus preinstalled (currently version v1.7.1). Of course, users are still free to experiment with any other x86 operating system of their choice. The entire package also comes in new packaging and includes a power adapter and SATA Y-cable, so users can get started on their own projects right away.

The ZimaBoard SE with 8 GB of RAM currently costs $159, while the 16 GB model is priced at $199 (ZimaBlade website).