Rating: 8.0.

1. Introduction 2. Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500: Packaging and Accessories 3. Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500: Layout and Components 4. Testing Methodology 5. Synthetic: PCMark 8 6. Synthetic: SiSoft Sandra 7. Synthetic: Cinebench R11.5 64 bit 8. Synthetic: Super Pi 9. Real World: MKV HD Performance 10. Real World: Media Encoding - HandBrake 11. Real World: WinRAR 12. System: SATA Performance 13. System: USB 3.0 Performance 14. System: WiFi Performance 15. Gaming: Dirt Showdown 16. Technical: Power Consumption 17. Technical: Thermal Dynamics 18. Technical: Acoustics 19. Closing Thoughts 20. View All Pages

With modern computer components continuing the trend of shrinking in size while also increasing in performance, the small form-factor (SFF) market is big business. Taking size reductions to the extreme, can Gigabyte’s BRIX prove its worth to downsizing system builders?



Housed in a chassis measuring 10.5cm by 11cm, the biggest selling point for Gigabyte’s BRIX barebones mini-PC is clearly its size. Having the ability to mount your computer to the back of a monitor frees up desk space and helps to mimic a costly all-in-one alternative. But it’s not just a petite design that the BRIX offers. Utilising a range of powerful and versatile low power CPUs, Gigabyte wants its BRIX to prove itself as a fully-fledged desktop replacement.

Powered by a dual-core, hyper-threading Core i7-4500U CPU which utilises a nominal clock speed of 1.8GHz and turbo boosts up to 3.0GHz, the BRIX i7-4500 version has a number of clear usage scenarios. General computing power is supported by the ability to access up to 16GB of DDR3-1600 memory and a 6Gb/s mSATA SSD. 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth provide the wireless connectivity options, while a Gigabit LAN controller extends networking capabilities.



With a solid set of base features and the possibility of squeezing a system comparable to a mid-range laptop into a 10.5cm by 11cm chassis, does Gigabyte’s BRIX i7-4500 show off when it comes to performance and usage testing?

Features:

Compact PC.

Dual display outputs.

Four USB 3.0 ports.

VESA support.

WiFi module included.

Supports mSATA SSDs.

Supports SO-DIMM memory modules.

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