GIGABYTE Announces New ‘BRIX Gaming’ DIY PC Kit

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GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards and PC systems, is proud to announce the BRIX Gaming, a compact DIY PC kit that features professional CPU performance of the Intel® Core™ i5 4200H processor matched with the visually stunning graphics of the Nvidia® GeForce® GTX™ 760.

“The GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming is the perfect showcase for Intel and Nvidia’s exceptional technologies,” commented Henry Kao, VP of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. “The BRIX Gaming packs a high-performance, desktop-class processor and GPU that is highly suited to processor-intensive creative applications and 3D gaming titles. It is a great example of the type of innovation GIGABYTE is delivering for the desktop PC space."
 
I've been out of the loop, so forgive my ignorance. How would the real-world performance of this GTX 760 be? This looks like a pretty awesome little box if that GPU is decent.
 
I like the way the MSI looks a little better for this, but I think this is pretty cool. It looks like it's about as powerful as my current HTPC games-wise, and about 1/3 the size.
 
I love the bracket mounting idea that is a fucking brilliant idea more makers need to embrace. I very interested in this.
 
MisterHipster said:
Intel and Nvidia?

I'll pass. Thanks.
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Hmm... bias...

Both companies make excellent products. You may be someone that likes the underdog, or maybe Intel or Nvidia killed your parents, but they still make good parts. I could see if their products just plain sucked, but they don't.

Cyrix and S3 then? :p
 
The GTX 760 is pretty legit, especially in that footprint. Will play most games 30-60fps, high settings @ 1080p. It's basically equiv to a R9 280 (the non X version).

This is a pretty badass HTPC.
 
Estimations are that it appears to be a 760 OEM because Gigabyte mentions 3 to 6 Go of GDDR5, implying a 192 bits bus. In other words it might not be any faster than a GTX 660.
 
Jorona said:
Wait is that a true 760 or a 760m?
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Gigabyte says: "Supports discrete graphic card (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 GPU with mini HDMI x2, mini DP Output, featuring triple displays)"

I'm thinking true 760. This looks like it would make one hell of a Steambox, anyone else thinking the same?
 
I guess the REAL question though is how small does a gaming computer NEED to be, and at what point couldn't you just use a gaming laptop, so you can use it at home but also grab it for gaming on the go whenever needed. Does a hinge/LCD/battery add that much to the cost?
 
Ducman69 said:
I guess the REAL question though is how small does a gaming computer NEED to be, and at what point couldn't you just use a gaming laptop, so you can use it at home but also grab it for gaming on the go whenever needed. Does a hinge/LCD/battery add that much to the cost?
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No. But you'd still need to plug it in, battery would die quick.
 
CPU seems a bit weak. It's running a i5-4200H, which is a 2.8GHz (3.2GHz Turbo) dual-core with HyperThreading.

Gigabyte has other BRIX models that include faster processors, including one with a i7-4770R in... why nerf this version?
 
Ducman69 said:
I guess the REAL question though is how small does a gaming computer NEED to be, and at what point couldn't you just use a gaming laptop, so you can use it at home but also grab it for gaming on the go whenever needed. Does a hinge/LCD/battery add that much to the cost?
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I think that's beside the point here. I've tried sticking laptops in an HTPC scenario before, and they're just plain more cumbersome to work with. There's the screen, which you can fold down, but then you need an external kb. If you want to take it elsewhere, you have to unhook it. Etc. Etc. For an HTPC, it's really best to have a permanent solution that you just leave in place like any other component. That said, if you don't have an equipment rack (read: real home theater rather than a more typical living-room setup) the smaller the better.

Also, if you want a compact gaming system with a big display without a lot of cables everywhere (I'm thinking in non-HTPC cases where a separate office/computer room isn't an option) this would also be good.

Aside from that, I've gone a different route at this point. Rather than just trying to build the absolutely fastest system that I can regardless of size, cooling, etc. I've started seeing how much performance I can cram into a small space. It's a slightly different style of PC enthusiasm, but still along the same lines. I find this more interesting. (just my take of course, but it's actually fun to see something tiny perform well)
 
Unknown-One said:
CPU seems a bit weak. It's running a i5-4200H, which is a 2.8GHz (3.2GHz Turbo) dual-core with HyperThreading.

Gigabyte has other BRIX models that include faster processors, including one with a i7-4770R in... why nerf this version?
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There is an i7 based model in the works.
 
Unknown-One said:
CPU seems a bit weak. It's running a i5-4200H, which is a 2.8GHz (3.2GHz Turbo) dual-core with HyperThreading.
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Says the guy with a SB i5 as a gaming rig? Sorry, I'm just confused...the Haswell-based 4200H is nearly the 2500K you're running - while sucking half the power. I recently built a Haswell i3-4130 budget gaming rig for a buddy and it is no joke; paired with a 750GTX Ti, it is hearty competition for my OC'd Phenom II/280x setup. I was almost sad to see it go when I dropped it off.
 
J3RK said:
I think that's beside the point here. I've tried sticking laptops in an HTPC scenario before, and they're just plain more cumbersome to work with. There's the screen, which you can fold down, but then you need an external kb. If you want to take it elsewhere, you have to unhook it.
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I'm using an Asus 17" gaming laptop for my HTPC, and with the screen down, how is it any different from a Brix?

Both need external keyboards and mice. Both are hooked up to displays. Both have to be plugged in.

My Asus is certainly a larger footprint, but its certainly much flatter. I don't need a UPS for the Asus since it has a battery built in, and if I go on vacation I can bring my "HTPC" with me.

Certainly you should be able to save money in theory with a screenless micro-PC over a full fledged laptop, but if the laptop is produced in greater quantities and thus gets economy of scale to where the price is similar... not seeing the benefit. And my laptop has two hard drives btw, a 1TB storage drive and a 250GB SSD boot drive. *shrugs*
 
Ducman69 said:
I'm using an Asus 17" gaming laptop for my HTPC, and with the screen down, how is it any different from a Brix?

Both need external keyboards and mice. Both are hooked up to displays. Both have to be plugged in.

My Asus is certainly a larger footprint, but its certainly much flatter. I don't need a UPS for the Asus since it has a battery built in, and if I go on vacation I can bring my "HTPC" with me.

Certainly you should be able to save money in theory with a screenless micro-PC over a full fledged laptop, but if the laptop is produced in greater quantities and thus gets economy of scale to where the price is similar... not seeing the benefit. And my laptop has two hard drives btw, a 1TB storage drive and a 250GB SSD boot drive. *shrugs*
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Hey, if it works for you, then no argument here. My question though is, do you still use it as a laptop. That was one of my main points is that it still has to be plugged in, unplugged, etc. Maybe not a huge thing, but more of a pain than if you just had a little box sitting there that was always there for that express purpose.

Maybe it's just me, but I like things to sit where they are in dedicated roles set up as cleanly as possible.

I agree that there's no difference between having an external KB on the box or a laptop, however, if the laptop is still used as a laptop, that's one more item to connect/disconnect. I'm also a little OCD, and my brain hurts the more I connect and disconnect things. I just wait for the day that it fails. :D That's more a mental deficiency though than a truly practical issue I suppose. hehehe
 
J3RK said:
I agree that there's no difference between having an external KB on the box or a laptop, however, if the laptop is still used as a laptop, that's one more item to connect/disconnect. I'm also a little OCD, and my brain hurts the more I connect and disconnect things. I just wait for the day that it fails. :D That's more a mental deficiency though than a truly practical issue I suppose. hehehe
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bluetooth-wireless-keyboard-and-mouse-1v53-800.jpg


You can have your minor OCD-ness about where things go, that is understandable...but why do you hate wireless things? I'm not for or against using a laptop as a HTPC, just poking. :D
 
I actually do use wireless kb and mouse on the HTPC. I was simply stating that if you use a laptop for your HTPC, and still use it as a laptop elsewhere that it still has to be connected and disconnected. (which I'm not fond of) The kb/mouse thing was more of a minor thing. Or I suppose you could just leave the transceiver in either way if it's small enough. I just like to be able to turn on the TV, change the input to the PC, and go. Not walk in with the laptop, plug it in, then go. Like I said though, if the laptop is always there, and not used as a laptop then the point then comes down to aesthetics and how well the laptop performs in comparison to another style (HTPC, Brix, etc.)
 
buzzbomb said:
Says the guy with a SB i5 as a gaming rig? Sorry, I'm just confused...the Haswell-based 4200H is nearly the 2500K you're running - while sucking half the power. I recently built a Haswell i3-4130 budget gaming rig for a buddy and it is no joke; paired with a 750GTX Ti, it is hearty competition for my OC'd Phenom II/280x setup. I was almost sad to see it go when I dropped it off.
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Many modern titles see great benefit from 4 real cores compared to 2 cores with hyperthreading. Of course the 4200H uses less than half the power, it's a smaller node, with half the logic on die (cache and cores).

They really don't compare. Especially when you consider the 2500k is unlocked and likely overclocked in the desktop scenario (which I understand is entirely impossible in this SFF).
 
buzzbomb said:
Says the guy with a SB i5 as a gaming rig? Sorry, I'm just confused...the Haswell-based 4200H is nearly the 2500K you're running - while sucking half the power. I recently built a Haswell i3-4130 budget gaming rig for a buddy and it is no joke; paired with a 750GTX Ti, it is hearty competition for my OC'd Phenom II/280x setup. I was almost sad to see it go when I dropped it off.
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Yeah, that 4200H is nowhere near 2500k. Keeping relatively cool while drawing much less power is all it's got. It's a mobile chip. Not in the same league at all, buddy.

Let's not forget 2500k overclocks like a champ. There's a reason tons of people, me included, stay at Intel's last planar design. There's really nothing worth upgrading to.
 
J3RK said:
Hey, if it works for you, then no argument here. My question though is, do you still use it as a laptop. That was one of my main points is that it still has to be plugged in, unplugged, etc. Maybe not a huge thing, but more of a pain than if you just had a little box sitting there that was always there for that express purpose.
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Man I said "certainly" a lot. I certainly don't use it as a laptop often. ;) Its just nice having the option if the price is identical. To unplug it though if you have a spare power adapter (I do), then all you really have to unplug is a HDMI cable and a power cable and you're done. The micro universal logitech receiver for the mouse/keyboard can stay plugged into the laptop, so you just toss it in the bag. So to sell me on the BRIX I'd have to be convinced its more powerful than a similarly priced power laptop could be, or same performance and cheaper.
 
Ducman69 said:
Man I said "certainly" a lot. I certainly don't use it as a laptop often. ;) Its just nice having the option if the price is identical. To unplug it though if you have a spare power adapter (I do), then all you really have to unplug is a HDMI cable and a power cable and you're done. The micro universal logitech receiver for the mouse/keyboard can stay plugged into the laptop, so you just toss it in the bag. So to sell me on the BRIX I'd have to be convinced its more powerful than a similarly priced power laptop could be, or same performance and cheaper.
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Yeah, makes sense to me, and glad it works well for you. I do very much enjoy shiny new little boxes with a lot of potential though. :D I also like my various computing devices to all have their own jobs. Granted, I probably have more computing devices than I need. hehehe

The main thing I like about these little boxes, (or really MSI's mini ITX gaming solution moreso) is that they do what my HTPC does, possibly a little better, in a very much smaller package. At some point, I can see one of them replacing what I have now, using less power, taking up less space, etc. Right at this moment though the one I have is pretty similar in power, just quite a bit bigger.
 
I really just want the 4770R version to not have a sucky fan and I'd go for that.

Why hasn't intel released a NUC with the 4770R? GAH!
 
Holy crap, do you guys not get "market segments"? Does this thing look like an overclocker's wet dream? That's not what it's meant to do...ah forget it. Wasted too many keystrokes on it already.
 
I think they're wasting their time. If anyone wants to build a computer, they'd do it. People who don't build will buy computers from Best Buy or MicroCenter. People who build computers or take a remote interest in doing so will do their research and buy parts from NewEgg or TigerDirect and do so. Gigabyte is catering to a minority of minorities.
 
buzzbomb said:
Says the guy with a SB i5 as a gaming rig? Sorry, I'm just confused...the Haswell-based 4200H is nearly the 2500K you're running - while sucking half the power. I recently built a Haswell i3-4130 budget gaming rig for a buddy and it is no joke; paired with a 750GTX Ti, it is hearty competition for my OC'd Phenom II/280x setup. I was almost sad to see it go when I dropped it off.
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I was going to say. I have an Ivy Bridge i5 (in addition to my Samsung EVO SSD and 8GB DDR3) and I find it extremely responsive and impressive. Why the hell does anyone need an i7 except for bragging rights anymore? lol
 
It looks neat, but my concern is heat. How hot does it get, and how loud? It would make a pretty beefy gaming rig for the wife, who's main titles are the Sims 3 and SimCity 5.
 
Sufu said:
It looks neat, but my concern is heat. How hot does it get, and how loud? It would make a pretty beefy gaming rig for the wife, who's main titles are the Sims 3 and SimCity 5.
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I agree, it would be pretty important to know how loud it gets. I'm a little less concerned with heat, other than how it translates to noisy cooling of course. I'm sure it will have been tested enough to be reliable in that department. As long as the cooling is quiet, it would do pretty well I think.

We use a system very much like this where I work in special applications. The ones here are passively cooled, and kind of look like a car amplifier in that the case has huge heat fins. It also mounts to the VESA bracket of a monitor like this. In our case though they do not have a fancy GPU in them. (which is why they can get by on passive)
 
Azhar said:
I was going to say. I have an Ivy Bridge i5 (in addition to my Samsung EVO SSD and 8GB DDR3) and I find it extremely responsive and impressive. Why the hell does anyone need an i7 except for bragging rights anymore? lol
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Please leave your [H]ard card at the door on your way out..


Oh, and the irony of your "custom" title and your post...:p:p:p:p:p:p
 
ccityinstaller said:
Please leave your [H]ard card at the door on your way out..


Oh, and the irony of your "custom" title and your post...:p:p:p:p:p:p
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Stuck in the past when it was necessary to overclock to get the most out of your rig? Hardocp isn't like this anymore. We praise Atom and ARM processor's efficiencies as well as x86-64 ones.

Another one fixed, perhaps? :p
 
There's an application for both. I'm certainly not going to try to overclock a CPU by much if any in a tiny little box that's supposed to be a quiet part of a living room setup. (or home theater, etc. etc.) On something bigger though, like a typical desktop, just try and stop me from bumping the clocks and voltages around a bit. I still refuse to use liquids to cool things though. That's the fool's game... ( :D ) kidding... ...but yeah... it's not for me. I still prefer a good old air/oil cooled 911 to a newer water cooled one.
 
buzzbomb said:
Says the guy with a SB i5 as a gaming rig? Sorry, I'm just confused...the Haswell-based 4200H is nearly the 2500K you're running - while sucking half the power. I recently built a Haswell i3-4130 budget gaming rig for a buddy and it is no joke; paired with a 750GTX Ti, it is hearty competition for my OC'd Phenom II/280x setup. I was almost sad to see it go when I dropped it off.
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Huh? Wha? Okay then.
 
buzzbomb said:
Holy crap, do you guys not get "market segments"? Does this thing look like an overclocker's wet dream? That's not what it's meant to do...ah forget it. Wasted too many keystrokes on it already.
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Even without an OC, the 2500k will blow it away in anything but "geekmark" benches.

I'm sorry, but 4 real cores.... Compared to 2 with HT... There really is no comparison for modern titles.

I agree, this is a SFF PC, and for what it is, it's actually rather impressive... But to say the 4200U is only a few paces behind the 2500k.... :(
 
The BRIX Gaming DIY? Wouldn't it look something like this:



Might a bad flash have you saying "I bricked my BRIX?" Maybe they could come out with a small prop plane and call it the Krash K190.....It did remind me though of the SUX-9000 personal droid from the Droids-B-Us store in Space Quest 1: "You can't go wrong when it's SUX!"....I doubt Gigabyte would steer us wrong either!
 
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