Review: Gigabyte Brix Gaming UHD (GB-BNi7HG4-950)

by Parm Mann on 13 October 2016, 12:30

Tags: Gigabyte (TPE:2376), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qac7s2

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Conclusion

...an ageing GeForce GTX 950 takes away some of the Brix Gaming UHD's lustre, and a GTX 1050 upgrade can't come soon enough.

The progression of PC hardware has allowed for exciting, new form factors and tiny systems that are capable of delivering huge performance.

Aiming to deliver gaming-grade potential in a miniscule footprint, Gigabyte's Brix Gaming UHD can house a powerful Intel Core processor, DDR4 memory and M.2 storage with minimal fuss. Factor in USB 3.1 Type-C, four 4K-capable display outputs and both Gigabit Ethernet and Wireless AC connectivity, and you have the foundations of a formidable yet ultra-small PC.

What's missing for the target gaming audience is a current-generation GPU capable of delivering a solid 1080p experience with maximum image quality. Gigabyte's use of an ageing GeForce GTX 950 takes away some of the Brix Gaming UHD's lustre, and a GTX 10-series upgrade can't come soon enough.

There's room for improvement, and though this first model falls short of the mark, a v2 refresh with a quieter fan and GTX 10-series graphics could pave the way for pint-sized gaming PCs that out-muscle any available console.

The Good
  
The Bad
Cute form factor
Quad-core Core i7 CPU
Surprisingly easy to build into
Supports fast memory and storage
Good connectivity options
  
Previous-generation GPU
Expensive for barebone hardware
Internal fan gets noisy


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The Gigabyte Brix Gaming UHD mini PC is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.



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Posted by Tunnah - Thu 13 Oct 2016 13:21
Stopped reading at GTX 950. I was super excited for it too, I thought the engineering folks there had cut down a 1070 or something, which can do 4K quite comfortably. Ah well, high hopes. 2 more years maybe

(I know it's a Brix and it was stupid of me to think this would be capable of 4K gaming. Let a man dream!)
Posted by Jeothesmar - Thu 13 Oct 2016 18:00
Tunnah
Stopped reading at GTX 950. I was super excited for it too, I thought the engineering folks there had cut down a 1070 or something, which can do 4K quite comfortably. Ah well, high hopes. 2 more years maybe

(I know it's a Brix and it was stupid of me to think this would be capable of 4K gaming. Let a man dream!)

I just want something that I can throw into my backpack and bring to a party… And can actually run games… I mean a 950?!
Posted by Xlucine - Thu 13 Oct 2016 20:31
Intrigued to see how the literally 4-pint-sized system will fare in our benchmarks? Then turn the page.

Only the normal brix, or a cubi 2, fits that description :p
Posted by cptwhite_uk - Thu 13 Oct 2016 21:00
If they can get a full fat GTX 1060 in a laptop, they can get one in one if these. Charge £1000, it'll sell.
Posted by Kato-2 - Sat 15 Oct 2016 11:11
“gaming PCs that out-muscle any available console”.

That's not the reason people buy consoles, they buy for ease of use + physical media, something PC's do not handle well (if anything has gotten worse due to obsessive driver updates) + physical media is all but extinct on PC.

Other than that it's a nice little system, but really these kind of units would benefit more from external GPU's rather than trying to stuff one inside it.

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