Final Thoughts
So what is Gigabyte bringing to the table with their new 2016 BRIX models? Well first you have all new Skylake processors, which include the Core i3-6100U, Core i5-6200U, and the Core i7-6500U. All three of these processors only have a TDP of 15W, and in our testing during most PC tasks the TDP of the entire unit will only be around 15-20W! While we do have Skylake processors here, unlike Intel’s new NUCs that have DDR4 SO-DIMM we only have DDR3 here. I don’t see that as a huge deal as it makes these BRIX models less expensive to complete and there is much higher availability of DDR3L out there than DDR4L memory.
Besides the processors and other thing that Gigabyte changed was the chassis of the BRIX. Previous models had a plastic chassis, but Gigabyte has gone with brushed aluminum which is also resistant to fingerprints. The unit looks much, much better than the older units. These BRIX units bring with them 4 USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0. That is quite a lot for such a small package, remember the BRIX units are only 34.4 mm x 112.6 mm x 119.4 mm!
We received the top of the line unit in the new 2016 models, which is the BSi7-6500, which sports the Intel Core i7-6500U processor. When it comes to performance this processor is pretty great. This is not one of those small form factor PCs where you are going to have to sacrifice a whole lot. I have no problems doing my daily work using the BRIX, I also watched a handful of YouTube videos both a 1080P and 4K without any issues. As I said earlier in this review this BRIX is in no way made for hardcore gaming, but the Intel HD Graphics 520 will allow you to play some games a low settings.
Right now the BSi7-6500 is selling for $524.99 at our favorite online retailer, add in another $90 for the SSD and $40 for the memory, and $90 for Windows 10 and the total cost for this system comes in at $744.99. While this might seem like a lot you are getting a very powerful system in a small package.
Pros:
– Small and compact
– Brushed aluminum chassis
– Great performance
– Fan is not all that loud
– Low power consumption
Cons:
– You need to install your own SSD and memory
