Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500 Barebones Mini-PC Review (w/ G.Skill Ripjaws 1600MHz 16GB)

1. Introduction2. Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500: Packaging and Accessories3. Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500: Layout and Components4. Testing Methodology5. Synthetic: PCMark 86. Synthetic: SiSoft Sandra7. Synthetic: Cinebench R11.5 64 bit8. Synthetic: Super Pi9. Real World: MKV HD Performance10. Real World: Media Encoding - HandBrake11. Real World: WinRAR12. System: SATA Performance13. System: USB 3.0 Performance14. System: WiFi Performance15. Gaming: Dirt Showdown16. Technical: Power Consumption17. Technical: Thermal Dynamics18. Technical: Acoustics19. Closing Thoughts20. 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.

Gigabyte ships the BRIX inside informative packaging which outlines some of the product's key features. Our particular sample is of Asian origin, hence the non-English descriptions.

A laptop-style power adapter is used to provide current to the system. The charging brick supplied with our sample is rated for 65W, although this may change from system to system (dependent upon the CPU installed).

A VESA panel which supports both the 75 x 75mm and 100 x 100mm mounting configurations is supplied with the BRIX. A handful of screws are used to connect the unit to the VESA mounting points of a monitor.

Supplied literature includes a warranty leaflet, quick start guide, and driver disc. Given that the BRIX does not feature an optical drive, Gigabyte may have been wise to supply drivers via USB media. This would have increased costs by a small margin, but it would also make installation a simpler process for many users.

Regarding the quick start guide, Gigabyte has excelled in producing a simple, easy-to-follow manual which clearly outlines the steps required for component installation.

Gigabyte's BRIX takes a square-shaped form with a reflective panel occupying the top side. At around 3 centimetres tall, the system's diminutive size makes hiding it out of sight a simple procedure.

Vents located on three of the chassis' four sides are used to provide an entry and exit points for hot and cold air.

Front-side ports consist of a pair of USB 3.0 connections stacked on top of one another and an audio jack. Spacing between the USB 3.0 ports is sufficient for two flash drives to be used simultaneously, although don't expect to be able to use more than a single over-sized device.

During operation, a red light beam exits the front panel audio port (which is used to provide the SPDIF connection and powered by Realtek's ALC269 audio codec) and can become an irritation when using the BRIX in a dark environment. With a cable plugged into the jack, the extent of this irritation is drastically reduced.

Rear panel connections include two USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet connection (Realtek RTL8111G), HDMI and mini DisplayPort video outputs, the power input, and a Kensington lock point. Given the enclosure's space constraints and the availability of low cost USB hubs, only equipping the BRIX with two pairs of the SuperSpeed ports is unlikely to cause meaningful issues. Both display outputs can be used simultaneously to power a pair of monitors. The DisplayPort connection can also be used to run a screen with a resolution greater than HDMI's typical limitation of 1920 x 1200.

A notable omission from the ports is a card reader. Slotting a simple SD card reader into the BRIX's chassis would be unlikely to cause any further design issues but it would certainly enhance the system's functionality as an office or media PC.

A screw located in each corner secures the bottom panel in position. Removing these screws provides access to the component area where memory and an mSATA drive will need to be installed.

An ‘up' arrow indicates the BRIX's correct orientation when it is mounted to the back of a monitor using the VESA panel.

With a width of around 105mm and a depth of just over 110mm, the Gigabyte BRIX is easy to carry to different locations. Weighing just under 400g, the system can be slipped into a large pocket and carried from location to location. Alternatively, it can be hidden away in a space-constrained environment and left to operate.

Gigabyte lists some of the usage scenarios for such a miniature piece of equipment as digital signage, a HTPC, a media entertainment hub, and a full-blown office-replacement PC. Put simply, space-constraints are unlikely to leave users searching for a different system.

Sat next to the 4.7″ Nexus 4 smartphone, it is easy to interpret just how miniature Gigabyte's BRIX actually is.

Whether a PC this small is actually necessary relates to individual preference and usage scenarios. For people wanting their system to reside in an office for general usage and then be transported to the TV where it operates as a media entertainment hub, the BRIX's diminutive size is welcomed. Users wanting their system to be hidden away and left untouched may not require a system quite as small as the BRIX, but that doesn't make it any less of an option.

Gigabyte uses a socket 1168 BGA motherboard (product number: MMLP7AP) which utilises the Haswell-ULT system configuration. Installed on the motherboard is Intel's Core i7 4500U processor which is rated for a nominal clock speed of 1.8GHz, with the capability to turbo boost up to 3.0GHz. Packing 4MB of L3 cache and two hyper-threading physical cores into a 15W thermal envelope, Intel's Core i7-4500U Ultra low voltage CPU sips power and produces very (laptop-calibre) modest amounts of heat.

Intel's HD 4400 graphics chip (codenamed GT2) is built into the i7-4500U processor. Performance is provided by the graphics processor's maximum clock speed of 1.1GHz – a figure which drops to 200MHz under idle conditions.

Pre-attached to the motherboard is a mini-PCI-E WiFi card which supports 802.11n connections. The adapter's maximum speed is 150Mb/s on the 2.4GHz frequency band. Above the wireless card is an mSATA 6Gb/s connection which can be used to house the latest SSDs utilising the SFF connection. Up to two 8GB DDR3 1600MHz SO-DIMM modules can be installed in the BRIX. Removing the top cover (not that it should be necessary other than for cleaning purposes) provides access to the blower-style CPU cooler.

G.Skill Ripjaws 1600MHz 16GB SO-DIMM Memory Kit:

G.Skill sent over a pair of its newly-released Ripjaws SO-DIMMs to use as part of the BRIX system. Rated for a 1600MHz memory frequency and 11-11-11-28 timings, the pair of 8GB modules operates at a DRAM voltage of 1.35V (highest voltage supported by the BRIX). A black, silver and red sticker covers sets of memory chips located on both sides of the PCB.

Kits with different speeds, timings, and capacities are available from G.Skill. We opted for the 1600MHz dual-channel 16GB kit as it represents the fastest and highest capacity configuration that Gigabyte's BRIX can accept. Users looking to upgrade their gaming laptop may be able to support higher frequencies and capacities, of which, G.Skill has plenty to choose from.

With 16GB of 1600MHz G.Skill Ripjaws memory and a 128GB Plextor M5M mSATA SSD accompanying the Core i7-4500U, it is easy to see that a powerful system can be built around the Gigabyte BRIX.

No, this machine isn't going to play the latest games at 1920 x 1080. But as far as general computing, media playback, and more demanding tasks such as file archival go, the Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500 system should be able to offer pleasing performance.

To test the Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500, we partnered it with 16GB of 1600MHz DDR3 SO-DIMM memory from G.Skill's Ripjaws series and a 128GB Plextor M5M mSATA SSD.

While the 22nm Intel Core i7-4500U CPU is technically a 1.8GHz part, the chip will turbo up to a maximum frequency of 3.0GHz when a single core is loaded, or 2.7GHz when two cores are tasked.

 

We will be outlining the performance of our BRIX i7-4500-based system in a variety of realistic usage scenarios, which include media playback, video conversion, light gaming, and general usage tasks.

Our CPU-Z screenshot taken at an arbitrary time shows the Core i7-4500U processor hovering around the 2.7GHz mark. We had no issues running sixteen gigabytes of G.Skill's Ripjaws memory at 1600MHz CL11.

The system's CPU-Z validation (taken at a different time to the above screenshot) can be viewed here.

Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500 System:

• Barebones System: Gigabyte BRIX i7-4500.
• Memory: 16GB (2x 8GB) G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 Low Voltage SO-DIMM 1600MHz.
• System Drive: Plextor M5M 128GB mSATA.
• Operating System: Windows 7 Professional w/ SP1 64-bit.

Settings:

• Intel 9.18.10.3220 HD graphics drivers.
• Intel 9.4.0.1016 chipset drivers.
• Intel 9.5.0.1428 management engine.

Software Suite:

• PCMark 8
• SiSoft Sandra 2013 SP4
• Cinebench 11.5 64 bit
• Super Pi
• VLC Media Player 2.0.7
• HandBrake 0.9.9
• WinRAR
• ATTO
• LAN Speed Test
• Dirt Showdown

PCMark 8 is the latest version in the popular series of PC benchmarking tools. Improving on previous releases, PCMark 8 includes battery life measurement tools and new tests using popular applications from Adobe and Microsoft. Whether you are looking for long battery life, or maximum power, PCMark 8 helps you find the devices that offer the perfect combination of efficiency and performance for your needs.

PCMark 8 gives the BRIX i7-4500 a score of just under 3,400 which is respectable for a system of this calibre and target audience.

SiSoftware Sandra (the System ANalyser, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant) is an information & diagnostic utility. It should provide most of the information (including undocumented) you need to know about your hardware, software and other devices whether hardware or software.

Sandra is a (girl’s) name of Greek origin that means “defender”, “helper of mankind”. We think that’s quite fitting.

It works along the lines of other Windows utilities, however it tries to go beyond them and show you more of what’s really going on. Giving the user the ability to draw comparisons at both a high and low-level. You can get information about the CPU, chipset, video adapter, ports, printers, sound card, memory, network, Windows internals, AGP, PCI, PCI-X, PCIe (PCI Express), database, USB, USB2, 1394/Firewire, etc.

Native ports for all major operating systems are available:

• Windows XP, 2003/R2, Vista, 7, 2008/R2 (x86)
• Windows XP, 2003/R2, Vista, 7, 2008/R2 (x64)
• Windows 2003/R2, 2008/R2* (IA64)
• Windows Mobile 5.x (ARM CE 5.01)
• Windows Mobile 6.x (ARM CE 5.02)

All major technologies are supported and taken advantage of:

• SMP – Multi-Processor
• MC – Multi-Core
• SMT/HT – Hyper-Threading
• MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE 4.1, SSE 4.2, AVX, FMA – Multi-Media instructions
• GPGPU, DirectX, OpenGL – Graphics
• NUMA – Non-Uniform Memory Access
• AMD64/EM64T/x64 – 64-bit extensions to x86
• IA64 – Intel* Itanium 64-bit

Sandra's CPU-measuring benchmarks show the Core i7-4500U to offer modest performance by desktop standards, but fairly competitive numbers when compared to other ultra-low voltage laptop processors.

G.Skill's 1600MHz CL11 Ripjaws modules deliver a memory bandwidth result around the 20GB/s mark. This result shows that the BRIX should be a capable system when it comes to memory-intensive tasks such as basic number-crunching and working with large spreadsheets.

CINEBENCH R11.5 64 Bit is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Spider-Man, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia and many more.

CINEBENCH is the perfect tool to compare CPU and graphics performance across various systems and platforms (Windows and Mac OS X). And best of all – it’s completely free.

A Cinebench score of 2.70 is basic, to say the least. Clearly, media encoding and video creation are not what the Gigabyte BRIX's Core i7-4500U processor was designed for.

Super Pi is used by a huge audience, particularly to check stability when overclocking processors. If a system is able to calculate PI to the 2 millionth place after the decimal without mistake, it is considered to be stable in regards to RAM and CPU.

We used Super Pi's '32M' benchmark setting.

Super Pi's 32M benchmark completed in just under 11 minutes which is a very respectable score for a laptop processor, let alone one from the ultra-low voltage class. 10 minutes 43 seconds is about 2 minutes off the 32M time set by a stock-clocked Core i5 3570K.

The Matroska Media container is a very popular, open standard Multimedia container which is usually found as .MKV files. It is a very popular format in enthusiast circles and can be played directly in VLC or Windows Media Player with suitable codecs installed.

We played our 1080P MKV rip of The Dark Knight using the latest version of VLC Media Player.

Given the low-power, hence performance-restricting, nature of the BRIX setup, playback of full-HD media on Gigabyte's mini system was perfectly smooth. CPU loads that rendered the rest of the system unusable were not exhibited, either.

HandBrake is a fantastic free program that can be used to convert video files to many common formats for portable devices. HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multi-platform, multi-threaded video transcoder, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows.

We used the latest V 0.9.9 version.

For our testing today we are converting a 4.4GB 720p MKV file (1h:58mins) to MP4 format, using HandBrake's ‘Normal' profile, for playback on High-Resolution devices. This is a common procedure for many people and will give a good indication of system power.

Media encoding is a demanding chore that should have one looking for a faster processor if regular conversions are a necessity. The BRIX is able to convert HD content for playback on a different device, but it takes a considerable amount of time (36 minutes and 35 seconds) to convert just one HD film.

WinRar is one of the most popular archive manager programs available. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format. You can try WinRAR before buy, its trial version is available in downloads.

WinRar’s built in benchmark and hardware test can help us outline the performance offered by a system.

WinRAR's built-in benchmark registered a speed of around 3400 KB/s for our BRIX i7-4500 system. This is a decent result for a low-powered, small form factor system, but it certainly isn't comparable to many mid-range desktop configurations.

The ATTO Disk Benchmark performance measurement tool is compatible with Microsoft Windows. Measure your storage systems performance with various transfer sizes and test lengths for reads and writes. Several options are available to customize your performance measurement including queue depth, overlapped I/O and even a comparison mode with the option to run continuously. Use ATTO Disk Benchmark to test any manufacturers RAID controllers, storage controllers, host adapters, hard drives and SSD drives and notice that ATTO products will consistently provide the highest level of performance to your storage.

Gigabyte provides the mSATA connection with a SATA 6Gb/s lane. The interface's 6Gb/s connection allows our Plextor M5M 128GB SSD to operate without speed restrictions.

With its emergence as the new standard for high-speed portable devices, USB 3.0 performance on a modern system needs to be good to ensure that data transferral bottlenecks aren't created.

We tested USB 3.0 performance using a SanDisk Extreme II SSD connected to a SATA 6Gb/s to USB 3.0 adapter powered by an ASMedia ASM1053 controller. ATTO was the benchmark which was used.

Gigabyte's BRIX manages to push our test SSD to over 350MB/s throughput via USB 3.0. While this sort of speed is likely to be more than enough for a large proportion of the BRIX system's users, a motherboard partnered with software-implemented activation of the UASP protocol allows for around 20% faster throughput speeds.

To test the Gigabyte BRIX system's wireless speed, we used Totusoft’s LAN Speed Test software to measure the real-world network throughput when transferring a 100MB file from a wired ‘server’ computer. LAN Speed Test provides real-world performance results as it creates the file, measures the time taken to transfer it, and calculates the effective network throughput.

The BRIX system was located in close proximity to our Tenda N60 router. We used the 2.4GHz frequency band (only frequency supported by the BRIX's adapter) and kept network resources free to ensure the transfer rates were not capped. The ‘client' system was connected to the network via Gigabit Ethernet.

Utilising a mini-PCI-E adapter which provides support for single-stream (150Mb/s) wireless-N, Gigabyte's BRIX was able to reach around 70Mb/s when streaming files over WiFi. Given that our test router is capable of more than 100Mb/s, it is fair to say that Gigabyte's choice of adapter tops out at around 70Mb/s when used on our test network.

70Mb/s over WiFi is a respectable speed, but given the BRIX's possible reliance upon network-based storage, a faster adapter would have most certainly been welcomed. Provided the connection is able to maintain stability on your network, wireless streaming of HD content should be a possibility with the BRIX.

Dirt Showdown is the latest title in the franchise from Codemasters, based around the famous Colin McRae racing game series, although it no longer uses his name, since he passed away in 2007.

We used the game's Low preset and a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Our data was recorded using the game's built-in benchmark.

The HD 4400 chip isn't the latest-and-greatest in terms of gaming – far from it. It does manage to offer borderline-playable performance in not-too-demanding games at 1920 x 1080, however.

Dropping the resolution to 1280 x 720 should help to make titles more demanding than Dirt Showdown playable, albeit with reduced image quality settings.

We measured the system's power consumption in a number of relevant scenarios. Idle values were measured after sitting at the desktop for 15 minutes. Load measurements were taken while converting an MKV file to MP4 format using Handbrake, representing a heavy but realistic work-load.

As well as load and idle measurements, we recorded the system's power consumption while playing a 1080P MKV movie and when running Dirt Showdown at 1920 x 1080.

Thanks to its use of an ultra-low voltage processor from Intel, Gigabyte's BRIX i7-4500 offers excellent power consumption figures. At no point during testing did we record a power consumption level higher than 28W. Idle power usage is equivalent to a single energy-efficient light bulb, meaning that the BRIX's users will not need to worry about large electricity bills.

By comparison, it would not be uncommon for an idling mid-range desktop graphics card to draw between 9 and 20 watts of power. And that's without the remaining system components factored in.
The tests were performed with the temperature maintained at a constant 23°C. Idle temperatures were measured after sitting at the desktop for 15 minutes. Load measurements were taken while converting an MKV file to MP4 format using Handbrake, representing a heavy but realistic work-load.

As well as load and idle measurements, we recorded system temperatures while playing a 1080P MKV movie and when running Dirt Showdown at 1920 x 1080.

We allowed the CPU cooler to operate at its default settings.

Temperatures of the ULV Core i7 processor didn't reach levels of concern. Topping out at 73°C under a particularly heavy realistic load, cooling worries are unlikely to be an issue for the BRIX thanks to Gigabyte's well-designed chassis and ventilation system.
We measure from a distance of around 2 foot from the Gigabyte BRIX with our digital sound level meter to mirror a real world situation. The BRIX was sat on a desk when acoustic measurements were taken.

When mounted to the back of a monitor, the noise output will differ from our recordings despite being positioned at a similar distance away from the sound level meter.

Please refer to our KitGuru noise guide for a comparison between the noise levels of this system and everyday scenarios.

KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum

While Gigabyte's BRIX certainly wasn't inaudible in all scenarios, low-load conditions allowed the system's fan to operate at low speeds which were non-intrusive. Once the load and corresponding heat output were increased, the BRIX did become more audible, but it was still well below a level which we would consider uncomfortable.

One point worth noting is that we tested the BRIX from 2 feet away, representing a typical desktop usage scenario. If the system is used in more of HTPC role (at a greater distance away from its user), perceivable noise levels will be almost non-existent.

Gigabyte's BRIX is a high-quality, well-engineered mini-PC that manages to squeeze competent performance into a miniature form factor. Utilising Intel's Core i7-4500U CPU and HD 4400 graphics configuration, the BRIX i7-4500 provides the foundation for a solid and versatile all-round system.

Performance of the BRIX i7-4500U is pleasantly surprising. Using an ultra-low voltage Intel processor, the mini system is able to offer solid general usage performance.

Combine that performance with good numbers in more demanding tasks, such as low-quality gaming and file archival, and the BRIX starts to look more like a proficient office or general usage system foundation.

If you're looking to regularly run demanding processes such as video conversion, the BRIX isn't for you. But for users wanting a more general usage approach, performance restraints are unlikely to cause major issues.

Versatility is perhaps the biggest strength for Gigabyte's BRIX, alongside its size. With a surface area of little more than 110cm² , the BRIX is easy to carry from one location to another. And given its hardware configuration, the system has the versatility to perform a number of different tasks – from desktop PC use, to media playback, to file streaming.

Needless to say with a system of this size, expansion is fairly limited. Components that can be added to the barebones bundle are an mSATA SSD and SO-DIMM memory modules. There is an additional SATA connector mounted on the board, but this can't be used in a particularly meaningful way. If Gigabyte was able to find a way of squeezing a 2.5″ hard drive mount into the BRIX, its potential as a HTPC or portable system would be greatly increased. As it stands, with only the mSATA connection available (and the cost per GB of SSDs), the BRIX is heavily reliant upon external or network storage.

The BRIX's ability to accept up to 16GB of 1600MHz memory enforces its potential as a general usage system. We had no issues using G.Skill's 16GB DDR3-1600 Ripjaws kit with the BRIX – it was as simple as plug and play.

Judging by the circa-£450 price tag of Gigabyte's previous flagship BRIX model and the dollar price of the current variant, it is fair to assume that the Haswell-ULT-based system will retail at a similar point. Factor in the cost of a mid-range (8GB) set of memory and an mSATA SSD and the system price rapidly approaches the £600 mark. And that's without the cost of an OS.

This sort of price is a tough swallow for consumers who were hoping for a cheap mini-PC. In light of this fact, Gigabyte does offer cheaper versions based around slower processors. But comparing the price of the BRIX i7-4500 to that of other similarly-powerful mini-PCs or even a comparable laptop shows that price-wise, the BRIX i7-4500 isn't overly expensive (comparatively).

For around £450 you get the foundations for a powerful mini-PC housed inside an elegant, well-designed chassis. Connectivity limitations (such as the lack of USB ports) existing on former BRIX iterations have been fixed and thermal and acoustic issues seem to be non-existent.

If you're looking to drastically downsize to a system which offers versatility and increased portability, but doesn't sacrifice too much in the way of performance, Gigabyte's BRIX i7-4500 is a solid option. While Gigabyte's BRIX has clear potential as a mini-PC and for office usage, if the smallest of the small isn't absolutely necessary, better value options which compromise size in favour of cost are available. Intel's very own NUC also provides the BRIX with stiff competition in the mini-PC market.

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Pros:

• Solid performance for general and some more-demanding applications.
• Tiny dimensions.
• Well-designed chassis.
• Enough USB 3.0 ports for a variety of scenarios.
• Mini DisplayPort connection for high-resolution monitors.
• Very low power consumption.
• Mountable on the back of a monitor.

Cons:

• Limited to external or network-based storage, other than a boot mSATA SSD.
• A faster wireless adapter would have been welcomed.
• No SD card reader.
• A noticeable price premium for the miniature dimensions.

KitGuru says: A versatile mini-PC with solid performance in a variety of scenarios. Just don't expect it to come cheap and be ready to rely upon external storage.

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