Gigabyte reveals AMD-based BRIX Gaming barebone

Posted on Monday, January 27 2014 @ 12:24 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
Gigabyte presents the BRIX Gaming, a new mini PC barebone that features AMD's Richland A8-5557M APU and a Radeon R9 M275X graphic card. The compact system measures just 59.6mm x 128mm x 115.4mm and features two DDR3L slots (max 16GB 1333/1600MHz), one SATA 6Gbps port, mSATA, one half-size mini PCIe slot for the bundled 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi + Bluetooth 4.0 combo card, two USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit LAN, and HDMI.
GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the launch of its latest addition to the GIGABYTE BRIX series of ultra compact PC kits, the GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming. Packing an AMD A8-5557M APU together with an AMD Radeon R9 M275X discrete graphics processor, the GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming has gaming performance that belies its compact size.

"The BRIX Gaming offers a real desktop PC experience in a compact form factor that end users now expect from a GIGABYTE BRIX device," commented Henry Kao, Vice President of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. "We're very excited about the continuing evolution of the desktop PC, challenging the notion that smaller PC design means abandoning performance."

GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming: Desktop Performance in Miniature
The BRIX Gaming compact PC kit is literally small enough to sit in the palm of your hand (measuring a mere 59.6 mm x 128 mm x 115.4 mm) and features a high-performance AMD A8-5557M APU plus a dedicated AMD Radeon R9 M275X graphics processor. The BRIX Gaming includes support for both mSATA SSD and standard 2.5" SATA hard drive installation - ideal for storing the latest 3D gaming titles while enjoying a fast and responsive OS install on SSD. The GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming features both Mini DisplayPort and HDMI ports on the rear panel, enabling support for simultaneous dual display connectivity.

The BRIX Gaming takes the performance you would expect of a full tower gaming PC, in a compact form factor that is much more suited for the living room. Gaming enthusiasts traveling to LAN events, parties and contests and will also enjoy having a gaming rig with incredible portability.

AMD Radeon R9 M275X
Accompanied by 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is a discrete graphics processor that offers superb 3D gaming and GPU-accelerated application performance. The AMD R9 M275X supports the latest graphics acceleration technologies including Microsoft DX11.1, Shader Model 5.0, OpenGL 4.1. The AMD R9 M275X also supports the latest OpenCL 1.1 standard providing GPU-accelerated performance in general purpose applications.

By employing a discrete, fully programmable GPU, the BRIX Gaming is ideal for tackling processor-intensive media editing and encoding applications. Today's GPU accelerated applications leverage the multi-core design of the GPU to greatly improve overall processing performance - this makes the BRIX Gaming well suited to creative professionals using media editing and encoding applications.

A Flexible, Compact DIY PC Kit
The BRIX Gaming is sold as a DIY PC kit, shipping with a Wi-Fi Mini PCIe module pre-installed, requiring only SO-DIMM system memory and a choice of either, or both mSATA SSD or standard 2.5" hard drives. The BRIX Gaming maintains the DIY PC ethos, giving users the flexibility to independently choose preferred operating system, integrated storage and system memory configurations.

USB 3.0 and Network Connectivity:
The GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming integrates four USB 3.0 ports (two front, two rear), ensuring ample connectivity for peripherals, storage devices and more. In addition to including a Gigabit Ethernet port, the GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming also includes a Mini PCIe module offering IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and the latest Bluetooth 4.0, providing connectivity for low power Bluetooth devices and peripherals, as well as allowing users to easily connect their mobile devices.

VESA Support:
Bundled with a VESA bracket, the BRIX Gaming can easily be mounted behind a monitor or HDTV making it discreetly hidden from view. This offers a simple and elegant way to turn any VESA-compliant display or TV into a full-featured PC or digital signage unit.
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About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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