Packaging & Accessories: 8 out of 10
For the price Gigabyte really has included a nice list of accessories that cover all the basses. The box is equally impressive as it not only hints at home compact the BRIX really is but is attention getting enough to easily standout on a store shelf.
Functionality & Aesthetics: 19 out of 20
Yes this NUC is ‘massive’ for its class, but honestly this additional size makes the BRIX a heck of a lot more functional as there is simply more room for parts inside. More to the point it still is rather miniscule in size – we own paperback books that are bigger! Mix in good, if somewhat understated, good looks and this little system can easily blend into a wide range of rooms & scenarios.
Build Quality & Warranty: 19 out of 20
Obviously Gigabyte spent a lot of time refining their design and it shows. Considering the form-factor limitations of the Intel NUC system, Gigabyte really did an excellent job on the layout and design of this generation of BRIX. Compared to most NUCs the Brix is head and shoulders above the rest and the end result is as user-friendly a build as any PC user could ever hope to find. On the warranty front three years is industry standard and given the fact that there is so few things that can go wrong we doubt many will need to use it.
Performance: 25 out of 30
The Gigabyte Brix proves that good things can come in small packages. Obviously you will not get ‘Desktop’ levels of performance (as it is better to compare it to a laptop), but thanks to a fast SSD it really was the odd time that we found this system underpowered. Even then we have used more expensive systems that were not nearly as peppy. By the same token the i5 would arguably worth the extra expense as we doubt many would ever find that model to be ‘slow’.
Value: 17 out of 20
Even though this is not a ‘full’ system the fact of the matter is Gigabyte has created a very potent system that also just happens to be downright tiny. More importantly by not including RAM or a SSD Gigabyte has kept the costs down and allowed you the freedom to create the ‘perfect’ NUC.
Final Score: 88 out of 100
By literally thinking outside the box Gigabyte has been able to create a system that is as capable as it is stylish. We really are impressed with the flexibility and value Gigabyte has been able to offer typical consumers. As long as you don’t need video game performance the Brix would be an excellent choice for many consumers who are now spending more than they really need to for a ‘full size’ system.
