The latest lineup of BRIX barebone (barebone = no preinstalled RAM / HDD) computers features two different Skylake processor models: Core i5-6200U and Core i7-6500U. These two models are pretty much the same thing, both are Dual Core parts with HyperThreading, TurboBoost 2.0 and integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 520. The only differences are in pricing and frequencies:
- price: $281 vs. $393
- base frequency: 2.3GHz vs. 2.5GHz
- turbo frequency: 2.8GHz vs. 3.1GHz
- iGPU frequency: 1.00GHz vs. 1.05GHz
These differences result in a 10% performance increase in the Core i7-6500U
model: 3901 vs. 4332 Passmark points.
model: 3901 vs. 4332 Passmark points.
These new Gigabyte BRIX barebones come in two sizes, as you can see in the picture above. The one on the left (GB-BSi5T-6200 and GB-BSi7T-6500) comes with an M.2. slot for storage, while the one on the right (GB-BSi5HT-6200 and GB-BSi7HT-6500) also features a SATA-3 2.5" laptop hard drive bay for additional cheap storage, or up to two more SSDs. YES, like in laptops, you can install two M.2 or mSATA SSDs in one 2.5" bay, by using an adapter
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The ports on both type of barebones are the same. Audio in/out and two USB 3.0 ports on the front.
On the back there is the CPU cooler exhaust (the intakes are on the sides), a Gigabit LAN port, mini DisplayPort, USB 3.1/Thunderbolt 3 (COMBO), HDMI and the DC power plug.
On the right side there are two more USB 3.0 ports and an SD memory card reader.
While it's reassuring to see faster and faster small desktop computers, equipped with all kinds of ports, personally I don't see any practical use for the ThunderBolt port.
Yes, ThunderBolt can be used to attach high speed storage arrays, external graphics card boxes and monitors (with USB 3.0 and audio ports carried through a single ThunderBolt cable), but what good are these external devices if the fastest processor, the Core i7-6500U, is barely faster than a desktop Skylake Core i3
?Well, a desktop Core i3 from the Skylake generation can do a bit of gaming, so you might use the Thunderbolt port to connect a graphics card box, equipped with a mid-range video card. While the latest desktop Core i3-6100 can run multi-threaded games much better than previous generations, they are maxed out, when trying to run any demanding game in 4K.
Here's a video from DigitalFoundry, which shows what you can expect if you buy the most expensive Gigabyte BRIX and an external graphics box
with a Titan X
in it:Long story short, what they should have done, is put a Quad Core Skylake Mobile chip, like the Core i7-6700HQ, into the mini desktops... otherwise it's just a cool multimedia/office PC, which can be connected to at least two 4K monitors with non-3D purposes.
As for the high speed external storage devices ... I guess you could copy from them really fast onto the internal SSD, but that's it. These low power processors are not really meant for 4K video editing or any serious operations with large files.