- Feb 14, 2004
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Both Intel & Gigabyte have announced new Skylake-powered mini computers:
https://www.gottabemobile.com/2016/01/07/new-intel-nuc-pcs-at-ces-2016-have-more-power/
http://liliputing.com/2016/01/gigabyte-launches-brix-mini-pcs-with-skylake-chips.html
Most interesting of all, Intel is building a quad-core Gaming NUC:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3020...its-building-a-quad-core-performance-nuc.html
More details in March at GDC, with what is looking like a Q2 launch:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-skull-canyon-gaming-pc-confirmed,30928.html
Ars has a good explanation of the new Intel models:
http://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/20...core-mini-pc-with-iris-pro-and-thunderbolt-3/
For the gaming model, rumor is that it may do a Razer-style Thunderbolt 3 over USB-C external video card. So a tiny computer with a quad-core CPU that you could slap whatever GPU in you wanted...that would be awesome, especially for all of the new VR stuff coming out! The thought is that the mini gaming rig will be based on the new Mini-STX form factor, which is even smaller than Mini-ITX:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/silverstone-mini-stx-case-form-factor,30924.html
What's interesting is that Gigabyte has updated their BRIX product page with a whole lineup of 6th-generation Skylake chips, but the BRIX Gaming rigs are still on 4th-gen chips:
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/list.aspx?s=47&ck=104
The slightly frustrating thing is that their best gaming rig, the GB-BXi7G3-760, uses a great 2GB GTX760, but only has a laptop CPU. Granted, it's a quad-core i7-4710HQ, but it's not the same as the 3.9ghz desktop i7-4770R chip they put in their BRIX Pro model, which unfortunately only has Iris Pro 5200 graphics. So you can either have a full-power desktop chip, or a full(er)-power GPU, but not both (yeah, they blow air noisily, but just make a new one a few inches higher to accomodate for cooling...it's still a tiny rectangular box!). Maybe the 14nm Skylake chips will help solve that problem...
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5156#ov
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4888#ov
So there may be a revolution in mini-gaming PC's coming, which would be pretty cool! Personally, I rarely build computers anymore...I try to get people to buy Chromebooks (or a Chromebox or Chromebase AIO) & barring that, buy a BRIX. I've setup a handful of engineering stations using GB-BXi7G3-760, which actually works awesome without a Quadro, even with triple monitors! It's going to be an interesting year for miniature gaming hardware for sure...
https://www.gottabemobile.com/2016/01/07/new-intel-nuc-pcs-at-ces-2016-have-more-power/
http://liliputing.com/2016/01/gigabyte-launches-brix-mini-pcs-with-skylake-chips.html
Most interesting of all, Intel is building a quad-core Gaming NUC:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3020...its-building-a-quad-core-performance-nuc.html
More details in March at GDC, with what is looking like a Q2 launch:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-skull-canyon-gaming-pc-confirmed,30928.html
Ars has a good explanation of the new Intel models:
http://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/20...core-mini-pc-with-iris-pro-and-thunderbolt-3/
For the gaming model, rumor is that it may do a Razer-style Thunderbolt 3 over USB-C external video card. So a tiny computer with a quad-core CPU that you could slap whatever GPU in you wanted...that would be awesome, especially for all of the new VR stuff coming out! The thought is that the mini gaming rig will be based on the new Mini-STX form factor, which is even smaller than Mini-ITX:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/silverstone-mini-stx-case-form-factor,30924.html
What's interesting is that Gigabyte has updated their BRIX product page with a whole lineup of 6th-generation Skylake chips, but the BRIX Gaming rigs are still on 4th-gen chips:
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/list.aspx?s=47&ck=104
The slightly frustrating thing is that their best gaming rig, the GB-BXi7G3-760, uses a great 2GB GTX760, but only has a laptop CPU. Granted, it's a quad-core i7-4710HQ, but it's not the same as the 3.9ghz desktop i7-4770R chip they put in their BRIX Pro model, which unfortunately only has Iris Pro 5200 graphics. So you can either have a full-power desktop chip, or a full(er)-power GPU, but not both (yeah, they blow air noisily, but just make a new one a few inches higher to accomodate for cooling...it's still a tiny rectangular box!). Maybe the 14nm Skylake chips will help solve that problem...
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5156#ov
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4888#ov
So there may be a revolution in mini-gaming PC's coming, which would be pretty cool! Personally, I rarely build computers anymore...I try to get people to buy Chromebooks (or a Chromebox or Chromebase AIO) & barring that, buy a BRIX. I've setup a handful of engineering stations using GB-BXi7G3-760, which actually works awesome without a Quadro, even with triple monitors! It's going to be an interesting year for miniature gaming hardware for sure...