Usage and performance
Contents
In order to “feel” the performance of the Gigabyte BRIX Pro, we mounted it with memory and a hard drive, installed Windows and tested it a little. However, keep in mind that we did not perform a full benchmarking session with a complete testing methodology; the results obtained are only for us to have an idea of how well it performs.
We have to mention that the BRIX Pro is not officially compatible with “common” 1.5 V SODIMM DDR3 memory modules. It uses DDR3L modules, which uses 1.35 V. As we had no such modules available, we installed two “common” 2 GiB DDR3 1333 MHz with 1.5 V. The POST status screen gave us a message about the incompatible memory, but it worked anyway, after pressing F1. We reduced the memory clock from 1333 MHz to 1066 MHz, just in case.
The configuration we used is listed below.
Hardware Configuration
- Memory: two 2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz SODIMM modules, running at 1066 MHz
- Hard disk drive: Seagate Momentus ST1000LM024
Software Configuration
- Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
- 3D performance test: 3DMark 1.2.362
- Noise test: Prime95
While installing the software and running the operating system, the “feel” was the same as any high-end desktop computer.
3DMark is a program with a set of three benchmarks: Ice Storm, Cloud Gate, and Fire Strike. The Ice Storm benchmark measures DirectX 9 performance; Cloud Gate benchmark measures DirectX 10 performance, running at 1280 x 720 resolution, and the Fire Strike benchmark measures DirectX 11 performance, and is aimed on high-end gamer PCs, running at 1920 x 1080 resolution.
We ran the three 3DMark tests, and obtained the results shown below.
|
Benchmark |
Score |
|
Ice Storm Extreme |
56313 |
|
Cloud Gate |
10066 |
|
Fire Strike |
1249 |
Just so you can have an idea, the results were better than the ones we measured with a desktop computer with an entry-level video card, as you can check in our XFX Radeon R7 240 Core Edition Video Card Review. The Gigabyte BRIX Pro performed better than our test system with GeForce GT 640, GeForce GT 630, and Radeon R7 240 video cards installed.
And, since in that review we concluded that those video cards are powerful enough to run even very recent games if you do not mind using medium or low video quality settings, we can say the same applies to the Gigabyte BRIX Pro: it is perfectly fitted for casual gaming.
As we were worried about how much noise such a compact system with a relatively high TDP processor would make, we measured the noise produced by the BRIX Pro, using a digital decibelimeter, at a distance of 4” (10 cm) from the rear of the computer.
In idle, the BRIX Pro we mounted was virtually inaudible: we measured only 39 dBA. Running the Prime95 in order to force the maximum heat production, the CPU cooler accelerated, and the noise level increased. We measured a maximum of 55 dBA, which is tolerable. The exterior of the device maintained a reasonable temperature during this stress test, not heating more than “barely warm” to touch.