Gigabyte PC (GB-GZ1DTi7-1070) : A powerhouse PC diminished by noisy fans

APPARENTLY, A BRIX can change quite a bit in appearance and still remain a Brix. When Gigabyte first launched the line, it was a reference to lookalike versions of Intel’s Next-Unit-of-Computing (NUC) systems: bare-bones machines in the form of 4x4-inch blocks. Then it expanded to encompass teeny-tiny tower versions of said mini-PCs (like the Brix Gaming UHD go.pcworld.com/brixuhd).

Now the term includes the Gigabyte PC, a 10-liter small-form-factor PC. This “Gaming GT” line of Brix systems sports full desktop-sized CPUs and GPUs, and sells as complete machines with Windows 10 Home installed.

This addition to the Brix lineup is a little surprising, given the history of itty-bitty systems that you had to kit out yourself. But more startling (and disappointing) is the mixed experience of using the Gigabyte PC: You get great performance, but with the cost of a lot of fan noise.

Chassis and ports

Given the history of Brix machines that blasted so shrilly you could hear them from clear across a house (), you could argue that