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Gigabyte Brix Pro, a powerful PC in a pint-sized package

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

Between the advent of the Steam Machine and its multiple variants, and the prevalence of slimmer gaming PCs like Alienware’s X51, it seems as if small form factor desktops are all the rage these days. Gigabyte is also getting in on the dwarfish computing scene, with the reveal of its Brix Pro desktop PC here at CES 2014.

The Brix Pro is tiny, measuring 4.5 x 4.3 x 2.4 inches. Aimed at PC builders and available in red or black, the Brix Pro ships without RAM, a hard drive, or an operating system. Instead, it’s intended as a starter kit, giving builders a launchpad where they can ride the Brix Pro in multiple directions based on how they want to configure it by stuffing it with parts they acquire on their own. Gigabyte it also using the Brix Pro as a starting point for its Steam Box.

Don’t let its diminutive frame fool you though. The Brix Pro ships in one of two flavors, and each includes a processor that can hold its own. One setup ships with an Intel Core i7-4770R processor, while the other includes an Intel Core i5-4570R CPU clocked at 2.7 GHz. The Brix Pro also ships with Mini PCI-Express, 802.11ac Wi-Fi support and Bluetooth 4.0. Port selection includes HDMI, four USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, and mini DisplayPort. In terms of real estate for upgrades, the Brix Pro sports a pair of DIMM slots, allowing you to stuff it with up to 16GB of RAM. The Brix Pro supports both mSATA and 2.5-inch SSDs.

Pricing and release date information have not been released as of yet.

What do you think of the Brix Pro? Sound off in the comments below.

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Konrad Krawczyk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
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