Gigabyte Brix users out there?

[Kaido]

Just joined to reply here.

I've found with my 4200, that if CSM is enabled, mini display port (to displayport monitor) AND hdmi will NOT work at all and it gets hung somewhere.

It was alive using an apple displayport-vga adapter though, so managed to get it back online. I've managed to replicate this CSM vs NON-CSM behaviour..

Just one more item to look out for..

I'm having electrical issues with the MiniDP to HDMI adapters. On my latest batch of i5 BRIX (last half dozen), they "short out" when I plug the Startech adapter in. I thought it might be the adapter, so I ordered another one & it worked. Then I got a second one in, same thing, so I ordered a different brand of adapter (Cable Matters) & it shorted out again - basically it's like pulling the power to the power plug, shuts it right off! However, I can't entirely blame the BRIX because sometimes it seems like the cables are faulty.

I'm not really sure, it's very strange, and I'm having a really hard time pinning it down. I like to buy the 2-pack of Amazon HDMI cables & then use the MiniDP to HDMI adapter so that I don't have to have all kinds of different cables on-hand, just a standard HDMI plus some adapters as needed, for convenience. So that's something else to watch out for!

 

[gonzo01]

Just purchased a GX-BXBT-2807 with 4gb Kingston ram - kvr16ls11/4 pc3l - 12800 cli 204 - pin sodimm (no info re voltage so dont know if its 1.3 or 1.5)

Connected USB keyboard ( tried 2) and USB Mouse - HDMI out to HDMI input of TV.

Turned it on - no video output - tried pressing DEL key on Boot and also tried F12 on Boot - no luck.

Is there a manual/info re the BIOS setup of this device?

Tried booting it with USB 3 thumdrive with latest openelec - no luck..

Advice please.

EDIT

Kingston RAM IS 1.35V http://www.kingston.com/datasheets/kvr16ls11_4.pdf

First time I've had problems with any PC ( except for my MSI laptop not having a USB boot option).

thanks

EDIT - SOLVED

Reseated RAM - All good now

booted with USB 3 Thumb Drive straight into OpenElec

 

[WarpGuN]

installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during BOOT

hardware: Gigabyte Brix GB-BXi3-4010
Has anyone successfully upgrade to Windows 10?

i done a fresh windows 8.1 install and then upgrade to windows 10 (with iso and windows update without any success)
i'm starting to think there something wrong with bios, the machine reboot two times (startup sequence) after the first windows 10 installation reboot and then resume with windows 8 and the error message.

if u had any luck please report back here.

 

[Smokeyassassin]

Yeah exactly the same on a BX-I3H-4010

I've tried everything

the update runs through the prep,
reboots
fails to boot into safe.os
reboots into windows 8.1

with the same error

Tech Preview worked up to 10130, after that I've had the same error each time, for each of the further preview updates and the full release.

Not sure if if the Board has a NX bit, because you can't disable it in the bios, but other computers have had to disable NX to allow the installer to complete.

I know windows 10 worked on the box for 6 months, but currently i can't even get the Brix to boot into a USB install medium, it just loops trying to boot from the USB drive and failing.



EDIT **
It's a problem with mcupdate_GenuineIntel.dll that's included in the install media in both boot.wim and install.esd/wim
until it's replaced/updated/reverted or a bios update is released no windows 10 on BRIX

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...093-b2fe-ad378685686a?page=1&tm=1438612041116

 

[WarpGuN]

EDIT **
It's a problem with mcupdate_GenuineIntel.dll that's included in the install media in both boot.wim and install.esd/wim
until it's replaced/updated/reverted or a bios update is released no windows 10 on BRIX

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...093-b2fe-ad378685686a?page=1&tm=1438612041116

thanks for the update well i guess we just have to wait :\

 

[Sicco28]

A bios update F8 for my Brix i3-4010 from Gigabyte fixed it for me. After flashing the bios update, I was able to complete the Windows 10 upgrade normally.

 

[WarpGuN]

A bios update F8 for my Brix i3-4010 from Gigabyte fixed it for me. After flashing the bios update, I was able to complete the Windows 10 upgrade normally.

ye same here

 

[Kaido]

I just got my first batch of black i7 BRIX with the GTX760. Huge power brick, and the fan is a bit noisy (runs all the time), but it handles basic 3D CAD stuff pretty dang well, which is great if you're not looking to build a high-end engineering rig. Would be awesome as a compact gaming HTPC too! Downside is the barebones is like $840 (plus SSD, RAM, OS, etc.), and you could build a pretty awesome (and silent) desktop if you don't have physical space requirements.

 

[Martyprod]

Help ! trying to find help to solve my issues, which are not reported anywhere.

first
1) i'm using a CRT monitor, LG 775FT Flatron. for healt reasons, can't use LCD / led monitor for PC.
2) i have a Series 5 samsung lcd TV but can only watch tv on it, can't use it for computer use.

with the j1900, i have a SSD samsung 850 EVO in it and a crucial Ram 1.35 8Gb.

i bought a Brix J1900, mainly because of the VGA port and that it was pretty cheap compared to all the other machines available.

what i did and what i got

1) got a machine with bios F4.
2) installed windows 7 SP1 on it. worked great ! after installing all the drivers. i'm a disabled person, so i always have two computer in case one fail, because i can't go out, or give phone call or whatever if my computer stop working. recently my secure machine (second one) stopped working (Motherboard issue), so i took the decision to go to the brix idea, as it could save a lot my health as no need to build a new pc or whatever.
3) everything was working ok, remote control from my main i5 machine with windows 10 to the brix etc !! i loved it !
4) then i noticed the new F6 bios. so i install it. but Windows 7 stopped to boot, and asking to be repaired, but ... my usb 2.0 keyboard and mouse are not working anymore. can't do ANYTHING AT ALL WITH IT !
5) so i try to reinstall win 7 , and still no luck. usb keyboard work perfectly in bios, but as soon i enter the langage page of the win 7 installation, everything stop working ! can't tell if the picture freeze or the keyboard, lol... it's not working. and i'm stuck there.
6) so i try a windows 8.1 iso to see if the keyboard works on the installation page, and it is so
7) i try to install a windows 10 system. hoo i see everybody "no, not win 10 !" well , ahah, the issue is that i can't even boot on it.
i put the usb key, i boot, i see during 10 secondes the blue window, and then the monitor switch off, and tell that the computer send frequencies out of the one he can use (60hz - 75hz) or outside of his resolution.
i can't do anything with it. and just don't know what to do. i told "maybe it's sending picture to the HDMI port ? so i plug it on my tv, but doing this turn off the Tv lol. i plug the vga on the TV, and nothing. black screen.

so i don't know anywhere what to do. don't know how to to do a firmware restaure to F4. and anyway, it would be a machine blocked in win 7 or win 8.1 (i didn't tried to boot a win 8.1 system yet just for curiosity, very difficult to find a 8.1 system just to see if the installation work, as i used my own licence to upgrade to Win 10 on my i5 computer).

i'm pretty sure that the boot of Win 10 is sending Hz (maybe 59 ?) and resolution who make the monitor to stop working. but no idea how to fix this. so even if it's possible now to have Win 10 working on a brix, i can't make it working because of this issue.

actually the brix cause more pain to me in term of healt than to replace my defective old 775 motherboard. i'm waiting few more days, but i'm ready to send everything back to amazon for a refund, i'm just Too tired to all this.

i was so excited, a small machine who will do 70% of what i'm doing usually, as i can't use laptop, so it was perfect, with VGA output , to do bureautic, internet, watching Videos, and file manager, silent, tiny, which will not hurt my healt (i have hands issues, got surgery recently) and it's turning in a much more bigger nightmare.

i did not try yet to take the SSD out and reformat it completly on my i5 Pc, or didn't removed yet the battery from the bios (no idea if it will do anything).

i'm just lost and don't know anymore what to do. i'm just tired to suffer, and writing this message is already a lot of pain.

thanks for any help !
-

 

[typos1]

Hello all, I recently bought a Gigabyte Brix GB-BXA8-5545, but I cant get a video output. When the power button is pressed, the LED comes on and the fan starts, all appears to be working, but I get nothing on screen.

I ve spent a long time trying to find some help and this is the only place I could find any mention of my problem.

I m using a compatible 8Gb RAM module from GB's list. At first I tried to boot without an msata drive, expecting to be able to get into the BIOS so I could set it to boot from an external drive or at least some message about installing a hard drive, but theres no output at all.

I ve lost count of the number of times I ve reseated the RAM and swapped it between SODIMM slots, but nothing works.

So I got a mini display port adapter, but I get no output from that either.

I ve since added an msata drive and thats made no difference. Unlike the RAM, it is not listed as a compatible msata drive in GB's site. AFAIK and in my experience, a pc SHOULD boot with RAM and no HD, so I would not have thought the incompatible msata would have made any difference - I d expect it to boot but not be able to see it or something, not fail to boot. It seems unlikely to me that a compatible msata drive would make any difference (cant really understand why a hard drive needs to be "compatible" either, I mean with everything else a hard drive is a hard drive as long as it has the correct connector).

 

[Martyprod]

Hi

1) maybe your brix is DOA, not sure, but maybe ...

2) like you i was expecting that i could see the bios, booting on a USB drive (linux Live USB ..) or something without installing a hard disc, but , in fact, the brix was not booting without one. i can only talk for myself of course. i had a black screen, it's only when i installed my SSD (a 850 samsung / 250 Gb) that the brix booted and i saw a picture. my SSD was not on the compatible list as well, as for the J1900, the SSD compatible list is only of few lines, and like you "well it's a SSD i don't see why it would not be compatible.". so it worked.

3) i sent back the brix to the seller, as i never found a way to fix my issue with USB / Win 7 and the monitor who switch off on Win 10 boot. gigabyte support was no help at all... so i sent it back, and when i can (aka "when i will have money again), i'll try an Asrock Beebox N3150, and hope that i'll not get same issues, or any other kind of issues.

 

[typos1]

Thanks for the reply.

Not exactly dead, sort of half dead ! Comatose maybe ?!

Not sure whether I should try a compatible msata drive or not, theoretically its not the hard drive if yours works with a non compatible one, but mines a different.

I ll be using Linux on it if I ever get it working, so not worried about any problems with Windows.

 

[Martyprod]

Thanks for the reply.

Not exactly dead, sort of half dead ! Comatose maybe ?!

Not sure whether I should try a compatible msata drive or not, theoretically its not the hard drive if yours works with a non compatible one, but mines a different.

I ll be using Linux on it if I ever get it working, so not worried about any problems with Windows.

hi ! yes, comatose, who knows ? lol.

the issue you have is that you only have the mSata model right ? so you can only try with an another one. maybe the mSata is deffective, d you have a possibility to try it somewhere else ?
if not i'm afraid that before being sure that your brix is dead (or not), you'll have to make the test to try with an another mSata. i know it's weird, the machine "must boot" without an HD, but as said for me, it didn't, it's only booted when something was plugged in the Sata port.

after that i don't have other idea. you can try to write to gigabyte support knowing that they'll take 3 or 4 days to give a reply and hoping they'll help you more than me

 

[typos1]

Already tried Gigabyte support, they are totally useless !

I ve removed the CMOS battery and I m going to leave it for 24 hours, see if that helps, if not maybe I can find a friendly shop who ll let me try another msata drive before buying to see if it works.

 

[Martyprod]

if not maybe I can find a friendly shop who ll let me try another msata drive before buying to see if it works.

i'm afraid it's the best option so far !

 

[typos1]

Bought a listed compatible SSD and still have same problem, the RAM is listed as compatible, tried HDMI and DP sockets, so I guess its another DOA Brix.

 

[Martyprod]

Bought a listed compatible SSD and still have same problem, the RAM is listed as compatible, tried HDMI and DP sockets, so I guess its another DOA Brix.

sorry for you the next one i'll get a beebox N3150, someone wanted to sell me a brix, but "no way"...

 

[slag]

Why do people keep tossing their money away with these? Get a NUC or beebox and be done with it. The rate of failure appears to be substantial.

 

[Martyprod]

Why do people keep tossing their money away with these? Get a NUC or beebox and be done with it. The rate of failure appears to be substantial.

i want a beebox, would have wanted to read a bit more reviews on the N3150 but don't find any ...

 

[Kaido]

Hello all, I recently bought a Gigabyte Brix GB-BXA8-5545, but I cant get a video output. When the power button is pressed, the LED comes on and the fan starts, all appears to be working, but I get nothing on screen.

I ve spent a long time trying to find some help and this is the only place I could find any mention of my problem.

I m using a compatible 8Gb RAM module from GB's list. At first I tried to boot without an msata drive, expecting to be able to get into the BIOS so I could set it to boot from an external drive or at least some message about installing a hard drive, but theres no output at all.

I ve lost count of the number of times I ve reseated the RAM and swapped it between SODIMM slots, but nothing works.

So I got a mini display port adapter, but I get no output from that either.

I ve since added an msata drive and thats made no difference. Unlike the RAM, it is not listed as a compatible msata drive in GB's site. AFAIK and in my experience, a pc SHOULD boot with RAM and no HD, so I would not have thought the incompatible msata would have made any difference - I d expect it to boot but not be able to see it or something, not fail to boot. It seems unlikely to me that a compatible msata drive would make any difference (cant really understand why a hard drive needs to be "compatible" either, I mean with everything else a hard drive is a hard drive as long as it has the correct connector).

Just to verify, are you using DDR3L, 1.35v low-voltage RAM?

 

[-bt-]

Oy vey. Home theatre forums aren't the right place for this, but it looks like a bunch of these slipped out with a significant firmware bug. Seems the device doesn't work *at all* headless - so you can't use these computers without a HDMI or VGA monitor (or terminator) connected. The bug is fixed in more recent ones, but if you find the machine hangs when you pop out the video, you're one of the lucky ones.

All of Gigabyte's firmware flashing tools are for Windows as well.

Factor in the cost of a day of your time being wasted if you're thinking of buying one of these (which seem pretty neat, otherwise).

 

[pierre323]

I did the plunge and go me the Brix i7. Got compatible ram and m.2 from the list.
First box was the i7 not the i7h.
Would not start at all , tried pretty much everything with teh del-key esc, F12 and nothing. Contacted Gigabyte. They told me to install just 1 ram in the upper slot and see if it gets a boot-screen.
1 memory stick, nothing, then installed the second one and wow, success, I got a boot-screen.
Since I had HDMI cable connected to TV and VGA connected to a LCD Monitor, wow, I got a Boot-screen on both. Meaning HDMI and VGA works simultaneously.
Updated BIOS and it would then see the second stick too after installing it.
m.2 was working too.
Installed win10 and got all working, except, every time I booted, screen got stuck on Boot-Screen, with error message CPU Fan Failed.
Hmmmmmmm, but the computer worked once hitting F1 to bypass the boot-screen. Short Contacted Newegg and returned it since I had 1 bad memory stick and maybe a Fan Fail.
Ordered this time the Brix i7H, with the additional bay for an additional SSD drive. Otherwise the same as the first one.
Got new memory too and this time the new box took 1 stick then tested 2nd stick and no problem either. Installed win10 again

Had to update the BIOS too but then all worked perfectly and MS was happy too to activate win10, no problem from win7.
Now I had that thing running 24/7 and was flawless untill yesterday morning. turned on the Screen and all black. Locked at the box and the light was out. Pressed the start button and nothing, the light went really out for no reason. Running for ~2 weeks and dead. Removed the memory stick, M.2 and just dead would never start again.
Called Gigabyte and they agreed just return it for refund or exchange from Seller. (Newegg). Newegg is great, they send me even the shipping label and off goes the box for a refund. Refund is faster since I just ordered the box again and therefore get 30 days free return again. They also did not charge me the 3.99 for handling again, it's almost as an exchange except I will get the new box on Tuesday instead of waiting till they get the broken one and then shipping me the new one.
As far as Brix i7H goes, while it worked it is darn fast, even faster then my Asus Laptop i7. To make a boot-image on Asus it takes 2Mins 30Sec versus Brix 1min 45sec. for the same size. (Win10 C-Drive).
Of course right now the Asus is faster.
Taught I share it here in case somebody else gets a Brix box.
Happy Easter everybody.

 

[Jusebert]

I can confirm with the above poster having purchased a Brix last week.

With the BIOS version out of the box you can only install memory into the upper DIMM slot otherwise you don't get any display output.

I updated the firmware to revision F5 and can confirm that afterwards installing RAM into both DIMM slots worked.

As of now my Brix is up and running and lightning fast..

 

[mattepoo]

There is a known issue with USB3. When a keyboard receiver is too close to a USB3 port the port can cause interference. There is a simple solution. Use an extension cable so that the receiver is not so close to the device.

 

[JeffMD]

So, I choose the AMD 5557m Brix to be my TVs media player. I was unhappy with how plex worked with both google and Amazon sticks (it will never transcode above the files native bitrate, so anytime Plex transcodes it is a big quality hit, and for me it was transcoding all the time) so I knew I needed to go to a cpu that can decode everything in software.

I went with the Brix 5557m because despite its possible heat and noise concerns being an AMD chip, at the $150 mark it trounces all other NUC based devices within $100 of it in performance. I figured I would be able to work with keeping heat and noise down with tweaks if it becomes an issue. I havn't worked with AMD in a long time now so I was kinda worried.

So I've had it for a couple days now although because of work, i've only just now got a stable installation on it so I have not been able to play much with it. There ARE some noise issues with it, right out of the box the TURBO is enabled which quickly heats things up, and also most of the good cpu optimizations arn't enabled until you install the chipset drivers. Saddly even the lowest fan speeds are audible, but tolerable. My goal will be to keep those fans from needing to ramp up. I actually have some success with battery saver power profile, it seems to keep the device at 1.37ghz unless cpu utilization gets really high.

One thing that annoyed me to no end and is a constant reminder why I dislike amd, there was NO DRIVER support built into windows 8.1's installation image for ANYTHING. The basic amd driver was there but no chipset, no wifi, no sound, not even the ethernet port had a driver! This is a device that should not be used without a laptop/pc that can download all your needed drivers to usb for you, or a usb dvd reader. Strangely enough, the updated wifi on the website is not compatible with what actually comes with it, I had to use the driver that comes with the dvd.

Over the weekend I'll start playing with fan profiles and such.