[Robotica]

Regarding availability of the Celeron in US:
I guess retail channel is filled with 847 so Intel delay those releases in the US.

[smallclone]

1) Yes, for everything up to SBS 3D. No for full 3D.
2) A usb drive for Openelec.
3) No idea. I think the NUC kind of took over as the first mover. Celeron version of the brix not available in US.

This is quite encouraging as it's in my price range. I presume the specs are more than enough to run a standard skin in XBMC.

I won't need 3D just 1080p over LAN.

Hd Audio catered for?

[grantonstar]

Due to the lack of interest and none feedback in this topic you can say that there isn't much interest in those Intel products (wether i3, Celeron or Atom) at their price point while the form factor is attractive.
Or the Intel NUC made it so easy for htpc users?

Wait for the change once Kabini Brix hit the market ;-)

I've got a Celeron Brix (1.8ghz 1037u). Really love it. It's almost identical to the Intel NUC though with a faster and more recent Celeron processor.

Yes, gigabyte offers newer processors (at least i3 and celeron) and usb3, wifi and a power cable for a similar price to the Intel nuc. And those boxes are available all over Europe..

Strange that this topic isn't filled with happy users while the Intel NUC topic is huge.

PS. Any info on the GPU? The specs just say 'Intel HD'?

I believe Intel HD = HD Graphics 2000 but I'm not certain.

I had a lot of difficulty finding a 1037u model in the UK. Seems like they're being replaced by the 1007 Celeron version (1.5ghz). Either way, they're better than the 847 in the NUC though not by any grand scale.

[smallclone]

I had a lot of difficulty finding a 1037u model in the UK. Seems like they're being replaced by the 1007 Celeron version (1.5ghz). Either way, they're better than the 847 in the NUC though not by any grand scale.

I linked to one above on amazon

It says: Intel HD 4000

[grantonstar]

I had a lot of difficulty finding a 1037u model in the UK. Seems like they're being replaced by the 1007 Celeron version (1.5ghz). Either way, they're better than the 847 in the NUC though not by any grand scale.

I linked to one above on amazon

It says: Intel HD 4000

It's not true, HD Graphics 4000 is in the i3 and i5 versions. The specs are all confused (the celeron doesn't have USB 3 either).

Be careful and check with the amazon one if you order from sellers too. They're listed as the 1037u model but they are almost always the 1007.

[OzPlanet]

I have been using the i7 Brix for a little over a month now using Aeon MQ4 but downgraded to MQ3 due to defects. But it runs super quick the interface is quick.

Running Windows 7 Ultimate
128 gb mSata
16 gb Ram

Pros
Performance is great, no complaints what so ever. Once in a while XBMC crashes. No bright lights or Hard drive lights to interfere with video. Reboots in 25 sec.

Cons
The fan is loud. Troubles with waking up. The Remote only works in the Rear USB.

[smallclone]

It's not true, HD Graphics 4000 is in the i3 and i5 versions. The specs are all confused (the celeron doesn't have USB 3 either).

Be careful and check with the amazon one if you order from sellers too. They're listed as the 1037u model but they are almost always the 1007.

Oh great.

So what are the performance limitations with the 1007 and HD Graphics 2000, if any?

[grantonstar]

It's not true, HD Graphics 4000 is in the i3 and i5 versions. The specs are all confused (the celeron doesn't have USB 3 either).

Be careful and check with the amazon one if you order from sellers too. They're listed as the 1037u model but they are almost always the 1007.

Oh great.

So what are the performance limitations with the 1007 and HD Graphics 2000, if any?

Have a read of the intel NUC thread. They're basically the same in terms of strengths/weaknesses but the 1007 and 1037 celerons in the brix are a bit faster. The main difference from reading the NUC thread is that heavier skins like Aeon Nox seem to perform a little better with the 1037 Celeron. Video playback etc. is the same.

[Robotica]

Maybe performanc is just enough for hi10P@60 fps...

[Dougie Fresh]

You won't notice a performance difference between C847, C1007U and C1037U in an HTPC.

[Robotica]

You won't notice a performance difference between C847, C1007U and C1037U in an HTPC.

So why are you selling i3, i5 and i7

Sure, for normal usage differences are small: 1080P playback was already possible. But those newer Celerons perform better in every single way you look at it; even normal usage gain user experience compared to C847. A 1037u simply is a next iteration of tech (17w,22nm ivy bridge, 1,8 ghz cpu, 350/1000 mhz gpu, 2 mb cache) doubling performance/Watt!

I even would say max. bitrate for C1037u has atleast a 30% gain compared to C847.

[Dougie Fresh]

So, it'll play the movie faster? So what.

If you sit someone with XBMC and three PCs side-by-side running each processor, you're telling me they will notice which is which. Unlikely.

Would you pay double for the C1037U if the C847 were on sale? Would your HTPC be twice as good then?

[jammyb]

NUC FTW

[Dougie Fresh]

LOL. My point is don't pay a premium for a C1007U or C1037U over C847 because it's not worth the money. However, if say the C847 were $5 less than a C1007U motherboard, I would get the C1007U no doubt. But if it were $30 difference, I don't see it being worth it since for HTPC use there will be no perceived increase in performance.

For why offer i3, i5 and i7 barebones? There are not only feature differences between these but not everyone is getting a barebones for HTPC. People also get them for workstations, trading PCs, etc. I don't see though the need to sell two different kinds of i5 or i7. There are two different i3s because they have different GPUs. You can save a little money if you don't need the HD4000 and the HD2500 is good enough for your usage. There are much bigger gaps between i3, i5 and i7 than C847 and C1007/1037U.

[Robotica]

LOL. My point is don't pay a premium for a C1007U or C1037U over C847 because it's not worth the money. However, if say the C847 were $5 less than a C1007U motherboard, I would get the C1007U no doubt. But if it were $30 difference, I don't see it being worth it since for HTPC use there will be no perceived increase in performance.

For why offer i3, i5 and i7 barebones? There are not only feature differences between these but not everyone is getting a barebones for HTPC. People also get them for workstations, trading PCs, etc. I don't see though the need to sell two different kinds of i5 or i7. There are two different i3s because they have different GPUs. You can save a little money if you don't need the HD4000 and the HD2500 is good enough for your usage. There are much bigger gaps between i3, i5 and i7 than C847 and C1007/1037U.

So if it isn't about specs but about price: the gigabite brix with c1037u ships cheaper than you offer your c847.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271259815785