Gaming PCs don't usually fit underneath TVs. But, that's a concept that the gaming PC world has been trying to develop for some time now. There are a lot of compact gaming PCs on the market including Alienware's X51, which has gotten a number of great reviews. There's always room for improvement, though, and that's where Gigabyte's new Brix II comes into play.

So Small, It Might Be The Smallest

The Brix devices measure just 4.5-inches when measured from the side of the box upwards. They also come with HDMI, four USB 3.0 ports, and plenty of other options. Also, Gigabyte has just updated the tiny PCs to include Haswell processors, and that puts these compact wonders over the top where speed is concerned.

The Brix devices are cute, compact, and full of options and features, but there are a few drawbacks to be aware of as well.

Some Drawbacks

First of all, you should know that the Brix devices are completely bare bones. This means that you have to hook up your own hard drive, RAM, and OS. Second, the only graphics card you'll get with a Brix is the one that Intel provides (Iris). Not that Iris is a bad graphics card, but you won't have the option to mess around with a new installation if you don't like the card that's integrated.

These things might not seem like much of a big deal,but you'll have to add up the costs of purchasing your own hard drive and other bits, and compare those costs to the price of a Brix device. When you consider that buying a Brix will set you back around $500, this becomes an expensive option. Granted, it's one of the tiniest options available, but it's still a pricey one.

Drawbacks Aside

Even though the Brix has its drawbacks, it's still one of the smallest (or maybe the smallest) gaming PC option out there. This device can easily sit where the rest of your home entertainment equipment is, and it will blend in nicely. So, if you have the extra coin to spend on adding a hard drive, RAM, and other stuff to the Brix, it's a box worth the price. If not, the dream of a tiny gaming PC that goes unnoticed may be just that - a dream.

Love the idea? You can pick up a new Brix II in December. The specific launch date has not yet been listed, but December is the month that Gigabyte is aiming for (just in time for the holidays, no less!). At the very least, take a look at the picture of the Brix II above - it's one of the most adorable gaming PCs I've seen in a long time, is it not?

What do you think about Gigabyte's new Brix II? Worth the extra money that you'll have to put into it, or would you prefer a compact gaming PC that has everything already included? Let me know what your thoughts are below. Love it or hate it?